News archive -April and May, 2011
Welcome to Illinois Carp Fishing News!
Welcome! This website is dedicated to providing current information about organized carp fishing and 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 any 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
Illinoisans haul at Baldwinsville!
I delayed posting these congratulatory comments due to some unfounded rumors about the state of affairs at the Wild Carp Companies' Carp Week Classic held at Baldwinsville, NY in mid-May. As is the case with most gossip, nothing came of those false rumors, so I want to heartily congratulate Illinoisans Bogdan Bucur and Mihai Aciu (pictured above), who placed first in the tournament with 1500+ pounds of carp. Nice hauling!
Jacob Ioan and Istvan Gyori (pictured below) also did extremely well with a fifth place finish and nearly 950 pounds. Conditions were tough, but three of the four participants are alumni of the Midwest Winter Carp League, so they know how to handle adverse conditions. Huge congrats to Bogdan, Mihai, Jacob, and Istvan! --F. Rink
May 21-22 Windy City Carp League results! 
The May 21 and 22 session of the Windy City Carp League at the Lincoln Park Rowing Lagoon in Chicago did not produce as it has in the past, but there were some nice catches.
Over the two day session, 26 fish were caught, weighing 355+ pounds, and averaging 13 pounds, 11 ounces. Tracy Jourdan captured the big fish of the weekend, a 28-0 common (pictured above), followed closely by Marcin Sydlowski's 27-0 mirror (pictured below). Tracy also leads the Big 3 Division with a total of 59-11. Larry Seeman is 2nd (58-14) and less than a pound behind first. Dan Ramir is 3rd (54-2) and also leads the Big 5 Division (68-2).
Zhelko Genev won the May 21 total weight pot (50-4), and Larry Seeman won the May 22 total weight pot (42-11). Tracy Jourdan (Saturday - 28-0) and Marcin Szydlowski (Sunday - 27-0) won the big fish pots.
The weather was decent and the fishing was fun, even though the bite was not the typical lagoon haulfest. The weather and water conditions have resulted in a spawning cycle schedule that has been delayed three to four weeks, and that factor adversely affected the bite.
Specific totals and standings with pictures can be found on the WCCL 2011 website (link below). The next session of the Windy City Carp League is June 11 and 12 at Jackson Park Harbor.--F. Rink
Click here for league standings, rules, results, and photos.
Hoosier Carpers Tournament Trail: A class act!
I usually don’t do very well when I enter an event in the Hoosier Carpers Tournament Trail series, and I often blank; but, still, the series is extremely well organized, always enjoyable, and very angler friendly. The talents and efforts of Jim Donlan, I believe, are primarily
responsible for the series that we, in other states, would do well to emulate. We would all be hard pressed to match his generosity of time and money with his door prizes, trophies, and box lunches. He has also nurtured an outstanding group of lieutenants who know the format and can fill in admirably on a moment’s notice. In addition, results are posted almost immediately, and standings, photos, and commentary are continually updated on the Indiana Carp Talk Forum. Of course when a series becomes this popular, the ever-present peg draw becomes a bigger factor relative to one's chances for success, as 40 to 50 anglers have to be squeezed into some venues that can get a bit tight. Then again, when doesn’t peg draw factor into a competitive situation? We can all learn many lessons from the Hoosier Carpers Tournament Trail. It is truly a class act! --F. Rink
Click here for a link to information about the 2011 Hoosier Carpers Tournament Trail and to Indiana Carp Talk.
May 7 CAG Fish-in is nicely organized (except for the time parameters)
The Rowing Lagoon in Chicago's Lincoln Park did not 
live up to prior billing, but the event was well organized by Dan Ramir with an assist from Paul Wells. Newcomers Don (pictured at right) and Ryan fished the vaunted "pipe" and each caught two fish on a day when fish just weren't very hungry.
Other attendees were "regulars" Dan R., Paul W. (big fish winner at 21-15 pictured below), Larry S., Branko K., Fred R., Skip O., Mike O., Tracy J., and Frank R.
Twelve or thirteen fish were caught under cloudy but pleasant skies. Thanks to sponsors Wacker Bait and Tackle, World Classic Baits, and Windy City Carp league for their donations of fish-in prizes!
In light of the fact that Illinois fish-ins are few and far between (and I hope their frequency increases), I would suggest increasing the time frame of these gatherings. This isn't a matchfishing event, and having the get-together end at 1:00 p.m. does a disservice to many who have to drive some distance to support CAG and attend the event. It also decreases the opportunities to socialize and get to know the newcomers. If people get tired, they can leave at any time; but to send us home at mid-day is illogical.
Thanks, though, for giving us some opportunity to fish in a group without being in a competitive situation.--Frank Rink
Cold water keeps pigs hidden at April 23rd Easter Pig Hunt in Chicago
The Rowing Lagoon at Chicago's Lincoln Park can be a 
tremendous venue for big carp and lots of fish during the spring and early summer. Such was not the case at the April 23rd Easter Pig Hunt Carp Tournament. Although the day was pleasant with a high close to 60, the blustery and rainy days prior to the tournament had water conditions cold and fishing conditions difficult for the 14 anglers who participated.
