Posts tagged sports and recreation
A Novice’s Guide to Carp Fishing Equipment
One of the most popular freshwater fish for anglers is the carp, which gets a lot of attention in Europe, but is still struggling to catch on in the United States. Carp fishing is a popular outdoor activity, and the large size and good fight of these fish is sure to help the growth of this sport continue. One thing every would be carper needs, however, is good fishing equipment.
The first piece of fishing gear to look at is a good carp fishing rod. A suitable fishing rod should be at least six feet long (more is okay), and also medium action. This is the best combination of strength and flexibility to make carp fishing a challenge, but give you a good chance to lead even the trophy sized fish.
Next is the reel. A good reel for carp fishing is one that is open faced. You don't want tangles inside a closed face reel screwing up everything. The reel should also be able to hold 150 yards or more of 12 pound test line.
Obviously you'll want to know what kind of bait to use. While carp will hit about anything, the preferred bait seems to be sticky smelly stuff. Think of the kind of bait that catfish would like, and you're on the right track.
More advanced carpers will often use racks with several rods, or "pods," and set them all up with bait and wait for any carp to show. These rod holders can be very expensive, but also free up the hands for anglers who don't mind catching up on a good book while waiting for the trophy carp to show.
Without the right fishing line, the rest is moot. For carp the absolute "lightest" fishing line you want is 12 pound test line. Heavier line isn't a bad idea, either.
While advanced fishing tackle and gear is going to cost more, the good news is that beginners can get started for pretty cheap. While fishing might not be the least expensive of hobbies, learning to carp fish is a deeply rewarding hobby that provides hours more entertainment than a movie or night out to an expensive bar.
These are some of the basic things you will want to look at when looking at some beginner's gear for carp fishing. Follow the guidelines in this article and you will be looking at some serious success carping in no time.
If you would like to learn more about carp angling gear, feel free to check out that article, or take a look at this carp tackle article. Thanks for reading
The Very First World Series
The very first World Series was played between the Boston American League club (now the Boston Red Sox) and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903.
Although the first world series wasn't played until 1903, there was a previous championship called "The Championship of the United States" and "World's Championship Series", which the winners of the National League and American Association had played from 1884 to 1891. The Series ended when the American Association folded in 1891.
Ban Johnson formed the American League in 1901 to try and take advantage of the National League's cut down from twelve teams down to eight. Ban Johnson and fellow owners raided the senior circuit and signed away many star players. This constant raiding formed the idea of a championship between the National and American Leagues.
The two leagues finally called a truce in the winter of 1902/03. The following August, Barney Dreyfuss, owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates challenged the Boston American League Club to an eleven game Championship Series but instead agreed to a best-of-nine championship The first three games were played in Boston, the next four in Pittsburgh, and the remaining two in Boston.
Some in-game action saw Sam Leever, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates injuring his shoulder while trap-shooting. His teammate Deacon Phillippe had to stand in and pitch five complete games for Pittsburgh. He even set a World Series record by striking out ten Boston batters, but that record was later broke again, as Dinneen struck out eleven Pittsburgh batters in Game 2!
The Boston Americans came back behind to win the final four games. The end result for the very first World Series, Boston won the first World Series five games to three, winning the last four.
Barney Dreyfuss, owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates added his share of the gate receipts to the players' share. This meant that the losing team's players actually finished with a larger individual share than the winning team!
The very first World Series was a voluntary arrangement between the two clubs, and so a 1904 World Series did not take place.
The success of the first World Series proved the new American League could beat the best of the National League, increasing the demand for future World Series'. And so in 1905, the World Series was made into a formal compulsory annual event.
