I see you guys are catching carp already this year. I've spent a few days looking for them this year, but so far I've completely failed. In my normal spot that I see them all the time through the summer, I haven't seen any yet this year. So my question is, are you guys sight fishing to them at this time of year? Do I need to look in different places (obviously, I guess)? Would I be better off trying to find them in moving water this time of year?

Last year I got a grand total of one carp despite many days and many hours of frustration. (But you know that was my fish of the year!) So far this year, I'm batting a big zero%.

Any advise?

To answer your question, yes we are sight fishing to carp. But my experience so far this year is that I haven't caught a single carp in a lake, however, I have caught them in the river through town and in nearby irrigation canals. Here locally, the lakes have been changing temperatures so rapidly, that the carping isn't really stabilizing yet.

It seems that every time the lake surface temperatures reach that magic 45 F, and the carp begin to move into the flats and shallows, some stupid cold front moves in, trashes the fishing, then takes the water temperatures back down. It's been frustrating in the lakes so far for me.

Stoopid cold fronts!

Here is some from today, we just made it out before the first signs of the front came in. This is the second trip out, the first being at the end of March.

Moving water...normal spots...sight fishing. There are TONS of feeding carp right now. I observed feeders in a decent sized reservoir today. No fishin' pole though.

I've lucked out and been out about 5x already and landed a few. Mostly rivers and they have scattered due to the flows, look near structure preferably in slightly deeper water so you can barely make them out but they aren't as skiddish. Sight fishig a plus but remember, as fun as flats fishing is, as soon as you see them in shallow slack water, they've already heard you coming down the river 15 minutes ago so be stealthy~

I saw carp crusing in my local lake for the first time yesterday. The water was very still and they spooked very easily. I'm already intimidated just thinking about how they will react when I flop a heavily weighted carp fly on the water.

I looked in a big lake yesterday and didn't see any. Checked a small pond real quick after work today and saw one feeding and blew up another. It was really overcast and I didn't think it warranted stringing up a rod. But this early with the weather we've had I think the rivers and small ponds are the best bet.

Lakes are great and they will start turning on soon but do pay attention to the water temps, though warm out for a few days it takes a bit longer for the water to turn up a bit (most know that anyway) and the plop factor is pretty huge also, just like bonefishing, as long as you can slightly drop in a fly with the less plop factor the better...good luck and by late April it will be on!

I'm a firm believer in using water temperatures, not only for identifying initial signs of activity, but also for identifying periods of greatest feeding activity. I feel like I have the temperatures fairly dialed in as follows:

Common Carp
Bottom Limit - 45F
Optimal Feeding - 66-79F
Upper limit - 86F

Grass Carp
Bottom Limit - 52F
Optimal Feeding - 68-86F
Upper limit - 86F

Hey Mark. When Ray and I caught our carp the first week this past Feb., we saw plenty of feeders. I guarantee the water was colder than 45*. I think.....

I think Mark is talking still water. You caught yours in the river.

I was talking still waters, but I'll bet that the river is/was warmer than you think. The numbers that I've listed are not only my observations, but scientifically derived values, from researchers who study carp. Scientific literature often lists 45F (7 C) as the temperature at which common carp become active.

Found some carp today. I didn't get a chance to make a presentation before the sun went behind some clouds and I couldn't see them anymore. Ahhh....let the sweet frustration begin!

As a guest from Montana and a three year rabid carp freak I thought I'd pass along a report from last week-ends fishing at Canyon ferry resevoir.I'm learning something new every year,this year the first lesson was carp are feeding and can be caught in April,even this far North.Ice is completely off but water is cold.I would say very challenging fishing,with heavy sediment reducing vision, and wind.Spotting fish in less than knee deep water was nearly impossible,with the sporadic clouds and chop,however for the patient angler this can work in your favor.For starters the fish remained in the deeper water until the sun was high and really bearing down on the shallow bay I was fishing.Farther out smaller carp were jumping so as they eventually came closer I knew the schools were working their way onto the flat.I caught a total of 7 fish anywhere from 7-12 lbs.(according to my Boga grip)from literally four feet from me out to twenty feet.The chop hurts you but it also makes presentation less of an issue.The best scenario was tailers.With their nose buried in the mud and their bodies vertical in the water column spotting them seemed easier(aside from the obvious tail protrusion).I was putting flies virtually right on their nose but making sure there was enough weight to get the fly down immediately.The take was the all instinct.No indication just practice and I suppose a little luck.Spotting cruisers was tough,just have to have the right angle and squint like down under looking for a shadow.it wore my eyes out.After a winter of tying a barage of patterns the ole standby was the only thing that worked.San Juan worm.My variation is more of a wiggle worm with two legs front and back,with a blue glass bead two thirds up the shank .The blue bead is actually asymetrical with the bulk of the body above the shank , and red dubbing wrapped behind the bead.I've always simply used the standard gold or silver bead but picked up some clearance blue glass and thought why not try it.It was money!!All and all I wasn't slaying them but its early yet.Golden bones are hard to beat,looking forward to some more fair weather.Good fishing to all.

For me Temps are Impt but feel that Water level or clarity is maybe more so to me since sight fishing, that and an afternoon glare can kill any chance catching one whether they are feeding or not but I agree temps are impt~

Chad,

the section of river you fish warms up quite a bit compared to upstream. The water goes over large shallow areas of very dark muck, and the sun warms it up quite a bit. I've taken water temps upstream from there in October, and have been amazed at how warm the water was (60's with a thermometer), on days when way upstream one would get 40's.

cheers,
M

The river also gets warmed by a sewage treatment plant just up the river.

LOL