Move to Freshwater Results in Record Fish

What many of my readers don't know is that I am also an avid freshwater fisherman.  In fact, I freshwater fish just about every morning and then fish saltwater in the afternoon/evening and nighttime.  In recent years, I have been fascinated with carp fishing, and I have really targeted these monsters of freshwater, and I learned the very complicated and non traditional European techniques to catch them.  In today's crappy weather, I decided to put in some serious time in freshwater since I had all the right conditions to have a successful day of carp fishing.

Well, the results were astounding.  I landed 10 fish with most in the high teens and twenties (we're talking pounds), but my real prize was the biggest carp ever caught in RI, a monster 36 lb. common.  In fact, this fish is the largest freshwater fish ever caught in the state, surpassing a 35 lb. record pike.  The carp would have certainly smashed the official state record (32 lbs., 8 oz.) if I had it officially weighed.  The only way that would have worked is if I either killed the fish or brought it to an tackle shop with an official scale.  It would have been near impossible to keep a fish this size alive in a cooler for a long period of time.  So, I weighed the fish on my very accurate Berkeley Digital Scale, took a few pics, and proudly watched the beast swim away.  Beautiful!

The fish will be recognized by the Carp Anglers Group (CAG) as the RI state record since all that group requires is a weighing, a photo and a witness, and I have all three. This is my fourth thirty pound plus carp that I have landed this year.  I wish I could say that about stripers!
If you are interested in learning about carp fishing, check out my very popular carp fishing blog at http://www.ricarpfishing.blogspot.com/