Below is a story which was written and sent to me by John McKean. He is a customer and friend of mine from PA.
John is a very good fisherman and has managed to catch a number of fish species using the blade, in a very short time. Thought you might like to read this & maybe give it a try?
*His son Sean is pictured.
Photos by John McKean
"Dad, can I trade rods with you ?," laughed my 28 year old son,Sean. "You're just having way too much fun!" We had each hooked a massive carp simultaneously. Yes, a rare double for these elusive monsters.Things were hugely hectic as lines crossed and extremely thick, strong fish tore off in opposite directions. Very exciting, but Sean was confidently playing his fish with light, and virtually unbreakable braided line, while I sweated bullets and scrambled to steer an uncooperative behemoth on my usual 4# test "tournament" (so it won't over test) mono, on my 4'9" ultralight rod.
You see, earlier that day Greg Wade put me on a fishin' mission. He wanted a good carp photo to go along with a description of my unique ultralight method of capturing the "golden salmon" with Wade's Blades. Following is a method which I've perfected over the years - only now I'm realizing that Greg's nifty little baits just makes it better!
To begin, a section of lake or river must be located that gets little attention or traffic. Big carp are very wary and intensely dislike disturbance. Plan to fish in the densest, most hard-to-reach spots, and count on some hard bush & briar laden walking & crawling for a prime shoreline position! Oh, you'll see the carp rolling & splashing in these prime areas -from a distance- it's just that nobody else is willing to hike in.
Once at a potential hotspot, fish as quietly as possible. No ground noise if possible, don't step on loose rocks, and no unnecessary water splashing. Your role model should be the stealthy heron ; cast in one standing position with minimal movement of the casting stroke!
In starting, toss out about 1/2 a can of corn to chum the area. This makes a tiny bit of noise, and don't expect the carp to show for about 20 minutes (or longer) after these tiny splashdowns, but the corn seeding pays huge benefits. When they do overcome initial shyness, a school of "sniffing" carp will be attracted, build a real appetite, and cruise the entire area, not leaving until every last kernal is sucked in , unless spooked. So you have a captive audience, and they are hungry pigs!!
Take a light spinning rod, the thinnest 4# mono you can find (or for a little more confidence 5 to 8 pound test braided line), and a Wade's Blade tipped with a single kernal of corn. Toss out the lure into your prebaited area, then just let it do its special slow wiggle down to the bottom. Be alert! Many times I've experienced them nailing the free falling blade, because of it's deadly motion that always grabs their attention ! I liken the blades motion to that of a crawfish which is absolutely "Fillet mignon" to the biggest of carp in a lake! If not nailed on the fall, let the bait sit for about 10 seconds - a nearby carp "hears" the shimmying action as well as the gentle "ping" when the lure touches down on bottom. I've watched them take their time ambling over, but they are definately aware that food has entered the arena!
If no immediate takers, just slowly swim the lure about 2-4 feet, and allow it to drop down on semi slack line once again. Continue to swim & drop motion until the lure returns to shore. Don't rush completion, as I've often had big carp grab virtually at my feet (yep, it pays to be as motionless as a stork - at least I THINK that's what onlookers are calling me!!).
With perception of a gentle"tick" to indicate a carp sucking the blade in, just tighten the line. The tiny super sharp hook (I like the #8) will easily implant into those rubbery lips without excess pressure! Unlike a hard sweeping set, which the bait & doughball crowd uses, our Wade Blade tactics give us the edge because we're actually sneaking the hook in before the fish realizes he's been tricked! In other words, we don't allow him a "head of steam" from an initial hard, panicked run. No, we still can't expect gentle submission from these beasts, but at least WE have the upper hand from the beginning, rather than tackle them when they're already traveling at 100 mph!!
As to the fight, you're on your own ! Keep a cool head, a light drag, and grit your teeth for the next 45 minutes!! Hey, we fishermen LIVE for these fights, so don't begrudge the time just to move on to another fish! And if anyone asks, tell them you're WADING into carp!!
