Slow fishing on this inaugural day.

Tried to take advantage of unsuspecting 6th Street Carp. Eric lost a sure "Double" at the wall, prompting a rules modification; Points now awarded based on weight with double bonus for possession.

Steve corralled a legal redhorse with sourdough.  Eric nearly answered with a small carp, lost at the wall.  Both anglers had bites from other fish in a frenzied, chum-induced binge.

Eric proved the value of his word by guaranteeing a fish and then getting skunked on illicitly introduced nightcrawlers.  So much for the "eat your own bait" aspect of the tournament.  Steve would have willingly taken a power grub, had he been challenged to do so…and now won't have to.

Sight fishing conditions were at their finest as the two competitors locked horns in a mutual display of piscine skill.  Channel catfish made their first appearance, Steve receiving and missing a corn-grubbing strike. Steve also missed a hard carp strike on dough, while long-reaching  Eric popped off a respectable, nuclear hot carp.

Pre-frontal conditions made for slow fishing for both competitors.  Upper Hole Eric had active fish and several bites but was unable to capitalize. Steve prospected for suckers to no avail, biding his time for the Upper Hole.

Steve just about busted a sack on a chow-grubbing carp, while Eric reported a couple of bites from the lower hole.  Again, a disappointed crowd went back to work fishless.

The wilted competitors again went back to work fishless. Eric reported a solid take from the upper hole, while Steve worked the lower stretch with dead drift float tactics to no positive result.

Steve subdued a snow-man carp from the upper hole to the base of the wall.  The fish was taken on lightly presented corn (frozen) and nearly spooled the fisher.  Eric (wormless) went fishless from the lower hole.

Was it the wilting heat or Eric's 5-lb. Cyprinid that brought the sweat to Steve's brow?  The subdued fish was nearly halfway up the wall before doing a Louganis back into the river, costing the potential tying points.

The Upper Hole was on fire for Steve, but produced only 3.5 points overall for a smallish, subdued carp.  Other action consisted of a lost, double-digit brute, and a brief hookup with a mallard.  Eric may hold the "Upper" hand, with possibly more fishing days in the  "Carpuarium" Upper Hole.

The weather has changed, and with, the quality of the fishing.  Wind from the east…carp bight least.  The fishermen were reduced to watching a catfish mill about, as both were skunked in a mid-morning, feverish duel.

The previously-sighted catfish turned out to be, in fact, a hypermelanistic carp, fooled by a lightly presented (frozen) corn in the upper hole.  The 2.5 pounder was brought over the wall and released to fight again by an ever-confident Steve.  Maybe Eric can catch it three times in tomorrow's finale.

Eric strategically vacated the Upper Hole for potential lunkers lurking within the Circle Hole.  He had a strike from the potential tying or winning fish, but failed to hook up.  Folks, that fish was a hog!  Steve sweated out   the final moments of the tourney, preferring to simply observe his fellow competitor's valiant carping.

While Eric demonstrated the pioneering instincts of Ray Scott in bringing carp hand-lining tournaments to America's working class, the debate will rage for some time as to whether Steve more closely emulates Woo Daves or Kevin Van Dam in his performance under pressure.