Syracuse.com - Georgia angler wins Wild Carp Week Triathlon following 'Big Four' competition

[HuntingNY-News]

The total fish take in the team event was both eye-opening and record-setting. Anglers reeled in 2,471 fish weighing a total of 38,835 pounds.

Jason Edwards, of Atlanta, Ga. was named winner of the Wild Carp Week Triathlon on the Seneca River today following the conclusion of the "Big Four" competition.

"I won $2,000 plus a big trophy," said tournament director Jason Bernhardt, of Wild Carp Companies.

The competition began last Sunday morning and started off with 75 straight hours of fishing in a two-person team event, followed by two, day-long tournaments with individual winners. The victory was the result of points compiled from each of the three competitions.

Edwards was on the second place-finishing team in the team event with James Hill, also from Atlanta. Edwards also did well in the Big Fish and Big Four competitions.

The winners of the team event were New Englanders Robert Duprey and Dmitri Consolati, who caught 187 fish, weighing a total of nearly 3,000 pounds. They won $3,000 for their efforts, in addition to extra cash for finishing on top of their individual section of river. (The river was divided into six sections, with the winning team from each section getting $1,000).

The total fish take in the team event was both eye-opening and record-setting. Anglers reeled in 2,471 carp, weighing a total of 38,835 pounds -- nearly 19 1/2 tons.

Thursday, anglers participated in the "Big Fish" contest. Anglers were competing in hourly contests for the biggest fish, with the winner getting $350 for each time period.

The biggest fish of the day was caught in the final minutes (just before 4 p.m.) by Marcin Szydlowski. It was a 31 pound, 14 ounce common carp.The biggest mirror carp of the day, 18 pounds, 2 ounces, was reeled in by Adam Moneypenny. The two fish earned those anglers $650 each.

Today, Jason Long, of Batavia won the "Big Four" competition, with his four biggest carp totaling 109 pounds, He won $1,500. In addition, he landed the biggest fish of the day, 32 pounds, 11 ounces, a feat that won him an additional $4,500.

Edwards finished 6th in today's competition.

In total, Bernhardt said he handed out more than $25,000 in prize money to anglers this week.

"Everything went well," he said. "There were no complaints, other than about the weather today," he said.

For more on Wild Carp Week and updated results, see The Wild Carp Companies website.

Today, the anglers are braving the wet and cold to fish in the "Big Four" competition, which ends at 4 p.m.

At the conclusion of day's competition, anglers will be evaluated on a point system involving all three events. The winner of the triathlon will earn an additional $1,000.

The defending champion is Pennsylvanian Scott Russell, who is fishing again this year.

Tournament director Jason Bernhardt of Big Carp Companies has said more than $25,000 in cash prizes is being awarded this week to participating anglers.

For more on Wild Carp Week and updated results, see The Wild Carp Companies website, the "Wild Carp Week" page on Facebook or email Bernhardt at [email protected].

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog