Has anyone ever fished at Long Lake over by Othello out in the Seep Lakes area ?
This lake is full of Monster size carp.
All 20 pounds +. All over 48 inches in length.
I cannot get them to bite on anything.
And I have tried everything.
Even all the old Carp bait suggestions of dough balls.

Try a bow and arrow. It used to be a blast.

I've never had the opportunity to fish for carp that big but I would try a nightcrawler filling it with air and covering it in anise oil. Rig it up so the worm will actually float. If available I would try sandshrimp the same ones you'd use for steelhead. I've caught a lot of smaller carp on those. I've also done well on pieces of anchovies. They're tough to fish because they're real soft. Give that a try and let me know what happens. Stlhdr1@hotmail.com


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Bring a big family size can of corn down to the lake with you, and stay down low and quiet. Carp get spooked really easily. Use corn on a small hook and chum with some of the stuff in the can. If they get spooked, you might as well bring the bow and arrow, they wont bite after you scare them. Good luck and tight lines!
-- The Chum Man

Go to uk.rec.fishing.coarse and ask. Many of them specialize. Be as specific as you can and title the request "Attn. Leon, Elton, et al" (They are friends of mine.) Tell them John Rowley suggested that you ask.

John

Bow and arrow is alot more FUN. You don't have to worry about spooking them.

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Tight Lines!!

Dont know what kind of carp you'r going after but I am reading a book right now called "Ultimate Freshwater Fishing" by John Bailey.In his section of carp cathcing he sys to use bread and try different colors by dying them and to cut them in size of matchboxes. Also he says that they are a surface feeder and so don't sink the bait. He mention of dog dood and cat food. But some carps are bottom feeders so I am not sure which ones you are going for. Use Tiger nuts as a attractant(pre soak them first.
on a hook use two tiger nuts with a small piece of foam in the middle to keep it a float.( I have no idea what tiger nuts are )cord and a live maggot was recommended too.
good luck

At my local lake the Russian guys slay the carp. Old cornbread kneaded into doughballs fished right on bottom. I'm thinking the corn is probably key.

There is an excellent carp bait recipe on www.rodworks.com I have tried it, and it works like a charm. Those old rubber lippers love this stuff. Sit back and handg on. They also love 1/64 or 1/32 oz black tube jgs. pack a lunch, because it will take all day to land those pigs on 4 lb line. Also, may want to check out the floats on that website. Great cost, and fairly inexpensive for hand made floats. Tight lines

Hohawiian -

Is that the Russian guy on Green Lake? A couple of Russian/Eastern European guys use bread balled onto the hook. I've heard its the bread. Some locals will only use Wonder White. Go figure, but I guess it works because I've seen them with some monsters.

Try mixing corn flakes and straberry soda into a doughball. Works well for carp, I've even caught bass on them. Go figure.

I have tried Corn , bread dough balls , bread and peanut butter dough balls , Night crawlers , Lures , plugs , flys , jigs.
These huge Carp only seem to feed off of the bugs that land on the water surface.

I think it is an illeagle No-no to obtain Carp with a Bow and Arrow.
But I already thought about that afew times.

I don't know what else to try.
They are not interested in anything I toss at them.

Heeey! Since the north fork stilly didn't get any plants 2 years ago, I should take my 7 wt with a few drys and go carp fishin. I've yet to catch a 20 pounder on the bug rod!!

One other (helpful) thought--are the fish there year round or just during the spring? The carp may be spawning and active feeding may be a secondary priority. Other than this, it may very well be that these monsters got to be monsters because they're line shy. Try matching the hatch, toss a bug, and hang on!

Leah, There was a great article in the Fall '99 issue of "Northwest Fly Fishing" on Banks Lake carp. One patten they show is a Hare's ear Nymph with rubber legs tied into it. The guide that fish this area uses a polein' boat just like on the flats for bonefish and such. Anyway it does say these fish are very spooky so presentation and stealth are paramount. Also it says these are great fighters, so CARP-ON. Tight Lines & Smilin' Faces

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[This message has been edited by rod 'n' reel (edited 06-09-2000).]

Believe me it is legal to shoot carp with bow and arrow!!! They have contest over at the potholes res. every year with bow and arrow . It's a blast .

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Tight Lines!!

Bow and arrow for carp is COMPLETELY legal!!
Harpoon those buggers.

Well I think I just may have to look into that abit further.
There's so many BIG carp in Long Lake by Othello out in the Seep lakes.
They come down the canal from the Pot Holes Res.
I was almost tempted to shoot them with my 357*

How much does a nice bow and arror set cost ?
Do I have to attach a line to the arrow , or will the fish float after I put an arrow in him ?
What about a cross bow dart gun ?

