Elk/Beaver Lake

[BrockPatch]

Just a couple pics from when I got to live in victoria last summer. Had no idea there were bass around let alone how to catch them, and everything I caught was just on a wedding band and worm or good ol' worm and bobber. Caught a lot of fun little smallmouth, lots of really tiny largemouth, and the one pig of a largemouth you see here. Hopefully one day I will be able to live there again and hook into a few more bass!

 

[Karma-Kazi]

Nice bass man, Some of the ones ive been getting in prospect and langford lake have been awsome! Lots in the 4.5-6 pound range!

 

[Dr Lunk]

Went out to elk last thursday to test out some repairs on the boat and make sure she is ready for the salt... in about 40 minutes of fishing managed to get 4-5 smaller bass and one 5-6 pounder.

on another note ... heard the odd HUGE splash. someone at the launch said something about carp ? is it true ? either way they were big Flops haha

 

[sammyslabber]

Went out to elk last thursday to test out some repairs on the boat and make sure she is ready for the salt... in about 40 minutes of fishing managed to get 4-5 smaller bass and one 5-6 pounder.

on another note ... heard the odd HUGE splash. someone at the launch said something about carp ? is it true ? either way they were big Flops haha

Yep it's sad to say it's true... not only did some ***** put carp in there but some gonad also released perch/Amr.Bull frog.What's next a swallow eating bird!

 

[Dr Lunk]

haha jeezus ... ya I caught a perch that night aswell. Anyone ever latch onto a carp ? they must give a good tug. any techniques for catching them ? (then throw them on shore ha)

 

[Englishman]

Carp fishing is not popular here in B.C. as it is not native, but it is revered as a sporting fish in Europe and the UK. It can grow to enormous sizes – over 60lb and puts up an incredible fight for its size due to it’s large tail. Anyone tagging into one in excess of 15lb for the first time will be amazed at the runs they can unleash.
You catch them by fishing on the bottom with dough balls, sweet corn, boilies and various other paste baits. On hot days they will take floating bread crust off the surface, which is very exciting. A very popular hook set up these days is the hair rig – to find out what that is take a look at the UK sites, starting with the third one below.

http://www.anglingbc.com/index.cfm/page/202/Carp.html

http://carpfishingtoday.com/

http://www.carpfishinguk.net/

Used to fish for carp myself many years ago in U.K. Must give Elk Lake a try!!

 

[Bassblaster]

I've hooked into a few both in the Kootenays and the Okanagan. Englishman is right. For their size even the smaller fish pull like bulldogs. I've done some research on line and actually found quite a few recipes for them. Can't say I've eaten one yet, but I'm always up for a challenge. They make great garden and flower-bed fertilizer though.

 

[viking46]

I have caught a few on the prairies years ago. We used them as fertilizer in mom's garden. They were in the 15 - 25 lb range and put up a pretty good fight. As for eating - we found them to be very oily so we tried smoking them - turned out good that way. So mom's garden got the guts & heads and we got smoked carp. A win-win situation.

We caught them with worms on a large hook on the bottom. Also used dough balls on the bottom. Keep in mind you need a fair size hook as they can get quite big and strong. Have fun.

 

[Englishman]

Agree with previous posts, the eating qualities of carp come nowhere near their fighting qualities. Ate one once only and it had a flat oily taste. Having said that the Chinese have eaten them for hundreds of years and a Google search for "carp recipes" turns up dozens of Chinese and European recipes for carp. It is an old tradition in Germany. So maybe more experimentation is required!? Smoking seems a good idea too....

Here is an interesting article on attitudes to fishing for, and consumption of carp in the Southern U.S.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080325160238AAci1r1

 

[Dogbreath]

I had some kind of Carp (Hilsa?) from Bangladesh in a-you guessed it-a Bangladeshi restaurant a while back it was just chunks of fish served 'bone in' in a curry unlike any I've ever had-very tasty.

http://www.dhakafishbiryani.com/

 

[sammyslabber]

I had some kind of Carp (Hilsa?) from Bangladesh in a-you guessed it-a Bangladeshi restaurant a while back it was just chunks of fish served 'bone in' in a curry unlike any I've ever had-very tasty.

http://www.dhakafishbiryani.com/

Ok that settles it open seson on the carp! anybody have a good recipe for bullfrog.

 

[Bassblaster]

Go to the food network and search recipes from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. They did a show on a restaurant down south that did frog legs. Looked pretty damn mouth watering and Guy Fieti rated them really good.

 

[Labman2]

Back when there was a Sea Food buffet on a ship anchored in the Vancouver inner, I believe it was called the 7 Seas, I tried Frog Legs.
They tasted just like the smell you got on your hands from playing with Frogs as a kid!

 

[Bassblaster]

I had some one year when I was traveling in the southern US. The ones I ate were like stringy chicken wings. I think liker a lot of things it's in the prep and the cooking. A bad chef can make a steak suck. I think it takes a good cook to deal with some of these odd ball animal dishes.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Well if anyone figures out these carp, I've got a rod for it and I'd love to tangle with one. Keep us all posted!

 

[rendraW]

from what i have seen, the technique for carp is to sit a ball of bread dough out and wait. In the U.K. they also chum quite a bit which of course is illegal here. they have little slingshots over there that shoot chum or pellets out to attract them. I remember when I was a kid my grampa used to use a worm and sinker and throw it out in a big muddy river in Ontario and let it sit there on the bottom. He did quite well. the problem is finding them, I have seen them close to shore along the highway in the weeds, very shallow. Good luck and let us know if you catch one!

 

[Labman2]

If you ever get to Salmon Arm, go down to the Marina. A couple years ago we moored there and went to walk up town, the Carp are right against the docks suckin and burping, startled the heck out of the kids. LOL

 

[Dogbreath]

If you ever get to Salmon Arm, go down to the Marina. A couple years ago we moored there and went to walk up town, the Carp are right against the docks suckin and burping, startled the heck out of the kids. LOL

Yeah I've seen that-all kinds of them.

 

[Englishman]

See my earlier post about Carp taking floating bread crust on warm days. I have taken fish right out of the marina at Salmon arm this way. Hook a piece of breadcrust onto a size 2 hook and approach the carp stealthily. They are a bit wary....Then lower or flip the bread in front of the direction of travel of the carp (not too close or you will scare them off) and watch them cruise up and slurp it down. Count to three before you strike. You will need a strong rod (salmon mooching is not too strong) and a 10lb line if you aim to get them out of there and not have them run under the dock or a boat. These guys can pull!!

 

[big ragu]

I caught a 12 lb carp at elk about three weeks ago dragging a wooly bugger in fifteen feet of water near the rowing club. Great fight on my five weight. I've personally seen two other carp caught there in the last couple of years. One was a friend of mine trolling a rapala by the wall on the highway side. The other took power bait off the bottom at the gap between the lakes. Those were 21 and 17 lbs respectively. So they are definitely there.