2023 Q2 North American Carp Angler Magazine

EDITOR IN-CHIEF ADDRESS

Dean Brookes

As we reach the mid-way point of the summer, I find myself looking forward to the Fall season, as it marks my return to the banks. While I’m happy to fish in the coldest of months, I’ve never been a fan of hot weather and I’d much prefer the air-conditioned confines of my house. As this edition comes to you I’ll be planning my fall campaign and hoping to see a few giants grace my landing net.

In this edition we have CAG news and tournament updates including the Spring Big 4, Essence of Carping, Yankee Challenge, CCC and the St Lawrence Junior event. We wish everyone out there fishing in the upcoming events the best of luck.

We also have a few guest articles including an interesting look at using a boat to fish, as well as a review on myself and Iain Sorrell’s spring trip to Spain.

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

The intense heat across many parts of the United States has only been matched by the devastating rainfall in many parts of the North East and wild fires in Canada. There now seems little doubt about the science behind the impact and influence brought about by climate change.

It has been said that cockroaches and coyotes will inherit the earth. We should probably add carp to that list. As many rivers and streams are increasingly impacted by low water levels and rising temperatures common carp can endure water conditions too warm, too polluted or too silted for most freshwater species. But we should all remain vigilant to ensure that our water resources are protected for future generations. Sadly I’ve seen first hand what happens to once thriving rivers and streams over just a few years of neglect.

In early August I will be headed to Waddington NY to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Carp Anglers Group St Lawrence Junior International Carp Tournament. This year we have over 80 kids (aged 11-18) signed up including 30 first time carp anglers. This is not only a great opportunity to welcome the next generation of anglers into the sport but also to encourage them to become stewards for protecting our environment in the years ahead.

Iain Sorrell CAG President

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

Orellana, Spain

By Iain Sorrell

When our scheduled carp fishing expedition to Sumbar in Croatia was cancelled Dean and I both agreed that we shouldn’t miss the opportunity to go fishing somewhere in Europe. The big question was where?

As luck would have it good friend and renowned big carp angler Ardy Veltkamp had recently bought a property on the shores of the Orellana Reservoir in the Extremadura region of Spain. This 13,500 acre reservoir was completed in 1931 by damming the Guadiana River to provide irrigation for surrounding agriculture. In the 1960’s it was stocked with carp and has now become the ‘jewel in the crown’ of European wild waters with fish to over 80lb being caught in recent years.

Even with over 900 miles of shoreline access can be challenging. There are very few roads to the reservoir and most vehicle options are along rough tracks through farmland. For many anglers the only option is to load up a boat and seek a suitable spot to set up and fish for a few days or even weeks.

As for Dean and myself we were fortunate to be able to stay at Ardy’s ‘Carp Casa’ which overlooks the western shores of the reservoir and is not far from the local town of Orellana la Vieja. The main house sits atop a hill with a commanding view while nearer the waters edge is a caravan complete with shower and toilet facilities in a new purpose built unit.

Ardy is investing a lot of effort to make this a truly great location to stay with many renovations, a swimming pool, outdoor areas and even work out facilities.

The view from Ardy’s at sunset.

After a 7 hour drive on Sunday from Mequinenza, where we had been fishing the Ebro for Wels catfish, we arrive just in time for dinner. It is great to see Ardy and catch up over a few drinks.

Monday: After a good nights sleep we turn our attention to fishing and to get some baits out. Ardy has a couple of swims marked both at around 300 yds. We take the boat and set out to explore these and other areas with the sounder. Over the winter months Ardy had some nice fish in depths over 30’ but now in late March the water temps are rising and the fish will be on the move and exploring shallower areas.

However with clear water and weed growth only just beginning we decided to focus on 12-18’ deep areas where the carp will be most comfortable.

After marking some potential swims we start the process of taking baits out and dropping them on the spots. Ardy has a long association with German bait company Schmidt Experience and we take his advice to fish the Yalla Yalla High Protein boilies on the two swims he’s been fishing in recent weeks. The baits have been hardened to minimize issues with crayfish.

Typical rigs for long range 250 yd plus fishing on Orellana

Dean takes one of his rig’s out to a baited area at just over 300yds.

In the afternoon and with Dean in charge of the rods I set off along the shoreline with my fly rod. The clear water should give me an opportunity to sight fish for any cruising carp. The water drops away quite quickly to about 3-4’ deep before levelling off a bit and then dropping again to 12-18’.

The rocky shoreline is interspersed with narrow inlets and it’s in one of these that I get to see my first carp. It’s swimming slowly a few feet below the surface and I crouch down to watch it. It’s in about 8’ of water and I’m guessing it weighs 12-15lb. I make a couple of casts with a small crayfish pattern but the carp studiously ignores my offering. I find a couple more carp further along the inlet in shallower water of around 3’. This looks like an ideal opportunity and I watch the fish cruising slowly around. I switch pattern to a Jack Gartside inspired fly tied by my son Euan. I’ve caught many carp over the years on this ‘Piggy Back’ carp pattern but these carp are apparently not interested in feeding. After half a dozen casts I give up and head back to base camp.

