The Hunt For Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg

How late in season do anglers catch carp and cats in northeast [ fish hudson river, Troy/ Green island area]. First year fishing these species. Reform trout/ smallmouth fisherman.

we catch lots of big cats during the fall and early spring period in the mississippi if the water is low. Fish school is certain pools. Very, very large aggregations. I've got friends who've even caught them on large soft plastics in the less than forty degree water.
L

I don't know about Carp, but I have caught Channel Cats through the ice.

About 15 years ago I discovered that my fish finder was showing some nice large schools (fish unknown at the time) suspended in the water, under the ice, but they would hit nothing. Later while using a dead minnow to fish for Walleye, I jigged in the middle of the school. Nothing worked so I got crazy and jigged like a wild man. Of course, that did not work either, so I set the rod down and stated to look at my tackle box.

I almost lost that rod when the Cat hammered the minnow. It seemed that you needed to "wake" the fish up with wild jigging motions, then let it set in front of them. That was the ticket. I saw them do the same thing on a fishing show a few years ago.

Living in Minnesota, I don't think I've ever caught a carp past the second week of October. This is typically when the water has cooled rather dramatically into the mid 50s. But I have to qualify this by saying that I don't target carp in the fall, usually I'm after bass and northerns. This is just my 2 cents.

As far as cold water goes, carp are among the first fish I will catch in the spring, usually late March or early April. They are quite active in the rivers, and I catch them on night crawlers. I also catch them in a couple of trout streams right next to the rainbow trout, and the water there is high 40s.

I live in southern NJ and you can catch carp here till ice up you just get less action in the coldest parts of winter though. As far as catfish go I never tried to catch them after October but if I was goighn to try I'd use deep slip bobber rigs with live minnows of some kind. The fish aren't moving much when it gets real cold so drifting bait through a spot has always worked well for me on any species that is feeling like a homebody. Special note here, the cats in my local rivers love live fish and are pretty agressive. They are the apex predator for the river untill the stripers run.

In the last 3 days gave it another try on Erie canal, 12 fat bullhead [no cats] and one big n ugly carp on corn, also hooked 7 smallmouth, perch, crappies, rockbass on tube jigs. Usually fish shollow, tried right in the shipping channal. Next warm spell I'll be there again.

in the small river i fish we catch carp year round. usually use nightcrawlers dipped in vanilla. makes the winter go faster being able to go out in the cold and catch some sizeable fish.