Walleye Sunsets
Walleye Fishing on Lake Nipissing.
By Karl Kalonka
Ontario Carp Championship
Is Ontario the Carp fishing capital of the world?
If Ontario is indeed the "Carp Fishing Capital of the World" then why can’t the province compete on the world-stage level?
Well, the answer is a bit complicated and in this Fish’n Canada episode, we try to explain.
Enter the World Carp Classic, probably the richest freshwater fishing tournament in the entire universe. This event draws competitors from all over the globe and gives them a chance at great prizes, as well as a shot at the $1,000,000 plus first prize payout. Now THAT’S a fishing tournament!
With such a great name in the world of fishing, shouldn't Canada get that baby over here? In addition, with Ontario having a huge population of gigantic common carp (as well as a nice batch of Mirrors), it’s a no-brainer, right?
Well, get this people: the only thing holding back the World Carp Classic from venturing to this part of the world is what we call “the 1-rod rule” in our fishing regulations. In Ontario, shore anglers can legally only use one fishing rod at a time. Everywhere else globally, two or more rods are allowed. With the Carp Classic wanting to take full advantage of huge weights to obviously generate great viewing numbers, they will not run the event with one rod per angler. Now here is the kicker—the Ontario fishing regulations actually allow two rods per angler—as long as they are on the Great Lakes and in a boat offshore.
Wake up MNRF! This is revenue just waiting to happen!
So, if the Classic will not come to Canada, does that mean we can’t go there…no matter where it is?
The answer is no, according to Len Perdic, who, in our opinion, is Canada’s #1 Carp angler.
Len has taken on a huge project in organizing and starting Canada’s inaugural and hopefully annual Canadian Carp Championship. This event is essentially a qualifier for the world championships. That’s right—we can’t host the tournament, however, we can send participants—the next best thing.
The venue for the Canadian Classic was the St. Lawrence River in the Long Sioux / Upper Canada area—THE perfect water to hold such an event. The first reason it's perfect is that the carp population is incredible and, second, there is fantastic shore access to this great number of fish.
The Canadian Carp Classic lasted 53 hrs with 13 two-man teams competing. After many sleepless periods, Andrew Walker & Jarry Monohan ended up with a landslide win catching 105 carp for 1877 pounds! Can you believe that?
With that win, the Saint Marthe Sur la Lac duo earned a berth in the World Carp Classic.
How does this young team feel about how they will fare in the Classic?
“We have an idea as to what lake it will be on,” says Andrew. The location was kept secret at the time of writing this. “It’s a massive lake that fishes very differently than the rivers we fish here. We have the potential to do well. But no matter how we end up finishing, it will be the experience and expertise we gain after all is over that will ultimately put us in a winning situation.”
Best of luck to our optimistic Canadian entry.
In closing, we hope that this episode will open the eyes to Canadians, as well as the world, of just how positive and economically valuable a fish like the carp can be to a nation.
Ontario carp—they are classic!
SHOOT ACCOMMODATIONS:
We have to mention here one of the most unique facilities we have ever stayed in during a shoot. It’s called the Robins Roost Treehouse. Yes, that’s right—we had a treehouse for accommodations. However, this is not any ordinary backyard kid's treehouse. As you can see from the pictures, it's even nicer than most cottages. It is brand new, modern, very functional and, above all, spotless!
If the treehouse happens to be booked, the cabins are a great second choice. Check out the link below.
The Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Robins Roost Treehouse
SPECIAL THANKS:
- Parks of the St. Lawrence - www.stlawrenceparks.com
- St. Lawrence Parks Commission - www.parks.on.ca
- Len Perdic, Carp Fishing Expert, World Carp Classic Qualifying Organizer -lenperdic@gmail.com
Andrew Walker, Cast & Conquer - www.castandconquer.ca
ADDITIONAL LINKS:
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