Waccamaw River angler catches giant carp

Roddy Cross of Murrells Inlet, S.C. caught this huge carp in the Waccamaw River.

Big fish hit a crankbait in main river channel

Roddy Cross of Murrells Inlet, S.C. was bass fishing with his dad, Rod Cross on the Waccamaw River on April 17 when he landed a huge carp that weighed over 60 pounds. Cross caught the big fish on a silver/blue crankbait after making a cast into the river’s main channel.

The two anglers didn’t know what Cross had hooked for more than half an hour while he fought the carp. After a 35-minute tussle, he finally got the fish to the surface, then hoisted it aboard their johnboat. After a quick photo, they released the fish. They aren’t sure exactly how much the carp weighed because they didn’t have a scale big enough to weigh it. But they’re sure it was over 60 pounds.

“We were thinking it could be anything from a giant fish to an alligator. About 10 years ago, Roddy was actually fishing for carp in this river with corn and he caught a 44-pound carp. We had that one weighed. This one was a byproduct. It was about twice the size of the 44-pounder,” said Rod Cross.

Carp pulled anglers and their boat against the river’s current

And what a byproduct it was. While it stayed hidden under the surface, the fish dragged the two anglers and their 17-foot Xpress aluminum boat more than 100 yards against the current.

“Roddy is an avid bass fisherman, and he’s caught bass here that range from five to 12 pounds, but this fish was something special. It was unexpected, and a true dinosaur,” said Rod Cross.

South Carolina currently has no state record category for carp caught on rod and reel. However, the South Carolina state record bowfishing carp is 58 pounds. That fish was arrowed by Kenneth Shealy of Prosperity in Lake Murray in the year 2000.

The North Carolina state record carp weighed 48 pounds and was caught in 1986 by William Houston, Jr. in a Mecklenburg County pond.

About Brian Cope 2725 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.