louis

Thanks!!

If it helps, I paid via auto renewal on 4/20. Paypal Transaction ID: 2KV341823K278333U

Hoping someone can help me with the same issue- I should be in the honorary "trustee" group, though for the record I still pay a membership fee bc I love CAG so unsure why I'd be a guest.

To tell you the truth, I really DO use it in salad dressings too. This is a steal compared to the small bottles at the health foods store.

$41

Send in your articles and photographs and get published in the next NACA publication. We are always looking for reports on tournaments and fish-ins, as well as instructional articles, personal anecdotes, books and tackle reviews. Share your knowledge and experiences with our carp angling community! For submission to the “Carp News” section or the front/back cover pages, send photographs of a nice catch along with a short descriptive paragraph. Please include important details such as the name of the angler, the weight of the fish, and where it was caught. Photographs are always welcome! If you submit an article, please try to include several photographs to accompany it. Please note: • Articles should not exceed 2000 words. • Microsoft Word is the preferred format for articles, but any text file will do. • Photographs should be sent as JPEGs or TIFFs in high resolution (at least 200 dpi), but we can manage with other formats. • The DEADLINE for submissions is mid-January for the Q1 issue, mid-April for the Q2 issue, mid-July for the Q3 issue, and mid-October for the Q4 issue. • Submissions must be sent via e-mail to NACA editors- naca@carpanglersgroup.com.

Read up on the latest in such topics as club news, tackle selection, bait and feed recipes, and the state of carp angling into the 21st century by subscribing to NACA. Join Carp Anglers Group to start your subscription today! The North American Carp Angler (NACA) comes out at least 4 times a year. It's a full color glossy magazine is written by the finest Carp anglers in North America - Members of CAG - and also features articles from successful carpers around the world. It is loaded with ideas you can use from English methods for this continent to lesser known traditional American Carping tactics. Past articles have even been syndicated in In-Fisherman magazine. We’d like to hear from you too if you have an idea or an article. Writers and photographers, please check out the NACA Submission Guidelines. One article from each NACA is published for you to enjoy for free here. Order individual issues of NACA Price: $4.95 each plus S&H from Big Carp Tackle

