Winter carp fishing!

[Kypedflies]

Hey there! I am new to winter carp fishing as I am usually chasing salmon and steelhead with my fly rod during the fall/winter and have had a little luck getting into carp, I’ve landed one small fish and lost two others at Kirk park right below fern ridge two weeks ago and missed one big bite the following week but other than that I had no action the rest of that day, anyone have pointers or better spot locations? I’ve been fishing boilies, corn and worms off of a hair rig. Any advice would be great and thanks in advance!

 

[troutdude]

Several years ago I stopped on the east side of the Long Tom, right there. Which is between Kirk Pond on the east side of the river. There was a dude fishing in the river while I chomped on my lunch.

But he was fishing on the western bank. Which looked easier to get into. Just drive over the dam, and turn right onto a gravel road just past the river. Go north onto Kirk Road, take the fork to the right (parallel to the river) and park on the western bank. You'll see 2 parking areas, and road between them, on mapquest. With 2 ponds between that fork, and Kirk Road.

He pulled in several carp that were likely 5 - 10 pounds each. Maybe even a couple over 10. So if you weren't fishing the river itself...get on over there. We were about

But since I'm not a carp fisherman; I didn't notice what he was doing. Plus it was a summer day. So maybe they are more active in summer?

If it were me...I'd just toss in a worm w/ only 1 or 2 small split shot, and let it dead drift.

Oddly enough--back in the 80's or 90's--I caught MANY carp on surface poppers and chuggers. I was casting for smallies. But the carp hammered them. Again that might not work in the winter. It was always late summer and HOT when I was chasing smallies. It actually stunned me to see carp fiercely grab surface plugs! But if they were spawning...it would be understandable to protect their turf. Or is is surf?

P.S. It is illegal to fish above the "break dam" / "spillway". And you cannot fish closer than 200' to that spillway, on the downstream side. The fisherman was angling in the waters below that 200' mark downstream.

 

[cchinook]

Hey there! I am new to winter carp fishing as I am usually chasing salmon and steelhead with my fly rod during the fall/winter and have had a little luck getting into carp, I’ve landed one small fish and lost two others at Kirk park right below fern ridge two weeks ago and missed one big bite the following week but other than that I had no action the rest of that day, anyone have pointers or better spot locations? I’ve been fishing boilies, corn and worms off of a hair rig. Any advice would be great and thanks in advance!

Sauvie Island is loaded with them , in the Gilbert River by the boat dock . I have landed 30 pounders there while fishing
with my kids .

 

[cchinook]

Hey there! I am new to winter carp fishing as I am usually chasing salmon and steelhead with my fly rod during the fall/winter and have had a little luck getting into carp, I’ve landed one small fish and lost two others at Kirk park right below fern ridge two weeks ago and missed one big bite the following week but other than that I had no action the rest of that day, anyone have pointers or better spot locations? I’ve been fishing boilies, corn and worms off of a hair rig. Any advice would be great and thanks in advance!

Park at the Gilbert River boat ramp parking lot , to the left of the ramp there is a path that leads to a fishing platform , it overlooks
the Gilbert . Sauvie Island parking pass is required , you can get that at the store as son as you cross the Sauvie Island bridge .

 

[Kypedflies]

Park at the Gilbert River boat ramp parking lot , to the left of the ramp there is a path that leads to a fishing platform , it overlooks
the Gilbert . Sauvie Island parking pass is required , you can get that at the store as son as you cross the Sauvie Island bridge .

Thanks ! Do you need a boat to get to the island?

 

[troutdude]

Hey @Kypedflies I assumed that you were at Kirk Park/Pond, next to Fern Ridge Reservoir. But that would be about 3 hours one-way, if you live in the Portland area.

 

[Kypedflies]

Hey @Kypedflies I assumed that you were at Kirk Park/Pond, next to Fern Ridge Reservoir. But that would be about 3 hours one-way, if you live in the Portland area.

