St. Lawrence County is First U.S. Destination for World Carp Championships

June 5-10, 2005

WADDINGTON, N.Y. - The million dollar World Carp Championship (WCC) is making its United States debut in St. Lawrence County, New York, June 5-10. The American Carp Society is hosting the 2005 championship event on the St. Lawrence River. The size of this year's bounty also marks a first for the championship. The WCC is offering a one million dollar prize to the team of anglers that breaks the New York state single carp record, which is currently 50 pounds, four ounces. It will also be awarding other cash payouts and merchandise throughout the competition, such as a pair of brand new 2005 Chevrolet Colorado pick-up trucks and $50,000 to the first place team. The competition is the carp angling equivalent of the Olympics. Participants will be fishing for 115 hours straight, sleeping when they can in tents. To date more than 120 teams have registered from 17 countries, including: England, Holland, Austria, Latvia, the United States, Canada, Ukraine, France, Hungary, Romania, South Africa, Japan, Russia, and Czech Republic. Carp are the preferred sport fish in Europe and Asia. The catch and release practice of carp angling bolsters recreational and tourism dollars phenomenally in many foreign regions. For example, in England and France there are waiting lists for some angling venues," says Sean Manning, a director of the American Carp Society. "The St. Lawrence River is a globally acclaimed fishery. And we hope this event is the catalyst that will help the sport gain the respect in the U.S. that it has enjoyed in the rest of the world." Thousands of people from all over the world will be spending up to three weeks in St. Lawrence County. The action will unfold on a 35-mile course stretching from Ogdensburg to Massena along the U.S.- Canadian border. "Carp fishing is a six billion dollar industry in the United Kingdom alone and the St. Lawrence River truly has a legendary status overseas," said Ellen Nesbitt, St. Lawrence Country Chamber of Commerce. "The river is much larger than what anglers are used to in the UK and much of Europe. Fishing the St. Lawrence is the dream of many anglers abroad. We want them all to have a fabulous experience so they get hooked and return for years to come." The St. Lawrence Chamber of Commerce is arranging the American Carp Society Expo and I Love N.Y. Marketplace. It will take place on June 4 at the Donald Martin Civic Center in Waddington. The expo/marketplace will showcase sponsors' products as well as artisans throughout the North Country and New York state. The event is open to the public and will include the opening ceremony and parade of countries for the WCC. For more information on the championship go to www.WorldCarpChampionship.com or call (315) 764-5654. The deadline for registration is May 20. For more information on St. Lawrence County, visit www.StLawrenceChamber.org or call (315) 386-4000.