Prussian Carp in Cardiff Pond

[cranky]

Heard about one caught last week. Heard about 3 caught this week. I got a picture of dead one in the reeds close to shore today. Hauled it out of the water got a picture or two. Can't do pictures but if anyone wants to post it I can text it to them. Some say didnt happen no pics so. Reported it to fish and wildlife and bio got pics now to. It was only a matter of time i guess.

[Howard Hutchinson]

Here you go sir
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[FearNoFish]

Nice bow fishing tune up for elk season

[Talking moose]

So I’m wondering, they have been in certain watersheds for quite some time now, (ssr, reddeer, etc)
Has there been a noticeable impact on the other species in the system? Haven’t seen much on it. Just hoping, since they are here for good.. if they have had an impact yet and possibly it’s not all doom and gloom?

[cranky]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

So I’m wondering, they have been in certain watersheds for quite some time now, (ssr, reddeer, etc)
Has there been a noticeable impact on the other species in the system? Haven’t seen much on it. Just hoping, since they are here for good.. if they have had an impact yet and possibly it’s not all doom and gloom?

Guess a guy will have to figure out what to use to catch the ugly boogers. All the ones I know of at this pond was bait of various types that caught them. Wonder what a guy uses for fly rod.
No catch limits. Catch and kill. Some good I suppose maybe.

[tallieho]

Too bad a person/company couldn't find a market.Years ago,mink,fur farms.Would have taken them. Years ago,i remember fishing Dore lk.The mink farms,used up fish from commercial plant up there.

[EZM]

I believe they have been reported in Cardiff for at least 10 years (maybe longer) now. Very unfortunate to have invasive species in our province potentially impacting native stocks.

[Dewey Cox]

I suppose you could grind them up and use them for fertilizer

[cranky]

Originally Posted by EZM

I believe they have been reported in Cardiff for at least 10 years (maybe longer) now. Very unfortunate to have invasive species in our province potentially impacting native stocks.

Yup I've heard those rumors for years to. Difference is this time it's real. More and more caught each day for about a week and a half now. Got a bud who fishes it pretty near everyday. He lives out that way.
To bad as it's a good place for folks with reduced mobility like myself to still get out and do some fishing. Cant man handle a boat anymore. Can't fish the river anymore no balance. I fall in it's bye-bye.
Like I said elsewhere here, im working on making some flies to try target them. Got to try make some good out of not so good.

[catnthehat]

Apparently some moron released some goldfish in one of our storm water ponds in Fort McMurray!
Cat

[thumper]

The pelicans and cormorants are doing very well ...

We should install more osprey nesting platforms around carp ponds like Frank Lake.

[kidd]

I posted on year several years ago about a carp my son and I found washed up at Lamont pond. Members here told me it was a grass carp and they are stocked into many of our stocked waters to control vegetation growth.
If I am remembering this correctly, could it be a grass carp and put there on purpose?
kidd

[EZM]

Originally Posted by kidd

I posted on year several years ago about a carp my son and I found washed up at Lamont pond. Members here told me it was a grass carp and they are stocked into many of our stocked waters to control vegetation growth.
If I am remembering this correctly, could it be a grass carp and put there on purpose?
kidd

Not sure about that pond specifically - but what we do know is the Prussian Carp have been identified, verified and officially listed as an invasive species throughout the Bow River/Red Deer River Watersheds - which basically means most of Southern Alberta waters have this species present now or are in a situation where the first backflow of high water would introduce them.

As they say "the ship has already sailed"

[3blade]

Cardiff has been an unofficial aquaculture development for a certain group for years. We all know who put the perch and crayfish in there. Now that it can’t support perch (winterkills every year), it’s not a surprise that they moved on to carp, especially because the rest of the angling population won’t eat em.

Hate having a source population for carp this close.

[Buckshot82]

Would bow fishing be an option now? Curious to what the laws would be for bow fishing a stocked trout pond… I’d be happy to sling some arrows

[baitfisher83]

Has anyone caught any of larger size??btw they love corn from what I've seen of people fishing for them on Twitch

[bhobson]

I posted the carp caught last week in cardiff

No knowing the normal size of carp this one was at least 10 in long and fairly thick

If used a green leech BH

[barbless]

There are a certain group of people that can educate you on how to catch em. At Dewitt's pond they use to throw back the trout and keep the carp. HMMMMMM And using a really long length of pole. ASK THEM

I say block it off and a few CIL wobblers with a countdown. FOOM FOOM FOOM

[baitfisher83]

Originally Posted by barbless

There are a certain group of people that can educate you on how to catch em. At Dewitt's pond they use to throw back the trout and keep the carp. HMMMMMM And using a really long length of pole. ASK THEM

I say block it off and a few CIL wobblers with a countdown. FOOM FOOM FOOM

I heard Dewitt was taken over by carp, I haven't been there in a few years though

[the local angler]

that is true Dewitts is taken over but the trout are still in there but i have noticed that some of them are skinny as hell with big heads and small bodies where the proportions aren't great. most of the carp i see them catching now is the small 4" ers. but i do like seeing them throwing the trout back even though i see the odd one swim away then float belly up.

[coyotezh]

I went cardiff last week and caught quite some trout. All the trouts look quite healthy to me

[Pioneer2]

"they" throw anything back

[cranky]

Originally Posted by coyotezh

I went cardiff last week and caught quite some trout. All the trouts look quite healthy to me

They should look healthy they just did the usual fall stocking a week ago.

