TheOkieAngler.com

I took some time over the weekend to explore Lake Arcadia in hopes of locating some monster carp…

Panorama wasn't cooperating... bummer

I don’t know if the boaters enjoyed getting a close up look at a fly fisherman or what, but it seemed like every boat on the lake would make pass after pass right in front of me. I wouldn’t have even needed a double haul to cast into many of their boats as they would pass.   The wakes were rolling in high (and OFTEN), but the carp were still plenty willing to play around.

Refreshing... but oh so frustrating.

The wakes were a throwback to my Santa Barbara surf fishin’ days. Line control was definitely a pain, and detecting a strike in wavy water was no easy task, but there were enough fish running around that I could just move on to the next spot after I’d spook a group. Weighted red SJW’s and the trusty rusty Egan’s Headstand were both good producers, bringing to hand half a dozen in a few hours. None of them were the monsters that I had hoped to find, but the quantity made up for the lack of size!!

Small, but still knows how to run...

It seemed like the larger fish were all off the bank clooping, but I was had a terrible time enticing them with anything I was throwing. I spent over an hour working a few different groups of cloopers, no dice. I think I feel a new personal challenge coming along…

cloop cloop cloop

The constant waves made it hard for me to keep track of my drys, but I’m sure they helped me keep from spooking them so easily too… give and take I guess…

cloopin away

If you have any advice for foolin’ cloopers, please share… I clearly need the help!!

All in all, definitely a good weekend at Arcadia. Saw a few bait fisherman wrestling some nice cats and even a few nice looking hybrids (though I saw them from a distance so might have misidentified??).  I’ll close with a parting shot of some wildlife… time to go nurse my sunburn.

He was fast and I was far away