This show was a treat for Ang and Pete to shoot. They are totally sold on the whole concept of Carp as a sport fish, and now actually preach it to those who remain skeptical.
Their home base for the shoot was in Cornwall, Ontario, a very fishing-oriented community on the St. Lawrence River. Our guys know the Smallmouth Bass in this area pretty well.
Angelo states, “This is one of the best smallie fisheries that I…and I’m sure I speak for Pete as well…have ever fished.”
“It’s an awesome Walleye, Largemouth and Muskie area as well”, adds Pete.
The fishing for this shoot, however, is just upriver from Cornwall in a place called Long Sault, which incidentally is touted as the Carp Capital of Canada—and justifiably so! Thousands of British anglers have tasted the great waters along the Long Sault and almost all of them are return customers. That is great for tourism!
UNDERWATER VILLAGE
Long Sault was a rapid in the St. Lawrence River west of Cornwall. It created a navigation barrier along the river for years, making it harder and harder for the increasing ship traffic to navigate. Something needed to be done. The Moses-Saunders Power Dam was constructed in 1958 and the St Lawrence River’s character was totally transformed.
The construction of the dam required the flooding of a large swath of land near the rapids, both to facilitate a hydroelectric dam and to make the rapids area more navigable. The flooded region included Ontario’s Lost Villages.
The now modern Long Sault Parkway is a series of eleven islands that were created from high points of land left after the flooding. Several villages once stood where the river now runs; all of them are now completely underwater.
Through time, all types of fishing for multiple species have flourished here—especially for Carp.
SWEET CORN
Getting back to this shoot, the very first spot the boys set up on paid off almost instantly. By anchoring the boat down with two Power Poles, the boys were able to steady the Princecraft, giving them the ultimate mobile Carp fishing-platform.
Feeding the area was as simple as spreading pre-boiled corn in known Carp areas and waiting. They used specialized Carp fishing outfits (10’+ spinning rods with baitrunner style reels) spooled with 40 and 50 pound braided line. “The braid cuts through weeds like a knife,” says Ang. “Which is essential for landing these hard-fighting giants.”
As for their hook baits, it was a simple combination of sweet corn and flavoured corn. “Ang had a corn combo that was so dialled in,” Pete says, “that I think he fished the entire shoot with the same rig… and it was still catching fish after being sucked in by a number of previous fish. Absolutely deadly!”
The guys ended up with one gorgeous Mirror Carp, along with more than enough Common Carp to complete this very unique show in a very unique location.
Carp fishing in Canada is definitely on the rise as far as numbers of anglers participating. Get on this bandwagon and start catching possibly the biggest fish of a lifetime.
