CARP QUEEN

A trip to the lake is always fun and when you catch the species you're after it's even better.  However, when that species doesn't cooperate it's not all bad if something else fills the fish-less void.  And even if a giant carp has to make the trip more tolerable I guess I have to deal with it. 

I recently took my sister and her family to Marion Reservoir for a catfishing adventure.  Reports were good and anticipation was high, despite an early morning departure of 6 a.m.  But after only a couple catfish would cooperate it was obvious my crew was losing interest. 

So enter a few big ol' carp.  They're nasty critters as far as I'm concerned but to novice anglers they put a whopper of a bend in a rod and fight like crazy.  That's really all one could expect and half the fun is in the battle no matter what's on the end of the line.

My sister caught a monstrous carp and my niece and nephew caught a few smaller ones, too.  It was the only saving grace to a day filled with little catfish success.  And even though it's considered a "trash fish" by some there's one giant member of the minnow family in particular that will be remembered for a long time.  It trashed my boat and earned my sister the title of "carp queen" for a day...maybe longer.