Tuesday: No activity on the rods overnight. Dean heads up to the spot I saw the carp yesterday but with bait instead of a fly. Dean comes back a few hours later with a report of fish seen but none caught. He’s baited up a couple of spots to try again tomorrow.

Wednesday:

We take the boat out to check the baited areas. So far no activity and in the clear water of my 12’ deep swim I can still see bait on the bottom so no activity as yet. The wind has also changed significantly and is now blowing out of the bay. If there any fish are in the bay we can only hope that they don’t follow.

The end of March is usually a good time for the start of Spring bird migration. I always pack by binoculars when fishing and have also brought my camera so I take the opportunity to add to my list of ‘firsts’ on ebird.org Griffin vultures, Montagu’s Harrier, Thekla’s Lark, Woodchat Shrike, Iberian magpies & Hoopoe to name but a few.

Thursday Edwin arrives in his boat to take us on a tour of Orellana and an opportunity to fish for Zander.

Orellana is spectacularly beautiful. We see more carp anglers than expected with most fishing in remote areas of the reservoir. We work our paddle tail jigs over areas that are 25-30’ in depth and after some missed hits begin to make contact with some nice Zander. The takes are surprisingly gentle and it takes a few misses before I get the feel for winding into the take instead of striking too hard.

A typical sized Zander which also makes excellent eating!

We also come across a bay with several carp rolling on the surface in over 30’ of water. We look for evidence of a food source but don’t see anything obvious. The wind is blowing into the bay so it could be fish fry, a fly hatch or perhaps even seeds that have gained their interest.

After a day on the water we land the boat back at Edwin’s house and sit on the deck enjoying the view and a cold beer. Ressie, Edwin’s wife, invites us to stay for dinner and prepares our fish while we have another beer and wait for Ardy to join us.

Accessing remote swims by boat… this one seemed a bit overloaded?

A ruined tower is among several derelict buildings remaining after reservoir was created.

The view from Edwin & Ressie’s place is stunning!

Friday we check our rods and I’m gutted to find I’ve been well and truly done on the middle rod that sits at about 300 yds over a shallow ridge in 8’ of water. The baited rig has been moved about 20’ from the original spot and we are not sure if the rig was snagged by one of the numerous bass anglers on the lake or if it was a fish? I check my alarms and they seem to be working with the receiver so I’m confused and frustrated at why the movement wasn’t registered.

The view from the swim back to Ardy’s Carp Cassa. Local sheep are often herded along the shoreline.

In the early evening I’m sure I see a fish roll in the small bay. It’s not big but any carp right now would be welcome! I make up a sweetcorn, evaporated milk and oats method mix to squeeze around the lead together with a 12x15mm sweetcorn flavored wafter on a short 3” rig. A couple of hours after the sun has gone down a screaming alarm has me almost falling over myself as I dash to the rod in the failing light.

It turns out to be a very nice tench of around 7-8lb. Not the carp I’d been wanting but it has been quite a few years since I’d caught one so I’m not too disappointed. In the morning I cast out the method once more and am rewarded with another tench.

The weekend heralds the arrival of a significant number of Spanish carp anglers who have gathered to fish a local tournament. Even though they are set up 700 yds away on the opposite side of the bay they are prone to rowing or bait boating their baits and placing them on other anglers baited areas. Over the next couple of hours we see boats going backwards and forwards until there are as many as 30 lines crisscrossing the bay!

So there is no surprise that the night passes quietly without any fish activity. In the morning I wake up to find another angler has brought his boat over and set up just a bit further up the bank and in all likelihood dropped his baits on my left-hand mark…

Sunday evening and sadly it is time to pack up and head back to Madrid for our flights back to the USA the next day. It has been an incredible experience to spend time at Ardy’s amazing ‘Carp Cassa’ and to experience Orellana.

We are disappointed that the carp gods have not looked upon us favorably this trip but there is no doubt we will be planning a return in the near future!

If you are interested in fishing Orellana get in touch.

Ardy with a stunning Orellana common caught in his ‘backyard’ earlier in the year.

Baits for Anglers By Anglers

Discovery of

Henrietta

By Sam Williams

Fishing on the Hudson River is always a surprise. You never know what can come out! We can catch common carp all different sizes. Henry Hudson park is a large park with about 1800 yard shore line, we have held two competitions at this venue, The Yankee Challenge and CAG Carp Classic (CCC).

Phil Saunders and Rita Brown at the CCC 2022

Catching common carp is pretty much the norm. Even at competitions during the NY Leg of Yankee Challenge Blake Carlson at had 15 carp weighing a total of 153lbs 7oz.

