Ohio River Bonefish/Carp

[52bagman]

Just caught my biggest for the year, 20lb'er. Used good old fashioned corn for bait.

[BUGEYE]

that's a beauty....   I think there's more man-hours expended to catch one carp than any other, and they are about the hardest fighting fish on earth.
also, if you fillet then and remove that brown strip, they are good eating, especially smoked.

[52bagman]

Never fished fro them until I took the job I have now. Tug Boat pilot on the Ohio River. I put out a little chum (corn) and sit in my tree stand (pilot house) and wait for them to show up. I use an Ugly Stik ultra lite rod and light line.
I tried for awhile putting corn on the hook but they could sense the hook in there and I wouldn't catch many. So now I do a European method of tying the hook straight to the line and then tie a thread with a loop in the end to the bottom of the hook. Then take a wire out of a bread tie and loop that to make a double ended needle and then thred the corn onto the hook thread. Works like a charm.


Pic of my best one last year, 15lb.

[BUGEYE]

I have a book that explains your way of baiting a hook.  I haven't tried it, but it's really popular in Europe where they are catching educated carp.
have any catfish shown up?  I've caught plenty of them as a kid on the ohio just north of Cairo.

[52bagman]

Yes on the catfish and just about any other fish you could think of. There is an outfall coming from the power plant and keeps a current here all the time. I dock the boat right next to the outfall and I can look down into the water like it's an aquarium.
You can't keep the pesky hybrid stripes off your line. lol

[52bagman]

Oh yeah, catfish and smallmouth;

[BUGEYE]

Pesky??  I'd like to be pestered like that.