Northwest Fishing Reports

wow, thats an amazing fish right there

Ohhh my that's quite an ugly fish right there...Imagine seeing that thing in the water...I'd be scared...WHAT A MONSTER!!!

bnd.com wrote:Once Opel wrestled the carp within five feet of the bank, he lodged his bow behind some rip-rap, belly-flopped into the chest-deep water and wrapped his body around the fish.

After he was securely on shore, Opel said the reaction of the elderly fishermen was priceless.

"I bet they said 'Oh, my God! Oh, my God,' about 500 times," Opel said. "I was waiting for one of them to say 'Do you need some help?' but I never heard that."

That's my favorite part...crazy hillbilly!

leahcim_dahc wrote:

bnd.com wrote:Once Opel wrestled the carp within five feet of the bank, he ...belly-flopped into the chest-deep water and wrapped his body around the fish.

That's my favorite part...crazy hillbilly!

That's how I land the big ones too... nothing crazy there.

It's not so much jumping in the water that bothers me...it's the jumping in the Mississippi to wrestle in a 92# fish part, with an emphasis on the Mississippi.

leahcim_dahc wrote:It's not so much jumping in the water that bothers me...it's the jumping in the Mississippi to wrestle in a 92# fish part, with an emphasis on the Mississippi.

haaaaa!!! Good stuff. I fear the South:-$

I can't see why any one would even want to catch a carp.Kevinb the mississippi isnt that deep,in some spots when the tide is low a guy can walk across to the other side.Gators are not scared of people and they don't just mess with ya most stay away unless its a female with a hatch. And don't feed one ever!!! It is a big fish. HAWG HUNTER!!

haha. I'm not worried about gators or water. Just the south,I've been to the back woods....scary

Personally I would not go in after that fish knowing that I only weigh a few more pounds than it (no joke). Last year I wrestled at the 103 pound weight class in my sophomore year of wrestling lol. I probably haven't gained a whole lot of weight since then, so to see me and that fish go at it would be one heck of a scene lol.

Always hear those horror stories of those guys noodling for catfish on those big rivers who find a snapping turtle or dangerous snake instead of a fish...Guy's got some balls to wrestle that pig!

Trent Hale wrote:I can't see why any one would even want to catch a carp.

dont under estimate carp until you catch one for yourself. they fight harder then a smallmouth and get pretty large (like 92lbs)

go catch one and you will never say the above again i promise.

Fisherman_max wrote:

Trent Hale wrote:I can't see why any one would even want to catch a carp.

dont under estimate carp until you catch one for yourself. they fight harder then a smallmouth and get pretty large (like 92lbs) go catch one and you will never say the above again i promise.

I agree, Carp are actualy great fighters and a lot of fun to catch.

Newspaper wrote:Opel won the fight -- and the admiration of anglers everywhere who fantasize about landing a monster fish such as his trophy.

Weighed on a certified scale at Worden Food Market in Worden, the huge Asian carp had a 30-inch girth and measured 62 inches long. It obliterated the previous Illinois bowfishing record for bighead carp of 35 pounds, 5 ounces set by John Borgers on June 8, 2006.

According to Duane Chapman, a fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey who specializes in carp studies, Opel's catch is the largest on record by a recreational fisherman in the Western Hemisphere.

Chapman said there are only two bigger bighead carp on record in the world. A 93-pounder was captured in a reservoir in northern Texas a few years ago, but it was not caught by an angler and not weighed on a certified scale.

The 93 pounder caught in Texas "was not caught by an angler" so the record does not count.

This one was not caught by an angler it was shot with a bow. Does it count if I go "shotgun-fishing?"

He won no admiration from me. I guess since it is legal I should just leave it alone, but most of the "bow-fishers" just kill and toss. If they use what they kill, I really do not have a problem with it, but just killing for blood-lust...

I do not know what to think of this, but I had to rant...

Does thinning an over-population count as a reason or use for killing?

lskiles wrote:The 93 pounder caught in Texas "was not caught by an angler" so the record does not count.

This one was not caught by an angler it was shot with a bow. Does it count if I go "shotgun-fishing?"

He won no admiration from me. I guess since it is legal I should just leave it alone, but most of the "bow-fishers" just kill and toss. If they use what they kill, I really do not have a problem with it, but just killing for blood-lust...

I do not know what to think of this, but I had to rant...

Not to argue or anything but finding enough people to control a carp population and using it all won't happen and if wild life officers do a controlled kill the fish go to waste any way#-o .

my $.02
TAZ

lskiles wrote:The 93 pounder caught in Texas "was not caught by an angler" so the record does not count.

This one was not caught by an angler it was shot with a bow. Does it count if I go "shotgun-fishing?"

He won no admiration from me. I guess since it is legal I should just leave it alone, but most of the "bow-fishers" just kill and toss. If they use what they kill, I really do not have a problem with it, but just killing for blood-lust...

I do not know what to think of this, but I had to rant...

Not to argue or anything but finding enough people to control a carp population and using it all won't happen and if wild life officers do a controlled kill the fish go to waste any way#-o .

my $.02
TAZ

lskiles wrote:
The 93 pounder caught in Texas "was not caught by an angler" so the record does not count.

This one was not caught by an angler it was shot with a bow. Does it count if I go "shotgun-fishing?"

He won no admiration from me. I guess since it is legal I should just leave it alone, but most of the "bow-fishers" just kill and toss. If they use what they kill, I really do not have a problem with it, but just killing for blood-lust...

I do not know what to think of this, but I had to rant...

So was the record caught by a bow fisher? It's a record because that is a method of fishing...Whether favored by people or not.

