The August issue of Angling Trade Magazine is out and has an interesting article about the prospects of a carp tournament circuit. The article mentions a few top potential locations, including California’s Lake Henshaw, the existing “Carp Slam” on the South Platte, the Bighorn and our very own Beaver Island — an area that Kirk Deeter, editor-at-large for Field & Stream, is now saying is just off the “Carpatan Peninsula.”
I’ve been hearing this carp tournament talk for a while now and just haven’t been able to swallow the thought of a bunch of cocky dudes with patches on their shirts and stickers on their boats making a mess of such a perfect place.
But if this tournament idea takes off — and it just might — it may very well end up on Beaver Island whether I, or the island for that matter, supports it or not. So possibly it is better to steer this idea in the most positive direction.
If Beaver Island ends up being part of a carp tournament trail, I think it would be the perfect place for the championship. Those that qualify would be invited to Beaver Island for the “Masters.” But the timing for this would also have to be perfect.
We don’t want pros there in May, June or July, when shots are often endless and easy. We need this in August, a time when finding fish is almost a tough as catching them. Success for Beaver Island carp in August requires going deep or going home, and anything short of perfect is failure.
Beaver Island in August could certainly put the best to the test.
You can read Kirk’s article here, page 24-30.
