{"id":1373,"date":"2025-09-16T18:36:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T23:36:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carpanglersgroup.com\/main\/?p=1373"},"modified":"2026-02-17T11:13:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T16:13:09","slug":"get-to-know-the-usa-carp-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carpanglersgroup.com\/main\/2025\/09\/16\/get-to-know-the-usa-carp-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Get to Know the USA Carp Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n
\n

Get to Know the USA Carp Team \u201cI want to say I spent 700-800 hours over the next two years visiting the major tournaments that were in play at that point. I spent a lot of time looking at folks with the eye of a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

– Lee Young, Team Founder<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

\u201cMy ambition is simple but big: I want tohelp Team USA achieve our best ever result at\u00a0the World Championships. Personally, I aim to fish with discipline, consistency, and\u00a0intensity so that I can contribute as much as possible to the team effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

– Rafal Wlazlo,\u00a0Team Member<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019d like to emphasize most is the dedication of this team. Every angler, coach,\u00a0and leader is putting in countless hours of work and training to make sure we\u2019re fully\u00a0prepared for the World Championships. It\u2019s a massive commitment, but it\u2019s one we all\u00a0embrace with pride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

-Rafal Wlazlo, Team Member<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve all gone through [a lot] these years to even be able to compete. It\u2019s rough being\u00a0the way-underfunded underdog, the furthest from the competition every year, which\u00a0makes practice at the venue next to impossible. The teamis, however, cohesive, full of\u00a0unbelievable talent, and most of all, HEART!\u201d<\/p>\n\n

– Christine Simpson, Team Captain<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

In a country where carp fishing is barely acknowledged by the wider fishing industry and authorities, the fact we have an established national carp fishing team feels pretty miraculous.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Though I\u2019ve seen odd references to the USA Carp Team over the years, I think it\u2019s fair to say they haven\u2019t done the best job in the past of communicating their story. It probably doesn\u2019t help that the one tournament the team is laser-focused on each year\u2014the FIPSed Carp Fishing World Championship\u2014is usually held thousands of miles away in Europe.<\/p>\n\n

With the 2025 tournament scheduled to take place in Croatia between September 17 and 20, and a re-energized Carp Team heading over to battle more than 30 other nations, including many of the best tournament carp anglers in the world, I wanted to find out more about the team, the World Championship, and what it means to represent your country as a carp angler.<\/p>\n\n

Background<\/h2>\n\n

What is the FIPSed Carp Fishing World Championship?<\/h3>\n\n

FIPSed or the International Federation of Freshwater Sportfishing is a French body that sets the rules for international freshwater fishing competitions. It was formed in 1972 and covers several freshwater fishing disciplines. The first Carp Fishing World Championship grew out of earlier tournaments, but officially dates from 1999. National teams enter six anglers, who fish in pairs within different sections for a continuous 72 hours. Like other international competitions, there are strict rules about anglers leaving their assigned peg, the tackle and baits that can be used, unsportsmanlike conduct, and even anti-doping tests.<\/p>\n\n

Each pair is fishing against the other nation pairs in that section, and cumulatively against each nation across the tournament. The World Championship literally attracts teams from all over the globe and has developed into the carp fishing equivalent of soccer\u2019s World Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

The Championship is scored based on \u201cpenalty points,\u201d which isn\u2019t quite how it sounds. The section pair with the highest aggregate weight of carp gets a penalty point of 1; second highest in the section is awarded 2 points, and on down. Extra penalty points can be added for things such as rule infractions or blanking, so the competition is a real test of discipline and fishing to the very last moment. A carp only has to be over 1.5kg (3.3lbs) to weigh, so a shoal of smaller fish can be as valuable as a couple of trophies if you can catch consistently, though there is an award for the largest carp. At the end of 72 hours, the national team with the lowest combined number of penalty points wins the Championship.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Where is this year\u2019s venue?<\/h2>\n\n

The 25th Carp Fishing World Championship will be held September 17-20 across two large venues in Croatia, Lake Borovik and Lake Jo\u0161ava, near the city of \u0110akovo. To add an unknown element, teams won\u2019t know which of the two lakes they\u2019ll be fishing until just before the draw. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Section A<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Section B<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Section C<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

What is USAngling?<\/h2>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\n

USAngling is a non-profit devoted to promoting America\u2019s representation in competitive fishing events around the world. The USA Carp Team is organized through this body, along with teams focused on bass fishing, fly fishing, street fishing, and other fishing\u00a0disciplines, as well as some separate categories for juniors, seniors, and women\u2019s teams. Their major sponsor is Bass Pro Shops, a sign of the growing corporate interest in supporting America\u2019s competitive anglers. The fly fishing teams are multiple medal winners, and the bass team is advised by Kevin Van Dam, one of the most successful and respected bass anglers in history.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Who\u2019s in the USA Carp Team?<\/h2>\n\n

As well as the three pairs of anglers who actually compete, there are two alternate\/substitute anglers, and captains and coaches to handle the extensive preparation and logistics necessary to field a competitive team overseas.<\/p>\n\n