EDITOR IN-CHIEF ADDRESS
Dean Brookes
As we head into the winter and the accompanying drop in temperatures for the majority of the country, we look back on a successful fall season. Personally, I was not able to fish as much as desired (a common occurrence for a lot of us, I would guess) but I did manage one trip to spend a week in the company of friends and many carp were caught, many great meals were eaten and many drinks consumed. Hopefully, you all got out onto the banks and got a bend in your rods. In this online edition we have reviews on the CAG favorites, with Fall contests such as the Big 4 and Essence of Carping as well as well as a successful CCC event. We also highlight the CT Carp Tournament which continues to grow and attract some excellent anglers. For feature articles we highlight a useful product (marker pole) that Paul Hunt shows us how to assemble. Mark Fullbrook gives us a review of his winning tactics in the CT Carp Tournament and we get a review of a successful winter sessions from Dan Swartout. Hopefully, you all enjoy this edition and have a great holiday season. We are currently working on the next printed edition and there is still time to contribute as we are still looking for one or two articles. As always we rely on our members contributions and I want to thank everyone; both past and present who has contributed to this magazine over the years. Without your input the magazine would cease to exist. Hope you all enjoy this edition and as always, if anyone would like to contribute; please send any communications or materials to naca@carpanglersgroup.com
Dean Brookes
President Anniversary Address
ir carp tackle will proach of winter means the ap the ny ma for d an ne go Another season is almost oler water fishing can often, in the co ff bu d an rp ca tes sta ern t in the south be put away until spring. Bu rp in the most frigid who continue to fish for ca uls so rdy ha me so ve ha also temps, be at its best. We e all I hope even through the ice! Abov s se ca me so in or ter wa there is open temperatures where ever erican Carp Angler est issue of the North Am lat s thi joy en u yo t tha d ul an your season was successf Magazine. As I
the Holiday season when write this it is approaching
Anglers Group I would like nths. On behalf of the Carp
time in many mo
ring for the first
many families will be gathe
to extend our best wishes
ilies.
our members and their fam
Iain Sorrell
to all
Contents
ESSENCE OF CARPING
PAGE 6
CAG Carp Classic 2021
PAGE 13
Make Your Own Marker Poles
PAGE 23
Winter tales
PAGE 27
CAG DISCOVERY MONTH FALL 2021
PAGE 33
Fall BIG 4 Results
PAGE 35
CT Carp Open Tournament
PAGE 44
CT River Tournament Winner interview
PAGE 57
RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament
PAGE 63
A 1/4 page advert starts from as little as $45 and includes a live link to your webpage or become a Business Supporter and get a Full Page advert in each NACA plus a web banner link on the CAG Website and Forums for only $300 / year. For more information email us to naca@carpanglersgroup.com
CAG members are invited to submit photographs that capture what is unique and exciting about carp fishing in North America. Each month the winner will receive a special prize plus recognition for two runners up.
The judges will be fellow members who should pay particular attention to the subject matter and
The photos do not have to be of someone hold-
composition and not just the photographic or edit-
ing a fish (this is NOT a Trophy fish competition)
ing skills. In the event of a tie or any disputes the
but they should be recognizable as being related to
CAG BOD will be the final arbitrator.
carp or buffalo fishing in North America and should reflect the capture of a special moment.
Each month we’ll announce a winner and Award
The ‘essence’ of carp fishing in North America
a prize or voucher (worth $100) with the winning
might memorialize a remarkable scale pattern,
photo appearing in a forthcoming NACA maga-
someone’s first carp, a group of friends fishing to-
zine as well as the CAG Forum Site and Facebook
gether, a spectacular sunset, time of year or per-
page. The top 3 will also receive CAG Medals.
haps a dramatic background or landscape.
The Rules:
Each submission must include the following details:
- The entrant must be a Full CAG Member & the owner of any copyright to the photograph.
1. The type of device (e.g. camera or phone) used. 2. The date the photo was taken. 3. Location (nearest Town and State).
- An entrant may submit a maximum of TWO photos only in each month.
