American Carp Culture :: Contest Winner

Anyone who fishes for trophy carp in the USA knows that our special fish is not always recognized for its amazing sport value and is often relegated to the level of “Trash Fish.” Our mission here at the American Carp Society is to change that impression. One way to do that is through education, specifically by teaching young anglers that there’s no such thing as a trash fish, but rather a remarkable angling opportunity.

Frank Aronson’s (@frankaronson) “Child’s Smile” shot brilliantly demonstrates that carp angling has a bright future. This young man will grow up with his own self-experienced ideas about carp and not the negative stigma applied by today’s angler. He will only share his wonder and passion for carp angling with others. Thank you so much for sharing, Frank.

american carper podcast winner

If you were paying attention, we had a contest tucked inside July’s American Carper Podcast with John Lilly where we asked, “What year was the American Carp Society officially created?”

If you checked our website you could find the answer on our “History” page under the About Us section. We were delighted that many of you responded with the correct answer of “2002.” After a quick drawing we had our winner, Ryan Kruse (SD)!

Ryan wins a bottle of Asterbury Creme Spray for his effort and we offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who listened and participated.

Next up, in our August 4th podcast we’ll be speaking with Wayne Boon where we’ll reminisce about the history of the American Carp Society. We’ll be giving away a Dark Camo Guilty Hat, so be sure to tune in and listen for our contest question. Best of luck!

notable captures

We’re fortunate that we get to see the best carpy pictures from all over the USA. These photos below, we just had to share with you.

Would you like to join the acs team?

The American Carp Society is looking for a qualified, passionate individual that believes in our cause (promoting and popularizing the sport of Catch & Release Carp Angling) and can spare a few hours a month helping us with professional outreach and media coordination to editors of Publications / Blogs / Fishing media.

Our members across the Nation represent the very best of the sport here in the USA and their pictures, achievements and content are both worthy of, and needed on an ongoing basis -  by National Fishing Publications / Blogs / Websites and various media outlets in connection with sport fishing in the USA.

The individual will need to spend a few hours per month creating relationships, sending out media kits and facilitating submissions for editorial content.

A candidate must be qualified for the job with a background in Sales / Public Relations / Media Coordination and possess organizational and communications skills with a great work ethic.

Please send inquiries to info@americancarpsociety.com

A Float fisher’s delight

Do you love chasing carp with a float? If you do, then you’re in luck. The American Carp Society is designing its very own set of floats, handmade right here in the USA....'The Set of 3.'

Lovingly crafted with select US materials our bespoke Carp Float Set is being designed to cover all sizes of water. An in depth look into the making of these beautiful floats will be revealed in Volume 4 of The American Carper coming later this year.

ACS members take top honors

Members Brandon Kim and Kevin Bloss recently attended a carp angling tournament in Joliet, IL where they not only represented the American Carp Society well, they gallantly took first place honors! A remarkable performance from these two fantastic anglers — congratulations gentlemen! We’re so proud of you.

sharing is caring

The best way to grow the sport is to share it with other anglers. To facilitate sharing the American Carp Society offers a Referral Program to our members that rewards you for every five friends you bring into the family — pretty cool, right?

Richard Cervantes (CA), whom we know and love, has the honor of being our first member to meet the 5-member milestone. His passion for the sport and it’s growth in the USA is inspiring. His success is a product of his involvement in the sport. Richard runs socials, creates great fishing related content and shares carp angling with anyone who will listen. Our hats are off to you sir, and we hope you enjoy your free swag!

the drag & drop

By: Brandon Tourigny

By far one of the most difficult parts of carp fishing on the fly is the cast. Presenting a small fly accurately to a feeding carp in shallow water, without spooking it, is one of the premier freshwater fly fishing challenges. To increase their odds of putting the fly in front of a carp, top fly anglers have perfected a technique known as the drag-and-drop.

Carp need you to place your fly on a dinner plate size target, 18-20in. in front of them. Making that cast with extreme stealth and having your fly land in that very small target is your goal as the angler. However what anglers started realizing is that they could achieve higher consistency of proper fly placement by dragging a fly into position, rather than casting it into position.

To execute the drag-and-drop technique properly, cast your fly past the feeding carp you are targeting. Ensure that your fly line lands far enough in front of the carp to not spook it. As soon as your fly lands, gently lift your rod tip to slide the fly across the surface of the water. When you see that the fly is directly above the carp’s feeding zone, let it sink straight down. Then, watch for the carp’s body language to tell you that it has eaten something…most likely your fly!

ACS Leather fly wallet

This month will see the release of another handcrafted masterpiece from our Leathersmith -  Odin Clack. Odin has become a good friend and advocate of the sport and our beloved species since getting to know us a few years back…and it's always a pleasure to see him. His Interview in The American Carper Vol 3 - ‘American Born and Bred’ is one of our favorite pieces with his eye for detail and craftsmanship being exceptional….If you haven’t checked out his in depth interview with us then we’d highly recommend doing so…it’s a terrific read.

The ACS Leather Fly Wallet is handcrafted right here in Texas and features the ACS ‘Guilty’ logo on the upper front section. The inside is lined with plush merino wool that holds and protects your flies…it’s natural properties will wick away any water from the hook.

There are only 5 of these handcrafted wallets that have been made. They will be available Wednesday August 12th on the Store.

for all you video jockeys

Are you a YouTuber looking to create carp fishing content? Are you a member who’s already producing videos and using the American Carp Society - Member Generated Content Badge?

If you answered yes to the above, then check this out. We have created a professionally produced Video Add-in, downloadable from the member resource page that you can insert into to your own videos as an intro or outro. This Video Add-in will give your content an added polish that will help it stand out from other fishing videos in the massive catalog of YouTube and other video sharing services.

Most importantly, you’ll be supporting the mission of catch and release carp angling in the USA and affiliating yourself with the American Carp Society and it’s goals and values.

an angler’s wishlist

If you haven’t noticed yet, The American Carp Society listens to it’s members. You’re input is important to us and do what we can to give you what you want based on member feedback.

With this in mind, we’d like to take an opportunity to get your input on what you would like to see on the store. Is there a certain style of branded shirt you’d like to wear, or an item of tackle you’d like to see available though The American Carp Society?

Let us know your thoughts at info@americancarpsociety.com and give us a better opportunity to serve you, our members.

complete your collection - Part 2

“The Guilty Ones”….Volume two of The American Carper. This publication of The American Carp Society features stories, portraits and some of the USA’s top Carp Anglers discussing their passion by the water’s edge. Previously unseen pictures of historical US Carp Angling history as well as some very special carp captured through the lens.

Whether you’ve just joined The American Carp Society, you’re a veteran who missed this volume, or you would like to share the passion of carp angling with another — now’s your chance to be counted guilty.

The American Carper - Vol 2 - The Guilty Ones will be on sale for the month of August at a special price of $29.99. Don’t miss this opportunity to complete your collection, as once they’re gone, they’ll not be printed again — truly a collector’s item for those passionate about trophy carp.