Sunday, August 15, 2021

Zebco Dock Demon for Carp Fishing

In this age of bigger being better in carp fishing where 12' and even 13' rods are the norm, I have been interested in doing some testing and videos using smaller equipment. Inspired by a recent video by Catfish and Carp on YouTube, I am going to try to catch a carp using a Zebco Dock Demon (or similar) from Walmart. 

I would love to see others try it too and share the experience here in the comments below. The only rule I will follow - the rod and reel combo must cost less than $15.

Stay tuned.

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Detroit River Carping

The Detroit River offers some great fishing opportunities at many public fishing venues. Public parks and piers provide access to the river where you can catch species from catfish to carp and bass to walleye; from musky to sturgeon and everything in-between. My favorite little known catch so far - a River Carp Sucker.

I spent some time this morning fishing a spot on the Detroit River that has seldom produced carp for us. But whether you call it luck, skill, or persistence the results improved today. 

There are other spots nearby that have also produced some catches, but based on my personal experience you may fish one day and catch; and fish another day and not. 

I think river fish tend to travel more and move around more than fish in a lake might have a tendency to do. And wind direction definitely plays a big part in the odds of catching carp from the Detroit River. 

My largest carp in the photos below weighed more than 21 pounds. 

If you decide to try fishing the river, aim for a day when the wind is low and slow. We ended up leaving around 11:15 a.m. along with most everyone else. 

This is a quick, hit it, get it and go spot apparently because no one was catching anything after 9 a.m.

Mid Teens Carp

Small, but scrappy

21 pounds


If you are looking for a camera, look around for a used Fujifilm 12 megapixel pocket sized point and shoot. It's better than many phone cameras and it saves your phone battery. You can buy them under $100 if you shop around.