Roots: Early spring planted rumors, of a really big carp exceeding 23kg. It had residence within a reasonable driving distance of my home, so the idea of a real monster hunt quickly took root. First part of this season disappeared quickly, and when September announced arrival of the autumn, time was set aside for a serious rate.
Winds of spring had scattered the seeds well, and one landed at the feet of Kim Tonny Frederiksen. Over a cup of coffee, we had to admit that our rods would inevitably cross, in pursuit of the same trophy. It was agreed to maintain a high level of communication, so we didn’t spoil each other’s fishing by accident.
Kenneth Padkær Jespersen and Frederik Tolstrup, did also found golden seeds that had to be examined more closely.
For reasons known only to fishing gods, my next month angling was to take place, in parallel with these 3 good friends. Information concerning our fishing would be shared between us, which should increase the odds of a good outcome.
Variated start: From own point of view, the campaign is planned for short trips with light packing. Arriving late afternoon/evening and departing next morning, will result in quick raids performed only few days apart.
Feed strategy is simple…
At the end of each and every trip, preparation is to be made for next one.
As many clues as possible about carp’s behavior, will be collected in evening/morning hours. This forms basis for next feedings, which then is to be fished a few days later. A search for the spot that can deliver one ultimate reward.
The relatively large population of breams, has influenced my choice of bait.
F6 Boilies size 18mm/24mm from C.A. Baitline, is mixed with standard size tiger nuts, as well as XL tigers. This should reduce activity from small fish.
First 5 sessions are fished in 3 different areas of the lake, catching 1-3 carps on each overnighter.
They move just before dark, until 8-9 in the morning, after which activity drops instantly.
At regular intervals, the breams release bottom-gas in search of food on site. Any hook bait that is slightest popped or balanced, is all too quickly getting attention, when greedy flocks sweeps over the feedings. An 18mm sinking F6 boilie, topped with a large tigernut, served flat on the bottom. Turns out enough to achieve some peace in camp.
The carps provide good entertainment, with a wide variety of mirror, scale and full scale specimens, but none of them exceed 10kg.
High level: Kim makes a plan, in alliance with Søren Eggert Beck.
An attempt that starts with some sensible feeding. Day before fishing starts, a mixture of boilies, tigers, corn, canned corn, hemp seeds and pellets, hits lake-bottom their chosen spots. It will attract small fish in large numbers to the area, where increased activity should act as a food bell for Cyprinus Carpio.
The strategy hits target.
A handful of ferocious breams, spiced with some small carps, takes some effort. In this scenario, rumors of spring sneaks into Kim’s territory… When the animal inhales his hook with 3 balanced tigernuts, the trap snaps with a bang! These guys do not let this chance pass, and the trophy is landed safely.
They had used an astonishingly short time frame to reach the goal. An achievement that stands strong all alone! The fantastic fish weighs in at 19.1kg. but it’s with surprised joy, they identify it as the carp that should weigh 23kg+.
Effectively: Kenneth and Frederik, had through the mentioned process, started their own feedings consisting 18mm F6 Boilies, 18mm Mussel Boilies and hemp seeds.
At few days intervals, goodies are served in small quantities, so that it’s eaten before next topping. A controlled feeding technique, that doesn’t necessarily keeps fish in the area, but returning individuals can periodically find a new ration to munch on.
They get a successful first attempt. Carps have accepted the food source and visit the camp 4 times. Kenneth come out on top with a nice 13kg mirror, that fell for a double 18mm Mussel Boilie. Frederik grabs his share and has terrific fights with powerful commons.
After landing this joint-project’s second largest fish for the time being, they could continue their feeding plan with peace in mind. It’s middle of September, and the relentless time pressure of everyday life, leaves no room for next trip before October.
This round delivers 7.5kg as peak-point, but a violent take makes room for reflection…
A bundle of muscles, push the gear and blows directly towards a weed belt, after which contact disappears like a dream in the night.
A milestone: While my friends are having difficulty getting their arms below head, I continue with my part of this task. 5 individual overnight stays, with fine angling-rhythm, had been scattered across 2 weeks.
Now Kim had the monster landed in first strike, which was impressive and well deserved.
Kenneth broke through with his 13kg, but rest of the carps average weight is surprisingly low. I’m a bit out of mind, knowing that the chance of big fish is minimal, but a decision is made to continue.
There’s another interesting part of this project I need to finish.
The last 2-3 weeks, F6 and Mussel Boilies from C.A. Baitline, has hit bottom of the lake in abundance.
Carp’s response had been positive right from start, but a reliable bait must be able to keep fishing up and running for a long period of time. During my 6th and 7th attempt, autumn with its unpredictable weather arrives in full bloom. The bed-chair cover must be supplemented with a brolly, so that wind and rain can have its go.
Result turns out same as previous ones, but the average weight has increased slightly, as all 4 fish is between 7 and 10 kg.
The next trip is planned for a 2 nights. Maybe that will change the statistics. It has become end of September before the 10kg limit is finally broken!
The mirror carp of 10.4kg is top-fish out of 4 runs, where smallest counts 8kg+. In total I have caught more than 20 carps, so it’s a while since a fish of this caliber, has brought so much joy!
