2014 Carp Fishing Season is Winding Down

It's been a good year of carp fishing for me. I started targeting carp last year and caught a few. This year I fine tuned my approach and caught 100. As I reflect back on what might have made the year even better, I hope to improve my skills next year and catch a few more.

By any measure catching 100 anything is pretty good, but I could have caught many, many more. I didn't count the ones that got away, but if I had landed all the fish I lost due to hook pulls I'd have easily caught 50 more fish this year (maybe 75 or 80 more).

I like using braided line. It gives me a lot of confidence. But I wonder if the things that make braid a good option for carp fishing, also contributes to the hook pulls? Compared to monofilament line, braid has little to no "give". I suspect that creates a tendency toward pulling the hook. I have consciously tried to focus on being gentle when fighting the fish, but I get excited. I always start with the drag very loose and then tighten it gradually as I fight the fish.

There are still some good weeks left for carp fishing in October, but this winter I need to do some studying to help refine my technique and increase my landing percentage.

My fishing line of choice

Even better though, I can work on loosing fewer fish in the weeks that remain. You never now...the next fish I lose may be a new personal best. It could be the elusive small mouth buffalo that I can't seem to catch, another mirror, or a coveted 30 pounder!