News and events
Welcome to Illinois Carp Fishing News!
Welcome! This website is dedicated to providing current information about organized carp fishing and catch-and-release carp fishing events in Illinois. I will be happy to include news and announcements about all carping endeavors, including 
events sponsored by CAG, the WCCL, the MWCL, the JTF40CL, the MCAA, and any others. I will also post news of individual carp fishing achievements. Just e-mail me, or PM me on the Illinois Carp Fishing NEWS message board or on the CAG site. I look forward to hearing from you, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to share with you Illinois carp fishing news. --Dr. Frank Rink
Click here for past, archived editions of Illinois Carp Fishing NEWS!
Click here for results and photos from Illinois and Midwest carp fishing events since 2007!
Milwaukee finally lives up to expectations on January 22
Although no really big fish were caught, the four anglers representing Group C at the January 22, 2012 Midwest Winter Carp League captured 21 fish weighing nearly 230 pounds.
Every participant caught at least four fish. Mirek Malej from peg 1 recorded seven carp weighing 78-9 for five points and first place on the day. Marcin Szydlowski was close behind from peg 5 with 6 carp at 68-15 and the session’s big fish at 16-2. Frank Rink (41-13 total weight at peg 2) and Ernest Kolodziejczyk (40-3 total weight at peg 3) each had four fish for 3rd and 4th place. Luke Wegiel was a no-show.
Around noon, all four anglers had a fish on the line at the same time, and all four carp were landed (see photo below).
Group D will finish out the first half of the League on January 29th. Perhaps, Milwaukee is finally “heating up.” Below in a summary of peg performance at the 2012 Winter Carp League to date.—F. Rink
Click here for a bigger, more readable chart.
Click here for Midwest Winter Carp League website and more information!
Dr. Paul Pezalla featured in Sun-Times article
Illinois' and, probably, the country's pre-eminent carp angler, Dr. Paul Pezalla, was recenty featured in a January 18th Chicago Sun-Times article written by outdoor editor Dale Bowman!
Paul's recent accomplishment of maintaining a streak of 12 years (144 straight months) of catching a carp in the Chicago area was highlighted, and specifics were shared about his January 2012 catch under the constraints of undergoing rotator cuff surgery.
Congratulations, Paul! Your persistence, commitment, and dedication to carp angling and your continual support of activities and events throughout the country are truly admirable. Thank you for all you do! --F. Rink
Click here to access the article
Milwaukee gets slightly better on January 15
The quality increased although quantity was still disappointing at the January 15th session involving Group B of the Midwest Winter Carp League at Milwaukee. Only seven fish were caught, but they exceeded 111 pounds.
Peg 1 continued to be the place to be as Tracy Jourdan caught three fish averaging 20 pounds each and easily took the five points for the session.
Greg Zaliszewski (peg 4) and Slawek Babiarz (peg 5) waged a tough battle. Each caught two fish and both had about 25 pounds. Greg, however (pictured below with a nice 16-14 mirror), edged out Slawek for the 2nd place honors by a few ounces. Tom F. blanked from a difficult peg 2.
Peg performance at Milwaukee continues to be somewhat consistent (consistently bad for some) with few exceptions. Peg 1 is the "honeyhole," for it has produced the session winner for six of the ten outings, and it was not utilized for one of those ten sessions. Peg 2 can tout the other four session winners, but it has produced blank sessions at two of its last three sessions. Peg 3 has become better than it was in the past, but it has been tough to catch anything there over 10 pounds. Peg 4 has the distinction of serving up the most blank sessions (5 of the 8 times it was fished), although it has produced three carp in the last two sessions. Peg 5 is hit and miss, and if one does catch, he can usually count on one or two fish in the 10 to 12 pounds range. --F. Rink
Click here for Midwest Winter Carp League website and more information!
Midwest Winter Online Carp Contest is in full swing!
Carp entries are rolling in on nearly a daily basis as nice January weather and a nicer bite have put both anglers and fish on the bank for the 2012 Midwest Winter Online Carp Contest.
The contest runs from January 1st, 2012 through March 31st, 2012. However, the event is separated into three, big-4, monthly contests running in January, February, and March. There is also a big fish contest that runs the span of the three months.
