Sl-o-o-o-o-o-o-w at Lincoln Beach 10-14-05

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Met up with Carp_Punisher about 6:30 AM. Air temp 32. Water temp 52 at launch. Calm conditions. Looked good. Yeah, right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I launched inside the boat channel near the tip of the jetty. I did not meter any fish either inside or clear out to 7 feet of water around the jetties.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Pitched a variety of plastics and worked from 5' to 7' on the way to the first spring. Only saw the occasional small fish suspended at middepth on the way to the springs. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There was steam coming out of the first spring, but there was no difference in the surface temperature even within a few feet of the inflow. Sonared the big hole at the first spring, and found depth up to 7 feet. Only a few bitty marks inside.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]CP finally got launched and showed up to lend immoral support. He was "blind" since his connection to his battery had broken on his sonar. Probably wouldn't have made much difference. The few fish I saw all had their little mouths closed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We both threw every flavor plastic available at Baskin and Robbins, and then some. We fished big and little, high and low, with and without "sweetener". Only a couple of light taps for each of us.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We also both fished bait, with no takers at all. They even ignored my previously hot bobber head jigs with a piece of minnow. My bobber never even twitched all morning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When a couple of rafts of carp showed up on the surface, we took a vote. We voted that carp counted toward deskunking. I hooked and lost three or four. CP landed two. The first and largest actually slurped the plastic jig and he had a rippin' good time on his ultralight rod. All I put on my rigid fish apron was 3 carp scales.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If ya really wanna get ultratechnical, I did catch a carp. It was about 2.5 inches. Yes, that decimal point is in the right place. See the picture. After I took my tube out of the water, I left my waders on to check the depth in some of the access areas, to see if they could be driven yet. In one spot, there were several small minnows swimming around. The way they swam, I thought they were tadpoles. But, when I managed to catch one with my hands I was surprised to see that it was a bitty carplet. I guess that prolonged spawn this year has resulted in some really small carp minnows still being around. The hatchlings from the first April spawn are probably six inches by now.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were some 10" carp swimming around inside the channel. They are probably last year's crop. They would make good kitty bait in a few months but I did not stop to play with any of them.[/#0000ff]
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Welp, it was probably better than being at work, right TD? Did you guys make it further NorthWest, a la the 3rd springs area?

I think this pretty much settles it for me-I'm off to Mantua in the afternoon tomorrow, and then I'll trek down to the game. Hope I can get the little bluegills and perchies to bite. A largie or two would also be nice, but we'll see. Gonna take some bait bugs, genz worms, and other smaller jigs/lures and some 'crawlers to tip them with.
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[Carp_Punisher]

[#505000]Ok I don't mind telling ya'll a monster carp on 6lb test on an ultra light rod is a riot!!!!!! After a less than exciting morning I noticed a group of carp frolicking near some reeds so I figured a fish is a fish right? I scooted on over and tossed a nice grub over their heads. I reeled in about 5 feet and WHAMMO!!! The fight was on!!! That monster you see in the pic sucked in my offering and we had a right hardy tussle. [/#505000]
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[#505000]I managed to land him with the intent to release him "unharmed" being an asian fish, and a strict follower of the acient samuri code of Bushido, when I grabbed him to "gently" place him back in the water he couldn't handle the shame of defeat and committed hari cari by flipping really hard and tearing his own gills out. [/#505000]
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[#505000]The second contender wasn't nearly as honorable a catch. The second contender was a "dorsal feeder" who put up one hell of a fight. He wasn't nearly as accomidating as the samuri carp and I had to "help" him out on his journey to the other side. [/#505000]
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[#505000]Every other fisherman on the water and getting off told me the same story..... very slow and no fish. I'm starting to wonder if a few of us didn't get the memo......[/#505000]
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[Theekillerbee]

Way to punish the carp Gary. I really don't believe you about the releasing unharmed though.....
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I did not see anyone boating or wading off the rock shelves to the west. I watched while fishing and then drove down there afterward to double check. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There were only about 3 or 4 boats out on the water this morning. A couple were "cast and blast" oriented. But, no ducks were flying in the "bluebird" weather either. I talked to the last two boaters coming in around noon and their score was zero fish and zero ducks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]CP tried to sneak up on some guys decoy spread. I doubt he was fooled by the lousy calling that was going on, but he almost kicked right into the middle of their set. Those guys probably hesitated to shoot, waiting for that big bird to get airborne first. Of course, Gary might have shot back.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yep, if'n I was you, I would go to Mantua. And, since the weather is supposed to be getting lousy about game time, I would think real hard about "taking advantage" of my ticket to the game. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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