hammercarp Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 A typical carp tournament is held from shore . We call it the bank. So, a day or two before the event the person or persons running the event will walk the bank and select spots to fish from. These spots are marked and numbered and are called "pegs". The pegs are chosen based on a number of factors. The first is that there is enough room to cast with a 12 ft. rod and for the angler to set up their gear. The pegs should also be a minimum of 15 m. apart. In some places the number of available pegs determines the size of the tournament. In others there maybe a lots of available pegs. Generally no participating anglers are allowed to fish the pegged area for 3 to 5 days before an event. Here the organizer welcomes the anglers and make any necessary announcements. Carp tournaments follow regulations set down by the MNR and are C&R only . In most tournaments the carp are kept in a keep net until they can be weighed by a marshal. However sometimes it is possible to weigh the fish immediately and a scale is brought to the angler at their peg or the fish is transported to a weigh station. We fish in Ontario with one rod and in tournaments you fish that rod with one hook. Barbed or barbless it's the anglers choice. Mats are recommended to ensure that the fish is protected while it is being unhooked. In most tournaments anglers are encouraged to register before the day of the event, this allows the organizers to make sure they fully prepared for the size of the field It would suck if someone showed up and there weren't enough pegs. The anglers pay their entry fees and the necessary information is recorded. Anglers arrive at a designated place about 2 hours before start time. It is generally close to the pegs to be fished. A draw is then held where an angler draws a number for a for their peg. This is usually accomplished in less than an hour so the angler has plenty of time to get to their peg and get set up. This angler is all set to go. The angler fishes the peg they draw and there are rules about how far from the actual peg marker an angler can set up their rod. Also the angler must keep their line within the confines of their own swim (the area in front of their peg) . If the pegs are 30 m apart then the angler can place their bait anywhere with in an area from 15m to their left to 15m to their right and usually as far as they can cast in front of them. There can be exceptions to this depending on the waters being fished. Additional rods may be used to plumb the depths ( an art all in it's self) , take water temperatures and to place bait/chum in the water. They cannot have hooks on the line of those rods. Bait can also be deposited with a sling shot , a long handled very large spoon or scoop or a throwing tube or stick. An angler is allowed to check the water depth, temperature and bait their swim before the actual event begins. A horn or whistle is used to start the event which generally lasts for 7 or 8 hours. Sometimes tournaments are held for much longer . The types and amount of bait used by the angler is left pretty wide open. Lures, flies and jigs are not allowed but some types of artificial baits are. Worms, maggots and meal worms are allowed but leeches, frogs, crayfish and minnows aren't. Flavours and attractants are allowed. The angler may also choose to pack bait around their weight ,hook or a piece of terminal tackle called a feeder or feeder cage on the rod they are angling with. The method of angling is pretty wide open too. Traditional carp rods , float rods, feeder rods, poles, pay lake outfits and just plain old spinning outfits are all allowed. Rod stands, bank sticks, rod pods are all allowed as well as alarms and indicators either mechanical or electrical. Some of the gear typically used by a carp angler. In general an angler plays and lands his own fish. Sometimes the situation allows for help in landing a fish by another participating angler. The angler should make every effort to keep the fish they are playing within their own swim. When an angler leaves his peg for any reason , say, to answer the call of nature, they must reel their line in. Unattended rods are not allowed. An angler should treat their catch with respect and due diligence should be paid to make sure the carp is released with a good chance of recovering. A horn or whistle will signal the end of the event. If an angler is playing a fish when the signal is given they will be allowed an additional 15 minutes to land and unhook the fish. The moment of truth. This is a typical set up for weighing carp. After the end of fishing and all fish have been weighed everybody generally gathers together for some talk and a bite to eat. Meanwhile the organizers will tally up the totals and determine the winners. Each angler's total weight of carp caught determines this. Generally 1st, 2nd and 3rd are in the money. There may be additional prizes. Somtimes due to generous support from bait and tackle suppliers there may be draws held for prizes. Examples of the payout on a carp tournament can be 100% with 50 % for 1st, 30% for 2nd and 20% for 3rd or the organizers may also have a 75% payout with 25% going towards trophies and food. That's about it. This post covers most of the general rules and procedures of a small carp tournament with entry fees less than $50 and usually around $20 - $30. The rules can be different depending on who is organizing the event and where it is held. On a personal note I find tournaments really help you as an angler because the competition provides stimulus to learn. Here in Ontario small carp tournaments generally don't produce a lot of fish. If you have twenty anglers you may get as little as a 1/2 a dozen carp caught. This may seem bad but the bright side of it is that you are in it right up to the last second because just one fish can put you in the money. Larger tournaments where baiting campaigns are carried out by the organizers can