What a Weekend!

[Wild One]

I was going to post this in Fishing Reports, but it seemed fitting to share it here.

Last week I took a new way home from work and stopped to look at a small lake arm by my house. The lake is one side of the road, this little arm on the other--connected by a little culvert. I got to the water at 8am Saturday and began wading out a little. Water is pretty murky, but I can see about 4 feet down. While I'm working my way along shore I look down to see something I'd never seen before. Looked like a stick bug with crawdad eyes. It had a long skinny body, with 4 long legs that it used to swim with and big ole buggy eyes. Anyone know what that could be?
So I make a few casts, catch a nice gill on a GRHE. While I'm releasing this one, I look down and see a HUGE snake with a big ole frog in its mouth swimming underwater. That was a new one for me two. While I'm watching this snake, I feel a tug. Lift the rod tip and whaddya know, fish on! A minute later, crappie in hand again on the GRHE. Then I begin to hear splash, splash, splash! Kind of creepy standing in a foreign, muddy, body of water with big splashes all over any no idea what they are.

Finally, I figure they are carp. I start walking shore and seeing tons em! Haha says I. I tie on an olive bugger followed by a black bugger and start in after the carp. Three casts and bam!! I freight train yanks me out about 100 feet in 2.3 seconds. We battle for about 5 minutes and I think I'm wearing him down when the line goes slack. Yep, broke me off. I proceed to hook another monster and have this one almost netted when wwhhooaaa, he is outta here. Yep, broke me off. Keep in mind that I had on 4x tippet and was planning on catching bass and panfish not whales.

After deciding I'd lost too many flies to these brutes, I pack up and drive to the pond at the end on my street. I'd seen a few gills in there, so why not. An hour later my mini-bugger had brought to hand 20 or 30 gills. And three that were pushing 12 inches. One was a BIG sunfish with Orange and white-tipped fins. One of the most beautful fish I'd ever seen. Sorry no pics, I'm in need of a new camera.

I'll go catch a few more this week and try to post some pictures. How was you weekend?

[Eric-WD]

Sounds great, thanks for telling the story.

Eric

[Brad Williamson]

Sounds like you saw a water scorpion. Try this link: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent5...ges/12_jpg.htm

BW

[Wild One]

Sounds like you saw a water scorpion. Try this link: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent5...ges/12_jpg.htm

BW

That's exactly what it was. Wow, thanks. It was pretty cool looking

[Big Bad Wulff]

Yup carp will break you faster than anything.

[Wild One]

You better believe I'll be going back after those carp. Now I know where they are! It'll just take about 10lb mono for leader and let em have it. BBW, how is the carpin going for you? Been after em lately?