Our Angler of the Month for May is Zach Voelker, from Arizona! Zach is an all around great angler, advocate of the sport, and friend and member of the American Carp Society. He has been targeting those elusive carp in his home state, with the larger specimens that are known to be very challenging…and he doesn’t disappoint. Congratulations Zach on all of your recent captures and keep up the great work!
Click HERE to check out his insta page!
NOTABLE CAPTURES
We’re fortunate that we get to see the best carpy pictures from all over the USA from our members and friends. These photos below certainly caught our attention in the month of April. Congratulations to everyone on the success of their angling sessions this past month…We appreciate all your tags and mentions, and can’t wait to see what you guys and gals catch this coming Summer season! Don’t forget to tag us #americancarpsociety #jointheguiltyones and tag american_carp_society in your stories!
• Becca
• JC
2023 ACS WILD CARP CLASSIC
acs on channel 9 ny
PAUL & GINNY, our East Coast Tournament Directors on channel 9 NY....The 2023 WCC just around the corner!!
Click HERE to watch their interview!
keepnet for wcc
The 2023 ACS Wild Carp Classic will be updated LIVE in the new KEEPNET app. Check in with us from home or on the bank to watch the latest catches, leaderboard and pictures. This is a GREAT way to keep up with what’s going on!
The KEEPNET team has gone above and beyond in supporting us for this year's event - BIG THANKS for all of your hard work!
KEEPNET INSTRUCTIONS
To follow along on your desktop at home:
1. Go to www.keepnet.us
2. Click on ‘COMPETITIONS’ in the top menu bar.
3. Click on ‘VIEW ALL’ in the center search bar.
4. Click on the 2023 ACS Wild Carp Classic Icon.
5. You will see a full list of all teams.
To follow along on your phone:
1. Download the KEEPNET App from the app store.
2. On the bottom menu click the ‘Scan QR Code’
3. Scan this QR code with the phone.
4. You’re now in the app!
The 2023 ACS Wild Carp Classic is just a few days away…Please check out the latest updates on the ACS Instagram page, FB page, KEEPNET APP and ACS East Coast Tournaments page throughout the tournament.
A big thanks to all of our sponsors and companies that donated prizes for this special event.
Special recognition must go to:
Jonathan Bones of Solar Tackle Products in the UK
Lee Fenner of Treaty Oak Distilling
Rafal Wlazlo of Carp Angler.com
Rafal Cisowski of The Lake House CT.
Lorenzo Rosaci of Carp Bait USA
Keith Cisney of Proline Baits
Tamas Vegvari of Carpmaxx Baits
FINAL TEAMS
With the quality of photography rising amongst our members, we thought it only right to acknowledge some of the cool shots coming across our feed! Keep tagging us with the great lens work everyone…We love to see this from our members…Always leading the way in the US Carp World by pushing the boundaries of creativity and excellence!
Photograph By: Jeff Kramer
Photograph By: Jeff Kramer
Photograph By: Jeff Kramer
Photographs By: Zach Voelker
THIS MONTHS ACS FLY TYING - CARP MUTATION - WITH BRANDON TOURIGNY
Registration for Carp Slam XVII is now open. The first 15 amateurs to fundraise their entry fees lock in their spots in the competition this fall. (Tournament 9.16.23). Help us raise money for the restoration of the Denver South Platte River, and win some great prizes along the way.
For more info visit carpslam.org!
Despite the Weather
The weather plays a role in fishing, of course. But, the biggest impact the weather has is how we approach it. Does a little bit of rain keep you off the water? Why would you want to sit out in the cold? I found myself, too often, questioning whether or not I should spend my time fishing if the weather itself isn't really enjoyable. Perhaps I don’t want to be getting wet and standing in the rain. But, when you start to think about it, the fish are already wet and underwater, the rain itself does little to steer them away from the bite. In fact, sometimes it is quite the opposite. A fresh rain can flush down some nutrients and can even stir up the feeding. Some of the best fishing for carp can be done before, during, and after a good rain. But if you’re too concerned with the weather, you may not be thinking about the fishing. There are only so many days in the year we have the time to go out and fish. And it is guaranteed that not all of those days are going to be bluebird skies. In today's age, checking the weather can be done in seconds. And many times the weather may be unideal. But, the only way you won’t catch fish is by not going out.