4. Your Name 5. Photo Title (e.g. Mirror Magic, Waiting for the Bite etc)
- The photograph must have been taken in the
Entries should be submitted to the “CAG Es-
submission month (final date for submissions is 24
sence of Carping Competition” under the appropri-
hours after the end of each month)
ate “Month” below. Entrants agree that CAG may use or display a
- All fish photos must demonstrate appropriate carp care and catch & release
submitted photo on the CAG website and Social Media resources.
July Winners
1st – Walter Depto
North American Carp Angler 7
2nd – Erik Taylor
3rd – Brent Behnken
august Winners 1st – Christopher Ondecko
North American Carp Angler 9
2nd – Peter Sadlon
3rd – Michael Huffman
september Winners
1st – Brent Behnken
North American Carp Angler
11
2nd – Michael Huffman
3rd – Dave Pickering
CAG Carp Classic
2021
After a year long absence due to the Covid pandemic the CAG Carp Classic (CCC) returned on September 25th 2021 to the banks of the mighty Hudson River in Coxsackie, NY. Originating in 1994 as the Chicago
Carp
Classic
and
fished on the banks of the Downtown Chicago River this hotly contested but friendly, one day tournament became known as the CAG Carp Classic as it moved to different locations. Each year individual anglers fish for the honor of winning the North American Carp Champion Trophy for the Biggest 4 Fish and the North American Carp King awarded to the captor of the Biggest fish. Awards and Prizes are also given to the captor of the First Fish, The biggest Mirror, Overall Total Weight and individual Section winners North American Carp Angler
13
This year we discovered shortly before the CCC
It also promised some great fishing as Sam Wil-
that the Coxsackie Boat Launch and Park were
liams had used it for the NY leg of Yankee Chal-
scheduled for some major renovations and would
lenge and it had produced some nice fish.
be closed. Fortunately another great spot at the
So for this year the 40 plus pegs were distrib-
Henry Hudson Park in Selkirk, NY was added to
uted along the banks of the Henry Hudson Park,
the peg list.
Catskill Point and Dutchman’s Landing.
Friday evening saw the usual social gathering & scale check at the Pegasus Restaurant and then Saturday morning saw everyone gathered bright (it is was actually quite foggy!) and early at Chrissie’s Diner for breakfast and the 7am Peg draw.
The draw completed anglers made their way to the pegs and fished from 8am to 4pm. Fortunately there were plenty of fish caught with an overall total of 262lb.8oz being landed and released during the tournament. Everyone
then
gathered
at
the
Pegasus Restaurant for the traditional dinner, awards ceremony and raffle North American Carp Angler
15
C C C 2 0 2 1 R E S U LT S :
North American Champion
Phil Saunders
North American Carp King – Dan Swartout 22.02 (Mirror)
North American Carp Angler
17
First Fish – Mike Dragone
Section Winners: Phil Saunders, Norbert Samock & Stelian Bogdan
North American Carp Angler
19
Total Weight: Stelian Bogdan 60lb 2oz
Congratulations to the winners and many thanks to everyone who took part. As always a big thank you to Barry Howard for once again hosting the CCC on the Hudson and to Sam Williams and Dan Swartout for helping set up and run the event.
Make Your Own Marker Poles By Paul Hunt
Paul Hunt of Canadian Carpin’ Holidays has spent time in his off season working on some nice DIY carping projects.
Once you’ve found a carping hot spot having a
A popular option, especially on larger venues,
readily visible marker can make all the difference.
is the use of marker poles. A series of 5-6 ft plastic
Accurate and repeatable casting and baiting is
poles are connected together until there are suf-
made much easier with a readily visible reference.
ficient to match the required depth and allow a visible section to be easily seen above the water
There are many marker options including H-
surface. A light can even be mounted on the top to
Blocks or painted water bottles tethered to anchor
make it readily visible at night. The key advantage
weights. The limitation with these is the risk of the
with marker poles is that tangles with your line are
rig or mainline becoming tangled in the anchor teth-
virtually eliminated as the line will simply slide up
er rope when a fish takes line.
over the poles.
The are ready made options from a number of companies including Fox and Ridge Monkey but for the aspiring DIY angler making your own, as Paul shows us, is simple and cost effective. It also allows you to create longer poles and heavier anchor weights that are better suited to many of the larger and wilder waters here in North America.