[Willowayin]

Originally Posted by barbless

There are a certain group of people that can educate you on how to catch em. At Dewitt's pond they use to throw back the trout and keep the carp. HMMMMMM And using a really long length of pole. ASK THEM

I say block it off and a few CIL wobblers with a countdown. FOOM FOOM FOOM

Here's what I had written up for someone who needed help fishing DeWitts for carp a few years ago on a different forum. I have used both rods, the long ones but not as long as those ones, and spinning rod. Just set the spinning rods fishing line to catch/stop at a certain length, the notch is on the spinner after I figured out how to use it.

A spin rod works just fine, no need for fancy rods.

This is how I catch carp at Dewitts and fish in general.

What size hook to use: size 12, smaller is better, just barely cover the hook/shank with pea sized dough bait homemade. Worms cut up work good also.
Don’t need to cast further then 30 - 40 ft, sometimes not even further then 20ft, depends on water depth, carp hang out in schools, once u catch a fish, get hook back in water asap.
Fishing line/ leader. This needs to been done in reverse. Size 12 hook, about 8-10 inches above attach small weigh or 2 like the size of a BB pellet, adjust the size to fit the needs, too light or too heavy, then slip bobber, bead and bobber stop knot. I usually have 2/3 hooks per line. "They" setup is something like a pickerel rig without the wire arms, my setup was 2/3 lines 8", 10", 12" connected to 3 way swivel, but I think I would try "their" way from now on. Sometimes tangles/frustration.
Find the depth of water. Put a plummer on fish line, (I made one from a weight with a closed loop end and glued cork on bottom so that the hook passes throu loop and stick it into cork).
Why: Carp are bottom feeders, find the depth of water and then set the bobber so that it is floating at the water line, will need to keep adjusting the bobber stop knot till you get it right. Try using a slip bobber with a bobber stop knot (the bobber stop knot will stop the slip bobber at the height you want, just move the knot up or down – instead of buying them make your own stop knots very simple.)

Take off the plummer, now the hook is near the bottom where the carp are feeding. You will need to try and cast in the same spot or close to it cuz the dough bait (homemade) will eventually fall off thus making the food available to attract the carp. When u see your pencil float rise up about 1/2-1", the bait dissolved off hook, rebait. Keep casting your bait out in same place, keeping a fairly tight line to monitor the float, the carp will come around eventually. Cast out a few times, then I will put a big marble dough bait and once settled I will yank the rod, thus l have a good amount of feed asap on bottom as a starter, then rebait.

5) The trick is when to set the hook: Carp nibble first so watch the float wiggle, after a few secs or a few more secs you need to set the hook. If u use a thin pencil float it shoud dip up/down, or down/up 1/4" - 1 inch a few times depending on how big fish is or it may not, sometimes it just looks like nibble, nibble. If you wait too long to set hook they eat the bait, free meals only. It takes practice when to set the hook but you will get the hang of it.
If one year is awesome fishing, the following year is slower. "They" do a really good job of catching those little boogers. The trout that are stocked now will eat the carp and fyi carp are actually pretty tasty fish, white meat. It's just a pain gutting the small fry, but make a soup and bones float to top to scoop out. I fry them coated with dry buttermilk pancake mix, I will have to try with the pancake batter one day. The fish is delicious, maybe substitute for our perch and the bones I find are easier to manipulate then trout.
I am very successful fishing carp this way, sometimes i get the glare from them..

[3blade]

Originally Posted by Pioneer2

"they" throw anything back

Yup. “They” we’re out in force today at Cardiff. Specialized carp gear and all. Not even pretending to fish for anything else. Keeping stupid little 5 inch carp.

Trout fishing sucked, backswimmer hatch is done.

I remember the days of 14-16 inch rainbows as long as you had a fly in the water, and 8-13 inch perch on bobbers when it came time to fish for dinner. Used to be a pretty awesome spot for an afternoon. Oh well it winterkills every year anyway, guess we will see how tough the carp really are.

[cranky]

Originally Posted by 3blade

Yup. “They” we’re out in force today at Cardiff. Specialized carp gear and all. Not even pretending to fish for anything else. Keeping stupid little 5 inch carp.

Trout fishing sucked, backswimmer hatch is done.

I remember the days of 14-16 inch rainbows as long as you had a fly in the water, and 8-13 inch perch on bobbers when it came time to fish for dinner. Used to be a pretty awesome spot for an afternoon. Oh well it winterkills every year anyway, guess we will see how tough the carp really are.

Never known that pond to winterkill.. I got friends who ice fish there every winter and one friend who lives just down the road who fishes it year-round. I'm out there fishing as soon as ice is close to off and caught lotsa trout before the stocking truck gets there. The odd bigger ones are still in there to. I caught a 15 incher on the day your talking about with my Carp rod actually.
Carp will survive no problem. I know a fella who threw carp in a baggie no water. Got home 5 -6 hours later and put em in sink to clean for eating.. Most of them came back to life. Another puts them in fridge till next morning and there still coming back to life.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by cranky

Never known that pond to winterkill.. I got friends who ice fish there every winter and one friend who lives just down the road who fishes it year-round. I'm out there fishing as soon as ice is close to off and caught lotsa trout before the stocking truck gets there. The odd bigger ones are still in there to. I caught a 15 incher on the day your talking about with my Carp rod actually.
Carp will survive no problem. I know a fella who threw carp in a baggie no water. Got home 5 -6 hours later and put em in sink to clean for eating.. Most of them came back to life. Another puts them in fridge till next morning and there still coming back to life.

Gets stocked in the fall. Including brood stock. That’s what you are catching in winter, but it goes dead every year. Drill holes in Feb/Mar and it’s cloudy and stinky.

Winterkill is why there’s no perch left.

That’s unreal…I guess it’s a carp pond now.