Blake Carlson NY Leg of the Yankee Challenge 1 of 15 carp he caught

So back in September 25th 2021, Dan Swartout caught this Mirror carp in the CCC tournament. It won him biggest mirror and Biggest fish for the competition. At the time we thought it just a one off rare catch, and I never thought much more about it.

Dan Swartout Catching her at 22lbs 2oz

The following year on June 26 2022 she was caught by Rick Hiller at 23lbs 8oz.

Rick Hiller 23lbs 8oz

So she had gained 1lb 6oz weight, it may not sound a lot, but she went through a spawning cycle so prespawn she could of been a few lbs more? She was also caught no more than 20 yards from where Dan had caught her before.

Dave Moore Caught her at 22lbs 1oz at the CCC 2022

At the CCC 2022 David Moore landed a mirror just as I happened to do a walk and I see him bring the carp to the cradle. And then alarms going off in my head could this be the same mirror that people had caught before?? So I took lots of photos of her not just David holding the carp like you see, but the tail the sides of her to match up with the other pictures.

I even went on Fishbrain App. and pulled up all the catches that people had on Henry Hudson Park.

I came across this picture and unfortunately this guy is not a carp fishermen, it was a surprise for him too. She was caught on August 11th 2015 weighing 27lbs 4oz.

Which shows that this mirror carp is territorial and has an area it like to stick too.

And has been caught more than once in the last 3 years.

So after comparing the photos and talking to Dan Swartout I said to him we have got to name her as she been caught several times now. So Dan came up with the name Henrietta.

Codi Green catching Her at 24lbs 8oz

As you can see the pictures with Codie and Dan show big head and shoulders. Codie described the fight as a screaming run then lots of head shaking before being a dead weight as if she knew she been caught before. She didn’t give him any trouble when taking pictures. Codie was fishing at the far end of the park at opening of the Vloman Kill river entrance.

Dan on top and Codie on the bottom

She had gained weight from Dave Moore catching her at 22lbs 1oz to Codie Green capturing her at 24lbs 8oz , 2lbs 7oz increase.

So there is hope for all who come to the CCC this year and get a Peg at Henry Hudson Park. Henrietta could land you biggest carp AND biggest Mirror. It’s all there for the taking.

Hope to see you all at this Year CCC 2023.

2023 Yankee Challenge

The

first New England Yankee Challenge took place in May 2006 on the banks of the Merrimack River in Lowel MA and was organized by Bob Giodarno.

The original trophy went home with the winning team but somehow was lost in recent years (does anyone have it hidden away somewhere?).

What started as a fun, friendly competition between CT and MA carp anglers soon expanded to include CAG members from surrounding States who would join which ever team needed additional anglers.

Instead of total weights points are awarded for each carp caught and to raise the stakes still further a minus point is given for any catfish.

Point system for the Yankee Challenge

Carp up to 5lbs = 1 point

5lbs to 15lbs = 2 points

15lbs plus = 3 points

Biggest fish 1 point added at the end of each Round

Mirror Carp = 1 point plus the weight points.

Any catfish that is more than 3lbs = -1 point.

Here are the results for the 2023 Yankee Challenge fished over 2 rounds.

First Round Harbor Park, CT River, Middletown CT on Saturday May 13th

CT Round Points:

- 1st Ian O’Connell, 22 pts 97lb 0oz

- 2nd place Kyle Jeffrey, 10pts 51lb 6oz

- 2nd place Blake Carlson 10pts 51lb 12oz

- 3rd place Norman Fink, 9pts 47lb 11oz

- 4th place Brian Santos, 6pts 40lb 10oz

- 5th place Johnny Jackets, 6pts 18lb 2oz

- 6th place DJ Casella Jnr, 4pts 13lb 0oz

- 7th places 0 points each: Barry Howard, Frank Sutton, Steve Clow

- 8th place -1 point Sam Williams

- Total carp caught at Harbor Park, Connecticut River: 312lbs 3oz

- CT team with 156lbs 7oz with 14 common carp and 1 fantail, 33 points

- NY Team 155lbs 12oz with 14 commons and 3 fantail, 33 points

Second Round: Henry Hudson Park, Hudson River NY on Saturday June 24th

NY Round Points:

- 1st Blake Carlson (CT) 26 pts 153lbs 7oz

- 2nd Johnny Jackets 10pts 61lbs 5oz

- 3rd Stelian Bogdan (CT) 3pts 27lbs 9oz

- 4th Brian Santos 2pts 16lbs 2oz

- 5th Sam Williams 2pts 14lbs 6 oz

- 6th Steven Clow (CT) 2pts 12lb 14oz

- 7th Barry Howard & Mark Rakitan (CT) 0pts

- 8th Ian O’Connell -1pts 6lb catfish

- Total carp caught at Henry Hudson Park, NY: 289lbs 15oz

- CT team with 193bs 14oz with 14 common carp 31 points

- NY Team 91lbs 13oz with 8 common carp 13 points

So here are the Overall results for both NY & CT rounds.