The entry fee is only $10 total for all four contests. Money should never be a big incentive for entering a carp fishing contest, but the $10 will provide some small prizes for the winners. You can submit your entry to me via paypal, regular mail, or in person. All money from entries will be used for prizes. I will not keep any of it for "administrative" fees. Prizes will be distributed promptly to the winners! Good luck!
John Cachel (pictured below with a 23-0) has probably been our most active angler in the contest, and his results show it. --F. Rink
Click here for pics of every carp submitted for the contest and for up-to-the-minute contest standings.
Another slow Sunday at Milwaukee on January 8th
Successful tournament angler Mike Olinger (pictured below right) is probably right. He contends that a structured tournament setting like the Milwaukee Winter Carp 
League with assigned pegs and a finite time to catch is much more difficult and a better test of ability than a contest like the Midwest Winter Online Carp Contest. In the online contest, anglers can hand-pick their honeyholes and fish as much as they can or wish. I would tend to agree with Mike, especially after comparing recent results of the Winter League with results of the Winter Online Contest.
After a three week hiatus, the Midwest Winter Carp League returned to Milwaukee for a Group A session on January 8th. Despite the break and lack of fishing pressure since a week before Christmas, the venue only gave the five anglers four total fish for the day. Henryk Burza pulled in a nice 20-5 (pictured below) from peg 2 to take first place honors for the day. Matthew Bryja, fishing from peg 1, captured a 12-10 for second place and four points. He was followed by Ed Montgomery (12-0 from peg 3), Andy Burnagiel (9-4 from peg 4), and Rodolfo Garcia (no fish from a difficult peg 5).
Getting back to Mike’s argument, anglers fishing in the Winter Online Contest have had much better solo sessions in Milwaukee within a stone’s throw of the Winter League venue. Individuals have had sessions of multiple fish (up to 26 in a session) and many 20 pounders (I believe 10 or more in the past three weeks). With no competition around you, it appears less difficult to catch some nice fish in quantity.
In a structured session with assigned pegs, you must compete with the baits and tactics of other anglers in close proximity to you, so the emphasis is placed on getting fish to come to you rather than to a competitor. You rely on either a lucky peg draw or more attractive bait, more effective rigs, fewer hook-pulls, etc.
In a contest such as the current Midwest Winter Online event, the winner will most likely be determined by the angler who (1) finds a location that holds big fish and (2) is most persistent in fishing the hours needed to win.
No matter what your preference, and even if you prefer not to compete in any kind of organized contest,carp still pull hard. It's a nice little pastime. Good luck! —F. Rink
Here's an update on peg performance at the Milwaukee Winter Carp League to date:
Click here for Midwest Winter Carp League website and more information!
Illinois leads the nation at CAG First Fishing Folly on January 1
With the best weather occurring at midnight and temperatures quickly dropping after that with cold rain, 30 to 50 mph winds, and finally snow, it was a wonder that any Illinois anglers caught carp at the Carp Anglers Group First Fishing Folly (FFF) on January 1. But catch they did! In addition, Illinois carpers led the nation with 17 active participants.
I am aware of Illinois CAG members fishing in six different locations on New Years Day:
1.
Dr. Laura and Paul Scott (pictured below) at Sangchris Lake near Springfield.
2. John Cachel (pictured below) at the Chicago River North Branch.
3. Darren and Shari Calver, Tracy Jourdan, Dan Ramir, and Adam Charns at the Chicago River, Lincoln Ave. (Dan, Adam, and Darren pictured below).
4. Marcin Szydlowski at the Menomenee River in Milwaukee
5. Cory Bohmann, Danny Hanson, and Mike Miller with friends and nephews at the DesPlaines River in Joliet (Bicentennial Park).
6. Mike Olinger, Larry Seeman, and Frank Rink at the DesPlaines River in Joliet (Jackson St.).
Here are some highlights:
Thirteen anglers, nationwide, made the "2012 CAG Hall of Fame" (catch a carp between midnight and 6:00 a.m.), and Illinois had six of them, leading the nation in numbers. Names are followed by their national placement in "first fish caught" standings and the time of catch: Larry Seeman (2nd, 12:10 a.m.), Frank Rink (3rd, 12:39 a.m.), Danny Hanson (5th, 12:54 a.m.), Mike Olinger (7th, 1:35 a.m.), Dan Ramir (8th, 1:59 a.m.), Darren Calver (13th, 5:59 a.m.).
