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.

Michigan Carp Fishing in May

What a difference a day makes (or a cast can make, or a specific cast location in my case). 

I started out fishing the shallower water, thinking it would warm faster in the overcast skies. Casting in close to shore wasn't producing any bites, so I started trying different locations in the swim - near, far, middle.

We had a very slow morning until about 1:30 p.m. By that time I'd worked all three rods toward a seawall and it paid off. I caught a single small fish and packed up all but the rods and bank sticks. While organizing the trunk, the welcome familar  sound of the alarms pierced the silence. I caught a second fish!

I actually packed up to leave again and caught 5 more carp (had to drag it all back out). It was very worth it. 

I also got a new Personal Best catfish that actually fought much like a common carp. 

Total haul: 5 carp and 1 catfish.

A 4 year old boy at the park was admiring my catches. In the park with his mom, he came closer to see the fish each time we landed one. 

His mom went to the car and retrieved a Snoopy rod. He was actually pretty good at casting it. I think we recruited a future carp fisherman. I hope I'm around when he hooks his first carp!

I made this carp and catfish collage with Pixlr

Update 6/11: I learned recently that my digital scale needed new batteries. That first fish registered 19 pounds. It seemed bigger than that at the time. After seeing my scale needed batteries, it seems to confirm my suspicion was correct. I am guessing it was around 23 to 24 pounds. We will never know for sure.

Michigan Rouge River Carp Fishing

I love fishing local Michigan Rivers. Some of the urban rivers around Detroit are my favorites.  Thousands of people drive by these locations daily unsuspecting of the monster sized fish that swim there. 

There are several rivers that feed into Michigan's St. Clair - Detroit River - Lake Erie chain. All of them are home to a healthy common carp population.

Saturday brought sunshine and common carp. I ended up with 8 fish, but one skeedaddled before I got a photo. 

The biggest fish was a mid-teener (16-17# or so). There was a very active bite until the cold front arrived.

It was a good time, netting, baiting, photoing, releasing. Once or twice I actually hoped the fish would slow down a bit. I love days like that.

16# common carp

This fish will grow much larger and eventually
fill out it's bulk and size to match that long tail fin.

I'm not quite sure why I was making that silly face.
While posing the fish, it tried to wiggle itself free.

Fall Carp Fishing in Michigan

I fished for 7 1/2 hours today, but could have probably still been catching as I write this if I wasn't fishing alone.

This spot has a huge weed bed that runs from about 20 feet to 150 feet off shore. You have to cast out past the weeds and then fight the fish through the very thick weeds. It's a good workout. Of course you end up losing about 30% of the fish.

In the past I've pulled 25# and 31# carp from this spot including another 7 or 8 #'s of weeds.

I managed to land 10 fish (the most ever from here) ranging from about 3 pounds up to 20 pounds (18 pounds was the next largest). But perhaps best of all I landed a nice little mirror. It's my first mirror from here.

The bigger fish seem to head elsewhere in the afternoons, so it pays to be on your game from the jump. There is heavy, heavy boat traffic here in the traditional boating months. It's a spot I only fish a couple times a year if it's raining or too cold for comfortable boating.

It's also a good spot for blanking.

This session is a great example of the need to be prepared when you go carp fishing. You really need to be on your game to consistently land carp. It can make the difference between a great, enjoyable day and a day filled with frustration.

Recasting quickly can increase your catch rate dramatically. At one point the action was so fast that I literally couldn't keep rods in the water.  Fish move in shoals, so if you catch one there are likely others nearby.

You need a process for landing the fish, capturing the photo, releasing the fish and recasting without wasting time or energy. Doing this when fishing solo takes some pre-planning and preparation. Taking the time to do it can help you catch many more carp throughout the year. If you catch 200 carp and being organized helps improve your results by a 10% rate, that's 20 more chances to land your new personal best. 

Detroit River Carp Fishing Documentary Series

I love Detroit River carp fishing. It's large, expansive and intimidating to some carp anglers. Those challenges make every fish caught more gratifying. I teach people to catch carp.

These same tips will work well for people learning how to fish for catfish too. Where's there are carp there are catfish and vice versa.

The river is very challenging - to the point that every catch from the river is worth 4 or 5 from the local lakes I fish.