- 1st Blake Carlson 205lbs 3oz. 36 pts

- 2nd Ian O’Connell 97lbs. 21 pts

- 3rd Johnny Jackets 79lbs 7oz. 16pts

- 4th Kyle Jeffrey 51lbs 6oz. 10pts

- 5th Norman Finke 47lbs 11oz. 9pts

- 6th Brian Santos 56lbs12oz. 8pts

- 7th DJ Casella Jnr, 13lb 0oz 4pts

- 8th Stelian Bogdan (CT) 27lbs 9oz 3pts

- 9th Steve Clow 12lbs 4oz. 2pts

- 9th Samuel Williams 14lbs 6oz. 1pt

Team Connecticut was declared the overall winner with 64 points versus New York with 46 points.

Congratulations to the overall top 3, they each receive a $100 gift coupon kindly donated by www.carpangler.com

A huge thank-you to Sam Williams, Barry Howard, Karl Pulaski and everyone else who helped make this year’s Yankee Challenge another fun and furiously fought event.

Some pictures from the event:

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 photos do not have to be of someone holding a fish (this is NOT a Trophy fish competition) but they should be recognizable as being related to carp or buffalo fishing in North America and should reflect the capture of a special moment.

The ‘essence’ of carp fishing in North America might memorialize a remarkable scale pattern, someone’s first carp, a group of friends fishing together, a spectacular sunset, time of year or perhaps a dramatic background or landscape.

The judges will be fellow members who should pay particular attention to the subject matter and composition and not just the photographic or editing skills. In the event of a tie or any disputes the CAG BOD will be the final arbitrator.

Each month we’ll announce a winner and Award a prize or voucher (worth $100) with the winning photo appearing in a forthcoming NACA magazine as well as the CAG Forum Site and Facebook page. The top 3 will also receive CAG Medals.

The Rules:

The entrant must be a Full CAG Member & the owner of any copyright to the photograph.

An entrant may submit a maximum of TWO photos only in each month.

The photograph must have been taken in the submission month (final date for submissions is 24 hours after the end of each month)

All fish photos must demonstrate appropriate carp care and catch & release

Each submission must include the following details:

1. The type of device (e.g. camera or phone) used.

2. The date the photo was taken.

3. Location (nearest Town and State).

4. Your Name

5. Photo Title (e.g. Mirror Magic, Waiting for the Bite etc)

Entries should be submitted to the “CAG Essence of Carping Competition” under the appropriate “Month” below.

Entrants agree that CAG may use or display a submitted photo on the CAG website and Social Media resources.

May Winners

1st Place

Christopher Ondecko

2nd Place

Lowell Fletcher

3rd Place

Joshua Jones

CAG Carp Classic (CCC) Tournament

Saturday September 30th 2023

Location: Hudson River, NY

PEG LOCATIONS:

- Coxsackie Riverside Park

- Dutchmans Landing

- Henry Hudson Park

FRIDAY SEPT 29 2023

Meet and Greet @ Pegasus Restaurant from 5:00 pm

• A Bar-B-Que will be available in the parking lot 4pm-8pm

• Get your scales certified.

SATURDAY SEPT 30 2023:

7:00am - Peg draw & Scale Certification @ Chrissy’s Diner

8:00am - 4:00pm - CCC Fishing

6:00pm - Dinner

7:30pm - Awards, Prize Giving & Raffle

For more Details, Prizes & Awards, Rules & Registration: https://www.carpanglersgroup.com/ forum/index.php?/topic/66030-ccc2023-details-registration/

1st Place – Rick Sinker

2nd Place – Brian Lee

3rd Place – Dave Pickering

4th Place – Dominic Firestone

5th Place – Iain Tallack

6th Place – Blayne Beeler

7th Place – Rob Michalik

8th Place – Richard De Olivia

9th Place – Luis Miguel Angelo

10th Place – John Lilly

Big Common – Rick Slinker

Boat Fishing for Carp

I have a boat that I use for Crappie fishing. I started fishing for carp, and was wondering if there was a way to use my boat for carp fishing. I started researching for people fishing for carp from a boat and had a very difficult time finding information on the subject. I did run across a blog by Tim Marshall, and he was using his boat to fish for carp and documented how to make dock augers, and generally how he set up his boat to fish overnight, or may be a couple of nights from his boat, this blog that this guy wrote inspired me to think of ways to convert my Crappie boat into a carp fishing boat.

My boat, which is a 2017 1775 Lund Impact Sport came with a Bimini top that had zippers on it for additional side curtains, and an aft curtain, and I seen a tag on the Bimini top from the company who manufactured this, so I contacted the company and ordered them. This worked out perfectly! I mean I had plenty of room to stand up and sleep in the back of the boat from the windshield back.

