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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Here’s the third and final installment of Paradise in Peril.
IMHO the article wasn’t as good as the first two, mainly because it was all on the asian carp. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very important problem to understand but it was old news for me. If you do not understand the problems associated with the asian carp you’ll find it interesting.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec04/286806.asp
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Location: Rhinelander | That fish is VERY weird. I'd hate to catch one in the nose at 60 MPH. |
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Location: Northern Illinois | We had a 15 - 20#er at the boat this fall when on the Illinois River....it fought like crazy, several short, high powered runs. It picked up the bait like a wally, then initially ran like a large pike. Took about 10 minutes to land on 20# Fireline. We slit it from head to fins, then it became catfish food. UGLY, and of course, very harmful. |
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Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | It's my guess that the first thing Asians would feed on heavily if they got into the Great Lakes, would be the (easy to find) Zebra Mussels. And God knows they would grow to GIGANTIC sizes before depleteing that stock of food. I'm already looking into the cost of a good deep sea fighting chair and those belt-on rod holders. A couple of those $700.00 Penn reels mounted on two pool sticks, some size 2 Circle hooks, and the Asian Express is back in business.   |
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| The article suggests that they only feed on Zoo Plankton. |
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Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Zoo Plankton - 12/27/2004 4:05 PM
The article suggests that they only feed on Zoo Plankton.
O.K. I gues my next question is for you then Walleye Mike.
What size jig or regular hooks were you using with the zoo-plankton when you caught the 20# Asian Carp? Reminds me of the concensus by the knowledgables that said nothing will eat Zebra Mussels.
I heard they were brought over here buy pond owners to eat and keep the vegetation down in their ponds. I've also heard that these things would be varacious in their appetites and consume everything that didn't eat them first. And finally I heard that nothing would do that. So I hope they stay where they are. 
Edited by walleye express 12/27/2004 3:57 PM
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Location: Northern Illinois | Obviously, the story of zoo plankton feeding only is a little mis-leading. We where pulling crankbaits in about 15' of water. And nope, it was not a zoo plankton pattern on the crank. Heck, I don't know what that would look like. Pattern was a Char Green. Mike |
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Location: shores of Indian lake, Ohio | Thanks for the 3 part series Dennis!!!
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Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Taken directly from the article:
Bighead can grow bigger than an Olympic gymnast. They don't have teeth and can't be caught by hook and line, but they've got mouths so big and round they could gobble a softball whole. The biggest can weigh more than 100 pounds and suck up to 40 pounds of plankton per day - food upon which nearly all other fish species in the Great Lakes directly or indirectly depend.
Mike I do not doubt you for one minute!! Maybe Green is the plankton pattern |
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | Also taken directly from the article:
"Common carp, brought to North America in the 1800s by Europeans who valued their firm white flesh, feed mostly on tiny critters that dwell on lake and river bottoms."
Tell that to the 40-45 lber I caught off Chamber's Island two summers ago that hit a spinner/crawler.
I'm not trying to discredit the article. These statements about both varieties of carp are subject to each person's own experiences, and should be taken as so. Sort of like looking at a Fishing Hotspots Map and believing all it says about what species of fish are caught in each hot spot and at what time of year. |
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Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Good point Jerry.
I've caugth regular carp on Hot-N-tot's, Rattle Tot's, Wiggle Warts and large Salmon Spoons. When fish like this run out of their favorite food, they quickly turn to others. |
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | I've caught carp on jig and minnow, rattltraps, shadraps, blade baits, one really nice one on a crawler harness behind a planer board and a slow rolled spinnerbait... (and probably other things besides cayfish, doughballs and crawlers)... Carp are omnivorous! |
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | Yes, and they'll eat anything too!!! |
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Location: Manitowoc, WI | Absolutely, Captain Dan. That is my point exactly...once their preferred food source is gone they will eat whatever is available. No different than any other predator when faced with the same circumstances. |
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Location: Northern Illinois | Man I wish we had a camera on board that day........ |
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Location: Rhinelander | I think it's interesting that the Carp we've been plagued by for decades was brought here because of it's excellent rating as table fare. Has anyone actually found a way to eat those things other than smoking, which would make any fish taste like, well, smoked fish? I have caught carp to 35#, and they are a battler. |
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Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Steve.
