Crosswinds Marsh Preserve

My primary spring venue for carp fishing is going to be Crosswinds Marsh near New Boston. I discovered this hidden gem in July 2014, but by that time the lily pads had taken over much of the area. I am hopeful that I can catch a few carp here in March and April before the lily pads take hold when the weather warms up.

Scouting Potential Carp Fishing Venues

I spent some time this week scouting for new fishing venues. One night after work I visited nearby Crosswinds Marsh in New Boston. The marsh was created in the 1990's following expansion of the Metro Airport, which included development of some wetlands. Crosswinds was created to offset the destruction with wetlands replacement.




Late July to August weather patterns have left the marsh with lots of lily pads, moss and vegetation. That is great for carp, but not so good for carp fishing. I look forward to returning to this spot next spring before the vegetation kicks into high gear.

I did not see any carp, but I did see potential signs. As we walked through the winding wooden walk-ways forming trails throughout the marsh, I noticed fish moving between the lily pads. Some of the fish were large fish, which to me indicates potential carp. I guess it could be large mouth bass moving the lilies like that, but some of the fish were large based on the movement.

Here are some pictures:

Rain, Thunderstorms - Catching Michigan Carp

We actually started off the morning hoping to fish at Crosswinds Marsh off of Haggerty Road in New Boston at 6:15 a.m. The site looks very "carpy", but this time of year it's very weedy. I'll be going back to that spot next spring to give it a try.

So we decided to drive down to Sterling State Park. Shortly after arriving at 7:30 a.m. the rain started.
Then the lightning started.

We hustled to get the lines in the water and then retreated to the vehicle to wait out the roughest part of the thunderstorm. I got a run and had to jump out of the truck to land it. As luck would have it, the rain slacked up a little so we could get a quick picture. That first fish was the smallest of the day.

Then it was back to the truck to stay dry, dodge more lightning bolts, and keep an eye on the weather radar on the Android Smartphone.

I seemed to build momentum as the day went by. It took a couple of hours for the first and then an hour and then the fish started to come 30 minutes apart. I wish I could have fished several more hours this afternoon, but that's always the case when the fish are biting well.

First fish of the day

12 pounds

Biggest fish of the day weighing 14 pounds and change.
I might need to check my scale because this fish felt bigger in the net.

10 pounds

9 pounds

12 pounds