This has been in a couple of small storms and with some rain and I was completely dry and I can set it up while on the water in less than 10 minutes. I made the dock augers that Tim Marshall had written about (I have since installed Power Pole shallow water anchors), and I designed a cradle out of wood that I weather proofed and added a drain and then connected a landing mat to lay inside of it.

The drain dumps into my front Livewell so I can keep slime and water from inside my boat while I water down the fish I catch.

My next issue was to figure a way to mount my rod pod onto the boat. This I accomplished by buying a Ram double ball mount arm, which I fastened to the boat, and made a bracket to attach the ball to the rod pod. This rod pod mount exceeded expectations, and I am able to adjust it in any position, it also keeps the rods up high, where I don’t have to bend over to get my fishing rods out and is out of the way of my trolling motor, which is mounted on the front as well. I can point my rod tips down towards the water or up in the air as conditions dictate and I can fish right, left or straight out in front.

I have taken this boat out on a few occasions now and can fish from anywhere on a large lake that I want to without finding a campsite. I sleep on the boat and have bite indicator alarms mounted on my rod pod to wake me up when I’m sleeping or distracted. I no longer have to look for a open campsite that I could fish from which in this day and age is very difficult especially at the last minute.

So now if I want to go fishing on a large lake, I no longer need to worry I can just launch my boat with my gear in it and go find a place where I see fish or where it looks like a good spot to fish (they show themselves or I see them on the fish finder) and anchor down with the Power Pole shallow water anchors to hold me in place (this is a much better option than traditional anchors with lots of rope out to get tangled in)

This I believe will give me many opportunities to catch fish I normally would not be able to fish for and possibly fish that have never been targeted by other fishermen. There is also no need to worry about varmints getting into my boat or my bait, or anything else for that matter. I get to witness beautiful scenery away from others that I could not do from a campground. I am looking forward to discovering new places to explore and fish for this magnificent species!

My wife joined me on a recent session and she insisted on me getting the Power Pole shallow water anchors (she is awesome!) which is a good reason to take your significant other and let them experience some of the trials and tribulations of your adventures.

She seen me struggle with the homemade dock

augers in very firm clay bottom and the squeaking of them rubbing the side of the boat during a windy night. Those dock augers worked very well and are easy and inexpensive to make (look at Tim Marshal’s blog, he explains in detail how to make these). The new Power Pole shallow water anchors are a game changer. Now I can anchor down in a spot in seconds at the push of a button and reel in my lines and pick up and move just as quickly. I use my fish finder to locate my spots to bait and fish and then drop my baits on top of it or mark it and anchor nearby.

After that it’s a matter of fishing like normal, except I’m already in a boat and can go to a snagged fish or go bait up more or take my baits to the spot. I have spombed and used a bait boat as well from the boat. I still have a few details that I am continuously working out but below is some pictures of my current setup.

The floating bivvy. Lots of windows.

Sleeping quarters. This is actually quite roomy and I can stand up and there is a couple of seats in there. My wife and I both were able to stay overnight in here comfortably.

View from the front of the boat during a full moon night.

The carp cradle I made from wood and waterproofed. It drains into my front livewell. The landing mat is now attached with Velcro instead of the screws pictured.

Closeup of the drain on the carp cradle. I really need to paint this thing!

The Ram double ball arm mounted to the front of the boat with rod pod installed. Very easy to adjust and remove with the large wingnut.

Here is a closeup of the old rod pod I removed the legs from and mounted on the RAM double ball arm mount.

Closeup of the rod pod mount I made from wood and painted to waterproof.

These are the shallow water Power Pole anchors.

This is an experience that I feel is very underutilized and carp fishing here in North America is gaining momentum and this technique is, in my opinion the best way to do it.

I will be making videos of my adventures and experiences on YouTube and share on Facebook. Blind sow fishing is my channel, my dad was my greatest fishing buddy of all time and his favorite saying after a long dry spell “the ol’ blind sow finally got an acorn”

I miss him and I know he would love to share this new type of fishing with me (he always said they were bottom feeding trash fish). See you all on the water and tight lines!!

The rod pod mount

I purchased a RAM double ball arm RAMD-101U-E and mounted one of the ball mounts to the front deck of my boat. I then made a bracket out of wood to attach a rod pod I have to the other mount that is adjustable to slide the pod for centering and removed for storage in its original case.

The arm is tightened with a large wing nut in the middle to hold everything solidly in place and can be adjusted infinitely in any direction. This mount works incredibly well and keeps the rods up high and clears the trolling motor. It can easily be loosened and moved to the side so I can use my trolling motor if needed.

Carp cradle

I made a tray out of wood with inside dimensions to hold one of my landing mats. I then waterproofed it and added a drain so I could pour water over the fish and it will drain into my front livewell. I then attached the landing mat with Velcro to the cradle so it would not shift while holding the fish.

