Thread: asian carp territory

Moon River Foods at Indianola, MS is paying a dime for Silvers & Grass Carp, 15 cents for Bigheads & 25 cents for Buffalo. I hauled 500 lbs down there & didn't pay for gas burned. Just not worth the trouble, so I just harvest & dump them!
They have got to get the price up to around 25 cents & not be so picky buying fish or they will never be viable.

Originally Posted by mrdux

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.

Now "Orange Roughy". Real name " Patagonian Toothfish". Nobody would order it until they changed the name.

Hey Rees, you ever had any conversations with the game and fish folks about the carp? Are they doing anything to try to get ahead of the situation?

I have not, mist of my contact is with Larry Pugh and Keith Mills and only about the Big Four stuff.

About the only guy in Jackson (MDFW) that's on top of the AC situation is Dennis Riecke. He's been working on the problem for years. The problem is funding. Dr Hal Schramm at Miss State is an authority also. When we had that big fish kill on the Tunica Cutoff several years back, our local game warden, Gayle Mangum (May he rest in peace), made several trips to Stoneville, carried dead or dying Carp to the Lab for analysis. We suspected some type of disease, but never really found out exactly what killed them. If that biological agent could be IDed & reproduced, that would be a method. But again, FUNDING!
At present, the only means we have is netting & trapping. State laws need to be modified to allow us other methods, i.e., electro-shocking, etc.
BUT, the bottom line is the PRICE! If we could get the price up, there would be plenty of folks harvesting them.
Moon River originally said they were going to "spot" reefers (refrigerator unit trailers) to save us from having to drive 200 miles round trip to deliver the fish. However, it hasn't happened ...
If we could do like Kentucky W & F did several years back and sponsor a Commercial Net Fishing Tournament, on a regular basis, that would help!!
I'll volunteer my Lake & resources!! Even add some money to the Purse!

Good post, rebranger! Thanks for sharing. Boy, if they could identify that virus of whatever killed them, that would solve alot of folks' problem. If all the states with the carp problem(too many to name here), would pool their money to cure this problem, it could go a long way!

Maybe rewrite the Commercial fishing laws some. Any fishing license for the state is good as long as you keep the carp only.

I talked to a guy I don't see very often. He was snagging in Butla spillway. He caught 2 carp and threw them back. I gave him the 3rd degree and told him to visit our site to learn more about them.

Originally Posted by canebreaker

Maybe rewrite the Commercial fishing laws some. Any fishing license for the state is good as long as you keep the carp only.

I talked to a guy I don't see very often. He was snagging in Butla spillway. He caught 2 carp and threw them back. I gave him the 3rd degree and told him to visit our site to learn more about them.

Folks up here throw them back also but AFTER they have cut them wide open and busted the swim bladder( with the blessings of F&W). We have had a problem with some of the bowfishing crowd who think it is cool to shoot a boat load, line them up for pictures for Facebook, then leave them laying at the boat ramps. Others from the bank shoot them and throw them up on the bank so we can all enjoy the smell. F&W has seriously hung it in some butts over this.

KY F&W has modified some of the netting laws to encourage catching all of them they can. We are hoping they will modify some of the snagging laws so folks from boats can snag them. It would have to be a blast to hook an 80 pound bighead from a kayak! Nantucket Sleigh ride!!!