A fun-filled event intent on bringing friends, family, and community together for the New Year! Proceeds going to Dropping the Carp Fund and City Park and Recreation Youth Enrichment/Hoffman Hall Activities.

Lucky and Protege' ready for the Big Evening!

Article by Ted Pennekamp*

The Droppin' of the Carp on New Year's Eve is less than a month away, and in preparation for the event, Lucky the Carp was caught in the Mississippi River on Nov. 28 by Prairie du Chien commercial fisherman Mike Valley and crew.

Lucky and several of his family members were apprehended at approximately 4:04 p.m. on a beautiful day with flat water on Big Lake.

In fact, Valley noted that there was about an inch of ice on all of Big Lake that day.

"The set was made in the same area as last year," said Valley. "But, last year the fish came out on the west side, and this year they .. came out on the east, so the catch was about half.'> Even so, Valley, Brian Dillman, Lindsey Nicholson, and Faith Dillman teamed up to catch about 1,100 pounds of carp, two sheepshead ,and two buffalo.

"The girls were by far the better fish herders than the boys," said Valley.

Two finalists were picked out from all of the candidates for Lucky. Faith and Lindsey then chose the better looking of the two carp for the high honor. After all, many people kiss Lucky each year at the world famous Droppin' of the Carp eventat the entrance to St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien. The runner-up candidate was smoked the next day. 

*Courier Press, December 3, 2012

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Meet 'Lucky' the Carp

The first annual Droppin' of the Carp was held in 2002. after two local residents spent the year before in Savannah, Ga.. Where they lowered a giant styrophoam peach. "We decided we could have some sort of New Year's celebration here in the Midwest," Tom Nelson, one of the founders, said. "Since New York took the ball idea, a carp was the next local choice. Being on the river, it had to be a fish." The first year, a three foot carp was named Lucky after learning that Chinese people believe that eating Carp on New Years was lucky. Mike Valley, a local business man and owner of Valley Fish Market said, "Everybody always kisses it for good luck."

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