|
Points:
Month (0)
/
Year (0)
|
|
| We give tips and we take them! | |
|
Our Sponsors and Partners:
Monthly Points Leaders
Yearly Points Leaders
|
Carp Fishing Austin Style - Carp Angler's Group Austin Team Challenge
Click a star to rate this entry
 
This past weekend, Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas was the site of the 7th Annual Austin Team Challenge hosted by Carp Angler's Group. The tournament director, Chad Stewart, had to be pleased with the event stats this year considering there were only 15 teams of 2. Check out the comparison of 2007 and 2008: 2007 Stats: 2008 Stats: The 2008 ATC Winners Circle: Fourth Place - Steven and Michael Bates (The Bates Brothers) KC CRAWFORD & SCOTT FERGUSON caught the biggest BUFFALO(not acceptable fish) weighing 45.12 lbs(20.46kg) Fewer anglers showed up, no doubt because it was Easter weekend, but more fish with a higher total weight were caught. The caliber of teams this year were undoubtedly the cream of the crop and the fish just keep growing. I would venture to say that the Carp will average even bigger next year. The 2 day tournament starts with a 5AM random draw for pre-determined spots on the lake. It's the "luck of the draw" everyone stated and seems to be all about the spot. Some of course will argue that it doesn't matter where you are, but how cleverly you bait the spot. Chris and I learned the basics of casting bait, creating bait clouds with bait balls and keeping the lines full of fresh bait. There's no real "secret" to the type of bait you use, although I'm sure some of he veterans will argue this point, because everyone we spoke with used boiled deer corn. There were, however, different scents and compounds used in creating the bait ball. We spoke with Bob Wheeler of Big Bob's Tackle and Baits, who has created a honey scented corn and a garlic scented corn, as well as some other products that have revolutionized the Carp fishing industry. His team and several others use his products to great success. We were surprised to learn that most of these guys are die-hard Carp anglers and have given up on more traditionally fished types of fish, such as Bass, Crappie, and Perch. The common thread was that Carp fishing is just more fun. A lot of the anglers arguing for Carp fishing said they would rather fish all day and catch 1, 20lb carp than fish all day and catch 20, 6lb Bass, because the Carp will fight them longer and harder than a Bass will. It's the thrill of the catch not the quantity of the catch. It's also that the average size of Carp caught in Texas Freshwater Lakes is 20lbs+ as opposed to the 6lb or 7lb Bass. They also claimed that you don't need an expensive boat or expensive gear to catch Carp. It's mostly done right off the bank. Now some of these guys rigs were very pricey, but they all agreed that it is much less expensive than Bass fishing (at least as far as the tournament circuit is concerned). Simply put, these guys just love to fish and they have a distinct camrederie with one another. We hope to see them again next year, cheers Carp anglers! Many thanks to David Moore of Big Carp Tackle and American Carp Society for granting us an interview and keeping us posted on all the happenings of this year's Austin Team Challenge. Better luck with the fish next year! Our thanks to Brian Nordberg for giving us a great education on Carp fishing. We look forward to sharing the video with our members. And of course, who could forget the Bates Brothers. Steven and Michael were great fun and kept us laughing on the second day of the tourney. They came in 4th place! Not too shabby. They owe a great debt of gratitude to Nature Boy, wink, wink. See ya next year! For more information about Carp fishing, please visit the following sites: www.CarpAnglersGroup.com
Images and Files:
View all 23 photos / videos here.
   
Comments: |
|
COPYRIGHT © 1998-2009 Texas Hunting & Texas Fishing Network, All Rights Reserved
|
|
Email this page
Great Pics, way to go ya'll !