yield incredible results. A few years back a carp tournament held in Baldwinsville New York on the Seneca River had staggering amounts of carp caught. The winning 2 man team for the 50 hour event caught 2,800 pounds of carp and carp under 10 lbs did not count. There are also events held on waters like the St. Lawrence where 6 oz. of lead are required just to hold bottom and 65 lb braid is used. That is hard core angling. The get together, after the fishing is done, is a great time to meet other anglers and pick up tips on how to improve your skills and catch rate. The group photo. Lots of happy faces. I hope this helps with any questions about how carp tournaments. The pictures used came from several different tournaments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) So... You're literally parked in one spot all day? Sounds like 60% of the challenge of tournament fishing (finding fish) has been taken care of for you. Or worse yet, is chosen based on convenience, not abundance of fish? I'd say whoever gets the best spot prettyy much guarantees the win... Im not trying to be rude or belittle or mock, im just confused. I'd be hard pressed to pay into something where I cant even choose or move my spot.. that's a big deal and is completely unnecessary in north america.. Once again, I just want clarification if possible, how is pole position decided? At random? Thanks for the post, i knew nothing of carp tournaments happening in ontario until you posted. Edited February 12, 2013 by Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Thanks for that, Lorne. For those of us, such as myself, who don't know about these things, it's a great educational thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pike Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Awesome post, Lorne. Although I've yet to participate in one of these, I most surely will in the upcoming season. Easy to see what a good bit of fun you can have in a day, with some bragging rights for the winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucG Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Very interesting! Quite different from a regular tourny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallie Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Sounds like fun to me. Reminds me of times when my friends and i would skip school to fish carp and catfish in the holland river. Now we skip work;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishindevil Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 it would be better if an angler can switch pegs every 2 hours and rotate using a random draw for spots !!! would make it more interesting !!! ya its hard to think that you cannot just move from your spot its picked for you ?? interesting and different all at the same time...thanks for sharing, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammercarp Posted February 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 So... You're literally parked in one spot all day? Sounds like 60% of the challenge of tournament fishing (finding fish) has been taken care of for you. Or worse yet, is chosen based on convenience, not abundance of fish? I'd say whoever gets the best spot prettyy much guarantees the win... Im not trying to be rude or belittle or mock, im just confused. I'd be hard pressed to pay into something where I cant even choose or move my spot.. that's a big deal and is completely unnecessary in north america.. Once again, I just want clarification if possible, how is pole position decided? At random? Thanks for the post, i knew nothing of carp tournaments happening in ontario until you posted. Rich . Carp fishing is more like trapping than hunting. Carp are drawn into your swim by the bait you put in the water. Carp can follow a trail of scent to your bait from quite a distance away. Although scent is not quite the right description since carp can detect stuff like dissolved salt in the water and find the source of it. This is not the only way carp are drawn into you swim either. An anglers skill and knowledge comes into play. Understanding your quarry, reading the waters, determining what bait to use and where to place your bait and baited hook are all factors in determinating who finishes "in the money". Every peg presents the angler with challenges they need to overcome. If by pole position you mean the peg where you fish. I explained that the angler draws a number and that number corresponds to a peg. It is random. Sometimes if there are a lot more pegs than competitors the organizers will allow anglers draw again if they wish or even draw twice and chose from the two. This has to be made clear before the event to all who are entered. This was done on the St. Lawrence for the worlds championship a couple of years ago. For small tournaments I don't like this as it may give guys with local knowledge an advantage over guys coming from a distance away who are not familiar with the waters being fished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 There's a lot more too it then location.... Location is important to success but when "swims" are chosen they all hold fish.... And depending on wind/weather conditions the "best swim" can change every day.... And considering then length of a carp tournament baiting/chumming techniques are as important as location.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 I've also fished side by side (sitting 10 feet apart) with other carp anglers and completely spanked them... Like 10-1... On a regular basis.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkpie Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Not for me, but interesting reading none the less! Thanks for posting it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumma Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Thanks Lorne the roots to Carp fishing tournaments are in Europe I believe and the area you have to fish are quite different than the waterways we are blessed with here. The sport over there are very formal in dress and actions and that blends in to the rules of yesteryear and flavor the rules we follow over here. