Short session....nice fish

I went out to the Gardens yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours in hopes of getting in some quality fishing.  It had been awhile since I caught anything and I needed some action.  As usual, the first thing I do when I unload my gear is to throw about two cups of dry dog food out in the area I'll be fishing.  This usually works to get the fish attracted to the area and starts them feeding.  Next, I opened a can of whole kernel sweet corn and threw about half of the contents into the same area.....there's nothing like a free buffet to get the fish excited.  Finally, I loaded my hooks with the biggest, juiciest kernels of corn, cast two lines into the targeted area and settled back to await the first strike. 

It took about thirty minutes for anything to happen.  I felt a gentle tug on one line as an underwater intruder began to play with my bait so I focused my attention and waited for the fish to make the commitment.  Instead, the line went slack and after about five minutes of anticipation, I reeled in to find the bait gone.  After loading more corn on the hook and recasting the line, I continued waiting.

This time the wait was not as long.  About ten minutes into the vigil the rod began to bounce, and as I grabbed it up I knew that a nice fish was on.  Everything went according to plan...the fish began a run towards the other end of the pond, I  increased the drag on the reel to slow the run, and, when I had the fish's head turned  I began to reel it back in.  It was a fighter and jumped clear of the water in a twisting effort to free itself from the hook.  I continued to keep the pressure on and gradually reeled this nice common carp up to the bank where I used my net to land it.

While I was playing the fish I attracted an audience of local high school students who had been enjoying the afternoon in the park.  They came over to see my catch, asked what kind of fish it was, and and seemed very interested in what had occurred.  When I had removed the hook from the carp's mouth one young lady asked if she could hold the fish up for a picture.  I took this picture (edited to protect the minor's identity), and the other students used their cell phones to take several shots while we weighed the fish and released it to fight another day.

A beautiful day, a nice five pound fish, meeting new friends.....not bad for an hour in the park.

Oh give me a home where the Buffalo roam...

The event that changed my pond fishing experience was catching this little guy.  I had been fishing the Gardens pond for about a month and had progressed to the point of catching one or two channel catfish nearly every session.  They were fun to catch, weighed about a pound each, and provided the encouragement I needed to keep fishing in the oppressive heat.  This particular Sunday in mid-July I had fished for several hours with no success so I began to gather up my gear and head home.  When I started to reel in it felt like the line was tangled so I gave it a quick jerk to free it.  As my line suddenly started screaming off towards the other side of the pond I realized that I had hooked into a very serious fish.  Cranking my reel as fast as I could, I continued to hear the line being stripped out.  I added more drag and began to gain the upper hand on the situation.  It took about 10 minutes of heavy cranking but I finally pulled this beautiful fish onto the bank. 

I've been told by a couple of people that this is a Buffalo fish.....not actually a Carp, but share several similarities.  And without scales I can only estimate it's weight....maybe 5 - 6 lbs.   After this photo I released it back in the pond to continue growing and, maybe another day..... And while I had been targeting catfish I decided to "change my major" and pursue Carp and Buffalo fish. 

It looks peaceful, but...

under the surface is all the excitement of big water fishing, complete with epic battles of man and equipment against the wily monsters of the deep.  Imagine a quiet, sunny afternoon you're sitting in your collapsible chair on the bank of this urban pond, daydreaming of the big fish you know lurk in the waters you have fished many times in the past three months....you know because you have hooked several of them and have caught, photographed, and released a few, and unfortunately lost a few.  Now, you're attention is drawn toward the light action fishing rod straining against the holder in which it lies; straining and flexing in a violent attempt to free itself of the rod holder and follow the 8 pound test line that ties it to the bait submerged below the mirror surface of the pond. You grab the rod and lift it up to see if a fish is actually hooked, or if 'another one got away.'  But this time the rod tip bends in a perfect 90 degree arch and the line being peeled off your reel by the unseen force  is taut with the promise of a great session. 

I have repeated this scenario many times over the last three months since discovering the urban fishing opportunities available to residents of my hometown.    Tulsa supports at least 16 lakes and ponds in local parks and water storage compounds.  Several surrounding cities; Broken Arrow, Jenks, Sapulpa, and Sand Springs also contribute to the list of good fishing holes.  Convenience is one of the main attractions for the urban fisherman...most residents are within a 10 minute drive of one of these opportunities.

My favorite pond is The Gardens at LaFortune Park.  Located at 51st Street and Hudson Ave. it is very centrally located and  well cared for by the City Parks Department.  Convenient parking, restrooms, jogging paths and lots of shade trees are some of the many features that add to the comfort.  But the main reason I like The Gardens is the fish ...not just the little bluegill and sunfish that most people see feeding around the edge, not even the channel catfish that are restocked every year and can give the casual fisherman a good fight  for their 14" to 18" average size, but the fish.....or, rather, The Fish....The Carp....the fish memories are made from....the fish that pound for pound fights as hard as any sporting fish on the planet....the fish that is an intelligent, wary adversary for any serious angler....the fish that can grow to over 3 feet in length and weigh 15 to 20 pounds, even in a small acre and a half venue....the fish I have hooked and battled on three occasions only to get it close to the bank and lose it at the last minute....the fish that calls me back for another round.....