10th Annual Carp Fest
Friday, July 20th, 2012 -- 8:13 AM
-This Saturday is the one time of year when everyone wants to hook a carp.Hatfield?s 10th Annual Carp Contest is coming up on Lake Arbutus. It?s sponsored by the Hatfield Sportsman Club, and member Jerry Opelt says it's all about raising awareness about the pesky fish, and trying to get as many out of the lake as possible.
"There are a lot of carp on Lake Arbutus," Opelt states. "In fact, about two weeks ago, the Sportsmen's Club and the DNR went out to work on a shocking program and in one day, we took out about 2,000 carp. Finally, after all these years we're starting to control the population."
Anglers will remove several hundred, up to 1,100, carp on Saturday. Jerry said, ?They?re scavengers. They do a lot of damage to the lake floor.?
Over the years, Opelt has seen some big ones. The biggest Opelt has seen was nearly 3-feet long.
"About 34 inches. That would probably weigh in the neighborhood of seven or 8 pounds," he says. "Oh, they put up a big fight. If you're going to go fishing for the carp, you better have adequate tackle to do it."
He recommends 25-pound line and whole kernel corn for bait.
There are prizes awarded for the biggest and most carp, plus door prizes and a cash drawing.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.