I would prefer to do this the old fashioned way of Catching them on a fishing pole.
But they are so wary of me I can't get them to feed on anything.
Even chumming with corn.

Hey Leah:

You need to use a fiberglass arrow for these bruisers, as you need the mass and kinetic energy to punch through the water, and old rubberlips. You also need a stationary spool with bow fishing line, or one of the new bow reels for fishing. Another thing you should use is a "roller" rest for your arrow, as hunting rests will be destroyed when you shoot a heavy fiberglass arrow.

Should be able to go to an archery store and get a used setup for a couple of hundred dollars. Any reputable shop will give you a hand getting set up for shooting "Hoovers". You may have so much fun that you also get interested in bow hunting critters, which is even better yet.

When you sneak on those carp, keep a low profile and be quiet. If you are in a boat, stand on the deck on a foam mat to limit any sound radiating out of the boat. At 15 to 20 yards, aim about 2 inches below the fish, as they look like they are higher up in the water column than they really are. Good luck, and I hope you have a blast. Pull out the harpoon, and head for the lake.

The only way to get to these carp is by Boat.
They have areas they like to hang out in.
They love to float the surface and then jump.
So close I could net them , darn near.

I have an Archery store about 30 miles from me , so I'll have to look into this.
This could be fun !

hey leah, i have a bow i have never hunted with and would like to try them carp with it..if i find all the right equipment and all..and if ya get hooked up with a bow..jus leave me a shout on this thread if ya want to go out carp huntin' lol..im over near tacoma, but would drive over to try them carp out..have a good one man..

Schitzo , these carp are over in Othello at Long Lake out in the seep lakes.
The Canal comes off the pot holes res. and goes into another lake ( "Soda" )before the Canal then runs into Long Lake.
The carp are all over the Lake , but mostly stay in the inlet where the Canal runs into it.
I highly recommend this lake for Carp fishing.
I personally prefer the Big Trout in it though.

I was over there 3 weeks ago and those darn carp were jumping all over the place next to my boat.
Took a break for lunch and walked back to my truck and camper and about died when I saw a rattler going under my truck.

The best bait for Carp or suckers when they won't take other stuff is Periwinkles. If you want to have a total kick, hook up a periwinkle on just a hook and light line. No weight. A long rod helps to cast. Flip that bad boy out there and just watch. As the carp sucks it in HANG ON. I do this for suckers when I get real bored. It works great on carp too.

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Just because I look big, dumb, and ugly, doesn't mean I am. It means I can stomp you for calling me it!

In the shell or do you remove the Periwinkle out of his lil' shell ?
I'd need about 10 peri's on my hook to latch on to one of these Monster 20 pound Carp.
I have never used this for bait for Carp .
trout yes !

I would use only one. You said that the carp were slurping bugs, so they are looking at natural small size food. I would also try out of shell first, then in shell. Another thing you might try is a spin off of stlhdr1's post. Take a worm and inflate it with air. Then tread the whole thing on your line and toss it out. Use no weight again so it stays on top. Good luck, I'm heading up to the Yakima this weekend. They have a bunch of BIG suckers there.

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Just because I look big, dumb, and ugly, doesn't mean I am. It means I can stomp you for calling me it!

I'll have to locate some periwinkles and give it a try.

These Carp only seem to like bugs on the water surface though.

I may get a fly rod and try that too.

i use to go over to o'sullivan an fish the potholes just south. had lots of rubber lips.
we use potatoe chips all munchedup to attract them over to where we were and then throw out worms under a small bobber, (clear) with a short leader, like a factory worm rigged hook, you know, come 10 to a package.
still had to hide in the brush and wait, but they sure like the potatoe chips, plain or barbcued.

caught a big, (long big mouth) bass on this set up. it was so skinny i at first thought it had a illness. threw it back and swam off like a freight train. damn fish kept coming back for the potatoe chips, guess it was just straving in the middle of duck season, middle of december.

good luck

elmtree (woody)

Well I would never thought of potato chips as bait to attract Carp.
I think these fish are so wary of anyone coming near them , that they aren't interested in any type bait.
As I keep mentioning , they only seem to be interested in the fly's on the water surface.
That's why I wonder if I should be fly fishing for one of these big fellas.
This lake sure has some pretty rainbows in it too.

Your top technique for catching large carp would be a bobber and a cricket or grasshopper. You should use light line if the water is clear, and use a clear bobber if necessary because carp are very spooky. Crickets bought at a pet store work very well.

Leah, I do good on bagels for carp. They are very bouyant and stay on the hook quite well. But man them carp are smart if you hook one near others they will not bite at all, and dont spoke them.