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Float-fishing in Rivers On the river-bank: Okay, let’s say you're a competent still water float-fisher, but not on rivers. Well, we have to forget all about still-water tactics period! In all but a few instances, which I'll not discuss at this time, they'll be little help in flowing water. We must think differently, as we’ll be in an entirely different medium on flowing water, whether slow or fast. Understanding how flowing environments affect the fish and their feeding habits is imperative. Catching river fish using floats attached by double rubbers or sliding is totally different to legering with heavy feeders etc. Float tactics are very much more skillful and the excitement when that float disappears is magic, and worth every effort when we get it right. River fishing doesn’t bog us down with a truck load of gear. Just one rod & reel, landing net, back pack and a bag of bait, life is a breeze on rivers. Let’s go fishing! Choosing the venue is entirely in your hands and I’m assuming you know how & where to find fish. I'm hoping you'll have a rod at least 10-12 ft for float fishing. Anything shorter will cramp your style. A rod with a test curve about 1.5 lbs and 12 ft long is ideal to control floats and should be light enough to hold for several hours to alleviate fatigue, not just your arm, your back too. The ideal fishing depth using a 12 ft rod is about 8 ft. If the fishing depth is more than 8 ft, unless you're well practiced, you might find it easier to use a sliding float. Preferably using 2 rings top & bottom rather than the hole through floats, they don't hold back so well. Try to have a selection of slim & thick bodied floats carrying different weights. You won't need many at first, add more to suit the swims you'll be fishing. Forget those fat dumpy things sold as bobbers, unless you're fishing live bait. Finding the depth is very simple. With the float on the line and using more weight than the float will support. Cast out into the swim, if float is set too deep or shallow, adjust it up or down till top of float is just at the surface. Choice of reels will depend on how far we’ll be casting to reach the chosen swim. Using a center-pin reel is the best tool for trotting the stream, but our distance is limited. A good light-weight spinning reel is the obvious choice for swims beyond the distance of a center-pin, but they don’t control the float through the swim as smoothly as a center-pin. Don’t worry if you don’t have a center-pin reel, the spinning reel will work okay for you. It’s just not as good for holding the float back and checking its journey downstream. Casting float tackle to the desired spot will probably be a sort of underarm sideways motion. This puts the end tackle out in a straight line ahead of the float and slightly pointing downstream in the swim. The float is held steady while the end tackle falls through the water. Once settled, the float can be held back slightly on a straight line, the speed of the float down the swim is then checked to suit the flow at the river bed. This might take a few tries till you get it right. Fishing deep swims more than 12ft will require a sliding float. Reaching the swim will be largely as above except the line is eased through the float rings to reach the fishing depth. Also holding back hard on sliders will not work as well as fixed floats. Fortunately the deeper swims are slower and holding back hard isn’t as critical. Color of floats is a personal choice and 2 excellent colors are, brilliant neon orange for broken or shady surfaces, matt-black is best on bright silver water. Black is the last color we'll see into darkness. Lines are a personal choice, braids & Fireline work well on both spinning & center-pin reels and owing to their small diameter for higher breaking strains (10lb = 2lb dia) they’re a good choice for float-fishing, the non-stretch gives a positive strike. Very important, ‘coz you’ll be straightening out an angle in the line before connecting with a fish. Floats held by double rubbers tend to slip a bit at the strike using braids, and might need the occasional depth adjustment. To correct any slip, try a small split shot beneath the float, or use a small piece of 1/16th rubber tubing with a cocktail stick jammed in it. Although monofilament grips the double rubbers better when fixed floats are used it has a lot of stretch, making the strike less positive. To keep tabs on the fishing depth, mark the rod with white nail polish every foot down the length. When you find your fishing depth, wind the float to the rod top & note the depth in feet or which guide the hook is at. That way you'll never lose your correct depth. You can then change your fishing depth & go back to it at will. I don't mean to be technical or confusing here, but we do need to fully understand what happens beneath the surface and how it will affect the float tackle and how fish feed. If we plan to chum, we’ll have to gauge the pace of the current and throw the chum far enough upstream to settle where the fish are. Throw it too short and they'll follow it downstream. We need to visualize what is happening to water both on the surface & below, maybe even to 16 ft or more. In other words, we need to know how water flows as it runs its course downhill. All rivers whether slow or fast behave in the same way. They roll over themselves. In other words, the fastest flow is at the surface and the slowest at the riverbed. Because friction at the riverbed slows the flow of streams, the surface water rolls over and falls below and slows, middle of the flow also rolls over and slows, this rolling over continues the whole depth of the river even at the slowest flow creeping along the bottom, thoroughly mixing throughout its course. The bottom is where most food is found that enters the stream for fish to forage on, so we’ll generally want our bait at or near bottom. Providing dams do not restrict the natural flow of rivers, temperatures remain fairly constant from surface to bottom, according to time of year. I'm a great believer in the 3 golden rules of fishing. A; first find the fish. B; give them a bait we know they'll eat. C; offer the bait on the right method. Bingo! It's that easy!! Okay you now know how water flows; you know where the fish are; what bait they'll take; and they can be caught on float tackle. If the surface flow boils, we’ll need a substantially buoyant but slender type of float, with the main thickness at or near the top to ride the roiling current. Unless the stream is very slow, forget about wagglers (long stick floats), we cannot hold back in a good flow on a waggler. We choose our floats by the weight we need to comfortably reach the fishing distance, not the other way round. Having the right weight to reach our target is way easier than struggling to get there with tackle too light. Better to overcast and pull back to the right place. Don't be concerned how big the float is, we counter the buoyancy with split shot or other weights for balance without being pulled under by the roiling current. I have sometimes used large floats that carry up to an ounce to reach a desired spot in the river. In medium flows, split shot patterns for an 8ft depth might be 1 small 12 inches from the hook, 2 slightly larger 18 inches from that and the bulk shots 36 from that. Occasionally one weight a short distance from the hook might be best. Do whatever’s needed to balance the float and make it work. Try different spacing patterns until the float works best in the current. For faster flows more shot may be needed nearer the hook or the reverse of the descending pattern to suit the current. There are no hard & fast rules. If our swim is deepest at the end of the run, we’ll need to find the depth and hold the float back over the shallower section until the float reaches the deeper part, hence why we need a good size float. If we try this with a wimpy light float, it'll keep pulling off course, especially in windy conditions. Nothing is more frustrating than an inadequate float. Big is better than too small or too light. If the current is relatively smooth, obviously the shot patterns can be adjusted up or down to suit the conditions of the current. If the current is fast, we'll have to fish well over depth and hold back hard to compensate for the bait dragging along the bottom, but not too hard or the bait will fly over the heads of feeding fish. Fishing well over depth and holding back is the key in faster flows, allowing the bait to trundle at the same flow on the riverbed. If the bait is dragged along the bottom faster than the flow, most fish will be naturally suspicious of the bait. When fishing deep runs close in or at distance, a good float set up to keep the bait at the right depth is, have most or all the weight to just clear the bottom. This will always ensure our bait is bouncing the bottom or very near it. Don't be afraid to hold back hard, because riverbeds are uneven and fish will take the bait as it rises slightly off the bottom. You may find a high spot somewhere along the run and have to hold back hard to clear it before letting the float go again. In shallower swims, shots or weights can be spaced on the line to suit a variety of fishing depths. Its trial & error but the fish always let us know how they want it. Sometimes, holding the float back real hard while fishing well over depth with all the shots or weights clumped together on the bottom, will work better for slowly inching the bait along. This old style is known as stret-pegging and mostly used fairly close in. Best used resting the rod on a bank stick or one knee. Lifting the rod top slightly allows the current to move the tackle along. Many times this deadly method prompts more bites verses a bait skimming along the bottom. Fishing shallow runs is a bit different inasmuch flows are generally faster. Either trip the bait along the bottom throughout the length of the run or hold back over depth at a slower pace. The fish will let you know when you get it right. Above all, we try to keep a mental picture in our minds of what's happening below the surface. All this might sound a little intricate, but it's really very easy once we have it clear in our minds how we need to present the bait in the flow. If our water is relatively slow to moderate, by fishing over depth, say a foot or so and holding back we control the speed of the bait through the swim, or stop it periodically to trigger a bite. Try to keep an open mind and avoid getting bogged down on favorites with floats, one size suits all doesn’t get it. Every river is different as are the flows from day to day. Carefully read the river and fish it according to the conditions on the day. You’ll catch more fish and get experienced. One thing that has always worked for me is; “simplicity works best!” Fish aren’t Albert Einsteins and they haven’t got me fooled like some anglers. Chumming: Chum for rivers needs to be fairly heavy, neither loose nor solid. Bread-crumbs & cornmeal will disappear as a cloud and might even take your fish further downstream. A heavier real bread base mix is a good start when learning to mix chum, plus it has weight. If your own method-mix is reasonably tight and heavy, try it. With bread, you need to accomplish how to mix the base to the right consistency for tossing to the right place without too much effort and not breaking up in mid-air or on impact. It'll take a while before you're able to get it right and you'll have many frustrating hours getting it to work for you, persevere till you master it. From my position, I can only give directions on what you need & how to do it. Everything will depend on you the chef to get the consistency of the mix right. Above all else, concentrate on the right consistency. If you need more weight there's several ways to increase it. Put a stone in the middle of the ball to be introduced, or mix sand in the mix, mold it round your lead, adding bait samples helps too. So, what bread do we use? It must be stale and dry. We never use fresh bread except as bait! Ask all your friends & relatives to save their whole wheat bread scraps for you. Tell them it's for chum and you want it dried out, not left in plastic wraps, it goes moldy. The best bread is "stone ground whole wheat", but that is $3.50 per loaf, so I know you won't buy that & dry it out. If you get on the right side of a food store manager, he might give you a big sack of out of date bread before it goes to the pig farmer. If he says no, offer to buy it cheaply. Or you can buy the cheaper wheat when on sale for a $1.00. Unwrap it & toss it into brown paper bags and store in a warm dry place. Every day or so, shake the bag up to bring the slices at the bottom to the top to stop it from molding. When it's all hard & dry, store the slices in something like a plastic box, or bucket with a sealed lid. Once bread is hard & dry it'll last for 100 years, that's plenty of time to use it. I have a method of storing fresh soft bread baits that last for years, but that’s a secret and I’m not telling how. Collect some cheapo white bread and dry out the same way. You'll need this to make your own bread-crumbs. Whenever possible, make a chum mix to withstand a controlled smooth swing out on the rod & line with a lead inside for weight. This is the most accurate way to chum, 'coz when it reaches the bottom, you strike it off and the chum will be precisely where you want it. You could say on the end of the fish’s nose. None of this will scare the fish, quite the opposite, they fight each other for the bait, and you'll get very positive bites. Okay, we've got lots of hard stale bread stashed in plastic buckets and today we're going fishing and we'll be chumming with bread and samples of hook bait. Fill a couple of plastic shopping bags with dry whole wheat bread, we're taking it "as is" to the river. You'll also need a fine mesh nylon bag with a draw string neck and cord (from camping supply shops) to soak the bread in. When fully saturated, using your hands, squeeze out all the water of 2-3 slices at a time. Place the whole lot in a bucket and thoroughly mash up the bread. Nylon collapsible mixing bowls complete with carrying straps are better than a bucket, unless you want to sit on it. After thoroughly mixing, gradually add some dry breadcrumbs to the mix as a stiffener until you judge it will stay together during flight & falling thru the water column, but only just. Adjust the consistence of the mix by adding water or breadcrumbs until it works for you. Flavors should be added at the first mixing process, other ingredients & bait samples last. Chum is just a medium to titillate the fish’s senses & offer them your bait. Experiment until you're happy with results. Confidence in what you create is essential when chumming. Getting it right can make or break the days fishing. Now the tricky bit many anglers screw-up on, exactly where to put the chum. Again, nothing is cut & dried. The river can be different from day to day, time of year etc. even in the same swims. This is why mixing the chum at the river scores over mixing at home. We make the mix per the conditions, plus you're using river water, not from the tap. If doing a pre-chum for a couple of days prior to fishing, it might be easier to mix at home and take some dry to add in case it needs stiffening up. You'll need to chum upstream but how far? Depends on several factors, depth, current speed, & how far you plan to trot the bait. Unless you have experience of the swim it will be trial & error. A little trick to judge the current speed is to throw a stick into the head of the swim & watch it go downstream. Count how many seconds the stick takes to complete the course. Bear in mind the surface flow is fastest and the bottom might be half that. Deep swims equate a much slower pace on the riverbed. Wearing polarized sun-glasses, place a ball of chum say 10 yards upstream and watch where it lands & how it breaks up on descent. Ideally, it wants to land on the bottom at the head of the swim or slightly below to ensure you’re chumming the entire length of the swim. If it lands too far down or too soon adjust the surface landing spot. Slightly above the swim is better, the current will eventually carry it thru the swim. On the other hand you might want the chum to collect in a depression or hump at the end of the swim, thus creating a feeding hot spot, throw further downstream. According to how the chum breaks up on landing & descent, the consistency will need adjusting. It shouldn't land in a solid lump or explode too soon and be swept waaaaaay downstream. None of this is hard to achieve but it will take patience & judgment before that certain magic happens where your judgment becomes more right than wrong. This is how to make poor-mans white bread-crumbs. Put some hard dry stale white bread into a box say 16'’ x 16"x 8"on a solid surface, using a 4-7 lb hammer standing on its head. Smash the bread and reduce it to fine & large breadcrumbs, then transfer them to a 1/8th mesh nylon bag and sieve them into a bucket, throw the larger stuff back in the box, add more bread and keep smashing, repeating the process until it's all reduced to fine crumbs. Put into gallon Ziploc bags ready to go fishing. You can pre-make tons of crumbs and store in clean 5 gal buckets with well sealed lids. Don't reduce the stale whole wheat chum mix to bread to crumbs, leave in whole slices until ready for use. Note: If you decide to use white bread instead of whole wheat as base mix, you will need plenty of bran in the mix to help stiffen and break up in the water. It is very difficult to squeeze water from white bread by hand. Without roughage to break it up, it’s unlikely you’ll get the consistency right and it’ll look like sludge on the riverbed. All the above is very basic. Once you get the hang of it, over time your float-fishing skills & chumming from the riverbank will get much more inventive & sophisticated. I hope this small amount of information will help gain your confidence to float-fish rivers. If you truly fish center-pins, you'll have more fun than most anglers can only dream of. My 2 original Alcocks Arials have helped me catch 1000's of carp to 25 lbs plus from rivers during my 25 years living in America. The ultimate way of float-fishing in rivers is from a boat, but that’s a different story. Have fun, and may your next fish be your best. Don’t catch ‘em all. Terry Mardell aka T-angles

CAG is now up to 10 B&T members! Please support those that support us!