Larry Seeman caught the first Illinois fish at 12:10 a.m (pictured above) and placed second overall in the nation, having caught his fish only five minutes after the winner.
Dr. Laura and Paul Scott were the most persistent, spending 16 hours at a lake. They managed two fish.
From a pure numbers perspective, Mike Olinger (pictured below) did well with 20 fish and 101+ pounds. Frank Rink caught 16 carp for 114+ pounds to win the CAG Emperor Award for high total weight at FFF 2012.
Some nice sized fish were caught by Marcin Szydlowski (22-7), Dan Ramir (22-4, 21-12), Tracy Jourdan (20-12 pictured below), John Cachel (20-7), Darren Calver (18-12), Cory Bohmann (17-8), Frank Rink (17-2), and Mike Olinger (14-10).
Most importantly, the Illinois carpers enjoyed a safe New Years Day enjoying the pleasant pastime of carp fishing.—F. Rink
2012 CAG Calendar delivered to most by January 1
I was happy to see the 2012 CAG Calendar in the hands of most members of the Carp Anglers Group prior to or just after Christmas. As designer and editor of the calendar, I had to hustle to get the final version of the calendar to the printer by the end of November. I thought the end product turned out well. If the project continues next year, I doubt that I will have to beg for pictures, although, with the few pictures that were submitted this year, I had the opportunity to feature Illinois and midwest carpers.
Thanks to CAG President Andy Sprinkle for having the idea and for asking me to put the calendar together. Thanks, also, to those who submitted photos and baiting recipes. Despite the simplicity of a calendar layout, this project took many hours to complete, so I was happy with the final publication. --Frank Rink
Final Results: 2011 J-Town Fall 40s Carp League concludes its season on December 17th
A deluge that dumped three inches of rain on Joliet, Illinois in midweek followed by a 30 degree drop in temperature from Thursday to Saturday played a little havoc with our carping expectations at the 2011 J-Town Fall 40s Carp League’s final session on December 17th. Only 22 fish weighing 150 pounds were recorded on a day that started with falling snow and a wind chill of 16°.
Jim Rink, however, easily took session honors and 8 league points with 9 carp weighing in excess of 82 pounds. Jim also recorded the day’s big fish with a 20-1 (pictured above), and his winning captures moved him from fourth to third in the final league standings. Dennis Davis followed with 39 pounds of carp and 7 points for second place on this particular Saturday. Dennis was followed in the daily standings by Frank Rink, Cory Bohmann, and Tracy Jourdan.
This was the eighth and final session of the 2011 league. Final league standings are as follows:
First - Frank Rink - 61 points (146 fish - 992-14; won trophy, medal, and $320)
Second - Mike Olinger - 47 points (114 fish - 708-1; won trophy, medal, and $240)
Third - Jim Rink (pictured below, center) - 37 points (51 fish - 357-3; won trophy, medal, and $160)
Fourth - Cory Bohmann (pictured below, right) - 35 points (69 fish - 402-5; won medal)
Fifth - Rafal Stec - 27 points (23 fish - 192-12; won medal)
Sixth - Dennis Davis (pictured below, left) - 26 points (33 fish - 185-10; won medal)
Seventh - Tracy Jourdan - 18 points (26 fish - 197-2)
Eighth - Larry Seeman - 16 points (29 fish - 214-5)
League's Big Fish - Frank Rink (21-13; won trophy, medal, and $100)
.
In addition, weekly big fish pots of between $50 and $80 were won throughout the series by Mike Olinger (2), Larry Seeman (2), Tracy Jourdan (1), Frank Rink (1), Cory Bohmann (1), and Jim Rink (1).
Huge thanks to all participants. League anglers caught 491 carp weighing 3,251 pounds during the eight-session series. Joliet continues to produce! The third season of the J-Town Fall 40’s Carp League is only 258 days away as of 12/17/11. --F. Rink
Click here for final stats, standings, photos, and more at the J-Town Fall 40's Carp League Website!
Midwest Winter Carp League provides some warm water on December 18th, but the fishing still hasn’t heated up to 2010-11 levels
Group D was met with steaming, warmer water at its 
December 18th session at the Midwest Winter Carp League’s Milwaukee venue. Ioan “Jacob” Iacob had his choice of pegs, and, based on his performance last year at the peg, it came as no surprise that Jacob took #5. The random peg draw that followed had Kris Motwicki at #1, Rafal Stec at #2, and Mike Olinger at #3. D.J. Messman was a no show for the second straight time.