This is my second design and already have plans to modify by painting grey and putting a drain fitting on top of the livewell lid to keep it closed and maybe more flexible hose. This keeps the slimy, stinky water from getting all inside my boat and works great!

Dock augers

This nifty little idea came from a blog I read by Tim Marshall and works better than traditional anchors. They made with 10’ 1 1/2” PVC and dock auger attachments I ordered through Amazon that bolt into the end. There are holes in the end to put bank stick, rebar or something through and turn the dock auger into the lake bed. These hold ver well and you don’t have to worry about 50-100 feet of rope out each end of the boat.

I put one on each end of the boat and tie off to them so the boat can move up and down if waves come in but will not let the boat pivot. I have since upgraded to Power Pole shallow water anchors for ease and convenience but costs way more than the dock augers.

Sleeping quarters

My 1775 Lund Impact Sport boat came with a Bimini top that was made by Dufort industries out of Canada. I contacted the company and ordered the aft and side curtains that went with it. I am able to sleep comfortably on the back deck (unless my wife is with me, then I sleep on the floor in front of it) and can stand up easily inside. It is totally weather resistant from rain and winds and I can put it all together and take it down while on the water as needed but can also drive around with it installed. I am looking to add mosquito netting in front and back for the warm summer nights but it works awesome as is to be honest.

St. Lawrence International Jr. Carp Tournament

Sleep is usually difficult to come by the night before tournament fishing - the mind races with possibilities, plans and peg draws - so you would think if you volunteered to fish as a pro in a kid’s event that sleep would come easy.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Once you have experienced the pure joy of teaching kids about fishing and are able to see their faces when they catch their first fish, sleep is as difficult as before your first tournament.

To ensure great fishing for the kids, event organizers Bill and Diane Markle round up a fine crew of volunteers (thanks Jim, Lou and Chris) to chum a small section of the Seneca River in the Syracuse NY area with bait for two days prior to the event.

Thanks to the local carp community, we were able to “recruit” 10 pro anglers that would provide all the necessary equipment that would be needed for teams of 2-5 anglers.

We had a record 47 kids come out to participate in the 2023 Jaden Ruble Take a Kid Karping catch and release tournament, which supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Luckily, the rain held off for the morning set up so our pros were able to get their assigned pegs cleared and pop ups set up for the forecasted wet afternoon weather.

Just like that, young energetic anglers and their parents descend upon the swims to get ready for a day of fishing. Introductions are in order as anglers can be paired with anyone to form a team. Just like a tournament, I get the team parents and kids to go over some ground rules and go over the basic flow on how we as a team will handle the chaos that will ensue.

I have a

up under a small umbrella.

weigh station with landing mat established along with a water bucket, towel and rod holder set

When things slow down, you can see kids running back to the main table to get the “good stuff” - buckets of premixed packbait and bags of boilies or pellets provided by Proline and Carpmaxx baits.

Put a bucket of pack and cans of corn in front of a group of kids and they will be content for quite some time; this event is all about teaching the next generation of carp anglers.

You can see pros demonstrating the fine art of the boilie stick to them and then step away.

At first they may not get it, but by golly they will use as many boilies as you have, trying to perfect their throws. Soon all the swims are rebaited and the fishing picks back up. Since this is all about the kids and catching, the organizers have a unique afternoon rule in play.

Each fish caught by a member of your team is recorded on your score sheet; and then at high noon, if your alarm sounds and there is anyone on any team that has not caught a fish, they get called over to fight that fish. If landed, that fish counts for not just their team, but also your team!

The objective is that every kid gets to catch a fish. Thanks to fine sponsors like carpangler.com, there were rod and reel combinations raffled off, and the St Lawrence Jr. Carp Tournament donated a free entry into this year’s tournament.

The rains finally came that afternoon but that did not deter anyone and to be truthful, it was quite refreshing and cut down on the humidity. Rumors of a big fish spread like wildfire and teams geared up for the final push to add to their total weight.

When the horn finally sounded, biggest fish was 25.09 and went to Paddy who beat out Jack by 6 ounces. Total weight for overall champion, Team 1 was 143.07, 1st place went to Fishin’ Impossible with 105.07, 2nd place Team 2 101.04 and 3rd was

Team CCC with 84.12. Rounding out the top 5 was ‘Cuse Carpers with 58.8.

14 year old Faith was the lucky angler that won both the St Lawrence Jr tournament entry AND the Daiwa rod and reel combo donated by CAG. You could see the tears in the eyes of both Faith and her pro angler. That is the joy every pro feels after participating in this event. That’s why sleep does not come easy for the pros who volunteer for this event and who are just as excited as the kids for a day fishing, tournament or not.

North America’s Longest Running Carp Organisation with a Dedicated Mission:

• To gain acceptance of the carp as an exciting and challenging sport-fish.

