Chicken parm w/vodka sauce!

[Esox Luciano]

Yea, that's right. And it hit the spot!
Was on the river the other day workin the homemade popper I rigged and was able to hook into a few panfish. These last few days have been a bit draining due to the heat and it's hard to go hard out there! After feeling beat my buddy and I ordered some food straight to the spot, no hassle. Dogged the hell outta that sammich when it came and instead of the itis, I was rejuvenated again. Mmmm! Throwing more casts I was noticing that different carp were following my popper in. Sure enough I worked it like a bug and was able to hook a small one. Felt pretty cool, biggest fish so far on the popper. I actually was fishing in the winter/spring and on a few trips, kept seeing this piece of driftwood. Not sure why it kept catching my attention, but I guess I knew I had to make a lure out of it.
I tried to make two, 1 popper & 1 spook. You'd think if anything's gonna be easy to make & work...it be a spook. But, the spook was a straight dudd, crappy action. The popper can't work any better in my eyes, just wish I didn't have to downgrade my line to make it go a good distance. But here's some pics, i only colored them with sharpies and put like 6 coats of poly on the popper.
https://i.postimg.cc/B6DbJxQW/20200210-113942.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ftzDKS95)
https://i.postimg.cc/2jQyJFKh/20200210-114021.jpg (https://postimg.cc/HjLT85Hk)
https://i.postimg.cc/KvQzccFY/20200210-165102.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2Vbm2D1p)
https://i.postimg.cc/0yQNzg20/20200210-203958.jpg (https://postimg.cc/KR6bWHT1)
https://i.postimg.cc/V6jfxmDm/20200214-134816.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G8mnY0W5)
https://i.postimg.cc/Njprn7Lp/20200706-120910.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jDn5wfH7)
Was also out looking for some Larries with my buddie the other day when it was steaming hot! I fish from the banks and rocks about 97% of the time so at least I usually have cover. But oh man I was ready to just jump in! Sweating bricks, I was throwing this new spider lure I picked up the other day in PA. Let me say, I love it & you should get one. Had it pre-rigged & ready so I can purposely start casting way b4 my buddy.:D (I've learned my lesson.) Insantly had action on it with a nice 4lb fattie! Only threw that for a couple hours and got about 4 more, no blow ups, they just suck it down. Will definitely be throwing this more in the near future!
https://i.postimg.cc/sf4fKfMJ/1594338560916.png (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/65HWJHL2/Full-Size-R3.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TpDMnJsf)
https://i.postimg.cc/0yF9rb49/Full-Size-R1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[thmyorke1]

Tony Boys in Livingston makes a fine chicken parm like that with vodka sauce, mmmmhmmm. And omg the carp on a popper :D WOW if only they always did that and be more aggressive , would be too good!

[NJ219bands]

Cooked up my first batch of homemade corn meal bait for this year, then caught 2 carp in the same spot on two consecutive days in 84 and 86 degrees water in the evening. Didn’t get a bite in the Millstone River on my first and only trip there this year two days ago. Too many weeds are in the river for carping.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Awesome catch on the homemade lure! That’s what’s up! Best feeling ever! Great looking fish and the Carp on the popper is nuts! Yea man!:D

[icebadger]

It is always cool catching fish on homemade lures but i never heard of carp hitting topwater lures. I am surprised that the spook did not work, what size hooks did you put on it? looks like you shaped it right with the front being a bit bigger than the back and where you put the line tie has alot to do with the action.The spider lure does not surprise me there are water spiders all over the place and the bass love bugs of all types, cool report.

[dakota560]

Esox very cool report! Real ingenious how you shaped lures out of drift wood. Great vision and very cool how you shaped them both. Would powder paint adhere to wood? Might give the final product a different look. Either way very cool how you went about it and as others have mentioned there's nothing like catching a fish on a homemade lure.

That water spider imitation is huge! Way to connect with different presentations. Awesome report. Carp coming off the berry hatch are probably still looking up so not surprised you connected on a top water. Wait until the 17 year cicada hatch next year, the top water action will be insane from every species in the river.

Esox good job again, love reading your reports.

[Esox Luciano]

Thanks fellas, had a nice couple days out there! Badger, the treble was a size 8 I believe but i think I might swith it to a size 6. I actually colored the bottom to look like a hellagrammite but you can't really tell from the pics. I'm not too sure about the powder coat Dakota. I'm really not too picky, so as long as the symmetry of shaping the lure has it working properly, as long as the wood stays sealed. I know an Italian artist who's been doing wood burning/carvings. Gonna try to convince him to make me a lure or two.
I hit northern spot in search of more bass after the rains but the rivers were running high. Managed to find one nice Mollie through all the yoohoo though so not too bad.
https://i.postimg.cc/sDBwWF54/20200712-160110.jpg (https://postimg.cc/6yXrsmj8)

[Mikey topaz]

This whole thing has all the suppliers backed up 3 months they are telling us for orders! All these shops in Nj that use all these different suppliers and they are all saying the same thing!!! Go to Walmart and look at the shelf empty!!! Pretty soon we will all be turning wood making our own plugs. Nice work esox

[Andrushkin33]

Good job man,

And carp on a popper. Now i seen everything.

Andre

[NickM221]

Very cool man! I like the home made lures. I gotta find someone to deliver me vodka chicken parms on the water :)