Tournament Trail Tales: The 2009 WI Carp Championship

Hi Folks, welcome back to my Blog. It's been a while since I last wrote; have I been busy this spring and summer! The tournament trail has been mostly kind to me so far this year, as both a competitor and organizer, so I thought I'd bring you up to date with what's been going on.


Of the tournaments I've been involved in, by far the most important (in my view, but I'm probably biased!) this year was the 2009 WI Carp Championship. The Anglers and Stewards had a great time, with friendly competition, big fish caught and lots of interest from the spectators. For all the details on every angler, don't forget that the WI CC Website is still up and running; expect to see new details on the 2010 WI CC on this site soon!


For me, the WI CC is all about individual memories, moments that flash into focus during the "organized chaos" that is what the WI Carp Championship seems to be all about... it doesn't matter how much I try to keep everything organized, there are always a few "interesting happenings" both before, during, and after the Tournament Weekend. Here are a few of my WI CC memories.


First, of course, was the look on Josef's face when he realized just how far ahead of the rest of the anglers he was, at the end of Day 1. A little bit of pride, and lots of relief, that all the hard work had payed off, and I'm sure a realization that he'd been lucky enough to draw a peg in the best section on Day 1. It was good to see some other great anglers put a little pressure on that lead over Day 2, but Josef stuck to his task and pulled a solid result out of a so-so peg, to pick up his second successive WI Carp Champion Trophy; well done Josef!


From one angler who had done very well indeed, I was also struck by how well another good angler, Tom Brooks, never gave up on Day 1. I'd stopped by Tom's peg with about 15 minutes to go, to see how the guy was taking the very weird happenings in Section B on Day 1; we'd seen a lot of fish rolling through most of the day, but the strong wind combined with all those baits and lines had seemed to make those carpies skittish as a basement full of kittens. I was impressed that Tom was still fishing, and was happy to see a smallish fish roll right over one of his baits with less than 10 minutes to go; I think I uttered the words, "don't worry Tom, you'll catch before the end". Just sometimes the Carp take pity on me for my stupidity, or maybe they thought Tom deserved it, but it happened; with less than a minute on the clock Tom's buzzer sounded and he landed his first and only Carp of the day. It was also great to see Tom turn around his bad luck on Day 1, and put plenty of good fish on the scales on Day 2. Well done Tom, and congratulations on that 27 pounder; that was a good 'un!

Some of my other Day 1 memories are of the Stewards; and the different "challenges" each section gave them. Watching Eric organize the "Drive to the River" was a treat; it reminded me of my history lessons about General Patton's "Drive to the Rhine"! Eric, that was some organization you put together in Section D! Then there was Tom's unique "relationship" with the Eagles Club Bar Staff; I was surprised to find a shot waiting at the end of the bar for him, every time I visited the Club at Section C. I wasn't too surprised to hear that Tom had "got the hang of Section C" on Day 1, and thought it best if he was assigned there again for Day 2!

Lastly, and my best memories, are of the people of Two Rivers. I've always enjoyed chatting with the folks whenever I visited, but this time was something special. I really felt that the WI CC was welcome, and that the people were happy to see us, doing something different on the local fishing scene, and hopefully, putting Carptown on the US Carp Fishing Map.

One thing is for certain. Larry Kirchner interviewed many of the anglers after the event, and they all echoed what I felt; it was a fun event because of the people of Carptown, as well as the fish. Thanks Two Rivers, for your support of the WI Carp Championships. We'll be back in 2010!

Only 4 Days to the 2009 WI CC

The last few days leading up to a Tournament are always a little stressful, no matter how prepared you are as an organizer. There's always a last-minute hitch or unforseen crisis that occurs.

This year, the trophies are built, the anglers are signed up, the after-hours dining is lined up... I even have some of the media coverage organized! So, I'm thinking that something is bound to go wrong, and it will almost certainly be something I haven't anticipated. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to react quickly and do the best I can.

The weather and the fish seem to be cooperating this year, and hopefully there will be no major changes over the next 4 days. We are due a little rain, but this won't do any harm to the West & East Twin Rivers. They are both well up to usual level, but it would have to rain a heck of a lot more to get either of them to flood! The forecast gives around an inch or so of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, then fine weather with low 70's during the daytime and 50's at night... perfect for the Thursday and Friday. Forecast currently is some light showers on Saturday and cloudy on Sunday.

