150 Teams Compete in the World’s Longest Carp Fishing Tournament at Lake Balaton

The longest carp fishing tournament in the world, the National Boilie Fishing Competition, starts this week with 150 teams.

The event takes place at several locations on Lake Balaton and 750 anglers will participate, he announced. This number can guarantee a manageable, good competition, according to the tournament director.

Zoltán Fülöp pointed out that Lake Balaton is one of the best carp waters in the world. He recalled last year’s tournament, where two carp over 30 kilograms were caught – an excellent result. He emphasized that

that fish conservation is a priority at the tournament and that all carp, regardless of their size, are returned to the water alive.

Zsolt Szári, Managing Director of Balaton Fish Management Non-Profit explained that the competition has a ten-year tradition.

The tournament is an important feedback on how the fish stocks in Lake Balaton have developed since the start of the program,

he added. He recalled that the biggest catch at the first competition was a 17-kilogram carp, while today fish weighing 20-30 kilograms are caught.

Zsolt Szári also pointed out that despite the heatwave this summer, Lake Balaton has not shrunk much, with fish stocks not being affected by the heat, but merely moving from warmer, shallower water to deeper water. This is because the lake has a stable oxygen balance, he explained.

 

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Zoltán Fülöp announced that the first day of the tournament will take place on September 26 at the tournament center in Révfülöp (northern shore), where the draw for the event will also be made.

The actual fishing tournament will begin on September 27.

Teams can reserve their places from 8 a.m., with the competition starting at 2 p.m. The pure competition time will be 186 hours. He underlined that the National Balaton Boilie Fishing Competition is a national tournament especially for Hungarian teams, on Hungarian waters and for Hungarian anglers.

Via MTI; Featured image via Pexels