HINTON, WV (WVNS) — Summers County is hosting its first annual carp fishing tournament called the New Carp Open.

The opening ceremony will be held at Willowwood Country Club on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 11:00 A.M.

There will be over 150 anglers from all over the nation, all up and down the East Coast gathering to see what kind of “wild and wonderful” monsters can be pulled from the New River. All fishing is catch and release.

The New River in Hinton has historically been host to many fishing contests in the past, mainly fishing for bass, but this year it is for the carp fishing tournament to display the different species that can be found in the rivers.

Teeya Mills, a member of the Summers County Hospitality and Tourism Association, expressed how wonderful this is for the community.

“We have a lot of short term housing here and a lot of Airbnbs and vacation rentals, and they’re all completely booked up for this weekend. So it’s a big kickoff for the Summers County tourism season. And highlighting what the town has to offer for everybody before it gets a little too crowded, and we hope that once these guys fish the river and see what it has to offer, that they’ll come back and visit again,” said Mills.

Private and public spots from Bluestone Lake to Prince will be available. First prize for the tournament is $8,000. An auction and raffles will also be held which will begin at 8:30 A.M.