I am actually from the coast (siletz) and yes I was at Kirk pond right below fern ridge but I’m just trying to get into carp this winter but I need to be fishing bodies of water that have some pockets with slightly higher temps. I know they are at Kirk pond as I’ve got into some just haven’t landed any except a tiny one, I’m open to any areas that have congregated carp.

 

[troutdude]

@Kypedflies Devil's Lake has grass carp in it. It is ILLEGAL to harvest them. But catch and release may be okay. However...I'd encourage you to ask ODFW if C & R is indeed okay to do. Since those fish, in that lake, are a protected specie.

 

[Kypedflies]

@Kypedflies Devil's Lake has grass carp in it. It is ILLEGAL to harvest them. But catch and release may be okay. However...I'd encourage you to ask ODFW if C & R is indeed okay to do. Since those fish, in that lake, are a protected specie.

I have caught a good amount in there fly fishing (all returned unharmed) they just don’t fight like the commons do (at least in devils lake they don’t) and want to add them to the list especially in winter. Thank you for the help! Might just give the long Tom a go again

 

[cchinook]

Thanks ! Do you need a boat to get to the island?

No , just drive over the Sauvie Island bridge off of US 30 . That puts you on the Island . Google Maps is your friend .

 

[OGcarper]

I am actually from the coast (siletz) and yes I was at Kirk pond right below fern ridge but I’m just trying to get into carp this winter but I need to be fishing bodies of water that have some pockets with slightly higher temps. I know they are at Kirk pond as I’ve got into some just haven’t landed any except a tiny one, I’m open to any areas that have congregated carp.

Message me. Im only a carp fisherman but can certainly show you a few places here around Eugene

 

[Doooooncov]

Message me. Im only a carp fisherman but can certainly show you a few places here around Eugene

I’m relatively new to the area and have been pretty much exclusively trout fishing with my 5 weight. Would love to hunt some carp on the 8 weight. Let me know if you want to get in touch and do some fishing

 

[DrTheopolis]

The Gilbert River is closed for much of the year.

 

[bass]

The Gilbert River is closed for much of the year.

I believe that @cchinook was recommending fishing from the Disabled Anglers Fishing Pier which is open year-round:

Sauvie Island Wildlife Area
• Open 4:00 AM - 10:00 PM.
• Closed all areas Jan 1 - Apr 15 and Oct 1 -
Dec 31, except Columbia River beaches, the
Gilbert River boat ramp, and the Disabled
Anglers Fishing Pier which are open all
year.

That being said it is good to note that the options on Sauvie Island are extremely limited until April 16th.

 

[cchinook]

I believe that @cchinook was recommending fishing from the Disabled Anglers Fishing Pier which is open year-round:

Sauvie Island Wildlife Area
• Open 4:00 AM - 10:00 PM.
• Closed all areas Jan 1 - Apr 15 and Oct 1 -
Dec 31, except Columbia River beaches, the
Gilbert River boat ramp, and the Disabled
Anglers Fishing Pier which are open all
year.

That being said it is good to note that the options on Sauvie Island are extremely limited until April 16th.

I believe it is closed to all sturgeon fishing .

 

[bass]

I believe it is closed to all sturgeon fishing .

The original question was for carp fishing but the fishing pier is even open for C&R sturgeon.

GILBERT RIVER
Sturgeon angling is closed year-round, including catch-and-release fishing from the upstream end of the Gilbert River Fishing Pier located near the confluence of the Gilbert River with Multnomah Channel, upstream approximately four miles to Sturgeon Lake.

 

[DrTheopolis]

On that note, there's a buhzillion lakes on Sauvie, and I think just about all of them have carp.

 

[bass]

On that note, there's a buhzillion lakes on Sauvie, and I think just about all of them have carp.

But once again, they are all closed until April 15th.

 

[Spoonplugger1]

You chumming the area with a couple slingshots of your looser baits, forming a feeding area for them? That's the way we did it at the Great Lakes, same in Britain.

 

[bass]

You chumming the area with a couple slingshots of your looser baits, forming a feeding area for them? That's the way we did it at the Great Lakes, same in Britain.

Sorry to say but chumming is illegal in OR.