Two RI CAGers Score Top Ten Fishing in National Big 4 Tournament

 

Tom Perron- 5th place

Two RI CAG members scored a 5th and 7th place finish in the Fall CAG Big 4 Tournament. The fall Big 4 is a national event and draws some of the best carp fishermen from all over the US. The event runs for two months and fishermen enter their 4 biggest fish by weight. You can fish anywhere in the US.  This is a tough event to crack the top ten (Big Carp Tackle gift certificate prizes) since about 60 experienced carp fishermen enter this CAG signature event.

Tom Perron, one of our most experienced carp fishermen here in RI, placed 5th in the tournament.  His top four entries were 36/9, 34/3, 29/3 and 24/8 for a total of 124 lbs., 7 oz.

I came in 7th place.  My top four entries were 29/2, 28/8, 28/8 and 28/0 for a total of 114 lbs, 2 ounces.

Dave Pickering- 7th place.

I should add that two other RI CAG members, Scott Burns and Evan Aziz, had very respectable showings and placed in the top 20. They landed multiple 20 lb. carp.

We are a small state in the US, but we have some really good carp fishermen here in RI who can easily compete with the Big Boys around the country in these national events!

Final Results for RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament

 The final results are posted below for our 2025 RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament.  This event ran from Sept. 1 to the end of November. Anglers entered their biggest common (c), their biggest mirror (m) and their biggest bonus fish ((b), sucker or catfish). They were all measured to the nearest inch. All fish entered were caught in RI waters. First three finishers all receive engraved medals donated by the national CAG group.

Here are the results:

1. Gold Medal- Brian- 33 1/2 (c), 33 1/2 (m) and 19 1/2 (b) = 86 1/2 points

2. Silver Medal- Dave- 36 (c), 30 1/2 (m) and 14 (b)= 80 1/2 points

3. Bronze Medal- Evan- 35 (c) and 21 1/2(m)= 56 1/2 points

4. Tom- 33 (m) and 19 (b) = 52 points

5. Scott- 34 (c) and 12 (b)= 46 points

The biggest common entered in this tournament
was this 36 inch, 29 lb. common.

The biggest mirror carp entered in the tournament
was this 33 1/2 inch mirror.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Loyal Readers

 

We live in a small state but we have a lot to be thankful for
when it comes to carp fishing.
Enjoy this day with family and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Windows of Opportunity

I landed this beautiful mirror today, a sunny day
in the forties.  Carp can still be caught between 
now and when the ice arrives.

 It seems like winter has arrived early this year. And, while this sudden November chill has really cooled off the carp fishing, there is still opportunity out there to catch a decent fish or two before the ice comes along. Once the ice envelops a pond or lake, it's over until spring.

Today I went out this morning to check out a carp spot and potentially fish there. To my surprise, it was completely frozen with a skim coat of ice.  But, by mid day and late afternoon, the temperatures had risen to a comfortable level and the ice departed. Lesson here is that late afternoon provides the best opportunity to fish for carp at this time of year. That warmest part of the day will bring the best opportunity to catch. And, today was a good example as I did catch a few.

Another tip at this cold time of year is to focus on small spots like small ponds and small rivers.  There's just no place for the carp to go in these places, and these places (if they are shallow) can warm up nicely when the sun is out even on a cold day. That will up the activity level of the carp there.  Big bodies of water are so much harder to find the carp in winter, and they are slow to warm.

Finally, go small with your bait offerings.  Today I just fished a hair rig with a kernel of maize and a white artificial corn on the hair. I used no method ball. They just don't feed as heavily at this time and going small is often better.

So long as there is no ice the carp will continue to hit though not at the same pace as the warmer months. Still, there is something special about catching a carp in late November and even December when most fishermen have given up thinking that carp can no longer be caught.

Update: 2025 RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament

 

Brian Savage has taken the lead in our
fall combo tournament.  Here he holds
a 33 1/2 inch common.

Here are the latest results after the second month for our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament.  Remember, in this event we measure the carp by inches.  Members can enter their biggest common, their biggest mirror and a bonus fish (catfish, horned pout or sucker). The tournament runs till the end of November. Below are the results through the end of October: (c= common, m= mirror and b= bonus)

1. Brian- 33 1/2 (c), 33 1/2 (m) and 19 1/2 (b) = 86 1/2 points

2. Dave- 34 (c), 30 (m) and 14 (b)= 78 points

3. Tom- 33(m) and 19 (b)= 52 points

4. Evan- 30 (c) and 21 1/2(m)= 50 1/2 points

5. Scott- 33 (c) and 12 (b)= 45 points

Still a month to go, good luck to everyone!

Really Big Carp a NO SHOW this Fall (So Far)

 

I landed this 15 lb. common today. There's been
good numbers of these teen fish hitting this fall
but the really big ones have been no shows so far.

The really big carp, those monsters over 30 lbs., have been a no show so far this fall here in RI. I have put in a lot of time looking for them in multiple places, but have only about a half dozen fish in the twenties to show for my effort. I'm on the hunt for the really large ones every fall since I compete in the CAG Big 4 Tournament. To have any shot of placing in the top 5 you need to put up thirty pounders or even forties on the board. You might remember that last spring I came in third place by landing 4 carp over 30 lbs. Last fall, I was able to put up 3 thirties.  So far this year, my biggest fall fish is 28 lbs. I've landed good numbers of carp in the teens, but the really big ones have been elusive so far.

In past years the window for catching a really big carp here in RI starts to close as November arrives. Mid November tends to signal the end of your chances at getting a monster unless we have a really warm spell.  So, looking at the calendar, you've got less than a month left to score that really big one.

September Results for Fall Combo Tournament

 

Brian checks in with the biggest mirror at 33 1/2 in.

We have just finished the first leg of our RI CAG Fall Combo Tournament. And, once again, our guys have landed some impressive fish.

In this tournament we enter our biggest common, our biggest mirror and a bonus fish (catfish or sucker).  We measure each by length to the nearest half inch.  Add up the results and that's the total.  The tournament runs from September through the end of December so it's still very early in the tournament.  All fish entered must be caught in RI waters.

So, here are the results so far (C=common, M=mirror and C= catfish or sucker):

Dave- 34 (C) + 30 (M) + 14 (C) = 78 points

Brian- 33 1/2(M) + 19 1/2(C) = 53 points

Evan- 29 (C) + 21 1/2 (M)= 50 1/2 points

Tom- 33 (M)= 33 points