Catfish And Carp On The Charles
Hit up the Charles River this morning for some catfish and carp. Landed a few small white cats on cut shiners (mostly 1-2 pounders, but I did lose one 3-5 pounder right by the shore), and lost one carp right by the shore on corn. A quick fun trip, and I'll be back sometime to try and get a big white cat.
teamtrout: I use corn. I chum the area and fish with it too. I tried some other baits, but I really like that corn stays on a hook... I can confidently let it soak instead of checking every 10-15 minutes (Right when a fish was about to swallow it. lol).
live4fish, thanks, and good luck at your stretch.
Whats the best technique for carp there? Do you use corn, or chum?
Nice job.... Last summer I literally hooked a half-dozen cats per night and nearly always landed at least one carp.... that was my favorite trip of the year other than productive striper trips.
My stretch of the Charles has been difficult this year as deaffisherman mentioned. Thanks for the write up.
Hopefully sometime, but I fear i may not be able to get out for a few weeks, do to a tremendously packed schedule, and from my experience, the catfishing slows way down after Columbus day weekend. It would be fun though!
But I can give you a few tips, that might help you guys if you get out again soon. The spot I marked and magazine beach in Cambridge are the best spots I know. Magazine beach has good parking if you're there early or late. I usually go at 7 at night, or 5 in the morning, because I have never pulled a white cat out of there in the daytime. For bait, cut minnows, hot dogs, or a big glob of nightcrawlers work. Put your bait on a sliding sinker rig, with the sinker about a foot from the hook. That way, when you prop up your rod, you'll see the line tighten as the bite occurs, since sometimes catfish drop the bait after picking it up. As for carp, that was the first one I've hooked there- I ran out of worms, so I threw on some corn from my carp bag, and hooked up. I think I just happened to cast right in front of a carp, since I've never hooked one there ever before. But if you go to magazine beach at night with crawlers or hot dogs, you have a good shot at some white cats!
Hope this helps, and good luck! Hopefully we can meet up sometime in the future.
Can I join with you? Live4fish and I was fishing regularly for almost month for carp and white catfish. skunked all month for them. Can you help us out and it should be fun to get together too.