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pike Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Yup, our waterways and those in Europe are different to be sure, but the fish are the same. A carp's behavior and, therefore, our ways to catch them are similar. Whether European water or our waters here, carp tournaments can be run in similar ways due to the nature of the fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammercarp Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 I've also fished side by side (sitting 10 feet apart) with other carp anglers and completely spanked them... Like 10-1... On a regular basis.... I am going to hold you to that Mike when we fish with the Americans in this years CanAm tournament. It will be in your home waters. I expect you to do nothing less for our country. We are ahead 3 to 2 so they will be looking to tie things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammercarp Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Thanks Lorne the roots to Carp fishing tournaments are in Europe I believe and the area you have to fish are quite different than the waterways we are blessed with here. The sport over there are very formal in dress and actions and that blends in to the rules of yesteryear and flavor the rules we follow over here. Art You are right Art we do follow the European procedures for carp tournaments. But you would be surprised to know that carp fishing tournaments have a long history in your country as well. Paylakes in the southern states run carp tournaments every weekend . There are even paylakes in Ohio. But the paylakes in North Carolina have over a 50 year history of having these events. I fish paylake style. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemper Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Interesting, for sure but not for me. Anyone who has fished with me knows that I would last about 3 minutes at an event like that. I get fishing ADD even when I'm standing in a run full of fresh chromers, I literally can't stand in one place for more than 20 minutes even when it's one after another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Interesting, for sure but not for me. Anyone who has fished with me knows that I would last about 3 minutes at an event like that. I get fishing ADD even when I'm standing in a run full of fresh chromers, I literally can't stand in one place for more than 20 minutes even when it's one after another. It's very different.... A lot of second guessing your decisions... And considering we only get 1 rod in Ontario... All your eggs are in one basket... Overseas you get 2-3-4 rods... So you can have different baits out... Even NY state gets 3 rods now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Well, I don't carp fish that way... I've tossed bags of corn in where there are no fish. If they aren't close enough to smell it, you're outta luck. Either way, cool stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemper Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Does anyone fish carp from a boat? About the only time I fish for carp is in the spring when there isn't much open and the bows aren't co-operation. Fun on the fly and the 'pin, but even then I get bored with the bulldog battle pretty quickly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Pike Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Funny you mention about a boat Kemper, cuz I recently watched the Fishin' Canada boyz doing a carp show in their boat. They were fishing a warm water discharge at some plant near Toronto using a traditional carp presentation( corn on a hair rig ). I personally don't know anyone who fishes carp from a boat. though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Does anyone fish carp from a boat? About the only time I fish for carp is in the spring when there isn't much open and the bows aren't co-operation. Fun on the fly and the 'pin, but even then I get bored with the bulldog battle pretty quickly... It's tricky.... I've done it before... And realized pretty quickly that a full set up of carp gear fills a boat pretty fast... I'm looking to try again this year with a more streamlined approach.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 I fish them in a boat all through spring as shore access to good spots is often limited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Thanks for that Lorne. I have fished public and private waters for Carp in the UK and while there are some monsters over there they are mostly "pet fish" especially in the ponds... (lakes). I have never fished Carp over here but it sounds like I should start.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 (edited) Thanks for that Lorne. I have fished public and private waters for Carp in the UK and while there are some monsters over there they are mostly "pet fish" especially in the ponds... (lakes). I have never fished Carp over here but it sounds like I should start..It's a different animal over here... Lots of fish and some big ones too... I know a few that have broke 40lbs and 1 guy that broke 50lbs.... Also... 2 years ago someone had a 90+fish day.... The biggest challenge is finding them... In small lakes in UK you know they are close... Here... The closest carp may be miles away and you don't know... But that's part if the fun... And before anyone says 40lbs is a record and I'm lying... I'm sure a lot of other carpers will confirm the record is broken multiple times every year... Just nobody wants to kill the fish to get the record... ... Edited February 13, 2013 by Mike Rousseau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammercarp Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 John PM sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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