Detroit River Carp Fishing

I had the day off and took the opportunity to catch a few carp near snags and current breaks on the Detroit River. 

The river continues to surprise me. I've fished it before a few times each year, but after concentrating on the river a lot in 2021, it has demonstrated its' worth as a carp fishery. 

There are other places where the carp might congregate that increases a chance at bigger fish, but the numbers are definitely available and we've had two at 26 #'s, a 24 # last year and a few others over 20 #'s this year so the chances of bigger fish are there too.

I ended the day with 6 carp landed. The largest was almost 20 pounds (19 lbs. and 11 oz.) and the next largest was almost 19 pounds (18 lbs. and 10 oz.). 

The value of the 50 pound braided fishing line I use demonstrated itself today. This particular location is a popular public park. There are lots of snags consisting of orphaned perch, walleye, crappie rigs, and others. The 50 pound braid allows you to muscle the carp rig through the trash and break the lighter monofilament line. 

In the slack current spots where the carp like to hang out (and I like to fish) the river deposits tree branches, sticks, tires, etc. Those obstacles can lead to frustration for carp anglers, so when river fishing it pays to have a mindset going into it that you will lose some tackle.

My first two casts ended up in snags and line break offs. The novice me would have been so angry that I sulked and complained the entire day ruining the fishing experience for everyone present. The more experienced me simply moved those two rods further down the shoreline to different locations and snags were no longer a big issue.

There are carp fishermen who avoid snags like the plague. There are others who actively seek them out. I'm someplace in-between at this point.

It's difficult to lose $5 per cast to break offs, but I will trade 6 fish for $10 every time out. However, I really need to be on the lookout for some weights that are more environmentally friendly for fishing near snags.

Chucking lead into the river and breaking off is not too good for the environment on a long term basis. I know "everyone does it", but I'll do my part to help if I find suitable substitutes.