In this YouTube video Paul shows you how he went about creating his own marker pole system using readily available items. If you can´t play the video please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkUSIY6_x64
North American Carp Angler
23
The Anchor Weight This might be one the most critical parts to make correctly. Paul created a mold and then set a stainless ‘hoop’ in place before filling the mold with cement. The key as he describes in the video is to create a ‘dish’ or ‘bowl’ for the hoop to sit in so your fishing line will not catch on the connection to the pole. The commercial marker pole sets use anchor weights of 3 – 4 lb which Paul feels might not be enough in windy conditions on some waters like Dale Hollow and the reason why he made his around 7lb.
The Poles Paul has used readily available ½” schedule 40 electrical conduit that can be found in most hardware supply stores. They come in 10’ lengths that can be cut to make easily transportable sections of 5-6’ that fit in a rod bag. There is also a wide range of pipe fittings available that allows for custom connections to be made easily.
A selection of tip lengths should also be made (1, 2 & 3’) and then used to match the overall depth required. Hi-Viz paint or tape will ensure the maximum visibility at long range in the daytime and reflective tape can also be added so that the pole can be seen at night with the aid of a flashlight. One key to making the poles work effectively is to ensure that each section is watertight. Paul used a mastic compound but you could also use silicone sealant or perhaps a can of insulating foam. Electrical conduit comes with a ‘flared’ end that allows the pieces to fit together just like the ferrules on a fishing rod. Paul chose Super SW 6 Piece 8mm Stainless Steel Kayak Paddle Spring Snap Clips Spring Locking Pin purchased from Amazon to connect the poles together. Paul used an 8mm (5/16”) drill bit to make the holes.
Marker Pole at Night? The addition of a light to the top section can certainly help with seeing the marker at night. A small (3-4”) LED light mounted in a top section will easily be seen, even at long range. It is probably best to avoid red or green lights as these could possibly be confused for navigation buoys. In his video Paul also shows the use of a commercially available carp marker pole light that can be added to a tip section if required (some even include a remote control). Reflective tape can also be added and then illuminated with a flashlight. So there you have it… A nice DIY project for the winter months ahead while you are also planning your next big fishing trip for 2022! Thanks to Paul Hunt and Canadian Carpin’ Holidays. https://www.canadiancarpin.com/ North American Carp Angler
25
Winter tales By Dan Swartout
North American Carp Angler
27
Cold winds blow and temperatures drop, another season has come and gone. Old man winter is showing his face once again. While most of us are packing our beloved carp gear away for winter there are still many diehards willing to rough the elements for a shot at that elusive 50 pounder. Now this time of the season can be tricky for most of us but, keying in on water depth and natural food sources can be a game changer in most situations. A Perfect example, I fished a beautiful body of
I knew exactly where they were keying in hot
water for a three day session. I began by starting
and heavy on zebra mussel beds all along the bot-
off with fruity boiles and sitting for a few hours with
tom of the lake. I knew the only way to turn there
no results. I decided I had to figure out what they
noses would be to match the hatch. So with no final
would be keying in on.
thought I started using a heavily packed fox method
Knowing that winter is around the corner and
feeder and mussel infused maze on a size number
the carp will need to put on the pounds before they
4 nash hook old school hair rig. It didn’t take much
go into their darkest months of winter. Also know-
time before the fish were over top of my baited
ing that the lake was loaded with natural mussel I
area. My alarms would beep every so often letting
switched up my baiting tactic.
me know that they were feeding on my ground bait and tail slapping my line.
As I sat in anticipation, watching the water fizz all
Most of my takes came in on my left rod which
around me due to heavy feeding I knew it wouldn’t
was the one on the 20 foot flat telling me that
ing alarms could be heard. I was fishing close to a
of the wintering hole and working up the staircase
be long before that ole familiar sound of scream-
30 foot wintering hole and knowing that these fish would be making laps throughout this inlet I staged
one setup in 17 feet of water on a down hill incline and one on a 20 foot flat.
these fish were coming from the deeper section embankment to different sections of mussel beds
throughout the lake. I knew I had my left rod in a choke point, this was a key and very successful move on my part.