This was a Big Three tournament, but the only angler who caught three fish was Mike Olinger. His 14-6, 13-6, and 13-2 from peg 14 won Mike the $140 top prize, and his seven total fish also won the $50 total weight pot.
Frank Rink, at peg 10, took the $140 big fish pot with a 24-3 and added a 10-6 for second place in the Big Three division.
13-year-old Lintaro Kajiwara caught the first fish of the day, a 13 pounder from peg 16. He added a 10-0 later to take third place in the tournament.
Other notable catches included a nice 22 pounder for Cory Bohmann (Pictured below). Andy Burnagiel had a 14-4, Daniel Szorc caught a 13-3, Teo Chankov pulled in a 7-6, and Larry Seeman weighed a 6 pounder.
Click here for a video of Cory's catch of his 22 pounder!
As a CAG fundraiser, anglers had the opportunity to buy additional peg-draw tickets at $1 per ticket. $76 was generated and donated to CAG. Thanks to our generous participants!
Special thanks to the following for coming to the event:
Mike Olinger (peg 14), Rob Gutierrez (peg 8), Dan Ramir (peg 20), Teo Chankov (peg 13), Frank Rink (peg 10), Andy Burnagiel (peg 4), Tracy Jourdan (peg 1), Cory Bohmann (peg 2), John Glusak (peg 6), Larry Seeman (peg 3), Munenori Kajiwara (peg 17), Lintaro Kajiwara (peg 16), Daniel Szorc (peg 6), and Paul Scott (peg 19).
I only wish the carp fishing and the water conditions had been better.--F. Rink
Click here for tournament results and photos!
Final Results--2010-11 Midwest Winter Carp League at Milwaukee
Twenty anglers fishing monthly in weekly, rotating five man groups from November 2010 through April 2011 have completed the Midwest Winter Carp League. It was an enjoyable six months at Milwaukee, but the winter weather and changing water conditions definitely tested our gear, our stamina, our baits, and our patience.
The city was a surly and uncooperative host at Group D’s “Farewell to Milwaukee” get-together on April 17. A full moon, spring weather, 50 degree water, and high hopes had all of us optimistic as we drew pegs for this final session of the 2010-11 league. Frank R. drew peg #1, Ernest K. picked #2, Luke B. grabbed #3, and Henry B. chose peg #5.
As all of us have quickly learned, the venue can be a fickle fox, and Group D could not coax the Menomenee River to give up many carp on this particular day. High winds and a high sky may have contributed to our woes. The water was also dirtier than usual, due, probably, to rain, snow, and heavy winds from days prior. Frank managed to capture a 9-12 fairly early in the day and an 11-4 at 1:30, but that was the extent of Group D’s carp catching success.
Despite the results on this particular day, the Milwaukee venue was outstanding this year, yielding 438 fish weighing over 5,600 pounds. Keep in mind, also, that all recordable carp had to weigh at least eight pounds!
Some huge carp were caught. In the big fish race, Frank Rink captured a 34-12 (pictured left) in late November to lead the way, followed closely by Tracy Jourdan (29-8), Ed Montgomery (28-10), Larry Hemmens (28-4), and Adam Holodok (28-1).
In the final league standings, Frank Rink was first with 27 points. Tom Falaszewski was second (23 points, 13.56 average weight), and Adam Holodok was third (23 points, 13.52 average weight). Ed Montgomery (4th), Dan Ramir (5th), and Andy Burnagiel (6th) finished next in line with 22 points each. Marcin Szydlowski (21 points), Mike Olinger (20), Lukasz Bober (19), and Istvan Gyori (17) rounded out the top ten or top half in the final standings.
As the 2010-11 league began, participants could potentially earn a perfect score of 30 points. In each of the six sessions, anglers received five points for a first place finish of high total weight, four for second, three for third, two for fourth, and one for fifth. If an angler blanked, he still received one point for attendance. A no-show received no points. Ties in league final points were broken by an angler's average weight of captured carp.
Huge thanks and kudos to Ernest Kolodziejczyk and Magdalena Ludwinska for hosting and organizing an outstanding league that gets better each year. Special thanks to the generous sponsors for their terrific prizes and support of the league. Congratulations, also, to all the participants for their commitment to winter fishing.
The awards ceremony/picnic was held April 30 at Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village, IL, where league winners received their prizes and attendees received additional carping goodies from our sponsors.
Frank Rink--1st--league standings and big fish
Tom Falaszewski--2nd--league standings.
Adam Holodok--3rd--league standings.