The river is less of a river than a strait. The French named the city Detroit after the French word meaning water connecting two large bodies of water, a "strait". According to Michigan.org:

"le detroit du Lac Erie," meaning "the strait of Lake Erie." On July 24, 1701, a French explorer and nobleman by the name of Antoine de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac founded Detroit.

The Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. There is a current, which in my experience varies from location to location and varies based on the time of day.

Strategy and Technique

In the morning before dawn the current is very light. I've seen the river waters very smooth, calm and ripple free at dawn. It's a great time to fish the river. As the sun rises, the carp begin to feed more actively on the surface, can easily be seen and "targeted" with strategic casts.

The west side of Grosse Ile, west side of Mud Island and west side of Belle Isle all have less large boat traffic than do the east sides of those locations.

As boat traffic increases during the day, the current in the river also increases. The boats churn up more weeds and debris, creating challenges holding the hook bait in place on bottom. When significant quantities of weeds build up on the line, it creates more and more drag by the river current requiring heavier lead; or retrieval and recasting.

For leads, I have used 2 oz to 5 oz sizes in the Detroit River. There are places that require very heavy sizes, but in the heaviest current the chances of holding bottom completely are pretty slim. I prefer to find a structure and fish behind it as a current break, or to let the pack bait rest directly against the seawall.

I suggest using the lightest lead size you are comfortable with. The heavier leads will definitely hang up on snags more easily and more often.

Fishing the Detroit River requires more frequent casting and re-baiting. I recommend you take extra ingredients for making packbait. I have noticed that more frequent re-casts seem to result in more fish. In a lake the bait just sits there, but on a river it disperses more quickly. I like to use more corn in my pack bait when fishing the river. Also, don't make the pack extra big on the river. Bigger pack bait is going to make it more buoyant and make it more difficult to hold in one place.

I use panko bread crumbs, bird seed, chicken feed, cooked field corn and peanut suet for a pack bait mix. You can flavor the cream corn or not; its up to you.

Consistent casting and baiting will help you catch more fish in areas with less current.

After you have identified a likely location that holds fish, recasting to the same spot does three things:

1. Holds fish already there in the location for a longer period
2. Draws more fish into the spot
3. Increases the odds you may catch one or more fish

You can't catch what's not in front of you. So its a smart strategy to hold what's there and bring more in.

My carp rig of choice is a bolt rig with #4 or #6 Gamakatzu G-Carp hook, a 4 1/2" hook length, and hair rig with 3 pieces of flavored corn on a 3/4" hair.

During a recent trip to Elizabeth Park in Trenton, 100+ boats launched from a nearby marina for a bass tournament. The water disruptions were really not that bad. The river is so big that any wake is distributed enough in that location that it's usually minimal by the time it reaches the shoreline.

It may be too late in the fishing season this year, but I plan to begin a serious project to begin documenting a greater concentration on catching carp in the Detroit River next year.

There are many locations and people I meet that would make intriguing subjects for future articles here on the blog.

The photo possibilities are pretty cool too.

• Can you imagine catching a carp photo selfie with the Renaissance Center or Ambassador Bridge in the background? 
• How about a large ocean going tanker?
• Border Patrol boats?
• Coast Guard vessels?
• Lighthouses?

I think it would be epic.

From Grosse Point to the Lake Erie Metro Park, there are 25 to 30 viable public fishing locations to access the river (and possibly even a few more). Some spots are better than others. One of the most attractive locations has a time limit for shore fishing (you can't start before 6 a.m. and you must finish by 10 a.m.). Another great venue in Wyandotte, BASF Park, unfortunately doesn't allow shore fishing at all.

There are a few piers that sometimes become crowded with other fishermen, depending on the season and weather patterns. A few locations are in pretty heavy current (near Mud Island).

If you look around, there are several public locations with current breaks that enable fishing in calm water.

This location has a reputation for having a lot of snags in the water, but I've learned that snags are reduced by using lighter leads and keeping the rod tip elevated perpendicular to the water when retrieving line for re-baiting.

Imagine a carp photo with Caesar's Windsor in the background

This location doesn't produce a lot of fish, but it's accessible for river fishing, although space is limited. And even more so in 2020 due to floating debris, a fallen tree and significant bank erosion.

A view from a swim on Belle Isle that I fished a couple of times this year. 

I plan to also incorporate more videos going forward as well.

It will be a good way to look forward to 2021 and put 2020 in the rear view mirror.

Places to Fish in Detroit

The list below will include venues in Detroit and throughout the greater Metropolitan area, from Trenton in the south to Grosse Point to the north.

