Looking for carp

[wsm2c]

There used to be a shallow lake where the Columbia Dam project was stopped. You know where the 20 million dollar wasted hunk of concrete is at next to the ramp on Iron Bridge Rd. It has been several years since I have been there but I remember there being several 4 or 5' carp swimming around out there. If you live in Columbia you may already know where I'm talking about. It is still water with little or no current.

[txnative]

I have a suggestion for grass carp: nashboro public golf course.

Don't laugh, I've caught several 10+ lb grass carp on a 5 wt with a size 10 black beadhead wooly bugger. The only problem is the best spot is directly in front of a tee box, and the course marshal will ask you to move quickly. If you can manage to go when no one is golfing, you're a lucky person.


Chris

[bd-]

Originally Posted by ditz1

BD... I appreciate the response. I believe that PP is the closest non-flowing water. Yes, common carp is at the top of my target list. Several years ago I caught a large Buf. and he gave me no fight. He probably went between 30 and 40# too but not on a fly rod. Like you said you just pull them in. I have caught 5 to 7# carp and they did give me a run for my money on UL spinning..

Yeah, every once in a while I've hooked a buffalo that has some fight in him, but it's rare. Most of them are just dead weight. In the spring during the spawning run, you can catch big buffalo on the Caney if the river is low. Using a 5wt and fishing to fish 15 pounds and up, they fight okay - but even the strongest ones fall way, way short of the fight that a common carp will give you.

My biggest common this year was around 16.5 lbs, and I lost a couple that were over 20. Common carp that size will give you a serious fight even on an 8wt.

I am considering either a kayak or a Gheenoe which is a small skiff to use between here and Fl. Just not sure which yet. At 64 I am not sure I want to wrestle with a yak on and off of a roof top. If I have to trailer it may as well be a boat and motor. Sorry for ramble.

I fish out of a Custom Gheenoe Classic, and I'm very happy with it.

You gave me some place to start. I made a trip up to a city park just east of downtown off of I-65 that has a small lake with an island. I thought I might find some carp there but saw no signs of ole whisker mouth.

Are you talking about Centennial Park? Yeah, I went and looked a couple times myself, but I haven't seen any carp in there. There are some bass, bream, and catfish, though they had a couple really big fish kills last summer during the extreme heat, so I don't know what's left. The water just got so hot there was barely any oxygen left. I know it decimated the bluegill in particular - I'm not sure if the catfish might have made it through.

As far as city park ponds go, I know the pond at the World's Fair Park in Knoxville has some good-sized carp and I've seen them up shallow feeding, but I don't know if they'll allow you to fish there or not.

bd

[MNfisher]

Whether they are carp or buffalo, I don't know, but centennial park had some absolutely giant ones! 25-40 pounders!

[ditz1]

I believe that the park lake that I went to was Shelby park. I was only there once and only spent a few hours looking for carp. I walked the entire shore line and also walked the shore line of the island. There may be carp but I saw no signs while I was there. Someone indicated that there are carp in the Centennial park. Do they allow fishing there?

I know where Iron bridge boat launch is located but I am not familiar since I have no boat I do not frequent the place. I also do not know where the dam was. It was removed several years ago. One of the creeks that I fish would have been part of the head waters of the lake that would have been created by the dam.

[MNfisher]

I work for Metro and am in Shelby park daily, no carp there. Just catfish, bluegill and bass. Then they stock trout there in the winter.

Yes, you are allowed to fish in centennial park. Actually some really nice bass, and big bluegill in there. And the carp/buffalo, whatever they are, are absolutely huge.

But metro is proposing a lake restoration project for centennial. It includes draining and dredging it, reactivating a spring and refilling. May not happen for a few years. But in the long run, might make it a better fishing pond! Who knows!

[bd-]

MNFisher, maybe you are at Centennial Park more than I am, but I have walked the banks of that lake a number of times, and I've never seen any 25 to 40 lb carp in there.

If they are there, they haven't been up on the shallow end of the lake feeding (where they'd be reachable with a fly) on any of the times I have ever been there.


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[Travis C.]

I used to try and catch those big carp on my lunch breaks from work. There were at least three from what I remember. About the only places I'd ever see them cruising was on the back side of the lake from west end where it has that shallow strip next to the walk way.

[MNfisher]

Originally Posted by bd-

MNFisher, maybe you are at Centennial Park more than I am, but I have walked the banks of that lake a number of times, and I've never seen any 25 to 40 lb carp in there.

If they are there, they haven't been up on the shallow end of the lake feeding (where they'd be reachable with a fly) on any of the times I have ever been there.


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There is only about a dozen or so in there, most I have seen at once was 7. Maybe that's all of them. I took pics of them one time, but must have deleted them. I will take more next time I am there! They are BIG!

[bd-]

Sounds like I will have to go back and take another look.

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by bd-

Sounds like I will have to go back and take another look.

Definitely, you will probably be able to catch them. From what I remember they must be used to people being around as they weren't as spooky as I would think. My carp skills just aren't up to par to catch those fish.

[ditz1]

Again, thanks for the responses. My skills are probably not up to required standards either but I would like to give them a try at Centennial Park. If I get some kind of water craft I will also spend some time on PP. I bet the Duck river has some too if I can find them but a boat would be required on the Duck as well.

[bd-]

One place that has a whole lot of buffalo and some drum is the Harpeth. You can wade in at the Highway 100 access and go upstream, and you'll see a lot.

The buffalo are hard to catch though. I've had days where I've fished from sunrise until dark and only caught one fish. They're very frustrating because you can present your fly perfectly and they'll just ignore it.

I envy the guys in the midwestern states that have wadeable small creeks and rivers with good populations of common carp. I haven't found any really good ones full of common carp around here.

bd

[MNfisher]

Soooooo many carp in MN. Have caught hundreds! But of course on crawlers and corn....not quite the challenge of you chasing them on the fly! That's impressive!

[MNfisher]

Originally Posted by bd-

Sounds like I will have to go back and take another look.

BD, took a run around the lake today at Centennial, I say 4 of the big guys and one smaller one. They just cruise around, so big that there tail is sticking our of the water a few inches! The smaller one was, I believe some time of koi fish. It was black and white with large, longer that normal fins that waved in the water like feathers, haha. But it was stilll in the 10-15 pound range and they have to eat too right? Could be a new species for you! HA!