Carp fishing Loeb Lake in Central Park

It had been a while since I went fishing for carp, due to the extremely warm weather we experienced
this past summer.  In some lakes it can be a health risk to fish because of the presence of "blue algae"
in the water.

Buoyant artificial corn has helped make carp fishing more productive.  Fishing off the bottom
of the lake, in the water column, has been a goal of mine since I saw carp taking streamers as
the fish took them on "the swing".  Using a "pop up" is not the same as swinging flies in a river but
it is another way to get the attention of feeding carp.  No fighting for visibility with debris on the bottom of the lake because  pop ups float off the bottom.

Normally, I chum for a few days before I fish a spot on the lake with pop ups but this time
the weather was conducive to fishing.  So I tied on a "pop up" immediately after chumming and cast my line.

 I've seen carp pass by food.  I think they want to be sure that what they see is safe.  So it can take
almost 30 minutes before a carp will take up an offering.  This day it took about 20 minutes before I got a take.

And I lost two.




BLUE ALGAE:

Cyanobacteria can produce neurotoxins, cytotoxins, endotoxins, and hepatotoxins (e.g., the microcystin-producing bacteria genus microcystis), which are collectively known as cyanotoxins.

Specific toxins include, anatoxin-a, anatoxin-as, aplysiatoxin, cyanopeptolin, cylindrospermopsin, domoic acid, nodularin R (from Nodularia), neosaxitoxin, and saxitoxin. Cyanobacteria reproduce explosively under certain conditions. This results in algal blooms, which can become harmful to other species, and pose a danger to humans and animals, if the cyanobacteria involved produce toxins. Several cases of human poisoning have been documented, but a lack of knowledge prevents an accurate assessment of the risks.^{[105][106][107]}

Recent studies suggest that significant exposure to high levels of cyanobacteria producing toxins such as BMAA can cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). People living within half a mile of cyanobacterially contaminated lakes have had a 2.3 times greater risk of developing ALS than the rest of the population; people around New Hampshire's Lake Mascoma had an up to 25 times greater risk of ALS than the expected incidence.^[108] BMAA from desert crusts found throughout Qatar might have contributed to higher rates of ALS in Gulf War veterans.^[106][109]