Joe Babbitt, Long time friend of CAG and carp enthusiast has added his business to the list of CAG B&T Supporters: Carp Fishing Holidays On the St. Lawrence River The St Lawrence Experience provides carp fishing holidays on the mighty St Lawrence River, which is extremely heavily stocked with long lean powerful carp that cruise along the American - Canadian Border. The St Lawrence River is over 1000 miles long and over a mile wide in many places. These powerful carp will give you an amazing carpin' experience to tell all your friends about when you return. Fishing from your base at Waddington on the banks of the St Lawrence River in New York State,USA. you will have the use of a boat so you can access the rivers' inlets and bays, but some of the best fishing is to be had no more than two minutes walk from your base. Your host, Joe Babbitt, will work tirelessly to ensure you have the holiday of a lifetime. Top quality tackle hire is inclusive of the price of your holiday. You can order bait which will be waiting for you when you arrive. In fact all you need to do is turn up for that Carping holiday of a lifetime.

Anyone can add an article to this section, just make the thread somewhere else and pm me to move it in here. This section will now replace our articles section in the outer website.

he rigs we use in pay-lakes are fairly much all the same. The differences would be the sizes. We use 3-way swivels, slip sinkers, beads to protect the knot and hooks that are in the size you prefer. I like to use a 3/0 brass 3-way swivel (you can use 2/0 or 4/0), the slip sinkers I use are ¼ ounce egg sinkers (any style or size of slip sinker up to ¾ ounce is used). Almost all lakes require a sinker to be used. The bead I use is a 10mm clear glass bead to protect the knot. Hooks are again personal preference, size 4 to 2/0 are the most commonly used. Many use Eagle Claw 1/0 double leaders. My preference is sizes 1/0 or 2, Eagle Claw wide bend, offset, plain shank and ringed eye. I tie my own leaders with the Trilene 17lb test, length being 3 to 4 inches on the leader.

OK a bit more advanced and fiddley involving all manner of small rubber objects ( so definitley Euro ) is the Helicopter Rig. So called because the leader is attached to a swivel on the mainline causing the leader to rotate about the line on casting like helicopter blades. Why bother? Well it's a good long range, anti-tangle set up. Again I'm not going to debate the merits and variations ( as usual there are slightly different ways to skin this cat ), rather illustrate how it's tied and leave the debate for another time. This rig can be bought in ready to assemble kits and I would recommend these as they're usualy safer. However I don't think its so bizarre and specialised that it can't be made without the custom made components either. The kit I'm using here is by Korda. Here are the components. 1. Rig tubing 2. Lead weight 3. Buffer bead 4. Rubber bead 5. Swivel bead ( a wide bore swivel will do the job as well ) 6. Tail rubber 7. Leader ( stiff leaders work best - I've used coated braid here ) Apologies - the leader shouldn't have a swivel on it Step 1 Thread your mainline through the tubing and push a tight fitting rubber bead over the tubing. Step 2 Thread the tail rubber onto your leader and tie the leader to the swivel bead. Step 3 Push the tail rubber onto the swivel bead and slide the swivel bead onto the tubing. Then thread your buffer bead onto the tubing. Step 4 Tie the lead weight to the mainline and slide everything nice and tightly together. Job done

While I'm at it might as well include the Method. A method feeder is basicaly a frame around which groundbait is packed into a ball. The rig is constructed in the same way as an inline bolt rig, substituting the feeder for the weight. I'm using the korda ( before anyone asks no I don't work for them ) method feeder, since it has a the right size clip socket for my swivels. So, thread it together as per an inline lead And clip the swivel into the socket at the bottom end of the feeder to create the semi-fixed bolt rig setup. Job done COMPONENTS I've checked their site and while Wacker Bait don't have Korda feeders, the Fox and Anchor method feeder are available and work in exactly the same way. All other components I've used are available there as well ( no I don't work for them either! ) incuding safety bolt rig kits, tubing and inline leads. Its well worth checking with them about getting the correct size swivels for individual method feeders. Size 8 swivels are usualy the right size for inline leads in my experience.

Well what with winter etc. curtailing some of my expeditions I've decided to fill some time by posting some basic rigs ( now I've sussed out Photoshop ) used by us Euro ( sic ) guys. Now this is strictly an introduction - there are always different ways to skin a cat which you can find out from others. This is the Janet and John stuff Starting with one of the most widely used set-ups, the Bolt Rig. The principle is simple ( see below. ) In Step 1, the fish picks up your hookbait on a slack leader, taking with it the hook.. In Step 2, as the carp moves away the leader tightens and the weight of the lead comes into play. The carp 'bolts' ( hence the name ) and the weight of the lead helps pull the hook home. Right, here's how to construct a simple in-line bolt rig. First you need your components. OK this is what I'm using here ( ps this just my own personal preferences - obviously there are other makes and types etc. ) My rig here consists of 8" Kryston Snakebite leader with a size 8 Fox Uni-swivel to a size 8 CarpRus Longshank hook tied with a hair rig. 3oz Fox inline lead, tail rubber and 12" sink tubing ( your tubing must always be longer than your leader, about 1.5 times the length is ideal. ) Step 1: Thread your mainline through the tubing and then thread on the tail rubber, which must slip over the end of the tubing. Step 2: Thread on your weight, attaching it to the tail rubber. Step 3: Take your leader swivel and push it into the rubber or plastic housing. This is an essential move, since this housing creates the 'semi - fixed rig' set-up essential to a bolt rig. IT MUST NOT be jammed in too tightly so that if the line breaks or the lead gets snagged up the swivel can be pulled free of the lead. At the same time if the swivel can come free too easily when the carp picks up the hookbait the bolt rig effect is lost as the weight of the lead will not come into play. Step 4: Push the housing into the lead weight and there you have it. Just want to re-iterate the 'semi - fixed rig' thing. The important thing here is that the weight is fixed to the leader so the weight helps drive the hook home. But it is important that the swivel can come free under pressure. If, for example, a mainline break occurs it is important that the leader can come free of the weight so that it is not going to have to drag around a length of line attached to a lead weight. This will often eventualy kill the fish, why such fixed rigs ( for example, tying the lead weight to a mainline ) are known as 'death rigs'. Its important to get a balance whereby the swivel is fixed enough to the weight to allow the 'bolt rig' efect and loose enough to pull free in an emergency. Next ( when time allows ) I'll show you a variant of the bolt rig using a 'safety clip' setup. Tight lines

