Local waters have supplied a pair of world record carp

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The waters of the nation’s capital and the Maryland suburbs have delivered two International Game Fish Association (IGFA) line-class world record carp.

In 1983, Jean Ward, using only 2-pound monofilament line, caught a 29-pound carp in the upper tidal Patuxent River. It qualified as a line-class world record and continues to lead that category in the IGFA world record book.

Also in 1983, David Nikolow was fishing the Potomac River’s Tidal Basin waters in the District, and using an outfit with a reel that was loaded with 20-pound-test monofilament line, managed to catch a 57-pound, 13-ounce carp. To date, no one has caught a bigger one in that line-class category.

The biggest carp ever taken in a sporting manner on any kind of line and recorded by the IGFA happened in 1987. It was a 75-pound, 11-ounce behemoth hooked in Lac de St. Cassien, France, by Leo van der Gugten

— Gene Mueller