Due to the fact that luck of the peg draw had an impact on session outcomes, I'd like to see some kind of peg rotation established in the future. Better yet, let the angler lowest in the standings have his choice of pegs with the next lowest scoring angler choosing second, and so on. I sincerely hope the league continues, and I look forward to seeing many once again braving the weather and the conditions at Winter Carp League 2011-12.—Frank Rink
Click here for Midwest Winter League final results!
Results from April 16, 2011 Two Rivers ABC (All Big Carp) Tourney
It was an interesting day’s fishing for the eight hardy souls that braved the elements for the April 16, 2011 Trivers ABC at blustery Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The top-5 carp tournament served as a "qualifier" for the June 5-6, 2011 Wisconsin Carp Championships at Two Rivers.
Marcin Szydlowski emerged at the end of the day as the 2011 Trivers ABC Champion! Marcin, catching nearly all his fish from the far bank, fished from Peg 6, which was also last year’s winning peg. His best five weight was 87-9. His bite was conisistent all day with over 20 fish captured. Marcin also took home the Big Fish pot with a nice 23-15 (pictured immediately below).
Lee Young (pictured at lower right) finished in second place 
from peg 4 with a top 5 weight of 81-9, only six pounds off the lead. Lee also caught over 20 carp. He was followed by Rich Warosh (pictured below) from peg 5, who took third place with a bag of 5 weighing 67-10. Both Lee and Rich did very well with the Tiger Feeders invented by Lee!
Remaining anglers, in order of finish, were:
Andy Burnagiel (peg 8, 4th, 54-15)
Tyson Nolte (peg 3, 5th, 43-0)
D.J. Messman (peg 7, 6th, 21-10)
Lamar Senn (peg 2, 7th, 0-0)
Frank Rink (peg 1, 8th, 0-0).
Before the match, Lee raffled a 9 ft., 6 in. Avid Carp rod, the proceeds of which went to Match Team USA 2011, which he manages. Frank Rink was the fortunate winner of the rod. Good luck to the Team USA in the upcoming world championships.
The participants braved the worst that Wisconsin weather could throw at them, as we experienced high wind, muddy water, rain, sleet, and snow throughout the day. Nevertheless, we gave it our best shot and some beauties were caught in the 39° water. Thanks to Lee Young for hosting the event and to the city of Two Rivers for its spirited hospitality!—F. Rink/L. Young
Click here for more details about the event and related results!
Mike Olinger and Tracy Jourdan sweep top spots of J-Town Frozen 40’s Carp League
The tenth and final session of the 2010-11 edition of the J-Town Frozen 40’s Carp League was held on March 26, 2011 at Joliet’s Bicentennial Park in 30-degree weather.
March has not been kind to the participating anglers and our final session resulted in only 100 total pounds of fish.
Nevertheless, Mike Olinger (pictured left) held his commanding lead in the Total Weight Division, and he easily finished in first place with 724 pounds, eight ounces. Mike took the league lead at our first session, and he never looked back! For most of the series, his total carp weight doubled that of the second place angler.
Tracy Jourdan’s impressive 28 pounder, caught in late November, won
Tracy first place money in the Big Fish Division. In addition, Tracy caught a 17-11 (pictured right) at the March 26 session to win the Big 5 Division with 84+ pounds of carp. Tracy also won the 1st half Big Mirror (6-6) prize, and Mike won the 2nd half Big Mirror (11-3) prize. Both anglers won a K-1 baits package.
Cory Bohmann and Frank Rink, fishing next to each other in pegs 5 and 6, waged a day-long see-saw battle for 2nd and 3rd place. Cory landed a 5-7 and an 8-0 to take an 18-pound lead, but Frank netted an 18-3 (big fish of the day) to put both anglers within ounces of each other. Cory then added a near 6, but that was followed by an 11-5 for Frank for a second place victory: 400 pounds for Frank for 2nd in the league and 394 pounds for Cory (3rd).
We thank all anglers for their participation this
year. The J-Town Frozen 40’s Carp League resulted in 282 caught and released carp weighing 2,111 pounds. Next year’s league will be held in the fall featuring a point system and a peg system that allows the last place angler first choice of pegs. It should be fun! See you September 3rd!
Click here for information about the JTF40CL beginning September 3, 2011
Midwest Regional Online Winter Carp Contest is over! Marcin S. and Greg Z. are our winners
The Midwest Regional Onliine Winter Carp Contest is over.
Marcin Szydlowski (pictured left) was named the official winner by virtue of his 128+ pounds of carp he has recorded in the Big 5 contest. He was followed closely by Adam Holodok with 125+ pounds and Greg Zaliszewski (124+ pounds)! Greg (pictured below) was the winner of the Big Fish division with a huge 33-0. Congrats to Marcin and Greg!
The event, conceived and organized b
y Pawel Sander, concluded on February 28, 2011. Tournament details, photos of all submitted fish, entry information, rules, prizes, and final standings can be found on the contest website. Thanks to all for your participation! --F. Rink
Click here for contest photos, details and standings!