North American Carp Angler
29
Three days and over 30 hours of fishing my
Our rivers and lakes are truly a blessing and a
numbers climbed. I ended up landing some mag-
one of a kind fishery. Sometimes we get so caught
nificent fish. Sometimes sitting back and rethinking
up in different strategies and techniques we don’t
the situation, and about what’s going on around and
even take in the true beauty of it all. Our landscapes
underneath the water. Naturals, water temperature
in most parts are breathtaking. Just sitting on the
,air pressure, wind, and all the elements.
banks breathing in the fresh air and enjoying com-
This could make for a very successful fishing
pany with great friends and getting lost in a conver-
trip. When it comes to carp angling in the US we
sation over a hot cup of tea could make the fishing
truly have it made.
trip all worth it, making a catch is just a bonus.
Carp fishing is such a great relaxing sport it’s true therapy for the soul. Three days of sitting on the shoreline of this beautiful mountain lake definitely relaxed my soul, it was so peaceful. I watched as nature unfolded her beauty all around me. I watched a raft of ducks on the search for food working in and out of the inlets. Four magnificent bald eagles swooping down and collecting fish, and what seemed like 10 chipmunks stealing particle bait from my bucket, stocking up for winter. The wildlife was on the move as well as the fish. Mother Nature was closing in on another winter. When it’s all said and done I take winter as a time to rethink of mistakes and strategies that didn’t come in the play and that had no success and only make them better for the next season to come. Tying new rigs cleaning equipment restringing rods, and getting ready for what we all hope is going to be an epic season come springtime. We can’t stop time and we can’t get it back but we can always make the best of it while we still have it by our sides. Feeling the cold wind tightening the skin on my face, I give myself permission to accept winter’s blessing, And let myself be
cleansed
too,
for another season awaits. North American Carp Angler
31
Discovery Month
CAG DISCOVERY MONTH FALL 2021 Video Entry Winner - KIRK SUEDMEYER (MOCarper) The Legend of the Maybrook Carp
If you can´t play the video please follow this link: https://youtu.be/slzQtojP3R0
North American Carp Angler
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The Winners!
Top-10 Big-4
Big-4 Total
Regi on
1st biggest
2nd biggest
3rd biggest
4th biggest
#1
Chris Matthews
118 15/16
II
38 8/16
29 10/16
26 13/16
24
#2
Rob Michalik
115 8/16
I
29 13/16
29 2/16
29
27 9/16
#3
Dave Pickering
112 14/16
I
30 4/16
30 2/16
26 8/16
26
#4
Sean Clayton
112 13/16
I
31 6/16
28 15/16
27 9/16
24 15/16
#5
Kody Clayton
112 11/16
I
36 10/16
29 15/16
25 14/16
20 4/16
#6
Keith Jackson
102 14/16
I
28 8/16
25
24 12/16
24 10/16
#7
Stelian Bogdan
100 13/16
I
28 3/16
24 10/16
24
24
#8
Ian Tallack
100 2/16
I
28 5/16
25 15/16
23 3/16
22 11/16
#9
Blayne Beeler
96 11/16
I
33 1/16
24 11/16
20 11/16
18 4/16
#1 0
Charles “CJ” Grace
93 3/16
I
25 5/16
23 10/16
22 10/16
21 10/16
North American Carp Angler
35
Grace
93 3/16
I
25 5/16
23 10/16
22 10/16
21 10/16
Regional Big-4
Big-4 Total
Regi on
1st biggest
2nd biggest
3rd biggest
4th biggest
I
Rob Michalik
115 8/16
I
29 13/16
29 2/16
29
27 9/16
II
Chris Matthews
118 15/16
II
38 8/16
29 10/16
26 13/16
24
III
Laine Dillard
88 9/16
III
22 6/16
22 4/16
22 4/16
21 11/16
Biggest Carp
Category
42 4/16
Biggest
Louis Cook
Biggest Common
==>
42 4/16
Dean Brooks
Biggest Mirror
==>
31 4/16
0
IV V
This Fall the competition was incredibly close with the top 5 being separated by less than 6lb’s. In fact there was only 3-4 ounces between 3rd place and 5th place. Great job to everyone who participated and made it so much fun. The Top Ten Winners received Gift Vouchers to
The winner of the Big Common was Louis Cook
spend on the tackle of their choice with our long
with a magnificent beast of 42lb 4oz, while the Big
running supporter Big Carp Tackle.