Trenton

Rotary Park

This spot has some snags to overcome,  but is a good option to access the river. I have only managed one catfish from this location in 2 hours I've spent fishing there.

Elizabeth Park

There is a lot of bank space in this location, but there is also a lot of pedestrian activities including walkers, runners, dogs, bicycles, etc.

Meyer Elias Park

There isn't a lot of bank space in this location. Bank erosian has reduced the fishable spots tremendously in the past 6 to 8 years. It becomes very weedy too.

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

I really had high hopes for carp fishing at the refuge pier just south of Trenton. Unfortunately, my anticipation ended in disappointment.

Straight down from the pier railing where I fished, the depth is 5'. Unfortunately, that's probably not ideal for river carp fishing. I've had better results in finding deeper drop offs up to 12 - 15 feet and also spots that are 10 feet or so across the board. 

With the high volume of foot traffic at the pier, I am guessing the carp "spook" and relocate away from all the commotion.

Wyandotte

Bishop Park

Ecorse

John Dingell Park

The current in this spot is challenging, but over the years I've caught quite a few carp in this park. I just let the bait rest against the seawall straight down from the rod rest, which helps reduce issues with the current.

19 pounds

River Rouge

Belanger Park

Southeast Detroit

Riverside Park


Detroit

Belle Isle

Conclusion

Be prepared that not every fishing trip will be successful. But, with big risks come big rewards.

Can you imagine catching a 40 pound carp from the Detroit River? I definitely can. I personally believe it is a matter of preparation and persistence. There are documented carp examples of 36 pounds in the Detroit River. There are reports of 40 pound carp in Lake Erie. Those waters are connected, so the potential is definitely there.

11 Tips for Catching Smallmouth Buffalo

Where I live, it's fairly rare to catch a smallmouth buffalo. Although Lake Erie does have a population of the fish, we haven't been able to catch them with regularity like we have carp and catfish, so when a smallmouth buffalo shows up in the net it's always a treat.

A recent small-mouth buffalo I caught

In this post I'd like to share some tips that I have learned that I feel help increase the odds of catching them.

How to catch more small-mouth buffalo

• Target bodies of water with confirmed populations of fish.
• Use baits with "hot" characteristics such as chili powder, hot pepper, hot sauce, etc.
• Make some boilies from habernero, jalapeno or serrano peppers.
• Watch your rods closely.
• Let me repeat....watch your rods closely.
• Buffalo bite very, very lightly on the bait, so you have to detect bites when they occur.
• Buffalo very seldom ever take a bait and run with it, so you usually have to "set the hook".
• Buffalo sometimes "mouth" a bait for 10, 15 or even 30 minutes.
• It may seem like a fish is "bumping" the pack bait, but in reality it may be a small-mouth buffalo "mouthing" the bait.
• It's quite possible that the fish is hooked, but still sitting there content to "hold" the bait.
• I feel the longer they hold it without a hook set, the more chances they will "leave" without being caught.

I don't usually grab the rod and set the hook with every little bump, but if I have watched for a while and notice the line tightening and loosening 2 or 3 times in a short period I try to pick up the rod and reel in some line. Most of the time I find a smallmouth buffalo on the hook.

When I first started catching them it was quite accidental. I caught them in spite of myself. I've heard people say it's bad luck to watch the rods while bottom fishing for carp, but I'm someone who likes to watch my rods and I feel it's helped put more small-mouth buffalo in the net as a result.

My niche in carp fishing seems to be catching small-mouth buffalo. Some people catch a lot of mirrors. Some catch a lot of two-tones. I seem to catch a higher number of buffalo. And I'm not complaining. I will continue to experiment and find new ways to swing the odds in my favor while bank fishing.

Detroit River Common Carp

I caught these common carp at the Detroit River in Michigan today while fishing near Trenton.

The first one was landed very early upon arrival and the second one hit the net around 10:30 a.m.

I used panko, bird seed, chicken feed, corn and peanut suet for a pack bait mix and Trilogy Cryptic King Corn for hook baits. Cream corn was flavored with chocolate hazelnut.

It was the first time fishing this particular spot on the river, which provides a nice current break from the normal heavy flow.

More Michigan Fall Carp Fishing 2019

I don't always have the luxury of fishing when I really want to. I'm limited to weekends, holidays and vacation periods.  When I have bank time on the schedule  I like to arrive early.

