After some conversations with Rick (Joepoolfisher) during the week Kristi and I decided to get together and fish in downtown Fort Worth on Sunday with Rick.

Friday evening Brid called and during our conversation he decided he would come visit over the weekend to get out of Austin for a while.

Saturday Kristi and I spent two hours baiting up the spot we had decided on with Rick (via PM and telephone conversations). We put in a whole 5 gallon bucket of mixed pellets (alfalfa, range cube and small diameter range pellets) and four gallons of maize that had been cooked and soaked in my special flavour mix. The bait was spread evenly about the swim with no heavy concentrations anywhere. By the time we got home Brid had arrived from Austin and we set about getting bait mixed up for the next morning. Rick sent a text saying he would be there around 8:00 which suited us as it meant we would not have to get up early.

Sunday morning came and we made coffee, loaded up the baits, the kid, the dog and us into the Jeep and set off. We arrived at 8:00ish to see Rick set up in the middle of the section. After a coin toss (with Brids wooden nickel) we took the left hand side of the section and Brid took the right. We set about getting the gear out and within a few minutes I had one rod out there fishing, followed by two more in short succession. I set up the net then started on the second pod and rods, by the time I had those set up the Delkim on the first rod I had put out was bleeping away in need of some attention. The fish turned out to be a little carp of maybe 4 or 5 lb with a badly damaged mouth (healed up from a previous capture) but at least it was a start to the day. After this the left most of the rods kept giving short pulls (like small buffalo) but nothing strong enough to hit. While I was standing by this rod the right had one on the same pod took off and another carp came to the net, this one a little bigger at around 8 or 9lb.

The right hand pod now started to get some attention from the same sort of pulls and bounces, one with enough indication that I piccked up the rod and connected with a turtle, ARGHHHH. The wee beastie was unhooked and tipped back in the water with no ceremony LOL . This prompted me to rebait all the rods starting on the right and working my way left. As I got to the left hand pod the right hand rod tore off like a proper carp this one ended up being 13lb and change. We let her swim off without a picture and I carried on the rebaiting excercise. After putting the same rod back out I, started on the middle rod and got that back out and had just put the hanger back on the line when the left hand rod screamed in my ear. I picked up this one and the fish came out of the water splashing and jumping like a wimp mouth bass. It looked to be a largish fish based on the amount of water it was moving, it also looked buff-like in its colouration. After some crazy runs under and over the other five lines the fish was still thrashing the water to a foam but was in the net at the first try - thank you Kristi - a nice clean 30lb buffalo.


I saw a few more buffs rolling out in front so modified the rigs a little more to see if I could get another one. All this did was get a few more carp picking up the bait as shortly afterwards I picked up yet another carp - this on at 16lb 4oz.


Up to this point Rick had hooked and lost a buffalo and a carp and Brid had had a couple of short runs but nothing to hook into. Chad came to visit and hung out for about 45 minute, before he left he said he would fish the same spot with his buddy the next day.

I kept up the regular rebaiting - because of the turtles and because I was using walnut sized packs around the hook so wanted to keep getting the bait out into the swim, however the bite slowed down with nothing really happening for a couple of hours. I went to chat with Brid and Rick for a little bit and had just decided to go back to rebait when Kristi jumped up and picked up one of her rods. I walked down to give her a hand as the rods were pretty tight and it was easy to get the fish tangled in the other lines. Kristi played the fish carefully having lost the last two she had hooked two weeks ago and I eventually slipped the net under the carp and we weighed it out at 16lb 12oz - biggest carp of the day.


The carp came on the feed for us after this and we landed 3 more high singles and a low double before we ran out of bait for the day. Only one of note was a 10lbish carp with only one eye.



The last one of the day had a huge chunk out of it around the vent like it had been chomped on by a snapping turtle very recently. Rick did not get another bite all day and Brid ended up with a buffalo of 35lb+ which he put back in without pictures.

All in all a good day of fishing in downtown Fort Worth - we will definitely be back for more when we get another chance....... Still trying to find somewhere with bigger carp locally.

If you recognize the spot please dont go posting it here on the forum..... Thanks Keith

Nice trip!


Hey Keith, you may find this interesting:

About a month or so ago at the river swim I showed you I had a one eyed fish as well, except unlike yours this one was a buffalo and the kicker here is that the fish did not have an eye socket at all. No marks, no scar, just one eye. Not even a soft spot on the other side.

Outstanding report with some very nice fish. Good job!

great report keith!

Nice fish guys! Good report, Keith.

I've never done any "serious" carping at that spot, but nearby have landed commons to about 18lbs, and saw several koi landed over a few trips, as well.

There's bigger buffs in there, too, seen some behemoths porpoising there. Those are the first nice buffalo I've seen actually landed there though.

Might have to get back out there myself.

Good work!

sounds like a good trip guys, good stuff!

Wow, great report, this is the stuff that the TFF carpers look forward to after a long day at work(or in my case school).

I don't know much about canal fishing but man that must be a productive spot.

Thanks for the report, some very good catches there!

Good stuff.


The entire river there can produce similar sized (and similar eyed) fish.



Good to see some other people fishing the area.

Nice write up Keith. WTG on the 30.

...The Next Day on an abbreviated session...

28#11oz

Chad

Nice Buffalo Chad!

Edited out as much of the negative stuff and arguing as I could.

A little respect for others and civility when speaking to them, on BOTH sides of a disagreement, is all it takes to make the forum a better place.

Holier-then-thou attitudes on either side of a disagreement is the sort of thing that makes us all look bad, and "elitist." It's the same kind of thing that drives folks away from organizations like CAG, and from this section of the forum.

Let's stick to fishing and stick to the positives, folks!

Thinking about this and I believe Starless over-reacted to one person's disregard for a simple and reasonable request from a fellow angler. During this "discussion" there came up an issue on how much info should be divulged about swims or spots on the bank. The back and forth presented the concerns on why carp anglers are more secretive about their locations because the carp is an unprotected fish under the law. Although some of these concerns border on paranoia in my opinion, they were honestly expressed indicating a sense of respect for this maligned fighting fish. I believe the carp anglers won the argument because they stood up and presented their assertions and opinions based on experience and understanding the cultural environment that exists in this state. This part of the thread should have stayed in place in keeping with the American spirit for debate, free speech and our abhorrence for censorship and propoganda (BullChit).