02-02-2019, 12:53 PM
[#0000ff]Met up with Fatbiker and his lady at Farmington Bay yesterday...to see if there were any minnows to be had. The road out into the southern ponds is open to the public for bird watching so I was hoping there might be some open water and maybe a minnow or two.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lots of "birders". Almost a solid procession of old fudds and geeky types with binoculars and long lens cameras...either moving along at 5 miles an hour or parking in the middle of the road. Bird brains.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]They are letting water out of the big pond to the east of the access road. The water level was quite low. But there was open water and water still running out at the airboat launch. And since the water was slightly deeper there...at the ramp on the east side of the road...there were a bajillion carp congregated there and rolling around in the muddy water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I had brought my cast net so I made a few flings, hoping to find some minnows...and not to get connected to any of those big scaly beasts. But, such was not to be. No matter where I tossed the net I ended up in hand-to-fin combat with several big nasties. Didn't do my net much good...when there serrated spines got tangled and they started thrashing around together to try to get out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some of those buglemouths were "carposaurs". Saw a couple that had to push 20 pounds. But in addition to quite a few big beefy ones I also found a spot that held some smaller "underfooters". I invited a few of those home...along with a couple of the bigger ones...for my electric knife weight reduction program. I now have a good start on my bait for the upcoming catfish contest.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If anybody wants or needs to harvest some carp flesh, that is the place and this is the time. Those carp are in shallow water and a lot of them were swimming within a few feet with their backs out of water. You wouldn't have to be a super shot with a bow to bag a bunch. Not sure what the upcoming weather system will do to change things but I got mine.
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[#0000ff][#FF0000]EDIT NOTE: In times past it was not illegal to harvest carp or minnows from Farmington. But there have evidently been staffing changes and policy changes. It is now illegal to fish or otherwise catch any fish from Farmington. There is nothing in the DWR guidebook covering this...but there should be...if they are issuing citations.[/#FF0000]
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[#0000ff]Lots of "birders". Almost a solid procession of old fudds and geeky types with binoculars and long lens cameras...either moving along at 5 miles an hour or parking in the middle of the road. Bird brains.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]They are letting water out of the big pond to the east of the access road. The water level was quite low. But there was open water and water still running out at the airboat launch. And since the water was slightly deeper there...at the ramp on the east side of the road...there were a bajillion carp congregated there and rolling around in the muddy water.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I had brought my cast net so I made a few flings, hoping to find some minnows...and not to get connected to any of those big scaly beasts. But, such was not to be. No matter where I tossed the net I ended up in hand-to-fin combat with several big nasties. Didn't do my net much good...when there serrated spines got tangled and they started thrashing around together to try to get out.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Some of those buglemouths were "carposaurs". Saw a couple that had to push 20 pounds. But in addition to quite a few big beefy ones I also found a spot that held some smaller "underfooters". I invited a few of those home...along with a couple of the bigger ones...for my electric knife weight reduction program. I now have a good start on my bait for the upcoming catfish contest.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If anybody wants or needs to harvest some carp flesh, that is the place and this is the time. Those carp are in shallow water and a lot of them were swimming within a few feet with their backs out of water. You wouldn't have to be a super shot with a bow to bag a bunch. Not sure what the upcoming weather system will do to change things but I got mine.
[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][#FF0000]EDIT NOTE: In times past it was not illegal to harvest carp or minnows from Farmington. But there have evidently been staffing changes and policy changes. It is now illegal to fish or otherwise catch any fish from Farmington. There is nothing in the DWR guidebook covering this...but there should be...if they are issuing citations.[/#FF0000]
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