Night 10 is once again a short raid, but preparatory exercises must be made for 2 days angling with Kim. A few small carps disturb sleep and in the morning, terrain is probed for our coming session.
Offensive attack: A plan has seen light of day. In the evening leading up to our joint trip, a serious foundation is laid for fishing, as we drive to the water packed with feed remedies. A 25 meter long belt consisting of corn, hemp seed, pellets, tigers and 18mm F6s, is placed so that our middle rods can fish this area. No doubt that the lake will throw everything it has directly at our face.
40 meters on each side of the feed-belt, two smaller portions with a different composition are placed. In a small area on left side, I spomb 2kg which consists of 18mm+24mm F6s, as well as regular+XL Tigers. During last 4 weeks, this dish has been served in many corners of the lake, and a large part of this carp-stock must have feed on it.
On right side, Kim places 1kg of same boilies type, garnished with 1kg of mixed Halibut/Carp Pro Plus Pellets in size 8mm-28mm.
The idea is to present balanced/popped hook baits with a bit of color, in the center area. After experiencing last month of fishing, this will result in a lot of bream bites. They must be fished through, with the expectation that our lifted bait also will intercept carps at some point. A strategi that will require effort, to keep running for several days.
The spots on each side must outwit fish, that might stay at appropriate distance, from the main feeding scene. There they will find peace, to digest the slightly larger mouthfuls.
Almost by the book: A minimalist camp is set late in the afternoon, where everything is prepared before first tackle flies through the air.
Spots are marked with small amounts of feed, that match yesterday’s introduction.
The response from the center is brutal! A few minutes into our session, the first bream is released at the water-edge. Next hours, we rarely have a rod lying on spot at the same time, and hook-points succumb in large numbers.
When darkness falls, its recognized that this is too much…
The colored Pop-Ups are dismantled. Instead, sinking F6 boilies are balanced with cork-filled tigernuts, that sits a little more anonymously on bottom.
This slows down pace, and shortly afterwards Kim pulls a small common from the feed-belt.
There’s a bit more calm on our 2 side feedings, that only deliver a single carp. But at dawn that is about to change. Kim gets pleasure of a 10kg+ mirror, all while the spot on the left side, begins to release large bubbly clouds of stored bottom gas.
Tackle on that spot, is set with a 24mm F6, tipped with an 18mm Matching Pop-Up. Bottom is covered with 5-10cm of green silt, which the animal apparently searches for hidden treasures. More than an hour, I sit behind the rod and follow the feedings being completely erased, by a large greedy specimen!
Morning activity dies, but the take doesn’t appear… Completely devastated by this incident, I sit in the corner of shame, taking my time thinking.
Like that!: At evening, the balanced set-up on left rod has been replaced with a single 18mm F6 Pop-Up, lifted just above bottom. If our greedy guest of the morning would return, hook bait should not hide in deep silt, which it’s strongly suspected to have done previous. On other hand, the bait was now freely available to treacherous small food competitors.
A small spread-out consisting 18mm boilies, are the only bait that’s fed on this spot. An absolute minimum, to keep everything as stealth as possible!
It will be a race between disturbing breams, and the carp that had thoroughly filled its stomach 12 hours back.
Steady wind changes to almost calm. You can easily follow a shoal of small fish vacuuming the center square in the twilight. A careful slack on my line, tells that the pack’s frontrunners have reached my tackle. The expected bream dance on my swinger, turns into a blasting take from an 8kg+ common carp, that had felt safe between members of the vacuum cleaning gang.
Shortly after, a few cautious bubbles appear at the edge of my left spot.
Gods of fishing immediately gets involved, as my hushed prayers are sent in their direction “Let it be the fish from this morning, that have returned! Not a bunch of breams!! PLEASE!!!” It takes a while before next sign appears… A massive cloud of gases causes lake surface to boil, after which there is quiet. 10 minutes later the scene is repeated… There is no doubt at all, that my boilies are being picked one by one by a carp.
Morning observations had revealed a fish, smashing bottom with its gills buried in silt. It seemed to have wiped out, our introductory feedings totally.
Now it’s more targeted pick-ups, one food item at a time. My head is about to explode with anticipation.
It leaves me waiting for several hours in darkness, before the red diode lights up with a gentle Bib! We’re fully aware what will happen, and is up running before an absolutely wonderful whistle from the brake, undertones a furious bite alarm.
Done: The net encloses same specimen Kim caught 2 weeks earlier. It’s been a journey of mixed emotions to reach this fare. We’re hoping for 1 or 2 other large specimens, beside this one that started rumors in spring. Now we caught it second time, which had to be good enough!
Pure joy runs through my body, aware that one needle in a haystack, just been weighed at 18.9kg.
Kim catches an 11kg+ mirror carp before morning’s photo session. It’s the 6th carp of this trip and he catches number 7 when we to pack up camp. Both takes off from his right-hand spot, the last one being a fine 8-9kg mirror.
For more than 5 weeks, carps had consumed our bait. F6 Boilies and Mussel Boilies have been a large part of feedings, throughout the process.
They have maintained their efficiency, in great competition with this lake’s other food sources. The Pro-Biotic concept had proved its worth.
Martin Stormly 2022.
