LATE FALL WITH THE GOLDEN FISH

People are looking at me funny when I tell them that I have been into the carp gig much of this year. As fall continues into the early winter transition, I find that the fish are getting bigger...and that's just fine with me! The picture above is my new personal best for the specie...a 37.5 inch fish that I caught on Oct. 24 at about 10:45 am. I didn't weigh her, but she's a fatty for sure!This photo was taken just prior to release. Like last week, I had one run today and it occurred when my wife gave me a call and I had to cut the conversation short due to a screaming bite alarm. Here's another look at this fish...don't know the weight, maybe 25?

Went today for a couple of hours after work and had 2 runs. While I was playing a fish, it just seemed to pop off when I had worked it in almost close enough to see it. As I was baiting up, the other alarm went off and I manage to stay buttoned up on that one. The picture above shows a long, lean male carp in the upper teens. This fish was hooked about 60 yards from shore, and likely ran 40 additional yards on it's initial run, making for a long and tense battle. It was one of the strongest I have taken this year, making me think it was much bigger. I went 1 for 2 today, and my yearly score is 33 fish on the bank for 55 runs that set the alarms off. I'd like to up those percentages. One way is to prebait an area with corn by using a spod and drawing and holding the carp in specific areas for days, even weeks, at a time...

 By filling the spod up half way, you can cast farther and distribute the corn in a fairly large area, even a few acres. But it takes time and effort. Kinda like taking time and effort to follow God's plan and commands for our lives. Like baiting and chumming for carp, God's plans take effort, time and dilegence. We can do it once in a while and think we're OK, but the truth is that it is a daily battle and a daily effort to follow His plan and read His word and to allow it to saturate us and guide our lives. Jesus said...'I have come that you might have  life, and have it abundantly'.  Lot's of bait, catching the rewards, enjoying the experience, abundant life. Not necessarily being rich, but having enough. The next time I am fortunate enough to release a big fish, I'll remember that 'abundant life' takes on many forms... God is good, all the time!