Angler shatters carp record while fishing for bass
An Idaho angler went fishing for bass Sunday, but ended up landing a record-shattering common carp.
Hanson resident Alex Veenstra caught the 30-pound, 4-ounce “mirror” carp while casting a crankbait on the Snake River above Upper Salmon Dam.
“Went bass fishing but ending up catching this guy,” Veenstra wrote on <a href=" The Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced the record in a news release issued Wednesday, stating that Veenstra’s catch broke the previous record by 10 pounds.
Mirror carp are a variant of common carp, the IDFG explained, known for their mirror-shaped scales. They’re more common – and more prized – in parts of Europe.
Common carp are fairly widespread globally and can grow to 60-plus pounds under suitable conditions.
The all-tackle world record common carp, according to the International Game Fish Assn., stands at 75 pounds, 11 ounces. That fish was caught in 1987 at Lac de St. Cassien, France.
The IGFA does not keep records specific to mirror carp.
–Images showing Alex Veenstra with his record carp are courtesy of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game