The fish were all over the flat on one side of the small island in Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay. Some cruised along in waist-deep water. Others seemed almost motionless in the shallows. Still others were tailing, forming a 45-degree angle with the bottom in a head-down, tail-up posture. The tailing fish were the ones we wanted, explained John Andrus, my partner for a morning of wade-fishing the shallow Great Lakes flats.

Forget the light stuff – carp are tough fighters and heavy tackle is required. An 8-weight outfit is about right.

These fish were obviously feeding, rooting along the bottom for insect larvae and crustaceans. I worked my way back and forth across the shallows, approaching pods of fish, spooking some, having others ignore me, when I spotted a lone fish slowly finning in my direction. I quickly executed a poor cast, picked up and tried again, this time dropping the imitation wiggler about 30 inches in front of my target. The fly settled to bottom. I saw the critter turn its head to one side. I tightened the line, felt resistance and shot the rod tip into the air. It bent. The fish took off like a fuel-injected dragster.

Six minutes later I was hoisting my prize: a 16-pound carp.

Ubiquitous Yet Underappreciated

Of all the denizens in America’s lakes and streams that tempt anglers to invest their recreational time and money, carp are perhaps the least heralded of the bunch. They are vastly underappreciated.

Found nearly everywhere — and ignored in just about all those places — carp offer outstanding sport to anglers who dare to stalk them the way they might fish for bonefish or permit. Although commonly thought of as lummoxes, carp can be as selective as trout, and just as quick to expel an offering when they realize they’ve been had.

Expert Insights

Look for pre-spawn carp in shallow water. Casting ahead of their line of travel is essential.

Andrus, a 56-year-old contractor and lifelong fly-fisherman, has been chasing carp for years, guiding other anglers for the past five. His Golden Bones Charters is one of the best-known fly-fishing outfitters in the country targeting the large-scaled Asian imports.

“Some days are good, some days aren’t,” said Andrus, who might as well have been describing any sort of fishing. “Weather’s everything; if a cold front goes through or a low-pressure system, it’s going to slow things down.

“Water temperature’s the key. It has to be warm enough to inspire them to start eating. Right around 58 degrees seems to be the turning point. And 65 seems to be what turns them on to spawn, just like smallmouth.”

It was while fishing for smallmouth bass that Andrus took the notion to fool with the carp. It took him a whole spring to catch his first and another season before he figured out how to get them to go regularly. Now, he can catch carp on a fly rod whenever weather conditions are favorable.

Andrus begins chasing carp as soon as they move into the shallows in spring. Peak action is right before the spawn. When the fish are actively spawning, it seems almost impossible to make them bite; they have much more important matters in mind. But Andrus said he always pays attention to spawning fish as there are often pre-spawn (or just post-spawn) fish cruising outside of the action, picking up the food items churned up by the commotion.

When I first discovered carp fishing, I was immediately successful. I spotted a herd of the copper-colored behemoths cruising along in the shallows and immediately began casting a Clouser minnow in their direction.  My fourth cast connected, and in no time, I brandished a 12-pound carp for pictures. Nothing to it, eh? Wrong. Over the course of the day, I cast to hundreds (if not thousands) more fish. I never got another sniff.

Since that time, however, I’ve improved my batting average somewhat, but not enough to take success for granted. It’s like fishing for trout; you have to give them what they want, when and how they want it. Carelessly let your fly line cast a shadow over them and they’ll spook.

Recommended fly patterns for carp include insect larva or crawfish imitators.

Hooking them is hardly the    last word, either. Although commonly perceived as oafish and lackadaisical, carp are powerful finsters capable of stripping your fly reel down to the backing in seconds. And what they lack in aerobatics — these fish are hardly tarpon — carp make up for with muscle. They are half bulldog, half greyhound, beating a line-breaking retreat coupled with a head-shaking action that’ll throw any fly that isn’t buried in their rubbery lips.

Patterns and Presentations

Common fly patterns for carp include large insect larva such as Hex nymphs when fishing silty bottom and crawfish when fishing rocks and gravel, although I know some guys who swear egg imitators are the ticket. But more important than fly selection is presentation. Andrus prefers a clear-tipped fly line, for instance, so he can keep his fly as far from the colored fly line as possible. Thin-diameter tippets help, too, but remember, when stalking carp, it’s not unusual to encounter specimens running up to 20 pounds. So you don’t want to go after them with a rod designed for a No. 20 dry fly. I prefer an 8-weight — the same rod I use for steelhead — and generally use a floating line because I rarely fish for them more than knee-deep.

 “It’s easier to catch them shallow because it’s easier to keep your line straight and tight, easier to detect a strike,” Andrus said. “The more line you have in the water, the harder it is to handle. And if you’ve got slack in your line, they’re going to come up   and suck in that fly and spit it out before you even know what happened.”

Most fun, of course, it’s a sight-fishing game.

“I want to pay attention to the body English of the fish and if there’s a lot of wind, it’s harder to see what’s going on,” Andrus said. “If you watch them long enough, you can tell the difference between a feeding fish and one that’s just cruising around and around and around.”

Although the supply of carp may be limitless, anglers can’t   expect to do big numbers. It isn’t that easy. Andrus says, on a good day, he can catch 10.

“When all the stars are aligned just right and you’ve got your tongue on the right side of your mouth, you can probably catch more than that,” he said. “But it only takes a little wrinkle to throw a wrench into the whole thing.”

To contact Andrus, call (231) 223-7165.