Anyone fish carp in Cootes Paradise?

[Alfiegee]

I'm just wondering. I usually ride my bike over there and target Channel Cats 2 to 12 lbs. Sometimes the cats aren't biting but I see Carp rising and jumping everywhere even though they chased the last Carp out of the Paradise a few years ago when the water was really low LOL. What kind of tactics are you using. I've never really fished Carp but I figure if the Cats aren't biting then I can try something different. If using corn should I be right on the bottom? As I said I am seeing them rising and jumping, what are those fish after? Thanks for anything you can tell me.
Alfie.

 

[NADO]

sometimes when carp are rising they are just shaking off mud after feeding on the bottom, im sure they go after insects on the surface sometimes too

 

[Alfiegee]

sometimes when carp are rising they are just shaking off mud after feeding on the bottom, im sure they go after insects on the surface sometimes too

There is indeed a lot of mud on the bottom of Cootes.

Alfie.

 

[hammercarp]

Hello
Check this out.Carping for beginners

 

[NADO]

I just read an article stating that actions are being taken to reduce the amount of carp and goldfish in cootes paradise to better aid the spawning of native pike and bass....so there must be a very very abundant carp population in there.

 

[hammercarp]

I just read an article stating that actions are being taken to reduce the amount of carp and goldfish in cootes paradise to better aid the spawning of native pike and bass....so there must be a very very abundant carp population in there.

Actually there has been an ongoing program for the last dozen or so years. Operated by the RBG and funded by three levels of government. The results achieved so far is that the dominant species in Cootes Paradise Marsh and Hamilton Harbour is now ............................................
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Wait for it.
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Drum roll please.
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. The brown bull head.
This exciting and challenging sport fish now comprises 50% of the fish biomass. The next most populous species , at around 15 % is the white perch an invasive species from the eastern seaboard that got into the great lakes from the Erie Canal .

This information comes from
Bowlby, J.N. , K. McCormack, and M.G. Heaton. 2010. Hamilton Harbour and Watershed Fisheries Management Plan. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Royal Botanical Gardens.

 

[Alfiegee]

From what I understand the RBG started operating the carp barrier in 1997. In 2007 the Toronto Star reported that due to abnormally low water levels the last of the carp had been chased out of Cootes and that Cootes was carp free. That is why if you ever see one of my posts and I mention the carp barrier it is always followed by an LOL. There's lots of carp in there, I see them all the time. Which is the reason I started this thread. I figure if you can't beatem, joinem. I think the carp are there to stay and why I asked for tips on catching them. I have no problem with catching any good fish. Thanks for the link you added hammercarp, I have found it very informative, but I haven't been to Cootes for a few weeks so have yet to try out what I learned.

Alfie.

 

[Dilligaf0220]

There's not much worth fishing in Cootes Paradise proper. Silt has piled up after the Barrier was put in, water levels in the creeks flowing off the Escarpment are at record lows which adds up to low water all year long. The bottom is all silty muck. There's still some fish in Spencer's Creek & Desjardins Canal further up between the Paradise & Dundas but fishing around the RBG & Princess Point is never as good as just fishing the harbour itself.

One of my favourite carp tricks is to fish the Desjardins canal off Olympic Dr. where all the old ladies feed the birds. There is still some carp in there and they are programmed to feed on bread, going there after dark on a warm summer night floating bread crusts after all the birds have gone to sleep is always good for some surface carp action.

****SLUUUUUURP****

 

[hammercarp]

There's not much worth fishing in Cootes Paradise proper. Silt has piled up after the Barrier was put in, water levels in the creeks flowing off the Escarpment are at record lows which adds up to low water all year long. The bottom is all silty muck. There's still some fish in Spencer's Creek & Desjardins Canal further up between the Paradise & Dundas but fishing around the RBG & Princess Point is never as good as just fishing the harbour itself.

One of my favourite carp tricks is to fish the Desjardins canal off Olympic Dr. where all the old ladies feed the birds. There is still some carp in there and they are programmed to feed on bread, going there after dark on a warm summer night floating bread crusts after all the birds have gone to sleep is always good for some surface carp action.

****SLUUUUUURP****

Cool. I tried it there but on the other side of Olympic Dr. I was fishing with a 20 ft pole and noticed some surface activity. I chummed with some bread and then flipped a piece out with my hook in it. I got one. It is neat to watch a surface take .

 

[NADO]

gotta love trained carp, its the same thing at the public park by my house with swans and ducks. Every time i go im guaranteed at least 2, theyre only 7lbs or so but still fun.

 

[Alfiegee]

There's not much worth fishing in Cootes Paradise proper. Silt has piled up after the Barrier was put in, water levels in the creeks flowing off the Escarpment are at record lows which adds up to low water all year long. The bottom is all silty muck. There's still some fish in Spencer's Creek & Desjardins Canal further up between the Paradise & Dundas but fishing around the RBG & Princess Point is never as good as just fishing the harbour itself.

One of my favourite carp tricks is to fish the Desjardins canal off Olympic Dr. where all the old ladies feed the birds. There is still some carp in there and they are programmed to feed on bread, going there after dark on a warm summer night floating bread crusts after all the birds have gone to sleep is always good for some surface carp action.

****SLUUUUUURP****

I beg to differ on your point that there is not much worth fishing in Cootes. I fish there quite regularly. I have learned not to use worms as bait, instead I use chunks of frozen sardine or shrimp. The worms only result in small white perch or whatever they are or your hook being stripped clean. In Cootes I catch channel cats 2-12 lbs, bullhead up to 3 lbs, bowfin up to 7 lbs and sheephead up to 7 lbs. Not your classic gamefish but a lot of fun for a couple hours on a Sunday morning.
Where is Olympic Dr? The only roads that I know of that go anywhere near the Desjardin are Hwy 403 and York Blvd., the canal is only 1 or 200 ft long, there are no other roads.

Alfie.

 

[Dilligaf0220]

Where is Olympic Dr?

Dundas

 

[BASSMASTER19]

I beg to differ on your point that there is not much worth fishing in Cootes. I fish there quite regularly. I have learned not to use worms as bait, instead I use chunks of frozen sardine or shrimp. The worms only result in small white perch or whatever they are or your hook being stripped clean. In Cootes I catch channel cats 2-12 lbs, bullhead up to 3 lbs, bowfin up to 7 lbs and sheephead up to 7 lbs. Not your classic gamefish but a lot of fun for a couple hours on a Sunday morning.
Where is Olympic Dr? The only roads that I know of that go anywhere near the Desjardin are Hwy 403 and York Blvd., the canal is only 1 or 200 ft long, there are no other roads.

Alfie.

this is waaaaaaaaaay late like 2yrs late but when i was a kid i went carpin at the canal and after being skunked for hours 2 older guys said to use shrimp they offerd us the rest of thiers as they were leaving and as soon as we put it on bam, carp after bullhead after carp after sheepshead lol it was epic