This week's venue is located about an hour from home. Traffic can be a challenge with construction this time of year, but it's likely to occur on the trip back home.

I arrived about 15 minutes predawn and was unpacked and on my way to the spot when the first signs of sunlight appeared.

I could hear fish surfacing in the area, although they weren't all carp. The lake is popular with bass fishermen too and some were definitely bass. There's something about that sound that causes my heart rate to rise.

Setting up my bank sticks, alarms and nets first helps "mark" the spot, although in the offseason it's seldom an issue here.

I mixed up some panko, boiled feed corn, boiled bird seed, some deer mineral attractant and some flavored field corn using some "nut" powder as a binder to hold the ground bait mix together.

I caught my first carp within 15 minutes of casting and always feel the familiar relief - there would not be a "blank".

Over the course of two days I caught numerous carp in all ranges of size from low teens to twenties. I even managed one a little bigger than that too.

Here are some pictures from my favorite day on the bank this fall so far. Tune in later for some pictures and video of my biggest fish of the session.

22 pounds

This was not my biggest fish of the session

Close Up

Alternate side view

Thick, strong carp

Round and thick carp

Catch and release

Michigan Fall Fishing - Pictures from September 2019

Before I post the pictures below, I'd like to reflect back to earlier in the year and summarize what has brought me to this point.

At times 2019 has been a frustrating year for carp fishing. I got off to a slow start in the spring, thanks in part due to some cooler than expected weather, several weeks of rain on the weekends, a shortage of available time for fishing an some distractions at work.

With the work distractions behind me as of late May, I started focusing more on catching carp, and less on things I had little, if any, control over.

I had several great sessions with numbers in double figures at local venues. My favorite summer venue this year was at a local river that is under carp fished in my opinion. It has plenty of shade. The fishing spots are on a paved path, close to the parking lot and restrooms are located nearby. But even better...the river has plenty of carp ready to be caught. The carp in the river are strong, healthy and fun to catch. For comparison purposes some of these river fish weighing 10 to 11 pounds on average provide the same strength of the 18 to 19 pound fish from a popular local lake that is frequented by carp fishing enthusiasts. The current, thick weed cover and sometimes fairly lively current provide some challenges to keep the fishing very challenging. 

I caught some fish at the Detroit River, several in Lake Erie, some at another local river in urban Detroit, in the St. Clair River, in a new-to-me-lake with limited access and lots of recreation boaters, and at an extremely popular park at a venue near Ann Arbor. 

Some of my past "go to" spots that have yielded fish weighing up to 37 pounds, turned cold in 2019. One venue in particular used to be good for multiple carp weighing in the 20's each and every time out, but the best I have managed in 2019 from that spot is a 24 pounder back in late April after 3 days of 8 hour sessions. Those 24 hours of bank time returned only that one fish.

Fall fishing in Michigan is always promising and I always save some vacation time that I use to get in a few extra fishing trips before the cold weather sets in later in mid-November. I usually focus a little more on October, but we're going to be traveling to Tennessee in a couple of weeks so I have fished more in September.

I spent Thursday and Friday fishing at a spot that I've fished twice previously with some promising indicators. It's packed with weeds. It's packed with boats. It's packed with people at certain times of the year, but with some prior planning it can be a good spot to fish occasionally. It's a good spot to go on a rainy day, but pack your rain gear and portable shelter because there isn't anywhere to keep you dry.

It takes a little effort to find the limited opening in the weed bed that will allow your hook baits to reach the lake bed. Cast in close and you're going to be in heavy weed mat. Cast out at long distance and you run the risk of boats running over your lines. The magic distance seems to be in the 60 to 80 yard range into a spot that is about 20 to 30 feet wide. I caught a few fish outside that general area, but they were few and far between. 

And now on to some of the pictures. I have other video footage and pictures I will continue to post when I have more time, but here are some of my favorites so far. Some of these photos could use a little more post processing to improve their clarity, but I'm fairly satisfied with them. They are screen prints from a video. When you fish alone, you have to improvise on the photos. 

High teens carp

Mid teens carp

Scrapper

I love the fall colors just beginning to show up

The scales on this fish were almost perfect

Look at that tail. When this fish grows up, it's got potential to get even bigger

I try to avoid "mat shots", but sometimes I snap them anyway to get a good look at the scale colors

The tried and true way to photo a fish when you don't have a friend with you to take a picture