Shotgun fishing is different then bow fishing. Bow fishing takes quite a bit of skill. I sure know I couldn't pick a bow up and bag a few carp. Many people don't know that you don't aim right at the fish in the water. You have to aim low because of how light is deflected off the top of the water. It takes practice and it's not very easy to hit a fish at first...

lskiles: Carp overrun fisheries and overpopulate and destroy lakes. The thinning of their population is required to save lakes and these fish are wasted. Do you have a problem with that?

If you want to get real technical, you could call keeping fish wasteful. We don't need to eat fish in our diet and even catching and releasing has a moderately high mortality rate, so sport fishing even while practicing catch and release does end up wounding and sometimes killing released fish...

Here is pic of a lady that caught a 132lb carp.... in Thailand on rod and reel so this may be worlds record by women and the 93 pounder is only a US record by bow. http://www.fishthailand.co.uk/fishing_thailand.html (they made a mistake on the picture caption info, but the story below it tells it all)


REPORT:
English by nationality but living the past 19 years in Portugal, Annabel Worthington made angling history today. She came with Fish Thailand pro-guides Alley & Eddy Mounce in search of the largest species of carp in the world - the Siamese giant carp. Understanding and accepting the fact that a single fishing session for this particularly hard to temp carp species is at the very least a demanding challenge.

Over the past 2 weeks Fish Thailand has guided clients into numerous carp upto 93lb - hence some deep knowledge of the carp's location and feeding habits for this week had been gained. It just so happened that what was likely to be the most productive area for feeding carp today was in the swims occupied by Bungsamran's larger more luxurious bungalows. Annabel was happy to upgrade bungalow and so the day began.

It is quite common for a girlfriend or wife of a fisherman to also participate in playing the odd the fish and 'have a go' while with Fish Thailand; this goes for farang and Thai women alike. However it is very rare to receive a booking for a specimen fishing trip from a lady angler alone. Annabel is all about the outdoors, she has been a dive instructor & an underwater archeologist in past years; having a passion for angling since she was a child.

One extra rod was setup for Annabel to experience the power and fury of the Mekong giant catfish. This technique quickly hooks up with standard size catfish of around 40lb, a few of these and Annabel was ready to drop this second rod into the baited margins alongside the other for carp.

Early afternoon crept along with the first and what was to be the only run from the carp rods during the entire day. Striking into a viscous and dogged fight, the carp ploughed towards the adjacent bungalow along the margin. Quickly turning the fish out of the snags and shaking violently from the fish's head shakes, Annabel was as ecstatic as the guides as the carp surfaced throwing its mouth up for us all to see. The Siamese giant carp is not as powerful in long runs as the Mekong catfish, and although the fight is much shorter; it is a much more crafty fighter utilizing a catalogue of 'dirty' tricks in attempt to throw the hook.

With some assistance from the guides at a rather heart stopping moment involving a heavy marginal snag - the fish was looking almost ready for the net. At this final stage a Siamese giant carp still has it's last & most effective technique of ridding itself from the hook. Looking lifeless and beaten it will glide on the surface towards the awaiting net, only to exert an enormous surge of power from it's tail and dive back down to the marginal snags. Many big carp are lost at the net by this as the angler is caught off guard, luckily this time the carp did not reach the snag and control was re-gained. Now with the netting, there is very rarely more than one shot at securing the head in the net. If missed the likely hood is that the hook will end up in the net and the carp will merrily swim away! Knowing this and seen this so many times, Mut timed the netting perfectly and the fish was secure!!

The Fish Thailand Team never like to take a fish of this size out of water but felt that it was best to ask Annabel first whether she was comfortable with entering the water. Before we could ask Annabel had already changed her shorts and was on her way in! What a sport! The guides quickly went to work to make the handling, photo shoot and releasing of this giant carp as quick as possible. A second net secured the tail end of the fish as Eddy and Alley swam the fish together into the shallows.

At around the 60Kg (130lb) mark - it took two guides to handle the fish and help raise it into Annabel's arms. As a large crowd of spectators gathered and snap shots from cameras and telephones were being taken by all - the moment for Annabel and realising her achievement was sinking in.

It is believed and most likely that this is the largest carp ever caught by a female angler; a moment in angling history.

Sam Kafelafish wrote: Bow fishing takes quite a bit of skill. I sure know I couldn't pick a bow up and bag a few carp. Many people don't know that you don't aim right at the fish in the water. You have to aim low because of how light is deflected off the top of the water. It takes practice and it's not very easy to hit a fish at first...

Two 14 year-old boys in our youth group, one experienced one novice, went out to Vancouver Lake a couple of week-ends ago and in one evening they both killed a hundred carp apiece. How much skill can it take.

Sam Kafelafish wrote:lskiles: Carp overrun fisheries and overpopulate and destroy lakes. The thinning of their population is required to save lakes and these fish are wasted. Do you have a problem with that?

We complain all the time about how bad it is when we have "bucket-biologists" planting fish, but it is now OK when someone is killing fish? I do not have a problem with thinning fish, but re-read the thread about Sprauge Lake being killed off and I agree that it was a waste. There are probibly ways to use the fish WDFW kills...dog food, fish fertilizer, I do not know.
The main point of distaste for me is the wanton blood-lust. Just kill and cut them open and let them sink...or float.
Geez, Louise...kids now days get all pushed out of shape if you throw away a pop can, but it is OK to kill an animal just for the fun of killing.

Sam Kafelafish wrote:If you want to get real technical, you could call keeping fish wasteful. We don't need to eat fish in our diet and even catching and releasing has a moderately high mortality rate, so sport fishing even while practicing catch and release does end up wounding and sometimes killing released fish...

Nay, I do not want to get real technical. I just want to eat the fish I keep and pretend all the ones I release survive.