Mirror honors went to Dean Brookes with a beautiful fish of 31lb 4oz. Each received a prize of $150 in baits from CarpbaitUSA.
To find out more about our BIG 4 sponsors please visit their websites: www.bigcarptackle.com
www.carpbaitusa.com
1st Place – Chris Matthews
North American Carp Angler
37
2nd Place – Rob Michalik
3rd Place – David Pickering
4th Place – Sean Clayton
5th Place – Cody Clayton
North American Carp Angler
39
6th Place – Keith Jackson
7th Place – Stelian Bogdan
8th Place – Ian Tallack
9th Place – Blayne Beeler
10th Place – Charles Grace
North American Carp Angler
41
Big Mirror – Dean Brookes
Big Common – Louis Cook
The 2021 Fishin’ Factory 3 CT Carp Open Tournament Kyle Carlson
Where to begin, where to begin! Ah let’s start at the beginning!!
WINTER 2021: A BIG SET BACK Coming off of a successful 2020 tournament the goal was to increase the pegs from 55 to 80 to generate 60-65 teams. Those visions were quickly shattered as we lost 16 pegs over night. I urgently made calls to our marshals, local anglers and even posted up on local town FB groups for help. The response was overwhelming! David Dakin, a local angler showed us 3 pegs (1 being private) up north that we fell in love with.
It came down to Lee Hurn on whether or not he would be willing to take on these added pegs in his marshaling territory that were 30 miles north of his next closest pegs. Lee, without hesitation, but with a sip of tea, agreed to take it on. Then, out of the blue, local new angler to the sport, Brian Horton had a talk with his father Ken, who owns farmland on the river, and they gave us full access to their private land. So just like that we were up to 49 pegs and could make the tourney happen but it would be tight with our moving day option.
North American Carp Angler
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MAY 2021: MARSHALS?
JULY 2021: SUMMER REBOUND
Long time marshal extraordinaire Pat Schunk in-
We looked at a few more spots and stumbled
formed me that he wanted to fish this years event.
upon an area we previously overlooked. Sirwillo
Pat had marshaled for 3 years and was amazing.
Park in Rocky Hill added 2 more pegs and got us to
Aside from that Pat had been putting in the work
47 pegs. But we still needed some more!
bank side the past couple years and had been producing some amazing results. It was Pat’s time to give the tourney a shot! But who would fill his spot?
AUGUST 2021: CRUNCH TIME
My good friend and diehard carp angler, DJ Casella signed up to marshal after competing in 2018
Lee Hurn and I headed out on 1 last scouting
& 2020! Marshals were locked in: Matt Kelly, Lee
session in hopes of getting lucky. We ventured
Hurn, and DJ Casella with me as a floater.
south…wayyyy south! Us locals always kept Gillette Castle State Park/ Ferry in our back pocket
JUNE 2021: REGISTRATION OPENS
for personal fishing and mostly because it added a lot of driving for the marshals. With Lee signing up to do more driving up north it was only fair that
As registration day neared I took the day off from
we added these pegs and boy were they gorgeous.
work to ensure I would be able to call off registra-
New marshal DJ was in for a treat! Peg count up to
tion the moment it hit 40 teams. To my surprise,
51 and we were in business!
registration filled up in 8.5 hours and I went back to work at 9am. So much for the full pots of coffee and the day off!
EARLY SEPTEMBER 2021: LAST MINUTE SAVIOR
JULY 2021: SUMMER SLUMP After years upon years of talks with my homePeter at the CT DEEP called me to inform us
town reps, I finally was able to convince the town
that there was a land dispute that would effect the
of Glastonbury to give us permission to use town
4 pegs known as the Shad Shack. He told us to
owned property! Glastonbury Ferry Park and Tryon
count them out. Just like that we were down to 45
St pegs were open for business!
pegs. 45 pegs was not manageable with moving
This made it 55 pegs! GAME ON! The peg map
day so the search went on and pressure from a fully
was released the next day and we were very happy
packed field added to our drive to find more!
and confident in saying this was by far the best peg map ever!