Boilie Calculator Download (updated 1/21/07): Ounces Version Grams Version (3/26/07) Boilie Calculator screenshot Especially for the CAG website, I created a boilie mix composer. With this simple Excel tool, one can easily calculate the composition of a boilie mix in terms of percentages of Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat content. In addition, it’s easy to see what the ultimate hardness of the boilie would be, how easy it is to process the boilie mix and to what extent boilies have a short or long term attractiveness to carp. Hardness: Scores vary between 25 and 100, with 100 being a very hard boilie that lasts a long time in the water without getting soft Processing: Scores around 25-50 mean boilies are very difficult to process. The dough may be very sticky, spongy and especially with rolling tables difficult to process. A score of a 100 means you created a boilie makers dream dough composition. Instant Response: In general, I am assuming that high Carbohydrate boilies lead to a high instant response (with a score between 75 and 100) and would be very useful in short term campaigns without time to pre-bait. High Protein boilies which will score around 50-75, are more useful to be baited up with in the longer run. So how does it work: Simply fill in the ounces of ingredients that you will be using in the base-mix. There are 30 main boilie ingredients to choose from. For those people who have some specific boilie ingredients they would like to include, please send me a pm or e-mail and I’ll see if I can update the Boilie Calculator. In addition you have to add the special ingredients such as eggs, sugar, salt, oil, powder additives (f.e. chili powder) and flavors. I used the weight of an “average” egg of 2.29 ounce. Just fill in the number of eggs you will need in your mix in the green cell (in my case I often work with an average of 0.39 eggs per ounce of dry mix, but this will very much depend on the exact composition of the mix). In case you use smaller or bigger eggs, you can manually overwrite the total egg weight in ounces in the blue cell. And that’s it really. Have a look at it and tell me if you would like something changed. Of course the exact protein/fat/carb content will differ somewhat depending on the supplier and quality of the ingredients. So don’t see it as an exact science. It’s a tool that might give you a better idea of the composition of your boilies, especially for starting boilie makers. Of course you could also apply it for dough balls (with the exception of the “hardness” factor). If you put the number of eggs at zero, you can also check the composition of any individual ingredient. Let me know if you would happen to disagree with a particular composition. This is still the first version and I’m sure there will be quite a few changes in the future. Note for the high protein freaks: do you see how difficult it is to get to a very high protein level (f.e. above 60%) if you keep using whole eggs in your boilies? There is simply a too low protein contents in whole eggs. It might be better to start using egg powder and egg albumin instead. Or accept a lower protein contents in the 40-50% ranges (which in my view would be more than enough anyhow). Have fun! Mario Kok Monterrey, Mexico, via Holland