• To become better carp anglers, assist others and encourage them to join us.

• To treat the carp with respect, promote the release of trophy-size carp & encourage others to do the same.

• Most of all: Go fishing, Share with others, and have Fun.

As a member you will also be adding your voice & support to help CAG continue its efforts to work with State & other organizations to increase the recognition for carp as a sport fish to benefit the angling community

Member Benefits Include:

• Full CAG Forum Community Access

• Quartely NACA Magazine*

• Member Benefits

• CAG Apparel & Merchandise

• Fish-Ins, Events & Competitions

• New Member Tackle Pack

*inc Printed Full Color Special Edition

Membership is only $20 / Year (+ a one time $5 joining fee) which includes you, your spouse & any children under 18 living in the same household www.joincag.com

Mequinenza Big Fish Central

By Dean Brookes

A famous view of the 3 rivers intersecting which creates a big fish environment

Over the past few years I’ve planned an overseas adventure each and every year to target large carp. This has taken me to Italy and Croatia so far and this past spring I was planning a return trip to Lake Sumbar, with my good friend and fellow CAG stalwart, Iain Sorrell.

However, the best laid plans sometimes go awry and in this case the planned trip to Croatia was unfortunately cancelled as a number of the original party had dropped out. Myself and Iain

chatted about a few different options but as we had a friend who had recently purchased a house on the famed Spanish water, ‘Orellana’ the choice was made…a Spanish adventure. As we had 10 days at our disposal, we agreed to take advantage of another Spanish goal; giant Wells Catfish.

One of the perks of carp fishing overseas is the friends and contacts you make and in this case we were recommended a guide who could help us in our quest for a monster.

Mequinenza, is a famed catfish mecca, with a number of businesses set up solely with the aim to provide overseas anglers the equipment and guiding skills to temp such a giant.

Our guide was a local Spanish expert, with an expansive big fish collection of his own and the reputation of an excellent guide and host.

The castle is a well know landmark in Mequinenza

We arrived in Madrid on separate flights, but proceeded to meet at the baggage collection, where we then made our way to our rental car. For most of my overseas trips I pack reels, alarms and end tackle but for this trip we had all of the equipment supplied and only needed to pick up the essentials.

A three hour drive North East had us arriving in the quiet town of Mequinenza in the late afternoon.

We met up with Erik and got settled into the apartment, which he provides as part of the guiding service.

One of the apartments Erik offers as part of the guiding service

We stayed local in the evening and had a quick meal before getting to bed in anticipation of the mornings fishing. We had 3 days ahead of us and there was no need to be out on the water at first light as Eric was confident that an 8.00am start would be perfect. Although we were just coming out of the Spanish winter, which is not a particularly

good time for catfish activity we were hoping to get one or two opportunities and the chance to catch something truly special.

Eric’s set-up is excellent for catfishing as has a 17 foot boat, large enough to move around in and also perfect for fishing in the main river, rather than from the shore.

Small but with all of the essentials

The apartment also had a nice seating area

Erik’s boating set-up, along with an inflatable which was used for baiting and dropping rigs

We made the short 5 minute ride to the spot and proceeded to secure the boat in the flow. Eric then got the rods sorted and we set the traps and sat back to wait.

For this trip we’d decided to share the bites and Iain was first up, so I was hopeful we’d have some action.

While we were waiting we decided to have some fun catching a few livebait, predominantly small bream and roach.

One of the main food sources for the Catfish….bream

Erik baiting over the rig with large halibut pellets

Rods in and waiting for a bite

We sat for a few hours until around 2pm when one of the rods finally burst into life. Iain wrestled with the fish and I was hopeful it was a beast as it took around 15 minutes to tame. At 85lb, it was no small fish and although we were targeting catfish twice that size we were both impressed with the fish and this would now be Iain’s PB, one he was hopeful to beat.

Iain, hooked into his first catfish

A proper slug….85lbs of Spanish Wels Catfish

The rest of the day was uneventful and we picked up anchor just around 6pm and made our way back to dry land.

One other area I was looking to experience was the food that Spain is famous for; tapas!

Several varieties of calamari were available and we tried the ALL

Day two was much more productive and over the course of 3 afternoon hours we landed 3 wels. First one was a relatively small fish for me, around 30lbs, before Iain had one slightly bigger in the 50lb bracket.

My first catfish and a small one to start

Iain with his second fish, this time in the 50lb bracket

An hour or so before we reeled in for the day I equaled Iain’s PB with a different fish, but also unbelievably it was the same weight of 85lb, although around 20cm longer.

Different fish, but the same weight of 85lb

Eric recommended a restaurant in the next town and we were not disappointed. Several appetizers, a main dish, deserts and a few drinks were dispatched before retired to our respective beds in hopes of bigger fish to come.

