You know the old saying, “A bad day of fishing beats a good day at work”? Well, a good day of fishing this week is going to offer a huge payoff. Organizers of the first-ever Connecticut Carp Open fishing tournament are offering $100,000 to one lucky angler.
The catch? (No pun intended.) There has to be a Connecticut record setting carp on the end of the line. A common carp weighs up to 31 lbs. The record in Connecticut is 43 pounds, 12 ounces.
The fishing contest, hosted by Carp Tournament Series LLC, covers a near 50-mile stretch of water from downtown Hartford’s Charter Oak Landing downriver to the Haddam Meadows State Park. Anglers are expected from South Carolina, Illinois, Florida, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Connecticut – several who have competed on a world level. In addition to the state record prize, over $15,000 in cash and tackle will be awarded.
Say nobody strikes carp gold? It still beats working, There is a $3,500 prize for the biggest fish, as well as daily prizes for the biggest catch and overall first, second, third and fourth place. A total of $12,500 is being awarded in cash.
The competition cast off at first light yesterday and continues through Friday. Those participating won’t be depleting the carp stores along the river. This is a catch-and-release tournament. Well, unless, of course, you capture a 43 lb., 13-ounce carp. Those you don’t release. It would be like throwing away a winning lottery ticket.
