Our pond has the dreaded duckweed and mill weed in it so I've been looking for a cheap way to get rid of it. I decided to go to the Aquilla spillway and do a little fishing since the solinar tables said it would be good between 2 and 5 today. Took my flyrod and didn't catch much of anything, but I did notice that the carp were all over the place. Never seen anything like it and thought it might be fun to catch a few for the pond. Went back home and changed gear for the carp. Grabbed a can of sweet corn for bait and chum, and went back to the spillway. Threw some (about 1/2 a can) in the water where I'd seen the carp eating and then baited my hook with a few kernels to get things started. Right away I started getting nibbles and a few firm bites. To my surprise it was a bunch of blues and channels that were messing me up. None of them were of any size and most were way undersized, but if you've got some young kids that you want to get into fishing this would be the place to do it. Cheap and simple bait in a can of corn. Used to use it for trout in the NE but never would've thought that catfish would want to eat it.

A few of them were in the 12" range but I think the smallest one was about 5" and feisty as all get out. Some of the 8-9" ones put one heck of a display on jumping out of the water and dancing for me while I was reeling them in. If you've got small kids, or some that haven't been fishing before, this would be the perfect place to take them for some fun. I watched the spillway for a while before I went back to get the other equipment and got to see a turtle slide down it, which was funny, not to mention the fish trying to swim back up into the lake.

Great story!

I get a kick out of people asking what I'm fishing for. I tell them whatever wants to bite!

Yeah, you would be surprised! I was carp fishing below the dam at navarro mills years ago and caught a 10lb blue on four kernels of corn on a #4 Aberdeen hook. That was the fastest I've ever made it down those rocks!

Cool story!