Review of 2025 Season

My biggest carp of the year was this 35 lb., 4 oz.
common.

In short, it was and up and down year.  A lot of the carp season was dominated by nasty weather.  In 2025 we had a lot of wind, storms and cold and hot weather.  That inconsistent weather often brings inconsistent carp fishing, and that's what happened in 2025.  For me the year delivered a lot of streaky fishing. I had some hot streaks and some ice cold streaks of weeks at a time. I try to get to 500 fish every season, but fell a bit short this year though I had some real quality fish here in RI. It was a year of a lot of 20 lb. fish and even good numbers of 30's, real big fish by RI standards.  I ended up placing in the Top 10 in both the CAG Spring Big 4 (third place) and the CAG Fall Big 4 (seventh place) tournaments. These are national events and very difficult to get into that top 10.  All those big fish came from RI waters. 

So, here are a few highlights:

*Number of carp landed - 433 (135 mirrors and 298 commons)

*First carp of the year- Jan. 1- 15 lb. common

*Biggest carp landed- 35 lb., 4 oz. common on May 4

*Number of 30 lb. carp landed- 5

*Best day, numbers-wise- 17 carp on Nov. 25

*Best month of the year- June- 69 carp landed

*Slowest non winter month- May- 21 carp landed (14 days without a fish!)

*Best month for big fish- April- 3 carp over 30 lbs., 12 over 20 lbs.

*Top Bait- Combo bait of a kernel of maize and a kernel of white artificial corn on the hair rig

In all, I landed 433 carp this year, mostly from RI waters.

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.