Congratulations to Henry Charlier of Boise on landing a 34-pound common carp from the Snake River. Charlier wrangled the lunker carp while fishing the stretch below CJ Strike Reservoir on May 3. The fish beats the previously held record of 30.4 pounds, set by Alexander Veenstra last December.

As an avid angler, Charlier enjoys the challenge of chasing big carp, which can be very challenging to catch on conventional tackle.

Most of Idaho’s record carp have typically been landed using archery (bow fishing) equipment. In 2016, Idaho Fish and Game separated the archery records, opening the door for new rod/reel records for carp, suckers and other non-game species. While carp is an extremely popular sport fish in Europe, carp fishing in the U.S. has been slow to catch on. Common carp reach huge sizes, fight hard and are challenging to catch, making them a favorite among anglers willing to learn how to hook them.

Common carp are native to Asia but were introduced to Europe somewhere in the 12th to 13th centuries, where they were widely domesticated and farmed for food. Historical accounts suggest carp were imported to the U.S. from Germany somewhere around 1877. They were soon brought to Idaho to be cultured as a food source and have since spread throughout the Snake River system.