I tried smoking the smallest carp that I've caught, to avoid as much fatty greese as I could. It still turned out like a fish soaked in motor oil. Tried to do a small carp and a couple of large Catfish I caught while I was running trot lines one summer. Burned my whole damn smoker to the ground, when they caught on fire like a couple of gas rags. The best use I've found for them, was cutting them up in chunks for bait on mine and my dads snapping turtle set lines. Their skin is like leather, so the turtle had to swallow the whole piece, hook and all.
Edited by walleye express 12/29/2004 3:21 PM
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | Boys,
Here goes my reputation.... (Not that I had a "good one"...LOL) But, if you will fillet a carp just like any other fish... cut out the lateral line... Then "score it" through the rib bones so that you cut through the bones every 1/2-3/4" they fry up nice.. . Might be an acquired taste... but "back home" in Quincy, IL and along the Mississippi River towns... "Scored Carp sandwiches" are a regular Friday Night fish fry selection... But, then my favorite fish...even ahead of walleye is "catfish" deep fried flathead catfish steaks or channel cat fillets...
Course I never had shoes till I was in school... LOL
Edited by hgmeyer 12/29/2004 3:47 PM
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Location: Rhinelander | Is there a size carp that lends itself better to eating than others? I assume one would want smaller fish, do the bigger fish, say over 10#, lend themselves to the scored carp sandwich idea? Anyone out there ever try them canned?
I'll try anything once... |
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | Steve,
The 4-6 lb carp seems to be optimal... BTW, flathead catfish in the 12-15 lb are the "best"... cut into steaks and deep fried... This whole thread sent me out yesterday to a local fish market here in Chicago and tonight's menu is "catfish"... They are pen raised channel cats ... But, still catfish...
Here's some local Illinois River "lore" and info
http://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/harvesting/harvest/fish/spec...
Actually, the whole River History Site is fascinating, at least to me,
http://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/harvesting/index.html
Edited by hgmeyer 1/1/2005 10:11 AM
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | Oh, Steve, something from my youth, after you fillet the carp and after it's "scored"... put it is the fridge in cold water with a few tablespoons of baking soda... 6-12 hours drain and rinse... makes the flesh "firm", removes oils and doesn't dry out the meat like salt.... NEVER use salt... (works on all fish) And, a simple breading of yellow cornmeal with a little flour... dredge the fish in a milk and egg (mostly egg) mix and then shake or roll in the cornmeal and flour... deep fry in fesh vegetable or canola or peanut oil...
McDonald's Tartar sauce
Some dill relish, some sweet relish, dried onion flakes and salad dressing (miracle whip) gotta experiment with the quantities but equal parts of sweet and dill relish... add "some" onion flakes then slad dressing to taste and texture... it's a visual thing!
Edited by hgmeyer 1/1/2005 10:00 AM
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| When I used to help old Norb Tacey (Taceys Landing near the Hot Pond) pull his commercial fish nets, we'd keep all the carp alive in a holding pen attached to the dock. The New York fish buyer would show up and put them in a (bait type) live tub with aeriation attached, and transport them to NY.
They would then be kept alive in a fresh water/cold water holding tank for a week or so in NY. This (they concluded) flushed all the contaminents and firmed the flesh. Funny note here. Norb and the buyers who bought them, used to call them Jewish Bass, to keep the Carp name stigma from spoiling sales. |
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Location: upper michigan | i found they make real good fertilzer for tomatoes |
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Location: Elgin, Illinois | All this talk sent me out to the fish market for catfish... Sadly, pen raised... but still channel cat... And, that was dinner!!!! Great!
Edited by hgmeyer 1/1/2005 7:47 PM
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