Carpin

Our fall fishing hasn't quit taken off just yet. Nights are in the high 50s - low 60s and were coming off of some 90 degree weather this week so things are still a little warm. A touch of color some places but for the most part it feels like summer and it was hot out there today. Lakes are dropping fast and the river fish have been tough as nails and very frustrating. I started the morning hitting a stream that can hold very nice steelhead this time of year. The stream closes Nov 15th so I wanted to put some time on it while the coastal fog was overhead in the AM and then go hunt a carp or two after the sun got overhead. Three hours gave up 5 small Bows. Flows were good and the conditions were perfect but I just couldn't connect with anything but dinks.  I'll give it another shot before closes.

First Lake I stopped at has been holding great numbers of smaller fish but has been stingy as hell with any quality this year. I walked the flats for over an hour and only spotted one fish about 70ft from me. I had no shot but thought maybe they would move up so I kept after it. Mut told me to move on since there just wasn't the life on the flats that there has been so I bailed and went on to Lake #2.  This place is more of a one or two fish type lake and it held true to that this time. The road in sits about 50ft above the lake leval and you can actually see almost the whole dam flat from the truck. I saw two very nice fish working a bank so I geared up and got down to lake level to find they split. Walked some good looking shallows and came up on a tailer that was digging big time about 25ft from me. First cast was long but the second shot was perfect and she turned and jumped it instantly. After a terrific battle  I was able to slip a beautiful teener in the net. One of my more rewarding Carp of the year so far and I enjoyed every second of it. Took a quick Photo and she bolted off strong! Almost as soon as I retied I had another shot on a fast moving 8-9lb fish and that one ate too. Took a break to let things settle down a bit and I only had two more shots the next two hours. All in all a good day! I'll be fishing less and less for Carp and start merging into Striper fishing this next week or two. I'll still hit themas long as they stay up shallow but i'm ready for some Stripers and Steelhead.

This fish ate simple brown bugger