asian carp territory

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Originally Posted by mrdux

I've seen schools of bigheads in late summer afternoon on KY that were literally acres across and when you got close to one it looks like I kicked my Terrova onto rabbit speed with the prop barely under the surface. I've hooked them while pulling cranks and it was like hooking onto the back of a jet-ski.

Bowfishing for them is huge in this area and they take tons of them out of the lake each week. It just doesn't seem to be helping. We have had 2 huge fish kills below Ky and Barkley dams in the last couple of years but they mostly killed silvers. It makes one think that somebody is at work developing something biological to kill them but not kill game fish.

We had a Humminbird seminar at my shop a while back and we cooked a large silver carp that I got from a commercial fisherman.I think everyone who tried it was impressed. They are a chore to fillet and get all the Y-bones out but the texture and taste is as good as any bass I ever ate.

They have a couple of processing plants locally that are dressing them for consumption. Several restaurants close by have them on the menu. One plant that was built to export them to SE Asian went under. If the commercial fishermen around here could get 15 cents per pound in the rough for them, several would be netting them full time.

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I have a friend in the delta in Ms. that is a commercial fisherman, and he only get 6 cents a pound in the rough for them. He says their no worth the problem and gas money to fish for.....:dono

That's a major problem to the problem. No demand here for them so the price is low. Got to keep the prices low to afford to process and ship else where. Heck, put them on a menu under another name at some of these eating places. Have them on free fish friday menus.
Sonic use to have a fish sandwich that I liked better the McD's. I don't know what kind of fish either were, I think it was the cheap cheese. Serve it hot, cheap and covered in sauce.

Most folks just can't get past the word C-A-R-P. Some of the fish markets locally are calling them some exotic or ethnic sounding names and it sells well.

The main problem with the commercial guys is the time and expense to get them from the lake to the processor plants. There have been rumors of a processing boat ,similar to what you see in Alaska but on a smaller scale, setting up shop on KY or Barkley. The commercial guys could make up the difference in sheer amounts if they didn't have to transport. Surely the pet food or fertilizer industry could utilize them.

I'm telling you---the stuff tastes great.

You're right about the "word" in my case. When you say carp to me you might as well say gar and some folks further south really love gar. Either way I don't want to eat it. On the other side it may be wrong but I've been told that redfish is a type of drum. Chef Prudholm put it on the map, blackened. Never would have eaten it as drum but love it now.

If they could find a way to harvest, process, and haul the flying carp cheaply enough, it could be a resource to stop world hunger.

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Originally Posted by Boatbottom

You're right about the "word" in my case. When you say carp to me you might as well say gar and some folks further south really love gar. Either way I don't want to eat it. On the other side it may be wrong but I've been told that redfish is a type of drum. Chef Prudholm put it on the map, blackened. Never would have eaten it as drum but love it now.

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I catch a bunch of drum on KY pulling cranks and don't have any desire to eat one. I'll bet if folks were fed the silver carp (or freshwater drum) without knowing it was carp, they would like it and ask for more. I felt the same way about rattlesnake until I cooked some. My family loves it. That doesn't mean I'm going to start lifting rocks to find one.

To be clear, I don't eat drum but do eat redfish.

Flying carp taste great and we eat them all the time. Especially when we do big cookouts for the deer club. Fry them ribs up and have a FEAST! Whats left over I use on the ole trapline for coons. Wear em out! And also we use them as cut bait. Catfish can't get enough of em! All around pretty useful! And guess what.....for those of us that arent able to catch a big number of crappie, we could still have fish because those things JUMP in the boat literally! My buddy told me once "If you lower your standards........You increase your percentage." Math lesson of the day. He was talking about women, but I use the philosophy for fish! Don't use it for women. He didn't have a good experience with that one! hahahaha lmbo!:Rofl

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Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine

If they could find a way to harvest, process, and haul the flying carp cheaply enough, it could be a resource to stop world hunger.

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Problem with that ? If the government has to catch and distribute it will cost $ 62.17 a lb.:Rofl . there was a study to do feral hogs that way but cost would not allow .

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Originally Posted by eagle 1

Problem with that ? If the government has to catch and distribute it will cost $ 62.17 a lb.:Rofl . there was a study to do feral hogs that way but cost would not allow .

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More like 6217.00 per pound if the Government takes it over. They pay McDonald Douglas 2500.00 for a stainless steel nut. Per one!!!!!!!! You can get 100 of the same nut at Fastenal for 25 bux.