That is NOT a Buffalo...

Some say that you will never get what you want until you least expect it... and this particular fish is the sole definition of the saying. Was it so farfetched of myself to catch the fish while I was out fishing, given the current circumstances and variables of the day? No? Maybe? On second thought, no, definitely not... it was easily possible. But when something is so different than what you expect, you certainly get thrown off guard. Maybe that's what happened here.

In March of 2023, I had gotten the chance to fish with my first ever freshwater fishing guide. Despite the odds, I managed to catch my first ever fish in the state of Tennessee: a 20-inch female Channel Catfish. The guide's name is Spencer and I'd say we went from guide and guest to fishing buddies fairly quickly. When I returned to Tennessee in the summer, I took advantage of my new privilege to drive to some fishing spots to catch bait for larger fish (of which, often times, catching the larger fish was not successful).

By the beginning of July, my trip down in Tennessee was coming in to close and I wanted to go out to a spot with Spencer to try and catch a fish that was bigger than just a simple sunfish. He shared with me a spot on a nearby river that produces a fair amount of Buffalo. It was that first day of July that we first went out that I caught my first ever Buffalo... and my second... and my third... and my fourth. On that first day, I caught the two more common species of Buffalo: the Black Buffalo and the Smallmouth Buffalo. (Catching the Black Buffalo was pretty amazing to myself since the fish is unfathomably rare in Minnesota, quite greatly to the fact that they are a species of concern in the state). The day was quite successful in my books that I begged Spencer to go again the following day, and so we did.

On July 2nd, we returned out to the same spot where we had caught the Buffalos the day before. In the first half hour of having all of the poles set up, we had a take... on my fishing pole. Spencer beats me to my pole and sets the hook. It was soon after that Spencer said: "I think this is a carp." My heart instantly began to race a whole lot more. Spencer handed me the pole so I got to fight the fish. I had 12-lbs braided fishing line on the pole (which, at first, I thought would be okay... until I realized that the rocks were pretty rough and we could lose the fish if the fish was to get tangled). Spencer guided me through the somewhat lengthy fight (a fight that lasted over 5 minutes, which for me, is rather lengthy) and after a nerve-wracking and heat-exhausting battle, we landed the fish. The fish was rather skinny, but was strong and rather well-fed. This fish is a river carp after all... not skinny, just slim... and muscular!

Spencer helped snap a photo of myself with the carp and we even took measurements of the fish. My first ever Common Carp in the books and it's a carp of memories! Spencer and I were certainly not expecting a carp that day, but when I look back on it, that was part of the fun. We were not expecting it. Now, when I look back on the fish, I'm grateful I caught the carp when I wasn't expecting it. Not only did it make catching the fish more interesting, but made the surprise all the more exciting!

I've now got a good system down to catching carp more consistently (especially since it's notably my second longest hunt for a specific species of fish, coming in at 110 hours of fishing for them without success). I may have caught more carp, but I certainly do not have a system for catching larger carp! This year I'm hoping to find that system. Maybe this year, I can catch an even bigger carp. I guess I'll never know if I don't try!... or don't. Maybe the fish you're after will come to you. Maybe you can put in the time, but maybe that fish will just come to you when you least expect it.

Hear me out... but that's even more exciting!