Frank and Narda Walters</p> <p style="margin-top:1px;text-align:center;font-size:8pt">"Our Mission? Catch a Carp in 50 States; Only 1 to Go.."</p> <TABLE BORDER=3 WIDTH=550 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><td>STATE</td><td>ANGLER</td><td>DATE</td><td>WEIGHT</td><td>WATER</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>NEVADA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 1960</td><td>2to3lbs</td><td>Lake Mead</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Apr 15, 1981</td><td>15lbs-6ozs</td><td>Lake Mead</td></TR></TABLE><p>The Walters' ambitious/improbable fishin' mission had its actual beginning in September of 1960 with Frank's catch of six carp in some now forgotten cove of Lake Mead in southern Nevada. Frank was not aware of it at that momentous point in his life, but that stringer of six "NEVADA CARP" marked the inception of the quest to catch a carp in all 50 States. Nevada became the 1st State to be entered on the carp - caught - in -list. Narda's first "State Carp" was brought to the net in 1981, and the 15 pound plus lunker earned for her a Nevada Trophy Fish Award and a Fenwick Master Angler award. </p><TABLE BORDER=3 WIDTH=550 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><td>STATE</td><td>ANGLER</td><td>DATE</td><td>WEIGHT</td><td>WATER</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>UTAH</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>April 29, 1981</td><td>not recorded</td><td>Lake Powell</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 29, 2002</td><td>10 lbs - 9 ozs</td><td>Willard Reservoir</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>INDIANA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Aug 9, 1992</td><td>4 lbs</td><td>Lake George</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Aug 24, 2000</td><td>2lbs - 2 ozs</td><td>Lake George</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>OREGON</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 11, 1992</td><td>11 lbs</td><td>John Day River</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>WASHINGTON</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 25, 1992</td><td>25 lbs *</td><td>Potholes Reservoir</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 25, 1992</td><td>9lbs - 8 ozs</td><td>Potholes Reservoir</td></tr><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>NEW MEXICO</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Apr 5, 1994</td><td>4 lbs</td><td>Rio Grande River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Apr 5, 1994</td><td>4 lbs - 8 ozs</td><td>Rio Grande River</td></TR></TABLE><center>* personal best</center><p>The catching of the "New Mexico Carp" was done specifically to add another State to Frank's list of States in which he had caught a carp, and can be considered to be the official onset of "CARP FISHIN" the USA" as a viable fishin'mission. </p><TABLE BORDER=3 WIDTH=550 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><td>STATE</td><td>ANGLER</td><td>DATE</td><td>WEIGHT</td><td>WATER</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>COLORADO</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 2, 1996</td><td>5lbs</td><td>John Martin Reservoir - CAG Fish-In</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 23, 1997</td><td>8 lbs - 2 ozs</td><td>Lions Pond</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>ILLINOIS</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Jun 2, 1996</td><td>19 lbs</td><td>Highland Lake - CAG Fish-In</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 29, 2000</td><td>6 lbs -12 ozs</td><td>Chicago River - CAG Fish-In</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>MISSOURI</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Jun 21, 1996</td><td>0lbs-12ozs</td><td>Creve Coeur Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>ARIZONA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Jul 3, 1996</td><td>4lbs -10 ozs</td><td>Lake Mead - AZ shore</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Apr 12, 1997</td><td>9lbs</td><td>Lake Mead - AZ shore</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>IDAHO</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Jul 18, 1996</td><td>10 lbs - 6 ozs</td><td>Snake River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Jun 5, 2002</td><td>2 lbs-8 ozs</td><td>Snake River</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>MONTANA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>July 19,1996</td><td>4lbs</td><td>Musselshell River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>July 19,1996</td><td>10 lbs</td><td>Musselshell River</td></TR> <TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>WYOMING</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Jul 22, 1996</td><td>16 lbs</td><td>Boysen Reservoir</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Jul 22, 1996</td><td>6lbs - 8 ozs</td><td>Boysen Reservoir</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>CALIFORNIA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Aug 10, 1996</td><td>4lbs</td><td>Big Bear Lake</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Jul 11, 2001</td><td>11 lbs-2 ozs</td><td>Clear Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>SOUTH DAKOTA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 13, 1996</td><td>3 lbs - 8 ozs</td><td>Angostura Reservoir</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 13, 1996</td><td>3 lbs</td><td>Angostura Reservoir</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>TEXAS</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Mar 31, 1997</td><td>14 lbs-6 ozs</td><td>White Rock Lake</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>March 29, 2002</td><td>31 lbs-13 ozs*</td><td>Town Lake - CAG Event</td></TR> <TR><TD ALIGN=center>OKLAHOMA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 17, 1997</td><td>9 lbs</td><td>Cleveland Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>KANSAS</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 20, 1997</td><td>4 lbs - 6 ozs</td><td>Arkansas River-KC</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 21, 1997</td><td>3lbs - 6 ozs</td><td>Arkansas River-KC</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>NEBRASKA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Aug 6, 1997</td><td>16 lbs-7 ozs</td><td>Lake Ogallala</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Aug 7,1997</td><td>10 lbs-2 ozs</td><td>Lake Ogallala</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>ALABAMA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Oct 11,1997</td><td>16 lbs</td><td>Tennessee River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Oct 11,1997</td><td>9 lbs-3 ozs</td><td>Tennessee River</td></TR></TABLE><center>* personal best</center><p>The State of Alabama marked the Walters' first encounter of a hookin' kind with the species known as Grass Carp. Fishing in Ketona Lake, Narda managed to entice a grass carp to the hook which weighed-in at 13lbs - 7 ozs. Frank managed to net his first grasser weighing 12 lbs..</p> <TABLE BORDER=3 WIDTH=550 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><td>STATE</td><td>ANGLER</td><td>DATE</td><td>WEIGHT</td><td>WATER</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>TENNESSEE</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Oct 14, 1997</td><td>2 lbs-12 ozs</td><td>Cordell Hull Lake</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Oct 14, 1997</td><td>5 lbs</td><td>Cordell Hull Lake</td></TR></TABLE><p>December of 1997 brought a complete halt to the fishin' mission. Frank's adult son was critically injured in a vehicular accident and required Frank and Narda's undivided care and attention in order to return him from complete paralysis to a nearly fully functional fisherman. August of 2000 brought a resumption of "CARP FISHIN' the USA" with their traveling to Bob Bernowski's Buckeye Lake. Outstanding carpin' resulted in their adding the "Ohio Carp" as the 22nd State on their carp-caught-in-list.</p><TABLE BORDER=3 WIDTH=550 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><td>STATE</td><td>ANGLER</td><td>DATE</td><td>WEIGHT</td><td>WATER</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>OHIO</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Aug 27, 2000</td><td>10 lbs</td><td>Buckeye Lake</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Aug 27, 2000</td><td>11 lbs-4 ozs</td><td>Buckeye Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>NORTH CAROLINA</TD><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 1, 2000</td><td>1 lb - 9 ozs</td><td>High Rock Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>SOUTH CAROLINA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 2, 2000</td><td>2 lbs-9 ozs</td><td>Lake Hartwell</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 2, 2000</td><td>3 lbs - 5 ozs</td><td>Lake Hartwell</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>GEORGIA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 3, 2000</td><td>1 lb</td><td>Lake Hartwell</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 3, 2000</td><td>2 lbs-1 ozs</td><td>Lake Hartwell</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>WISCONSIN</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Oct 1, 2000</td><td>20 lbs -12 ozs</td><td>Lake Winnebago</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Oct 1, 2000</td><td>14 lbs - 8 ozs</td><td>Lake Winnebago</td></TR> <TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>KENTUCKY</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Apr 23, 2001</td><td>12 lbs</td><td>Nolin River Lake</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Apr 23, 2001</td><td>14lbs-6ozs</td><td>Nolin River Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>MARYLAND</TD><TD>Narda</TD><td>Apr 26, 2001</td><td>12 lbs</td><td>Potomac River</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Apr 28, 2001</td><td>17lbs - 7 ozs</td><td>Tidal Basin - CAG Fish-In</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Apr 28, 2001</td><td>5 Lbs-3 ozs</td><td>Potomac River</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>NORTH DAKOTA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 31, 2001</td><td>11lbs - 5 ozs</td><td>James River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 31, 2001</td><td>13 lbs-7 ozs</td><td>James River</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>MINNESOTA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Jun 2, 2001</td><td>14 1bs-5 ozs</td><td>Minnesota River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Jun 2, 2001</td><td>14 lbs-6 ozs</td><td>Minnesota River</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>MASSACHUSETTS</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Aug 25,2001</td><td>6 lbs -10 ozs</td><td>Merrimac River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Aug 25,2001</td><td>22 lbs-8 ozs</td><td>St. Charles River</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>NEW HAMPSHIRE</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Aug 26,2001</td><td>16 lbs - 12 ozs</td><td>Semi-private Pond</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Aug 26,2001</td><td>11 lbs-4 ozs</td><td>Semi-private Pond</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>CONNECTICUT</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Aug 29, 2001</td><td>12 lbs-10 ozs</td><td>Housatonic River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Aug 29, 2001</td><td>18 Lbs-12 ozs</td><td>Lake Zoar</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>RHODE ISLAND</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Aug 30, 2001</td><td>l5 lbs</td><td>Lake Tiogue</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Aug 30, 2001</td><td>13 lbs - 4 ozs</td><td>Lake Tiogue</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>VERMONT</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 6, 2001</td><td>5 lbs-9 ozs</td><td></td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 6, 2001</td><td>17 lbs-12 ozs</td><td></td></TR></TABLE><p>The water where the "Vermont Carp" were caught is not included. It is not an oversight, this water is a truly special place to both Frank and Narda and will remain their secret. Your "fishin' mission", should you choose to accept It, IS to locate this quaint and charming; body of water.</p> <TABLE BORDER=3 WIDTH=550 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><td>STATE</td><td>ANGLER</td><td>DATE</td><td>WEIGHT</td><td>WATER</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>NEW YORK</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 8, 2001</td><td>15 lbs - 9 ozs</td><td>Long Pond</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 8, 2001</td><td>8 lbs - 8 ozs</td><td>Long Pond</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>PENNSYLVANIA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Sep 10, 2001</td><td>6 lbs-15 ozs</td><td>Pymatuning Reservoir</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 10, 2001</td><td>3 lbs-12 ozs</td><td>Pymatuning Reservoir</td></TR></TABLE><p>The year 2001 proved to be outstanding in the course of the Walters' quest. Eleven States and the District of Columbia were added to their carp-caught-in-list. This carp filled year of fishin' and traveling brought their total of "Carp States" to 37. Their fishin' mission was actually taking on the appearance of being "doable".</p><TABLE BORDER=3 WIDTH=550 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><td>STATE</td><td>ANGLER</td><td>DATE</td><td>WEIGHT</td><td>WATER</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>DELAWARE</TD><TD>Narda</TD><td>Apr 30, 2002</td><td>3 lbs -12 ozs</td><td>Moore's Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>NEW JERSEY</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 2,2002</td><td> 6lb - 4 ozs</td><td>Delaware & Rariton Canal</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>WEST VIRGINIA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 4, 2002</td><td>12 lbs-15 ozs</td><td>Shenandoah River</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 4, 2002</td><td>18 lbs-4 ozs</td><td>Shenandoah River</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>VIRGINIA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 5, 2002</td><td>13 lbs</td><td>Shenandoah River, South Fork</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>FLORIDA</TD><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 10, 2002</td><td>10 lbs -13 ozs</td><td>Golf Course Water Hazard</td></TR></TABLE> <p>The "Florida Carp" was a Grass Carp that was caught after an entire day of stalking these extremely wary denizens of the water hazards on a golf course. The Walters were escorted/guided/chauffeured around to the various ponds on the course by a CAG member from Florida. The grassers did not drop their guard until the sun had set and darkness settled upon the water. The grasser then eagerly slurped down a floating pineapple flavored boilie. </p><TABLE BORDER=3 WIDTH=550 CELLSPACING=3 CELLPADDING=3 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><td>STATE</td><td>ANGLER</td><td>DATE</td><td>WEIGHT</td><td>WATER</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>MISSISSIPPI</TD><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 13, 2002</td><td>4lbs -12 ozs</td><td>Private Lake in Hattiesburg</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>ARKANSAS</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 18, 2002</td><td>8 lbs - 6 ozs</td><td>Dardanelle Lake</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 18, 2002</td><td>8 lbs - 5 ozs</td><td>Dardanelle Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>IOWA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 22, 2002</td><td>6 lbs-1 oz</td><td>Big Creek</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 22, 2002</td><td>10 lbs</td><td>Big Creek</td></TR> <TR><TD ALIGN=center>MICHIGAN</TD><TD>Narda</TD><td>Aug 5, 2002</td><td>12 1bs - 13 ozs</td><td>Kent Lake</td></TR><TR><TD ALIGN=center>MAINE</TD><TD>Narda</TD><td>Sep 12, 2002</td><td>13 lbs - 8 ozs</td><td>Kennebec River</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>HAWAII</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>Jan 30, 2003</td><td>3 lbs - 13 ozs</td><td>Oahu Cemetery Pond</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>Jan 30, 2003</td><td>7 lbs-5 ozs</td><td>Oahu Cemetery Pond</td></TR><TR><TD ROWSPAN="2" ALIGN=center>LOUISIANA</TD><TD>Frank</TD><td>May 13, 2003</td><td>1 lbs - 2 ozs</td><td>Spanish Lake</td></TR><TR><TD>Narda</TD><td>May 13, 2003</td><td>1 lbs - 8 ozs</td><td>Spanish Lake</td></TR></TABLE> <p>The enticing to the hook of the "Louisiana Carp" brought the Walters' seemingly improbable fishin' mission to within one State of completion. Only the "Alaska Carp" remains uncaught. It is rumored that there are "NO CARP IN ALASKA". The Walters will journey to Alaska in late August, 2003. They vow to net and photograph whichever species comes closest to qualifying as the" ALASKA CARP".</p> <p>The Walters were graciously assisted and often guided by many Carp Anglers Group members without whose assistance the "fishin' mission" would be much further from completion. This gracious and readily extended assistance, stories in and of themselves, caused their quest to become more about the meeting, fishing, and sharing of their adventure with the people and CAG members of the various States. Without their guidance and readily shared knowledge of local fishing conditions, the Walters could not have accomplished this prodigious adventure. The Walters offer a deeply sincere THANK YOU to all who shared in their quest. Naming names could result in inadvertently overlooking someone, an inexcusable error. You know who you are, and your contribution is deeply appreciated. Individual tales or a book will one day properly document the Walters experiences along this fascinating trail of carpin' adventures. The individuals who aided us along the way shall receive full and proper acknowledgement at that point in time. In conclusion, the Walters encourage one and all to fit into your busy lives and schedules as much of your own carpin' time in the pursuit of your own individual "fishin' mission". </p></td><td WIDTH="35"></td></tr></table>