OCTOBER 20th, 2021: PEG DRAW As always the Middletown Elks Club welcomed
Mark Fullbrook pulled me off to the side and in-
us with open arms. Everyone was excited about
formed me that no matter what happened, he had
the peg locations, the weather, and the angling that
to leave the competition Saturday evening because
was ahead. The peg draw ‘order’ took place on FB
he had some very hard to get Patriots tickets for the
Live in advance so made for a much quicker peg
game on Sunday. As a fellow Pats fan I understood
draw ceremony.
but little did I know the impact this would have.
North American Carp Angler
47
The draw went smoothly and the majority of an-
5am to set up camp to be ready to prebait and fish
glers that I had talked to were very happy with their
starting at 7am. Several hours went by before any
pegs! Mark Fullbrook drew peg 5 which was a new
marshals got a call to come weigh a fish (the mini-
private property spot. I immediately told Lee about
mum wight be 22lb). Last year’s 2nd place finisher
it and we both looked at each other in a ‘holy shit’
Joe Lutz & team at peg 4 called in a 27.02 to get
moment as peg 5 was a favorite peg for both of us!
the ball rolling and soon followed it up with a 24.00.
Norbert Samok & Mate Szabo drew peg 40 which won the competition back in 2016. Blake Carlson &
Mark Fullbrook set the bar high on day 1 with
John Lilly got their top peg at peg 2. Justin Keaton
a 34.04 beast of a common that would end up be-
& Zack Peek also got their favorite at peg 9.
coming the biggest carp landed. Paul Turcotte &
OCTOBER 21st - 24th: TIME TO FISH!
Karl Pulaski landed a 20.09 mirror on day 1 that would also end up taking top prize for biggest mirror. In total 13 weighable fish were called in on the
With a lot of anglers excited about their draw results they quickly started to arrive at their pegs at
day!
North American Carp Angler
49
Day 2 rolled in and I started marshaling the top 4 pegs to give Lee a break on the driving. 9 teams took advantage of moving day! Bogdan & Mihai at peg 52 put 3 fish on the board including a 32.12 & 32.06. Norbert Samok & mate Szabo ended up weighing in a total of 5 fish on the day including a 29.02 as they filled their big 4 board and we’re starting to upgrade. Blake Carlson & John Lilly at peg 2 got on the board with a 27.05 and their neighbors at peg 1 Chris Jackson & Scott Russell got a 25lber to start their climb. An amazing 44 weighable fish were called in on the day! On Day 3 the marshals woke up busy! Mark Fullbrook filled up his board with a 29.11, 27.00 and 30.02 to take the top of the leaderboard. Chris & Scott at peg 1 got 2 more leaderboard fish. Peg 9 Justin Keaton & Zachary Peek started their climb with 2 weighable captures as well. Peg 11 Joshua Baird & Hunter Aitchison put up 4 fish including a 22.14 lb fantail to lead in that category. Another 43 weighable fish were called in on the day!
North American Carp Angler
51
Day 4 started off with a bang as Justin Keaton & Zachary Peak put up a 31.02 lb common! Nearly the same time, Lee Hurn was enroute to peg 1 and weighed in a 31.14 lb common for Chris & Scott! Dean got the call to head to peg 55 and weighed in a 30.03 lb common for Attila & William. 15 weighable fish were called in on Sunday before the final whistle.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 24th: AWARDS CEREMONY Lots of anglers showed up to the awards ceremony. More than years past and tourney staff applaud you for this great sportsmanship. Many teams were talking to one another to try and gauge where they stood but the imposed blackout period kept most in the dark!
Here are the results: Big 4 1st Place: Mark Fullbrook & (R) Ben Fullbrook, Peg 5, 121.01 lbs, $10,000
Big 4 2nd Place: Bogdan Bucur & Mihai Aciu, Peg 52, 112.10 lbs, $6,000
North American Carp Angler
53
Big 4 3rd Place: Joe Lutz & Chad Rinck & (R) David Abernathy, peg 4, 108.12 lbs, $4,000
Big 4 4th Place: Chris Jackson & Scott Russell, Peg 1, 106.13 lbs, $3,000
Big 4 5th Place: Norbert Samok & Mate Szabo, Peg 40, 106.10 lbs, St. Lawrence Tourney Package
Biggest Fish:
Biggest Mirror:
Mark Fullbrook, Peg 5, 34.04 lbs $2,000 +
Paul Turcotte & Karl Pulaski, peg 38,
Gettin’ the Lead Out Gift card
20.09 lbs, $500
Biggest Fantail: Joshua Baird & Hunter Aitchison & (R) Natasha Brady, peg 11, 22.14 lbs, $100 FF 3 Gift Card
North American Carp Angler
55
This tourney was the best we have had yet by
To all the towns that give us permission and work
a long way. Weather and river conditions cooper-
alongside me through the off-season and tourney
ated and a record amount number of teams filled
time. To Peter Aarrestad of the CT DEEP for his
up their Big 4 leaderboard.
continued support in making this event possible.
