Running and Gunning

Took a client out this afternoon, Mustache Ride ready and prepared to deal with the onslaught of high water and heavy flows. When we arrived streamside, we were met with cloudy skies and water outside of the stream banks. Not ideal carping conditions by any means. Inundated flood plains can typically be a productive piece of water, unfortunately, with the water as high as it is, the river is deep and many of these flooded reaches are unreachable by foot. After busting through some heavy bank cover, we managed to pull up some micro slabs, including a few juvenile smallies and a small freshwater drum. Some carp, redhorse, and buffalo were spotted but there weren't there in their usual numbers and there weren't many takers. My guess is that these fish are spread out throughout the river system out on the flats and flooded fields, far downstream.One big carp was hooked, by eventually lost after heading downstream into the heavy current of the main channel. Bummer. Carp Crack once again saved the day. A long but lean smallie was brought to hand, providing some salve to the day. After moving around to a few different spots, we settled upon a small outlet feeding a backwater slough. I spotted a few carp clooping just outside the outlet and set the client right up on the spot. After some coaching and a few missed tries, we got hooked up with a small male carp. Maybe not the biggest fish, but rewarding nonetheless to sight fish to a few cloopers. We'll be back at it again tomorrow. There'll definitely be a bit more investigation of those backwaters, and we'll come armed to the teeth with an entire arsenal of Carp Crack. Game on.