Perhaps you have heard that carp, which is an exotic species not native to North America, have by accident invaded our game fish waters. You may have heard that the carp of today are descended from fish that 'escaped' from private stocks or were illegally introduced by unauthorized persons. How is it then that carp are found in almost every state and in waters hundreds of miles apart from each other. The reason is because the U.S. Fish Commission and almost every one of the state governments in our land undertook one of the greatest far reaching campaigns to establish the carp everywhere in our country. Let me explain. Prior to 1900, native North American fish were viewed as vital natural resources. Most of the fish we regard today as sport fish were harvested commercially by the millions of pounds. They were shipped by rail to markets where they were an important food source for a growing population. This was before the advent of refrigeration and communities relied on 'ice house' preservation. Harvested were the basses, sunfish, crappies, pike, walleye, perch, lake trout, and sturgeon. Also coarse fish such as freshwater drum, buffalo fish, catfish, suckers, bullheads and others. The results of large harvests were declining stocks of lake and river fishes at a time when the population was expanding. To answer these concerns the U.S. Congress authorized President Ulysses S. Grant to appoint the US Fish Commission in 1871 to oversee the nation's fisheries interests. Among the first tasks was to consider what species to introduce to bolster the nations supply of food fishes. By 1874 the commission after long study issued a report entitled "Fishes Especially worthy of Cultivation" It went on to say that no other species except the carp, promises so great a return in limited waters. Cited were advantages over such fish as black bass, trout, grayling and others " because it is a vegetable feeder, and although not disdaining animal matters can live on vegetation alone and can attain large weight kept in small ponds and tanks". In 1876 the commission enumerated other good qualities such as high fecundity (a count of ripe eggs in the female fish), adaptability to artificial propagation, hardiness of growth, adaptability to environmental conditions unfavorable to equally palatable species, rapid growth, harmlessness in relation to fish of other species, ability to populate waters to it's greatest extent, and fine table qualities. By 1877 citing the above reasons and adding 'there is no reason why time should be lost with less proved fishes' the commission convinced of the value of carp imported 345 fishes of scaled, mirror and leather carp from German aquaculturists. On May 26th they were placed in the Druid Hill Park ponds in Baltimore Maryland. The ponds proved inadequate and some were transferred to the Babcock lakes on the monument lot in Washington, D.C. So did they somehow escape from these confines to populate nearly everywhere? No. Now the state governments get involved. Records indicate in 1879, about 6.203 fingerlings were produced in the Babcock Lakes. These were shipped to 273 applicants in 24 states. About 6000 fingerlings were produced in the Druid Hill ponds that year and were stocked primarily in Maryland. One year later, 31,332 carp were shipped to 1,374 applicants. In 1882 carp production increased to 143,696 fish, distributed in small lots to 7,000 applicants. In 1883 about 260,000 carp were sent to 9,872 applicants in 298 of 301 congressional districts and into 1,478 counties. During the years 1879-1896 the US Fish Commission distributed 2.4 million carp, some of which were sent to Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Mexico. By 1897 the Commission discontinued the stocking because carp had been distributed nearly everywhere and many states assumed the task of propagation and stocking of carp. Within several years many states were involved in the propagation and stocking of millions of carp. The Ohio State Fish Commission stocked tributaries of Lake Erie. Every major river in Illinois was stocked. Fish rescue missions from 1890-1920 conducted by various states and the US fish Commission stocked hundreds of lakes and rivers, particularly into the Midwestern region of the US. In a few short years the effort to introduce the resource of carp had been successful. Newspapers and magazines lauded the importance to the food industry and the bright future of all citizens eating carp. Commercial production started in the 1900's. During the decade after World War II, annual catches reached 36 million pounds. Many prominent restaurants and hotels served carp on the menu. Restaurants of the Waldorf and Astoria listed "Carp in Rhine Wine Sauce" Following World War II the saltwater commercial fishing industry captured a major portion of the fishing market by consolidating and modernizing operations This resulted in tremendous productions of ocean fish and improvements in processing, packaging ,shipping and storage and a reduction in operating costs. At a time when the oceans were perceived as pure and our rivers were becoming polluted, contributed among other factors to the decline of carp as a food fish. History demonstrates that the federal and state governments of the US undertook a massive effort to install the carp in all of our waters from coast to coast in an effort that no other country has ever embarked upon. History also indicates that American anglers in great numbers lead the world today in the history of carp angling since the earliest turn of the century. Generations of anglers have enjoyed the carp as a sport or food fish. History also indicates that the carp found in our many waters did not escaped the ponds of long ago carp farmers, as the myth is told, but were placed carefully for our angling benefit by thoughtful government agencies. Al Kowaleski CAG Historian

Carp under a mulberry tree are like kids in a candy store. They just can’t get enough of a sweet thing. Carp will position themselves under these trees that are dropping berries and feed voraciously. They may whirl at floating berries or vacuum the bottom clean of those that sink. The smart carp fisherman should recognize mulberries as being prime bait at a certain time of year. Find a mulberry tree along a carp lake or river and you can expect some of the wildest action imaginable. Mulberries come in a variety of colors and sizes and they are all effective baits. They come in white, purple and pink. Some trees hold large oval shaped ones that are as wide as quarters while other trees have smaller ones less than the size of dimes. Carp love them regardless of color or size. Look for large mulberry trees that overlook the water. In this case we have a large tree with large, white mulberries. As the berries begin to fall, carp will become conditioned to feed right under the tree. Mulberries can come in purple, white and pink colors. Timing is an important issue as the mulberry hatch lasts for only about three weeks. Here in southern New England, mulberries will begin to grow on trees in late spring. By early summer (third to fourth week of June here), ripe berries will begin to drop from the trees. For about three weeks, it will be a steady drop of carp food. I’ve seen the shoreline covered in a white or purple carpet of countless berries. The water can be a slick. It’s a feast just begging for hungry carp. I’ve spent many hours just searching for these trees in early springtime. I know that if I find one along carp waters it will be a hotspot to treasure. I find mulberry trees by walking shorelines and river banks, paddling around lakes in my kayak and through word of mouth. Other carp fishermen are also prospecting for this pot of gold. Here’s how to hook mulberries. Simply hook through the center of the berry with a #6 or #8 hook. A large berry usually floats on the water. If you want it to sink, squeeze it gently. Fishing with mulberries is a simple approach compared to other types of high tech, complex carp fishing methods. When berry fishing I leave the alarms, rod pods and hair rigs at home in favor of a simple set up. I will rig up a short spinning rod with a good reel that is spooled with eight or ten pound test monofilament. The light line is needed to cast the berry and the short rod is for tight spots under and around trees. At the end of the line, I will tie a #6 or #8 hook depending on the size of the berry I am using. The hook is simply impaled into the berry. Note that fresh berries picked from a tree are more firm and better to use than those that have fallen on the ground. Fish the berry near its source, usually right under or around a tree. Carp become conditioned to feed in this location. Here’s a trick of the berry trade. Most large mulberries will float once they are hooked. However, if you gently squeeze them once they are on the hook, they will sink. That becomes an important key to this type of fishing. If carp are whirling and grabbing berries on the surface, go with a floater. However, if no fish are showing, use a sinking berry since many times the fish will stay below the surface near the bottom. Your sense of observation is important in this type of fishing. Much of this is sight fishing. You can usually spot fish feeding below mulberry trees. Those feeding on top will subtly move along the surface with open lips. At times, you may only see their lips breaking the surface. Under the surface, dark shadows may dart about in search of berries that are sinking or those that are resting on the bottom. The berry fishing technique is so natural that most fish will not even know they are grabbing your offering. When fishing sinking berries, I like to keep a close watch on my slack line (bail can be fished open or closed). Carp will usually gently take the berry followed by a slow run. There is usually no bolt in panic as they often do when feeling the hook on baits fished with a hair rig. A simple pull will usually hook a fish as the rod will pull the hook from the soft bait into the fish’s lips or mouth area. The author likes to fish with mulberries on rainy and stormy days. During those times, berries will be falling in great numbers. This good sized mirror was caught by the author in the Blackstone River in northern RI. Realize that fish under a mulberry tree will quickly wise up to what is going on and they can get wary mighty quickly. “Smart” fish begin to realize that berries with a hook in them sink at a faster rate than natural ones. They may begin to bump a hooked bait to see how it reacts. Fussy fish may prefer bait that is just sitting on the bottom over one that is floating. Often times a hooked fish will also spook the feeding crowd in the area with its splashing and churning in the water. However, the feeders usually return when the commotion calms down. It may take a short period of time, but the ones that return are usually more cautious. Weather can greatly affect berry fishing. I love to hit my favorite spots on a windy, rainy or stormy day. Those types of conditions will cause mulberries to fall like hailstones in a thunderstorm. The more a tree shakes, the more berries that fall. Stormy days often lead to a feeding frenzy along with nonstop action. On calm days, you may need to chum with berries that have fallen on the ground to get the fish interested in feeding. Shady spots and conditions of low light (early morning and evening) are also best. Strange things can happen when mulberries fall. One of my best berry spots that I fish actually has no tree near the water. This place is located on the Blackstone River in northern RI. About a hundred yards from the river along a main road is a huge tree with large purple mulberries. Right under the tree along the road’s curbing is a drain. The author displays a large mirror of 16 lbs. that was taken on a mulberry fished on the bottom. The tree above the fish and angler is a mulberry tree. The drain leads into a pipe that empties the street run-off along with thousands of fallen berries into the river every time there is a heavy rain. It’s chum line that the carp in this section of the river know well during a heavy rain. Berries are just pouring out of the drainpipe and large mirror carp will just stack up here waiting for the catering service to arrive. All I have to do is flip a berry into the drain’s current, and it is a hook-up on just about every cast. In this spot I have had many rainy days with upwards of a dozen fish into the high teens. During times of no rain, there are few fish here. There is about a three week window of opportunity to fish mulberries for carp in most areas of the country. It is one of those unique ways to fish, and a very effective one also. If you find a good sized mulberry tree near the water, expect phenomenal action. You may end up walking away from it in a daze just whispering to yourself, “too easy”.