A total of eight 30’s were caught and many an-
To all the bait & tackle companies that generously
glers got their first ever fantail too! Mark Fullbrook
donated gifts that help fund the marshals. To Alicia
set the 76 hour tourney record with his Big 4 total
Kennedy for dealing with an insane group chat dur-
of 121.01 lbs. In the end a total of 115 carp total-
ing the tourney while keeping up with the Instagram
ing 2,854.06 pounds were weighed in and released
posts and keeping the page fresh throughout the
with an overall average size of 24.12 lbs!
offseason and being in charge of hoodie sales. To Andrew Nichols and Fishin’ Factory 3 for keeping
The work has already started for 2022 and some
the shelves stocked with our favorite items. You
changes will be coming but the Big 4 format will
and all the anglers taking part are the reason this
remain. One of the things that’s hopefully going to
tournament continues to be a success and contin-
change is finding 10-15 more pegs so we can in-
ues to grow!
crease the field to 50 teams. Special thanks to everyone who makes this event possible! Lee Hurn, Matt Kelly, and DJ Casella for staying on top of marshaling. David Dakin and Lee Hurn for helping me scout for new pegs. Lee Hurn for helping me groom pegs and input on important decisions along the way so I didn’t “overthink” things! Brian Horton and Ken Horton of Horton Farm in Glastonbury for giving us access to their farmland pegs.
THANK YOU!
CAG talks to 2021 CT Open Carp Tournament winner Mark Fullbrook
Mark with one of his leaderboard Big 4 fish! Mark Fullbrook follows in the footsteps of Phil Nathan and Marcin Szydlowski to become the third individual angler to have won the CT Open Carp Tournament. When Mark and I talked about this fact he made a very interesting comment that we’ll cover later in the interview! North American Carp Angler
57
But first of all I asked Mark about his fishing
This year, with a house move, the only fishing
background growing up in England and his experi-
he’s done is the CT Open Tournament and in fact
ences being here in the USA since 2012.
his tackle was still in a container until just before the tournament. As Mark says when you’ve been carp
Mark started fishing for carp in the renowned
fishing most of your life and had some solid experi-
Layer pits, just outside his home town of Colches-
ences on a variety of waters it’s not too difficult to
ter, Essex in around 1985. This was a legendary
turn up and fish a new venue. Although Mark does
period in modern British carp angling where tackle
admit that ‘moving water always freaks him out a
innovations where gathering pace and numerous
little bit’ as fishing rivers is not what he was brought
big where showing up regularly in the angling press.
up on.
At age 16 Mark looked up to some of the top local anglers who included Zenon Boyko and the
After surveying the 2021 peg selections there
then 19 year old Damian Clarke, who in 1991 land-
was no doubt in Mark’s mind that peg 5 would likely
ed the then British record common at 45.12 from
be a top choice. Mark’s son Ben, who’d just turned
the Snakepit, just a half a mile walk from Mark’s
21 and was acting as runner, had the honor in mak-
house. As an avid reader Mark readily inhaled the
ing the peg draw which allows two numbered chips
information he found in carp books by the like’s of
to be taken out of the bag with a choice then being
Rod Hutchinson and others.
made and the rejected peg being put back in the bag.
When he later moved to Berkshire he had ac-
Ben says he initially had two chips in his fingers
cess to the Reading waters among many others.
and let one go before pulling the first one out of the
His first 30 came out of Church lake, part of the
bag before going back and pulling the second. It
renowned Horton Complex. In those days his job
was the second that provided Mark the winning #5
allowed him to fish a couple of nights a week. In
peg.
2012 he moved to the USA and with family and a career to pursue fishing necessarily took a bit of a back seat.
