YOU NEVER KNOW
by

Sammy Bacino

I think most carp fisherman would agree that one of the best things about carp fishing is the unknown. Carp are unique creatures and come in many different shapes, sizes, colors and even have different personalities. I have had fifteen-pound carp fight like a thirty-pound carp, and I have fished lakes only known for common carp and caught a mirror. The heart pounding moments of netting a unique carp are what keep me and many other anglers searching for the next fish. I have two stories that happened to me this year (2019) that I would like to share with you.

The first story begins with ANOTHER family vacation with the in-laws that I was not especially keen on. Shortly before I go on any vacation, I search google maps for possible fishing spots. This particular vacation happened to have a lake right in the area I was traveling, and it was not hard to talk my wife into staying on this lake. I had never heard of this lake, and I did not have the foggiest clue if this lake contained carp. So, I did what I always do when fishing a new lake, I chummed it with several cans of sweet corn and bought a loaf of wonder bread. After chumming twice, I decided to wake up early and give it a try. Two minutes after my hair-rig hit the bottom, I was in a dog fight with a 31-pound common.

I managed to catch all of my fish on this trip using a 5’ telescopic travel rod and pulled in a total of 9 fish in two sessions, most of them were right around 28-31 pounds.
This is a prime example of the heart thumping sessions I look for. I was not sure if this lake even had carp in it and two minutes after casting out, I connected with a 31-pound common! The action was non-stop for almost two hours and was a complete adrenaline rush.

Interesting side notes: The lake was very clear and got deep quickly, all fish were caught on a hair-rig, mono line, and only a small split shot for weight. In addition, I also used a 2nd rod with blue braided line, a method feeder and I never got a bite with it.

The second story happened on my home lake. I work at a school and have my summers off, which allows me time to chum spots for multiple days. I chummed my favorite spot every evening for ten nights straight and had the carp wanting more every morning. Most of the time, it is a one and done session, but the single fish I catch will usually be over 30 pounds.

More importantly, EVERY carp I caught from my home lake has been a common carp. These commons are so similar looking that when I would show my friends and family pictures of the fish, they would say, “That’s the same fish you showed me last time!” It was almost as if they were clones. One morning, the lake was calm, and the humidity was thick. I had an early take and set the hook to nothing. However, I cast back out and waited, then I heard the sound of 20 or more bass boats roaring across the lake. At this point I was thinking my morning was over, but I decided to give it another 30 minutes. As luck would have it, none of the bass boats came into my area and to my surprise my line started screaming.

The initial take was long and strong, but then it changed to if I was pulling in a large bundle of weeds. As the fish got closer, it surfaced, and I noticed something was different. I was very convinced that this lake only had commons in it, so I figured something was wrong with this fish. I reeled the fish closer and noticed several very large scales on the back of this fish. Eventually, I netted this 34-pound fish and quickly realized that I just landed a MIRROR carp.

In a lake full of clones, I had just netted a gem! Austin Pass a social media friend of mine from Michigan, told me that this mirror was one of the bigger mirrors he has heard of that came out of a lake in Michigan. The excitement that comes from moments like these is absolutely priceless.

The only sad part for me is, these exciting moments usually happen in the early morning and I have nobody to share them with. I can only hope that by writing this blog, I am able to share the moments with other anglers that will appreciate them. In the meantime, I will continue to pray that my one-year old son will grow to love carp fishing like me.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, tight lines and good luck to you all out there….

Sam Bacino
Instagram: carpman_sam_44