Connecticut crowned a new freshwater heavyweight champion after Rafal Wlazlo landed a massive 45-pound 8-ounce common carp from Lake Lillinonah on May 25. The fish not only broke the state record for carp, but it also stands as the largest freshwater fish ever recorded in Connecticut history, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The enormous fish broke the previous state record carp by three ounces. That carp was pulled from the same body of water last year by Brian Santos and weighed 45 pounds 5 ounces. Lake Lillinoah, a man-made lake located in southwestern Connecticut, has become a popular spot for anglers seeking giant carp.
Wlazlo, who moved to the United States from Poland, brings an international pedigree to the local carp fishing scene with two decades of carp fishing tournament competition under his belt. He is also the founder of Carp Angler, a brick-and-mortar store located in Ronkonkoma, New York, that caters specifically to anglers targeting bugle mouths.
Once mostly written off as a “trash fish,” carp have started to get a well-earned second look among anglers searching for heavy, hard-fighting fish. DEEP does not classify the species, which was introduced in the Constitution State as a food source after the Industrial Revolution, as invasive. Instead, it has chosen to promote and actively manage carp as a viable game fish.
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Connecticut implemented carp fishing regulations in 2018. The state’s daily limit is five fish, with only one of them allowed to exceed 30 inches in length. Anglers fishing what the state deems “trophy carp waters” can legally keep one fish per day with a maximum size of 26 inches. Trophy carp waters — including Batterson Park Pond, Squantz Pond, and the entire Connecticut River, along with its coves — are now producing carp that rival or exceed monster catches in Europe.
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