D&R Canal Carp

[pacrags]

Went to the canal Sat Night in the hopes of carp and catfish, trying a spot that looked promising on google maps. Unfortunately hoping i'd catch some gills for catfish bait turned the trip into carp only.

and after getting to thespot, setting up the rods I found that my plano box with my baiting needle fell out of my tackle backpack (found it in the back of the car this afternoon), was cursing up a storm left the\h rod holders in the ground and started walking back to the car with all my other gear when i felt the pocket flap that holds in my plano boxes hitting me in the ass, when i took off the backpack to zip it up i noticed an inside zip pocket that i forgot was even there and in it was my old baiting needle that i <*cough*> lost and replaced ..along with some more hair rigs and bait stops.

I ended up loosing 2 fish to bent hooks, but the 3rd hook up ended in a 2+ foot 13 pounder - which i only got a quick picture, being as i was netting it the bite alarm on the other rod started going off ... unfortunately by the time o got to it there was no fish nor bait on the line.

going to need to find some heavier small hooks for my hair rigs ...these were bass pro shop #10 baitholders

going to go back there one night this week with some blue gills and try again for the cats

[AndyS]

No too shabby, straitened out hooks, wow !!

[pacrags]

the 2nd one to straighten the hook had the feel of a fish worthy of bending it ... however i am thinking it may be a bad lot of hooks ... i am pretty sure I had at least 1 other bent hook from this lot in a spot where the carp are normally in the 6-8 pound range last year or the year before.

[Adrenalinerush]

Size 10 hook seems kind of small. if you want to fish small hooks like that there are 2X heavy duty hooks in that size that are normally used for tying flies that wont bend.

https://www.fishusa.com/product/Daii...iABEgL-X_D_BwE

[pacrags]

Thanks - i am going to give these a try- they look far more bang for the buck than some of the carp specific hooks i have been looking at online.

I'm no expert, but from what i have read, carp are very sensitive to hooks - which hair rigs are designed to counter and i have read smaller hooks are better ( i have some #14 hair rigs that i have yet to use).

Fishing from the banks, i like to put 2 rods out with bait feeder reels and bite alarms for cats and/or carp while I use the 3rd allowable rod to work the 50 yards either side to target whatever the particular water body might hold with lures or soft baits.