When we talked about bait Mark was adamant that his decision to only fish boilies was a key part of his success. In the three days of the tournament
Mark first fished the CT Open in 2020 and his peg draw put him in a swim under the bridge in
Mark went through 40lbs of boilies but was very, very strategic on when he put bait into the swim.
Portland… not the most comfortable swim to fish on
He chose the ‘Home Sweet Home’ from Carp
your own… especially at night! So it should come as
Bait USA. He said that it was absolutely evident
no surprise that he then chose to take advantage of
that the fish were immediately on the bait as the
the ‘moving option’ and relocated to Riverside Park
34.08 was ‘crapping out bait’ when he landed it and
in Cromwell. In the end he caught a ‘ton of fish but
the retainer was soon full of it.
none big enough to make the leaderboard’.
Mark with his winning Big Fish at 34.04 lb The area above Hartford is effectively non tidal but Mark noticed that there was still a critical period for baiting and fishing. It seemed to be strongly influenced by the apparent stage of the tide times in Hartford. Mark said that baiting heavily around midnight and then sleeping until around 5:30am before casting out two rods was crucial. All his big fish he said came within a couple of hours near first light and again around dusk in the evening.
The swim was mostly 7-8’ deep even quite close to the bank and Mark remembered his conversation with Phil Nathan about fishing the ‘drop off’ which in this swim was just a couple of rod lengths out. North American Carp Angler
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In the end this was absolutely the right decision
There was this real moment Mark said when he
and when the fish were feeding he could see them
and his son Ben, who acted as his runner & cook,
rolling over the baits.
talked before the tournament about what happens
As for rigs Mark said he used a very simple rig using a size 4 Korda Kontinental hook with line
if they needed just one more fish to fill the leaderboard.
aligner tied to an 8” coated braid hook length with a 5 or 6 oz lead that ensured he held bottom. A 20mm
In the end it all worked out and they were going
& 16mm snowman on the hair completed the set
through a somewhat surreal process of unhooking
up. Mark highlighted that a pair of anglers has won
20lb plus fish in the net and immediately releasing
only once out of the four recent tournaments.
them simply because they knew they were below
believes that having fewer lines in the water could be a key factor to being successful in many of the swims. Mark was often fishing just one rod,
the weight of their smallest fish. One small fish did however catch Mark’s attention and that was his first fantail!
especially when it was prime bite time!
Mark’s first fantail common was an added bonus!
The official tournament ended at noon on Sunday but as he had prime tickets for a Patriots game starting at 1pm Mark packed up early to get there in time. He felt confident knowing that it would still take a very big fish from his nearest rivals to beat his big 4. Even so he was still nervous as the ‘blackout’ period did not report fish caught in the final 12 hours so followed the awards ceremony live on his phone while waiting anxiously for the moment when the winners were announced!
Waiting anxiously and then confirmation of the win! In the end Mark won the BIG 4 prize with his top 4 fish of 34.04, 27.00, 30.02 & 29.11 for an overall weigh of 121.01 along with the Big Fish prize for his stunning 34.04. According to Mark, Mrs Fullbrook has already taken control of the payout! Many congratulations Mark on a brilliant tournament result and thank you for sharing your story with us! North American Carp Angler
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Baits for Anglers By Anglers
RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament
The RI CAG runs an annual fall Combo Tournament. The tournament runs from September to the end of November. The idea is to enter your biggest common, your biggest mirror and a bonus fish (catfish, horned pout or sucker). The fish are measured by length in inches. Add up the lengths and you get your point total. All fish entered must be caught in RI waters and must be released in good shape.
It’s been going on for three months and we finally have our winners. Once again, our guys and gals went out and landed some quality fish this year. Medals purchased by CAG were awarded to the first, second and third place finishers.
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Here are the FINAL results (Common + Mirror + Bonus= Points)
1
Brian Savage
- 33 + 37 + 19 1/2 = 89 ½
2
4
Tom Perron - 34 + 31 + 18 = 83
3
Jeff Henderson - 31 + 0 + 15=46
Tony Carvalho - 29 + 0 + 12 = 41
5
Laura Mitchell - 0 + 31 1/2 + 0 =33 1/2
6
Manny Dias - 33 +0 + 0 =33
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