The unofficial U.S. record from a modern carp angler is more than 60 pounds, but a universal and very achievable goal is a fish weighing more than 20 pounds. (Craig Buddo photo)
February 04, 2026
By Craig Buddo
Allow me to describe your target. It could easily weigh more than 20 pounds, and you probably don’t have to travel far to catch one, wherever you live. You don’t need a boat or a guide. The power and speed of its runs will amaze you. You like a challenge? It’s been proven to run circles around most fish in adaptive behavior. To top it off—and perhaps its most underrated feature—catch one from the right water, and it could be one of the most striking looking fish you’ll ever catch: perfect rows of dark mahogany scales or wildly mismatched golden clusters.
As you can probably tell by now, I’m a big fan of big carp. Here’s how to...
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