Now, I’m going to be honest with you right from the off – my experience of cold water Carp fishing is entirely limited to my experiences in the UK (this being my first winter in the US) but I have had reasonable success doing it and I figure the US Carp are not going to act too differently from their European cousins. Also what I write is related to true cold water and not winter as experienced in some of the Southern States which frankly is like a heat wave compared to the UK even in summer! Carp, like all fish, are cold blooded so their activity levels and hence appetite are generally affected by the water temperature. I say generally as there are a few exceptions and there are ways that the Carp’s natural behavior can be influenced by the angler………read on. LOCATION An excellent winter swim. Overhanging trees, sheltered bay and a gravel bar running from the bushes on the right to the island middle left. I’m sure nobody will disagree that the most important factor in successful Carping at any time of year is location. It’s no good fishing 100’s of yards from the nearest fish no matter how good your tackle or bait is – you might just as well be at home with your feet up! Location becomes even more critical in winter as the cold temperatures will make the Carp less inclined to roam great distances in search of food. In fact they may not roam at all preferring instead to find an area where they are comfortable and can conserve energy. However if you are diligent or lucky enough to find one of these holding areas you can actually enjoy even better sport than during the warmer months – certainly it can be more predictable as the fish will be found in the same location throughout the winter. There’s also a big plus to be mentioned here – in my experience winter Carp weigh on average more than they do during the summer, I guess in part because they are not tearing around burning off energy and hence don’t use up their fat reserves. As an example I caught a 23lb mirror first day of the old UK fishing season (16th June) and caught the same fish again in November at 26lb 14oz. That’s about a 15% weight difference. Frequently they also look even more beautiful in the winter months – somehow they don’t look so tired. Anyway, back to the plot……… I’m going to assume here that you’re not cheating and using one of those echo sounder fish finders but are instead relying on good old fashioned water craft (sorry Phil – in truth it’s just I can’t afford one). Here are a few tips as to where you should search out fish: * Look for areas protected from the cold winds. My best results have come from areas behind islands or in quiet bays. Conversely areas on the end of warmer winds can be good places to search for fish. * Look for areas of deep water adjacent to shelves or steep drop offs. Water is unique in that below 3.8 degrees centigrade it becomes less dense and rises to the surface (that’s why water at 0 degrees freezes on the surface and not from the bottom up). Therefore in really cold conditions the warmest water will be in the deep holes. However, shallower water will warm up quicker during mild periods. Therefore deep water near shallower shelves or plateau gives the Carp the best of both worlds – reasonable comfort during very cold spells and the opportunity to move to shallow water if the sun comes out and all without having to travel very far and use up that precious energy. * Weed beds or areas of vegetation. Carp are always attracted to weed or reeds but even more so in winter. They’ll sit in the stuff. The theory is that the dead, rotting vegetation generates a little warmth. It may be only a fraction of a degree but it’s often enough to make that area just a bit more comfortable than the surrounding area. Also the greatest concentration of natural food will more than likely be in these areas so should the Carp fancy a quick feed it won’t need to work to hard for it. I used to fish a lake in the winter that wouldn’t yield a take unless your bait was placed literally inches from the reed beds that lined one bank. The fish would not poke more than their head out of the reeds to take a bait. * Slack areas during times of flood. So far I have really only described areas of location in lakes or slow moving water. One of the exceptions I spoke of above involves the Carp’s necessity to become active when rising water levels make it impossible to hold station against strong flows. In these conditions the fish will search out quieter areas where they don’t have to fight to remain comfortable and will use energy in doing so making them more inclined to feed. * Over hanging trees, bushes, other bank side vegetation and bridges etc. This is one of those areas that sometimes even hold fish when the water is comparatively shallow beneath the branches but it’s often difficult to present a bait there! On waters that freeze, areas under trees or bridges etc will often be the last places to ice over suggesting the water is fractionally warmer in these areas or at least protected from the severe effects of frost. * Warm water outflows or springs. If you’re really lucky you’ll know of the location of warm water outflows from factories, power stations etc you could be on the one spot in miles where the fish will congregate and feed consistently. To a lesser degree this applies to fresh water springs in lakes as the water coming from deep underground may be just slightly warmer than the rest of the lake. * Pick a water with Carp in it!! Might sound stupid but don’t waste your time on a water with only a few fish in it. Carp fishing can be tough enough during the warmer months let alone giving yourself a headache trying to catch during the winter. * Move to California. Only joking!! On rivers particularly there are other areas that can be productive but I have limited experience of these so have concentrated in the main on still water. Any one of the above areas could be holding spots but find areas that have two or more of these features – especially if there are no similar features for some distance around – and you could have discovered a gold mine. By far the most successful winter swim I ever found was behind an island away from cold winds, adjacent to weed and reed beds with deepish water either side of a shallow gravel plateau. I only blanked once fishing that swim the entire winter! 23.6 common in mid January after a long spell of settled mild weather. BAIT I have already said that Carp feed less in the winter due to the fact that they are less active. The conventional wisdom is therefore find the fish but don’t overfeed them or you could turn them off for weeks. Single hook baits with high flavor levels or very light feeding is generally the recommendation. However I’m going to say there is an exception to this rule and this is where the Carp’s natural behavior can be influenced by the angler. If you are lucky enough to live close to your favorite Carp water then keep the bait going in all winter long. It helps if you put the bait in a spot such as those described above but I’m convinced that an otherwise unattractive area can become a holding spot if the fish become accustomed to food going in regularly. I know of a lake back in the UK which is in a popular winter vacation spot where the kids feed the ducks all year round. The Carp have got wise to this and even in the coldest weather they will compete with the ducks for the bread. It’s like the constant availability of food keeps them actively feeding when otherwise they would slow down as the temperature drops. Brother Adam with a common taken on a single high flavor boilie on a cold frosty morning A word of caution here, it’s no good receiving this newsletter in January and deciding to start a baiting campaign – you cannot reactivate Carp that have already had their metabolism slowed down with the onset of winter, your bait will likely sit on the bottom and rot. However take this as early advice for next year and keep introducing bait from September onwards!! I don’t mean going to the water once every couple of weeks to throw in a bucket load – I mean going once every two or three days and throwing in a few carefully positioned handfuls. I’m a firm believer in the little and often approach when ever I fish but even more so in the winter - enough to keep them active but not too much as to overfeed them. I used to feed trout pellets and fish boilie over the top but I would imagine corn would work fine. In all honesty I’m going to be bold enough to suggest that I don’t really think it matters what you feed with as long as it’s edible and is introduced in frequent moderation as outlined above. A small common on a bleak winter day taken on a bait cast tight to the fringe of reeds in the background WEATHER CONDITIONS I know we’re talking about winter Carping here but give yourself the best opportunity to catch. The best advice I can give is to go fishing after a settled spell of weather and preferably after a settled spell of mild weather. Others have advised that fishing on the first mild day immediately after a big freeze is a good time as the warming water will stimulate the fish to feed. I’m sure there is logic in this suggestion but for me settled mild weather has always proved to be more productive. I think individual fish become active at different times and the longer the air temperatures are higher than the water temperatures the greater the numbers of Carp will become active and the better the chances of catching. One thing is for sure don’t waste your time fishing in rapidly falling temperatures in winter as these conditions I have found to be the kiss of death – you’d be better off at home tying rigs. If I were still in the UK I’d also mention that winter was often one of the only times of the year that you had the chance of having the lake to yourself as winter fishing doesn’t appeal to everybody and the lakes are generally deserted. You don’t exactly have that problem here – the lakes are generally deserted all year round! Well there you go - hardly the definitive guide to winter Carp fishing but hopefully a few pointers that might help those brave enough try to put a few fish in front of the camera. Good luck! 26.14 mirror in November - up 15% in it's summer weight