Mike Olinger caught the first recordable fish of the day, a 9-15. It was followed by a six pounder, but any fish under eight pounds is not allowed in this league. Kris Motwicki landed an eight pounder from peg 1 to narrow the gap. However, Mike countered with a 13-1 from peg 3. He also caught a 6-14 that, of course, would not be counted. That was the state of affairs at the 11:00 a.m. half-way mark of the session.
The catch rate got only slightly better during the second half of the day. The highlight was a new league leading big fish of 23 pounds captured by Kris Motwicki. His peg 1 produced several fish during the afternoon, although many were sub-8's. Nevertheless, Kris finished the day with three more recordable fish, making it four on the day for almost 47 pounds and first place. Mike Olinger added one to his two fish morning total to earn the 4 points for second place and 32 pounds out of peg 3. Ioan "Jacob" Iacob took third place from peg 5 with two fish and 20 pounds. Rafal Stec blanked at peg 2. Totals for the day saw anglers catching nine fish weighing about 100 pounds.
Two of six sessions are now completed for all four Winter Carp League groups. Kris Motwicki has a perfect 10 points and leads the league. Ed Montgomery and Marcin Szydlowski are bunched for 2nd and 3rd with nine points each. Mike Olinger is fourth with eight points, and Frank Rink rounds out the top five of 20 anglers with seven points.
The League will take a two weekend break for the Holidays, and Group A will return to Milwaukee on January 8. –F. Rink
Click here for Midwest Winter Carp League website and more information!
Tri-State Area provides a wealth of outstanding carping opportunities
Carp anglers in the Tristate (Illinois Indiana Wisconsin) Region have a unique opportunity to fish in four different leagues at varying times through the year at varied locations under varied conditions.
The leagues are as follows (as of the 2011 season):
The J-Town Fall 40’s Carp League held at Joliet, Illinois’ DesPlaines River at Bicentennial Park. The league is held from September through December with 8 sessions. Sessions generally take place twice a month on Saturdays.
The Windy City Carp League held at various venues in the Chicago area (in 2011, Lincoln Park Rowing Lagoon, Jackson Park Harbor, Montrose Harbor, Chicago River at Sun-Times, and Diversey Harbor). The league is held from May through September with 10 sessions. In 2011, sessions took place once a month on a Saturday and Sunday.
The Hoosier Carpers Tournament Trail held at various venues throughout the state of Indiana (in 2011, Brookville Lake, Maizo Canal, White River, Bixler Lake, St. Joseph River, Monroe Lake). The league is held from April through October with 6 sessions. In 2011, sessions took place about once a month on a Saturday.
The Midwest Winter Carp League held at Milwaukee Wisconsin’s Menomenee River at the Harley Davidson Museum. The league is held from October through April with 6 sessions. Four separate groups of 5 anglers fish once a month on Sundays (that means the venue is fished on four Sundays each month).
A quick analysis of fishing results at these venues shows some interesting results.
JTF40CL League, Joliet, IL: Sessions-8; Total Fish Caught- 491; Total Weight- 3,251 lbs.; Average Weight- 6-10
WCCL League, Chicago, IL: Sessions-10; Total Fish Caught-219; Total Weight-2,417 lbs.; Average Weight - 11-1
HCTT League, Indiana: Sessions-6; Total Fish Caught-233; Total Weight-1,434 lbs.; Average Weight - 6-2
Milwaukee League, Milwaukee, WI: Sessions-7 so far; Total Fish Caught-50; Total Weight-593 lbs.; Average Weight - 11-14
For sheer numbers and total weight, Joliet easily leads all leagues with 491 fish caught and a total weight of 3,251 pounds in just 8 sessions of between 5 and 8 anglers at each session.
Chicago has a nice mix of numbers, weight, and average. Results are often varied because we move to a different venue each month.
The Indiana league provides the most eclectic of venues. Results can also vary. For example, the White River event saw 136 fish weighing 850 pounds while the Bilxler Lake event produced 4 fish weighing 26 pounds.
The Milwaukee League has a high average, but that is due to the fact that fish under 8 pounds are not counted. It usually produces well, but 2011 has been hit and miss so far.
The comparisons are not intended to rank the leagues, but rather to show the opportunities that we have in this region. --F. Rink