Why Isn't Carp Fishing More Popular?

I am in one of those moods tonight. The kind where I start wondering about things that most people could care less about. Tonight I am pondering why carp fishing hasn't gained much traction here in the United States compared to fishing for bass, crappie, bluegill, perch or even catfish.

Catch and release fishing has been in vogue for quite a while now. If I recall correctly, catch and release was made popular by the rise of bass fishing and bass fishing was made popular by the creation of BASS Masters and BASS Masters' success was fueled by sponsorships from boat manufacturers like Ranger, Stratos and Tracker.

A top of the line Stratos bass boat with a 200 hp outboard motor that is 3 or 4 years old sells on the used market for $25,000 to $40,000 depending on the way it's outfitted, accessorized, and the trailer it comes with. And then they need something to tow it with that totals another $15,000 for a reliable used tow vehicle and $40,000 or more for a new pick-up truck.

So there are literally tens of thousands of guys spending big bucks on used boats, burning gas running up and down the lake, catching fish that average 4 or 5 pounds (or even less) when they could have spent less than $500 fishing from the bank, and catch fish that average 15 - 18 pounds (or even more) depending on the specific fishing venue.

I don't know about you, but I'll keep the $80,000 in my retirement account and fish for carp!