BOTTOM FEEDERS...COLD CARPIN!

OUTSTANDING WINTER CARP AT 21 POUNDS PLUS!

It might seem like spring is in the air, but the truth is that I am looking for 12 inches of snow in my driveway by tomorrow night and we just can't seem to get over the hump on raw, chilly weather here in the Mid-Atlantic. Fishing has been sporadic, but  the Carp Whisperer Mr. Bob has been putting them on the bank...

Another full-bodied 20-pounder.

Bob has been diligent throughout the winter and has put some impressive fish on the bank. He's not using huge gear or any secret baits...just plain old hard work. He has been chumming several different areas and rotates his fishing to adjust to the conditions of the day. Here's a couple more brutes he's caught so far this winter...

Lean 15 -pounder on a cold February day.

Nice fish...around 11 pounds or so.

Most folks think that carp shut it down in the winter and watch sports, like the rest of us lazy anglers who fish for them. But Bob knows better, because Bob knows carp. These fish will feed all winter long, and he has been catching them in water as cold as 38 degrees F. Amazingly, he subdues these big fish on just 10-pound test line. Here are a few more...

Nice looking 13-pounder with a perfect scale pattern! Bob's happy!

Leg-long carp are a winter challenge.

Smaller female...chubbin' out for the spring spawn.

A lot of people think carp are 'unworthy' or 'scum suckers' or 'nasty' or just plain too dumb to be bothered with. Truth is, and I can vouch for this, carp are very spooky, selective feeders and grow big and fight hard. We use European style bite alarms on bank sticks. Bob has been hard at work on the chumming end, and the effort to catch fish this big is noteworthy. On todays trip, Bob got 2 fish out of 5 runs, and I caught the skunk. That's OK, cause I like the 'big fish' excitement these golden giants offer on a mild winter day.
Here are a few I did manage to get during the cold...

My only January carp was this 'sympathy' fish  Bob let me reel in.

Earlier in the fall, we doubled up on these guys!

One of my bigger fish from late October.

Even an 8 or 9 pounder is a good fish for the winter!

Despite 40 degree water, the fish can roll!

Yes, Bob has had a very successful winter with the big, golden fish. And all fish released. He takes care of the fish, takes care of the fishery. He treats them with respect, as though they are worthy, which, they certainly are!

Our relationship with God is certainly worthy and worthy of respect. I find that I need to take care of my relationship with my Savior more and more with each passing day. As a broken down, sinful, shell-of-a-man, I know that I am much like the carp, viewed upon by many in this world as a low-life, bottom-feeder...unworthy. But I have a God and Savior in Jesus Christ who tells me different, tells me he has a mansion for me and a new body for me in His Heavenly Realm. When I stand before Him, He will declare me innocent, not guilty, but worthy in His eyes as a child of the King. And He alone, is worthy to be praised!
I am not innocent because of what I have done, but because of what He has done...paid my debt in full upon a cross on a hill over 2000 years ago.

As Psalm 150 says...'let everything that has breathe praise the Lord'.  Even the carp! Even this carp fisherman!