Recently as spring has progressed, the weather has been all over the place. Days in the 80’s followed by days in the 40’s. Although the temps have been bipolar, the water temps have been on the rise steadily. That’s something to think about when the daily temps jump back and forth like a ping-pong ball. My eyes scanned the weather app on my phone, looking ahead to the weekend. The weekend ahead of me seemed like ideal boating conditions. I had planned to take my little jon boat that’s been converted into a carp boat out that weekend with a friend. Blue skies, mid 80’s, and in April. That sounds unreal. But, that still was a long ways away and of course it just so happened I had to work that day as well. I was sick of waiting for the weather to break. We just had some nice weather, and it immediately was followed by rainy days in the high 40’s. Now that’s pretty standard April weather in Western New York. But when you get a taste of those sunny days that break 70, those cold days feel so much colder. And because of that, fishing in the cold rain seemed that much more miserable. So like a buffoon on my only days off that week I was thinking about staying in. Unfortunately, I did so until I got a call from my brother. He had a little bit of free time and I wasn’t doing anything except waiting for the days to pass. He asked me if we wanted to try fishing for some carp. He hadn’t gone out for carp all year yet. I looked outside and saw a dull gray sky. I checked my phone, again, for the weather. Scattered showers, a little breezy, and a bit chilly at high 40’s to low 50’s during our time out. Adding to that, a downpour was coming in an hour or two. We’d have to manage the showers, and only had a small window before it really came down. He said, “Bundle up,” and I agreed to go with him for just a little bit.
It was windy. It was chilly, and it was damp. The water was high, even higher than after the melt because we have been getting so much rain. With the clouds, and the wind, and occasionally a sprinkle, the visibility was nearly zero in the water. The water was stained from all the rain, and the glare was absurd. The wind kept the surface disturbed. Our best chance of spotting carp had to become our stealth. We stalked the waters like heron, our long slender legs kept us positioned to strike when chance arose. We moved deliberately and cautiously. I remember thinking about how glad I was that I came after we both pulled in multiple carp. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the weather, the fishing that day turned out to be pretty good. The carp were moving slowly, but they were feeding.
When the day finally came that me and the friend were going to take the boat out I was ecstatic. I packed everything up the night before and was ready to go as soon as I got out of work. All I had to do was go home and pick up the boat. The sun felt magnificent, too hot for a pale body hidden by the winter skies for far too long. My excitement was boiling over by the time we hit the water. We scanned the lake, and not surprisingly, it was packed. Nice sunny warm weather on a weekend. Who would have guessed? Kayakers, boaters, and fishermen all along the banks. Although it was nice to see the people out, they were becoming a nuisance. I can’t blame them for getting out and enjoying the weather, that is exactly what we were doing as well. But that day, there were one too many kayakers that cut right in between us fishing and the shore. We spent the remaining hours of the day traveling along the lake searching for a secluded spot the carp may be. The usual spots were crowded and many carp had spooked away from the shallows. The weather made the day feel great still, and we began soaking up rays and seeing what birds we may find migrating through our town. At the end of the day we had only seen a handful of carp. We casted at a few but had honestly found ourselves enjoying the weather like the rest of the people on the lake. We left empty handed for carp, but landed a few different kinds of panfish and a few bass.
It was funny to me how reluctant I was to not go fishing based on the weather and the day with, I’d say ideal weather, turned out to be the day where no carp were caught. Of the two, neither day was a bad day. Each day was good on its own. But if I hadn’t gone fishing in the cold, gloomy skies, I would’ve caught any carp that week and I find that funny. You need to get out there on some of those poor weather days. It makes you a much better angler in the long run. Practicing in windy conditions will improve your cast. Those cold tough days will help you find the fish, and develop more patterns for your water. The weather should not always hold you back. There will be a day where you have planned a trip that you are so excited for, and you won't want to cancel just because of the weather.
PRE - ORDERS FOR MAY COMING FOR THE NEW BARNABY - SQUATCH T
This is something special…A unique partnership with the great Matt Zudweg of Boneyard Fly Gear! Together we bring you the Barnaby and Carp Squatch - T!
Available in 3 colors both male and female. This unique design is only available through this pre-order MAY 2023 and will not be duplicated!
Our planet and resources are precious to us all...and as U.S Carp Anglers and stewards of our waterways, we are happy to announce that our 2023 ACS SQUATCH T is helping with the cause. Both the EARTHY BROWN and NIGHT SKY NAVY T’s are made from the very softest fabric with 25% organic cotton, 25% modal ( a bio based fabric made from spinning beech tree cellulose) and 50% recycled plastic water bottles, these are undoubtedly the most comfortable shirts we have ever sourced! The ORCHID T is 100% cotton.
We hope that you will proudly wear these new T's on the bank, spreading the word and changing the perception of this great fish here in the USA.
A C-FREE™ Product
We start by reducing the product’s impact by switching to at least 50% preferred materials. We then neutralize the total carbon footprint of each product in the C-FREE program—from the product’s initial raw materials to its end-of-life—through Carbonfree® certification. This certification purchases third-party, verified carbon offsets through Carbonfund.org.
• Earthy Brown – Triblend tee.
• Orchid – 100% cotton tee.
• Night Sky Navy – Triblend tee.
We have a few items that can be discounted for our members this month… Grab these while they last!
The ACS Camo Boonie - $21.95 to $17.95
The ACS Hoorag - $16.99 to $9.99
The ACS Hemp Oil Pellet - $19.99 to $16.99
