CarpQuest – S1E18 – Prospect Lake Carp Fishing – Grass Carp

The first day of summer and a mid-afternoon session at Prospect Lake downtown Colorado Springs. This is a venue I rarely visit due to the heavy angler pressure, powered boat traffic, jet-ski’s and foot traffic, runners, dog walkers from the path that surrounds this lake. The views though of the mountains are spectacular and the fishing can be good.

With the temperatures pushing into the 90s,  I setup at the south east end of the lake and cast out into the shallow water, perhaps 40 yards from the shore. I was fishing with both rods, my usual panko/oats based packbaits with sweetcorn on the hair.

The first few hours were uneventful though I was constantly receiving small knocks and bleeps from the alarms. Prospect Lake, as with most lakes around Colorado Springs are heavily stocked with trout for the locals and I had previous banked numbers of trout, even small channel cats from this venue with sweetcorn baits.

With the afternoon almost over, I had a quick run and soon had my latest capture within sight of the bank, a slender grass carp. I waded out to net the fish in the shallows. With the fish in the net I turned to return to shore. However, the battle was not over. The grasser spat the hook and jumped acrobatically clear out of the net and into the water!

I was not going to let this capture escape me and fortunately the fish was tired from the fight. I dove right into the lake, grappled the fish into my arms and brought it back to shore. The grasser was not pleased with this and slapped me violently with it’s tail – for the size of the fish, they certainly can give you a good beating !

The grasser was weighed, a respectable 17 lb 8oz and returned to the waters. I was soaked, but pleased to have not allowed this capture to escape me. People passing by stopped to watch my antics! Hey, it’s CarpQuest, no carp shall escape without a battle!

As the daylight began to fade, with my dinner ready back at home, it was time to depart.

Prospect Lake had given up a good capture and it had been a nice, sunny, afternoon’s fishing.

I will return to Prospect again this year in the search for golden beauties!

Tight-Lines,
John
CarpQuest