OK, Christmas passed near a month ago. A major cold snap has gripped the Northeastern states with sub zero temps for over a week, making open water carping, that we enjoyed the first 2 weeks of January all but a memory. The Charles River in Massachusetts is a unique fishery here in the northeast, as it is overrun with carp from 5-15lbs, similar to some southern, fertile waters. The major difference is that it freezes in the winter. I’ve been fishing one section of the Charles River (Boston/Cambridge Basin) for about a decade, but never really fished it after November, or before April. But, Jerome and Domm Mariano have fished this section with good success into December, setting up a memorable FFF session! Arriving early at the “WWD” (not so warm) on New Year’s Day, the location where we all “concluded” was going to be the only place to land carp at this time of the year. Water: 37 F. Most of the Basin is iced over. We were gonna have to work for fish. Around 1 pm, nothing has been biting. Domm gets the idea to give the Muddy River confluence a look (this is where Domm and Jerome did so well just a couple weeks prior). After a little persuading, 4 crazy NE carpers were off to the Muddy (Jerome, Vinny, Domm, and Bill), with 2 others, Chris and Bob, deciding against it. Making a long story short, we managed nearly 2 dozen carp to 13+lbs in 2 small openings in the ice in just about 3 hours! Water temp: 36 F!!! Could it be possible, ice fishing for carp? We surmised that this was basically just that, and it was a plan to successfully attempt it here, soon. Myths of winter carp shattered. The author of the article with a nice mirror carp. I and many other hardcore, cold climate carpers have fished to varying degrees throughout the long winters, we have to in many cases or acute carpless psychosis sets in. One well believed myth is that carp are attracted to the deepest water during the cold winters (once water dips below 39 F). Over the last 4-5 years, I have personally caught many big carp (from big fish waters) in very shallow water, even during the dead of winter, so I “knew” this wasn’t always the case. I was still surprised there were so many actively feeding carp here at the Muddy, where its only 5’ deep even 100 yds from shore! The next 2 weeks, temps stayed mostly above freezing, enabling me to account for over 100 carp to 24lbs! Water staying mostly around 39 F, the carp continued to be attracted to this confluence. End of January saw a major cold snap here in the NE, totally shutting off any attempt to open water fish. It wasn’t until the first weekend in February that gave us our opportunity to attempt the “undone”, ice fishing for carp! Now I can’t say it has never been attempted, as there have been catches of carp through the ice, I even managed 2 small fish from a tiny local pond one March. But the importance of this endeavor would be substantial: actual planned ice carping! Vinny's rod gets a bite Fran Slasinski, Vinny Jeffreys, Jerome, and myself were ready. Fran and I have been ice fishing for other species for many years (Fran more), Vinny has been out with me many times, but Jerome had never ice fished. First things first, how to tackle hole cutting. These, while smallish carp, are still big fish and standard 6-8” holes just weren’t gonna fly. Fran surmised that his hand held 6” auger would do well if 3 holes were cut in a triangle shape and the centers cut out with a hand chisel. This made sense. We cut the first 4 holes close to where the action was best during open water, in about 4-5’ of water. Ice was OK, about 7-10” thick, which isn’t bad considering this is a river. I had no traps (type, tips, leans, whatever one calls them), as mine were in NH with my father, so a small rod and reel would do for Vinny and I. Fran cut 2 more holes and had 3 jigging rods (you’re allowed 5 lines through the ice here in MA) and a pair of “type”. The holes were chummed and Vinny stays close to shore and manages a hook-up on corn! Oh no… lost it….but we’re pumped! Well, nothing for the next hours or so…then Vinny’s shallow hole scores. Vinny is fighting it with a semi-long rod, and awkwardly lands an 8-9lb common. Success at last! After about half an hour, Vinny had to go feed the meters, and Jerome took over his rod watching duties. Guess what…another hit on his hot rod, Jerome lands a 5lb range common! Meanwhile, Fran had several flags on his traps, but none materialized more that just a short chew-n-screw, leading our forward thinkers to surmise that the slight tension of the flag tripping device caused the finicky carp to drop the bait. So, open bails we go…..I managed to hook up with 3 fish and land 2 nice mirrors in 6lb range this way! Again, a few other flags, no fish…we HAD to be right…right? Not too bad for our first time exclusively targeting carp through the ice, 2 commons and 2 mirrors! Gaeton Dragone fights a carp as father Mike looks on. Fran, being a bit snakebitten but a true ice warrior, was back the next day to even better results: he managed at least 4-5 carp to over 10lbs, with at least 2 on traps! We weren’t so right afterall, they would take if aggressive enough. Moreover, before the ice left for good, Mike Dragone and Son Gaeton from CT both managed their ice carp! So much learned, only to realize so much we don’t know about our friends below the ice…let me explain. Work in progress Now that we have “proven” carp can be targeted through the ice, what now? What do we really know? First and most important, we KNOW carp in any water have to be found in winter. We knew this to a point, anyone who fishes open water in winter realizes how tough it is until you find where they winter. Once found, however, they seem to school tightly, making them much easier than once though to catch during the big chill. We also surmise that, though open water in winter they can be very active, they were much less active once the ice covered the water. Even in the same locale as open water. I personally believe the lack of oxygen transfer during ice cover has a lot to do with this. They do move and feed, even in the harshest weather, but once ice covers the water, the carp seem to slow even for winter. A carp is "born" through the ice. We can, from open water winter experience, assume stable and warming weather has a positive impact on feeding carp in winter. This is usually the case, but we just don’t know if it makes a big difference under the ice. What about depth? Well, the old adage that carp are only found in deep water in winter is not always true. What then attracted them to this shallow confluence? Well, it could be as simple as an outflow of what seems like run-off water from the city. Only a couple degrees difference, seemed to attract them to such shallow water and stay aggressive even during that cold spell. We can also assume that a target water should have an abundance of carp in it, as waters with few carp are very tough to find in winter. Plus, lack of competitiveness would have a negative effect on winter carp feeding. The Charles has an overabundance of fish, therefore they have to feed more aggressively in the coldest water to survive. Vinny Jeffreys with his catch. What else? What will the winter of 2005, 2006 bring? First winter 20? New records for CAG members? The current ice fishing records from the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame list a 31lb fish for their jigging rod record, and but a 7lb 15ozer for their tip up record. At least the tip record can and should be beat. This might be the last carping frontier! Ice fishing for carp, is there any other way for us northerners to survive a long winter without picking up a bowling ball?