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 minmum 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 of the tournament is welcoming the anglers and making any announcements that are needed. 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 imediately 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. Matts 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 feild. 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 acccomplised 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 up. 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 thier 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. This is some of the gear used by carp anglers. 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. After the end of fishing and all fish have been wieghed 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. The moment of truth. This is an example of the scale set up to weigh carp. 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 coveres 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 stymulus 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 tournamnets 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 Senaca 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 are run. 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smerchly Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 The carp tourny's are very thorough with the rules and the weigh-ins >Thanks for the info Lorne , I must give it a try this year ....looks like a lot of fun . I am paticularly incensed at how much care (respect) you fellas show for the carp . ...landing them on a mat , keeping them in a keeper net & weighing them in a soft bag ....not hanging them on a hook by the mouth or under the gills . I didn't see a net in the photos , or read anything about netting and releasing carp from a wall which could vary from 2' to 6' (like Port Dalhousie Harbour) . I bought a net recently with a 30" diameter to use for my carp fishing . It has a fairly deep bag & is made from rubber .... I will add an extension handle to it .....what is the norm for a handle length ? I hope it does the job and will hold my 40 pounder . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammercarp Posted February 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 It will nice to see you at one Bill. In the picture of the angler all set up, about half way down on the left side you will a black triangular object. This is a typical European carp net. They are a great design, purpose built for carp. You can get a very large net that will break down for easy transportation, that has an extendable handle and a fine mesh net. They have however some inherent weaknesses . They are very lightly built and the joint or spreader block at the apex of the triangle bears a lot of strain when lifting a carp out off the water and up a wall. I have seen many of them break. I would stick to a large salmon net with a rubber mesh or as fine a mesh as you can get. They are a bit of a pain to transport but will outlast any euro carp net that I have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 I have seen those nets , the design is good but they do look too light for carp , they should beef them up . Are keeper nets required for each contestant Lorne ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammercarp Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Bill. Keep nets are required sometimes. There is also a smaller lighter version called a keep sack. They are a lot less money than a keep net. You can also buy a laundry bag and use that. They even sell them at the dollar stores. Also sometimes the organizers will have extras that they rent out at the tournament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveC Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Very interesting read....thankyou for taking the time to inform us. Much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 We (Dr.Bob) caught a carp about 7-8 lbs through the ice yesterday Lorne . It was caught on the head from a small salted minnow in 7 fow in the weed beds at Martindale pond . If one was to target carp through the ice , what type of rod & bait would you use ? We managed to land that one using a very light sensitive rod & 6 lb. mono line , but it would have been a real chore to bring a larger carp through that 6" auger hole . Chumming an area would be easy since we can be right on top of them..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blairwelsh Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Anything you do .... You do it well Lorne! Cause you truly Care. Thanks for sharing. Your a Super Ambassador and Educator. A blessing to have your input! (As always) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammercarp Posted February 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 We (Dr.Bob) caught a carp about 7-8 lbs through the ice yesterday Lorne . It was caught on the head from a small salted minnow in 7 fow in the weed beds at Martindale pond . If one was to target carp through the ice , what type of rod & bait would you use ? We managed to land that one using a very light sensitive rod & 6 lb. mono line , but it would have been a real chore to bring a larger carp through that 6" auger hole . Chumming an area would be easy since we can be right on top of them..... Bill. I guess the answer is you need a big hole for carp. I have caught carp with girths over 24 inches so you need at least an 8 " hole. I think that chumming should be kept very light . Bread is a great cold water bait. But protein is very good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 I was thinking the rig to use would be a heavier rod like we use for Quinte eyes , and using a hair rig or the puffed corn method with the egg sinker . We try to fish the edge of a weed bed where the weeds are scattered . If we hook a large carp , about 20 lbs. , it may head into the heavier weeds , so I think 12 lb -17 lb. test line would be needed . I'd like to spend a day with 2 rods out for carp to see if I can get the big girls to play with me . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkangel06 Posted March 6, 2013 Report Share Posted March 6, 2013 Been there and have to say its very well run! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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