Not my favorite dish, but snails were on the menu

Erik, handling the fish and pulling it into the boat!!

Day three we made a separate plan to pass the time while waiting for the catfish as we had caught some nice roach and rudd, just on maggot hookbaits alone.

We purchased some ground bait and plastic maggots and set-up a feeder rod, in the hopes of catching one of the huge roach or rudd, Eric had been telling us about. A cracking Rudd taken on feeder tactics

Iain had the first attempts and caught some nice fish, including a couple of 2lb specimens. I took over and kept the groundbait going in and was rewarded with a cracking 3lb rudd. I also had a few nice roach before true monster came along!

To be honest, I was in Spain to catch big carp and catfish, but the rudd was a close second, as I generally love catching big fish, whatever the species.

Back to the catfishing, which was relatively quiet. I’d asked Eric to position one of the rods close to the shallow island as we’d see a good number of carp jumping the previous day. Eric dropped the rig and when the rod sprung into life a few hours later I honestly thought I had a large carp on the end. This carp eventually turned into a 30lb catfish, which signaled the last of our action. Not the target species but I’d never turn down a Rudd like this!

Fishing for carp, you also catch catfish

The final night we once again went out to experience the Spanish food and hospitality and packed up the car for the 5 hour drive in the morning. All in all, although we’d picked a relatively slow time for catfishing we both agreed that we’d be back to try again and also agreed that Eric was the right man for the job.

If you’re thinking of heading to Mequinenza for the catfish, give Erik a call as he looks after every aspect of your trip and was also excellent company.

If you’re interested in fishing with Erik, reach out to him directly through Instagram @erik_ torres_fishing

A new friend made and plans are already in place for a return visit

Story behind the Front Cover

Tyler is only nine years old but is addicted to carp fishing. He has found a sport he loves, and I couldn’t be happier. I grew up chasing tuna and dedicated much of my life to chasing pelagics offshore. Still, I find more happiness these days watching my son develop into an amazing young man and angler.

Although he is happy with any rod in his hand, he is the happiest when chasing carp. He loves the packing, the gear, and most of all, the fish. He names them, which adds to the fun.

Over the last two years, we have worked through a lot of gear to find what suits a 4’ tall, 49-pound angler when most of the equipment is made for much taller anglers. We found that the Sonik Extractor series works best for him. We have learned about this sport together through trial and error, successes and failures.

He already has two fish over 30 pounds at nine years old, including this pending IGFA world record fish (Jonathan) weighing in at 36.9 pounds that he caught at his favorite place on earth—the Lakehouse, CT. If I were to give Tyler a choice between Disney, a vacation, and the Lakehouse, CT, he would choose the Lakehouse every time. He has also created a great bond with Rafal and Joel, who have become family to us. Late last fall in 2022, we took a trip to Southbury, CT, for the first time, specifically targeting larger model fish as we were chasing this record. Although we had some opportunities, we weren’t successful. We immediately booked another trip for this spring.

A year older and wiser, we geared up. We set out our pods and laid out a nice bed of 28 mm Carp Maxx and Carp Angler Bolies. On the first night, we had a run. We realized an owl had gotten caught up in the line as we got near the rod.

Around 7 pm on the second day, after a significant rainstorm, my wife Joann, Tyler, and I were down at the dock when some fish started to show in the swim as frustrations set in. We listened to a suggestion Rafal had and changed tactics. We switched to white NECC pop-ups, and immediately, Tyler got tight on a very slow run on the right short rod that was positioned under an overhung tree. Based on the heavy bend in the rod and how the fish fought, I knew this was the bite he was waiting on and when I saw it surface for the first time it was confirmed this was a massive fish. Luckily for him, this fish was on a close rod and lazily approaching the net. As the fish came closer I was definitely anxious as I was trying to net for him and coach him at the same time. It made a couple of hectic short runs near the dock, so I was thankful when it finally slid into the net. He did such a great job and never forced anything. Once we had the fish in the net I knew he eclipsed the 30 mark but by how much was the question?

We got the fish up on solid ground, and took out the tape measure to reveal it was 35.5” long on the with a massive 29” girth. I sent an erratic text to Rafal that he did it, so he and Joel ran down to see it firsthand. We got an official weight of 36.9 pounds; we took pictures, had a celebratory drink together, and released the fish to fight another day. The joy on my son’s face was amazing.

He always said he wanted that record, along with one day being on the cover of a magazine and having his own fishing show lol. He is on his way, and I couldn’t be more proud of him. He fought that fish from start to finish and did great. I have caught bluefin tuna stand up to 118” long in my lifetime, but this 37-pound carp named Jonathan that I witnessed my son catch will be the most memorable fish to date.

Currently, the catch is a pending IGFA small-fry world record, and hopefully, it should be approved soon. Since that trip, we have been back again, adding another 30-pounder and a couple 20 pounders.