ba_kinnar

I had two hours from when I dropped the kids off at school, until I had to be at work, so I hit the Concord River specifically looking for Catfish. I had an 8lb test line.

Within minutes I had a huge hit, and I knew it had to be something big. I was hoping for a channel cat, but it's speed told me that it was a Carp. Like I said, I had an 8lb test, so I didn't think I'd be able to get it in. I was right. I set the drag super loose, and managed to get it to within a 10 feet of the shoreline and it was gone.

I still had an hour and 45 minutes, so I went back to trying to catch some catfish and instead ended up with 4 carp, in about an hour's time. With the light line I set the drag loose and it took forever to get each one in.

I had no tarp or anything because I wasn't expecting anything bigger than bullhead or a catfish, so the first one I didn't even pull out of the water all the way, undid the hook, and sent it back on it's way. The bank was muddier than it looked, so when I caught the other 3, I placed them on a rock that was behind me to work out the hook.

To top it off, on the way back to my car I caught this snake, which as you can see by the pics, just devoured something.

On Father's day I took my daughter to the brook, where aside from a few fish I lost I got skunked. We were just below the dam and the current was absurdly fast. I started to pack up, and my daughter told me she had a fish on her Lightning McQueen fishing rod. I felt the line, and sure enough she did.
It felt like a good size catch, so I assumed it was a fallfish, as she is good for a few of them every time we go out.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this guy. I caught the whole thing on video as well. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200842128949488&l=9164055308128958262

I had a few hours to kill before work, so my daughter and I tried to walk through the woods to our usual fishing spot 100 feet from my front door, but it was flooded.

I hopped in the car and drove along the banks and found an amazing spot that I may or may not have been trespassing on. (One of the shop owners came over, and instead of kicking me out was asking for trout catching tips.)

We were only there for a little over an hour. My daughter caught 8 fallfish, and I snagged 2 brown trout.

I am loading a pic, but I also got a good video of one resting up after being released. This link to the vid may work. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200795494023644&l=395992663706591623

I had a kid-free hour to kill before work today, and just as I was about to walk over to the brook, the skies opened up and there was a downpour that lasted 10 minutes.

I had this weird feeling the place would be jumping after the rain, so when it stopped I grabbed my gear and sprinted through the woods. I set powerbait on my hook and cast out into the middle of the brook and let it sink to the bottom.

Since the area I cast from is so mall and inhospitable, I brought my 3 year old's Panfish Ugly Stick, and tied a rooster tail to the line. I attempted to cast out towards the opposite bank, but I accidentally closed the bail, and it landed 10 feet away from me, right where a smaller brook enters Beaver Brook.

I swore, and started to reel in to recast, and I got a hit, and a fight.

I assumed it was a fallfish, as you can barely get a hook in the water here without them biting on, regardless of your bait.

Before I had it out of the water I saw spots and knew this was something else, but it was too light in color to be a brookie.

It was light with dark red spots. Beaver Brook is stocked with brookies and rainbows....this was a brown trout! In MY brook!

I don't know anyone who has caught one in here since the 90's, so I'm kind of confused as to where it came from. Are there bigger ones that gave birth to it, or is there some other stocking program I am unaware of? Either way I'm psyched.

Go to the location finder, and check out the variety of species in this brook...it's insane, and brown trout aren't even on the list. (Although I intednd to add it in a few minutes.)

The best part was, it unhooked itself the second I got my hand on it, and I had my phone ready, so it was back in the water in about 15 seconds. Hopefully I'll catch one of it's older brothers this summer.

(I also caught 4 fallfish, and they were big and gross as always.)

I got out of work an hour early, so I decided to do some shore fishing from this poison ivy covered spot I've been going to on my lunch breaks.

I've been catching bass like crazy all year, and never really fished for anything else so I figured I'd bring a 2nd rod and try for my first catfish or carp while I work the plastic worm on my first rod.

Within 5 minutes I caught my first catfish, using breadballs smeared in velveeta. I took the worm off my 2nd rod and since I only had an hour I figured I'd just go for bottom feeders. I caught 6 catfish altogether, (3 brown, 2 white, and 1 that appeard to be yellow, but I don't think yellow bullhead live in the river, but who knows.)

I also had something drag out about 75 yards of my line at a high speed and bend my wooden Browning Rod like a question mark before it finally broke my line. The biggest fish I've ever caught is a 5lb bass, so I've never felt anything like it....had to be a carp.

(I also caught a bluegill...who cares?)