The carp have certainly been active for Paul Sander and Andy Burnagiel, two of the Polish Carp Stars from the Chicago area. They caught a lot of fish in the high teens to just over 30lb this weekend, while practising for the Tournament. Here's a few pics of some of their fish; I'll leave it to the guys to post the pics of their biggest fish on the Carp Anglers Group Forum.

If you are in the Two Rivers area on Saturday or Sunday, come on down to Vet's Park, Washington Park and Paddlers Park and meet the Anglers; the 2009 Wisconsin Carp Championship should be one of the most interesting tournaments you will ever see. Here's wishing the Anglers lots of fish and hopefully some of them will break their big fish records. For more information on the Tournament, please check out this link.

Introducing the Wisconsin Carp Championship Website!

In response to popular demand, I have created a website for the upcoming Wisconsin Carp Championship. So, here's the link: http://sites.google.com/site/wicarpchamps/

I've tried to include everything that a visiting angler will need to know, to get prepared for the Big Event; there's information on the various sections, and local sponsor details for lodging and food, etc. Of course, I keep thinking of ideas I've missed (e.g. how to get a WI fishing license?), so expect the site to keep growing over the next few weeks!

If you want to stop by at Two Rivers to see the action, please just come on down! Most of the sections will be based in the Vet's Park, Washington Park, and Paddlers Park, so there's parking available and spectators can get to see all the action for free. Whether you are an experienced angler who wants to see what all the catch & release carp fishing stars can show you, or you're just looking for an unusual day out for the family, the 2009 WI Carp Championship is an event worth visiting. The fans in the know from the '07 and '08 Championships will arrive with a lawn chair and set up behind their favorite anglers; watching lots of big fish being caught can be a little addictive!

There will be a Carp and Bank Fishing Gear Swap Meet on Friday 29th in the afternoon at Vet's Park, followed by the Championships fishing throughout both days on the 30th and 31st. The Two Rivers Parks & Rec Department is also working with a local charity to organize some food and drink for the spectators, so everything is set for a great weekend for anyone watching. Finally, some of the local businesses and the Sponsors are working on some family-friendly carp trivia events, complete with a few prizes for the kids.

All we need now is some good weather for the spectators and plenty of fish for the anglers!

Sponsor Spotlight - Village Inn on the Lake, Two Rivers

The Village Inn on the Lake has kindly agreed to offer a discount on both their Rooms and their RV Park, for all WI Carp Championship attendees. They have 28 Rooms and 28 RV Sites (all with full hook-ups), and I expect these will fill up fast for the May 30-31 weekend, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Call the Village Inn on (001 for International callers) 920-794-8818, and please be sure to ask for the "Wisconsin Carp Championships Discount". Here's the link to their website.

Carptown To Host 2009 WI Carp Championship!

The 2009 Wisconsin Carp Championships will be held on May 30 & 31, at the most exciting carp fishing venue in the US; "Carptown, USA"! Also known as the City of Two Rivers, WI, this sleepy Lake Michigan shoreline community has been known as "Carptown" for more years than anyone there cares to remember; but now they are dusting off the name and wearing it with pride, as the rising sport of catch & release Carp Fishing comes to their town.

Two Rivers really does sit on... two rivers; with the West Twin and the East Twin rivers running through the center of town. The rivers provide easy marina access into the vastness of Lake Michigan, allowing a thriving charter industry to store their Salmon, Lake Trout and Brown Trout record-catching boats snugly away from the storms that occasionally blow across this inland sea.

But there's one fish that runs up these rivers every April, May and June that the charter skippers don't fish for, but see every year... totally wild, monster-sized Carp. That's the big draw for the 2009 WI Carp Championships; the chance to tangle with a WI-record sized fish (current record is 57lb 2oz), or catch enough fish to break the championship record; that's currently over 483lb. Will you be that lucky angler? With thousands of dollars in cash prizes up for grabs, what do you have to lose?

I am quietly confident of both the quantity and quality of the Carp that the 100 anglers will be fishing for. Two Rivers is the true "Carptown" in the US; it's carp soup here in late spring. Last year three of us fished in the Two Rivers area and caught more than twenty 20 pounders in a single day. There are also a lot of 30+ pound fish in the mix; I'd consider Two Rivers as the best choice for someone wanting to catch a 40 or 50 pound fish in May.

Interested? Excited by the prospect of being well paid to fish for big, hard-fighting carp? Check out the 2009 WI Carp Championship Entry Form and Rules at: http://acsdatacenter.com/index.php?act=ST&f=56&t=1169&st=0#entry9360

Any questions? Please reply to this blog post and I'll do my best to get you all the answers you need to be successful... and catch the big one!