After my recent success with catfish, it was time to get back to Kracking Carp Lake at Anglers Paradise and try and keep to my word and catch all thirteen residents that inhabit this weedy two acre lake. The venue has been kind to me, producing five of its thirteen residents in just eight nights with mirrors weighing 37lb 10oz, 31lb 4oz, 29lb 2oz, 26lb 6oz and the smallest resident at 21lb. The venues three biggest fish have still eluded, which consist of two 40lb+ mirrors, a 40lb+ common and two mid thirty pound commons.
With the catfish kit now collecting dust, I got down to the lake for a 48 hour session. I arrived at dusk and quickly got sorted with the intention of moving in the morning. The rods were dropped using my 16 metre baiting spoon and as the sun disappeared, I was fishing. The morning came with a nice bit of heat but unfortunately still a dry net.
After a quick brew the rods came in and I went for a couple laps around the lake. While creeping around the intimate venue, I managed to find a mirror and a common holding up in a weedbed soaking up the early morning rays. Once I got back around to camp, I picked up the stalking rod and centrepin and proceeded to walk back around to the spot. I crept into the area and lowered my rig into a small clearing about four foot away from the two carp, both fish looked in the mid to high 30lb bracket.
The rig consisted of Gardner Tackle Subterfuge Fluorocarbon hooklink connected to a short section of 20lb silt coloured Trickster Heavy, with a super sharp size 6 Covert Continental Mugga hook at the business end. Hookbait was a 10mm Milky Toffee pop-up (which had been soaking in Betalin for months) which was trimmed down just enough to counter balance the weight of the hook. I attached a small Micromesh PVA bag of Mainline Cell chops mixed in with a few of Hinders little Gemz pellets that I had soaked in Tiger Slime.
Hidden amongst the reeds I saw the small bubbles rise from the PVA bag signalling it had dissolved. As soon as the bubbles stopped both fish mirrored each other and slowly descended down through the water column and initially I thought the fish had spooked.
The next couple of seconds were a bit off a blur as out of the blue the water erupted andthe centrepin went into meltdown as two fish bolted through the weed. Everything soon went solid as the fish found sanctuary in a nearby weedbed. All I kept thinking was ‘Be the common, please be the common’. On a tight line the unit eventually broke free and encased in a huge ball of weed which was soon nestling in the waiting net.
Pleased yet wet, I lifted out a solid fish that I suspected to be about 35lb. After treating a few spawning marks with Medic Plus, I weighted her in at 36lb, a new stalking PB and the biggest fish on my centrepin to date. With no one around like normal, I got the tripod sorted and took a few self takes.
As expected the lake went dead and the rest of the session was fruitless. Multiple catches of Kracking carp are ultra rare, so it was to be expected even if I did move to the opposite end of the lake!
How to tie Ricky’s successful big fish rig:
What you’ll need…
Step 1 – Take off 6 inches of Trickster Heavy braid and tie a small loop in one end.
Step 2 – Cut off a small slither of Covert Silicone Tube and slide it down the braid.
Step 3 – Tie a standard knotless knot to the hook.
Step 4 – leave two inches off braid above the hook and connect it to Subterfuge Stiff via a allbright knot.
Step 5 – Trim the tag ends.
Step 6 – The finished rig.
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