Thread: Are we seeing the beginning of the end on KY and Barkley?

And if that don't work try the Wile E. Coyote Method!

We need a shot gun season for carp.

Originally Posted by slabseeker1

Does the processing plant buy them from anglers? Do the big head or asian carp hit on regular bait? If we can't beat um, eat um .

I like this quote!

They have been in the big rivers a long time and the crappie surveys on the creeks around Columbus show more crappie than ever. I don't like them but I'm not convinced yet that the sky is falling yet. I'm not sure you can blame the lower lake fishing all on the carp either, there are a bunch of variables with them. But they don't belong here and I do hope they figure out away to get rid of them.

Here is my theory. Those of you remember when our lakes were considered muddy waters. Then about 15 years ago they began to clear up. Now they are considered clear water lakes. My thought is that these fish are like a filter fish and are continuously feeding and filtering out all of the plankton and whatever else. That is also about when i saw my first one. It was in Pisgah Bay by the Hillman ramp, a bass fisherman had hooked about a thirty pounder on a crankbait, of course he foul hooked it. This was also the beginnings of when the crappie fishing went south. If some of you might remember. I am by know means a biologist. Just a thought.

I have seen these big mouth carp on Barkley this year just like some of you are talking about. For the first time this year i seen them swimming in formation, i mean like four of them swimming in a diamond shape and their mouths never stopped. These things are working together to feed on everything that they can.

My other thought is that i have seen these large schools of small fish or some type of bait fish right on the surface in many different areas, out on the main channel and back in the bays, out in the middle and along the bank. I think these are the small carp schooled up and feeding on the plankton. Why then wouldn't the game fish such as the crappies, bass, striped bass, even bluegills feed on these when they are small? You would think you would see fish busting the surface constantly. But maybe there are still enough baitfish in the waters that this is not necessary.

I agree with whiskers that something must be done. They need to put the money out there for the commercial guys to go after these things. The market is there.
From what i have heard about the price the market is paying,and the way i have it figured you just about can't make it pay to go after them. A man is not going to do something if he can't pay for the gas it takes to do the work much less pay for his equipment. And its not cheap to buy nets, a boat, and all that it involves. You guys know how much these crappies cost per pound. But we are doing it for the sport, beings they are such an elusive creature you know.

Just my thoughts

Channel 6 News did a story last night on the new fish processing plant in Wickliffe. They filmed inside the plant and a lot of fish being cut up. A lot of the fish I saw were grass carp and common carp. I guess in the big scheme of things, those fish are non-native and were placed in the eco-system to do a specific job by some do-gooder who thought it would be a great idea, just like the folks who thought bringing in Russian boars would be another great hunting opportunity and now they are destroying hundreds of acres of crops each year. I just don't think the grass and common carp are the problem for the lakes and rivers that the Asian Bigheads and Silvers are.

The news cast mentioned that the plant had just gotten a 1 million pound order from China for the fish and would be expanding the plant and hiring more workers soon. This has to be a good thing but I hope the fishermen target the big lakes for their catch and not just the rivers near Wickliffe.

Originally Posted by pab1981

They have been in the big rivers a long time and the crappie surveys on the creeks around Columbus show more crappie than ever. I don't like them but I'm not convinced yet that the sky is falling yet. I'm not sure you can blame the lower lake fishing all on the carp either, there are a bunch of variables with them. But they don't belong here and I do hope they figure out away to get rid of them.

The Asian Carp have been in the "Big Rivers" since the 1973 flood. That is what liberated them from the catfish farms down south.

As far as there being more crappie down there than ever... I don't know how that can be. I don't believe that KDFW started doing dreel surveys in the bottoms until the Carp problem became apparent. I can remember going fishing with my Grandpa back in the 60's and 70's and it was NOTHING to catch and keep over 100 BIG crappie a day. I'll bet you won't do it today.

There is not 1 Lower lake that the back water gets into that you can go into these days and fire up an outboard motor and not get belayed with carp!

I'll NEVER be convinced that the Asian Carp is not primarily responsible for the lowered quality of fishing in those lakes.

Yep that's what my side scan looked like right before one jumped up and hit my boat and another jumped up behind the boat.

Originally Posted by rnvinc

Asian carp...(or bighead I'm not sure)...

This pic was from this spring in Big Bear....Ky Lake...



Rickie