Asian carp fishing?

[Jaxom]

Don't laugh! I'm serious here! I'm not sure how many of you have heard about the asian carp problem we're having here in Illinois. But it's getting very serious. The carp have made thier way up the Illinois river from the Mississippi, and are now only a few short miles from getting into Lake Mighigan.

Some of you may have even seen some of the "flying fish" youtube videos or seen various hunting programs where folks go out and bow hunt these fish. But this is a serious problem that needs to be taken care of. All that aside though, from the research online I've been doing, they're actually a good source of food! Unlike thier european cousins that haunt the bottoms of our local rivers these fish forage in the upper part of the water column, filtering out algae for food. The only jump when a motor boat passes by or an electrode is stuck in the water.

But that's the problem. Being filter feeders, you can't fish for them as one would normally fish with a hook and line. Now there are two fish canneries in Illinois that actually buy fish that is being caught, (I've heard rumor they pay $4 per fish, but haven't varified that yet). And I did see a photo of one guy with a boat load and it looked like he was using a cast net. I've tried like heck to find out what the regulations on catching this invasive species is/are, but nobody seems to be able to help. But it does seem to me that one could find a more productive way to catch these fish then just tossing a net in the water and then hauling it back in.

Suggestions?

Jax

p.s. If you ever see "Silverfin" listed on resturant menu or at local grocery store...that's what asian carp are being renamed to disassoicate the fish from it's less then desirable european cousins.

 

[Farmfresh]

My grandpa used to fish for carp (I do not know their nationality ) in the lake. He used cotton seed cakes, which are a square cake with a hole in the middle. He would slip a large single hook on a loop of heavy nylon cording with the point facing out, slip on the cotton seed cake and then another single hook with the hook facing the opposite way. He then attached this set up to the trot line and was often quite successful.

Another "secret" bait he made used Wheaties brand cereal, vanilla extract and some liquid (maybe eggs?). He sopped up the Wheaties until they made a thick paste, stirred in the vanilla and then formed big balls of the stuff around a large hook. Once they were allowed to dry really hard, he again put them on the trot line.

Hope that helps. I haven't thought about this stuff in years!

 

[Jaxom]

I've heard something simlar, the hopes are as what ever bait is disolving in the water the fish actually snag themselves on the hook rather then actually gulping it down like a bass, or any other omnivourious fish would.

There's something else I've been kinda bouncing around in my brain. Since there are two canneries buying these fish, one would want to catch them involume. Again I heard one of the companies is sapposedly paying $4 per fish, but I'd have to verify this first. The method above would only catch one at a time.

I'm also wondering this. Since the two larger companies are processing the fish as everything from fresh filets for grocery stores, and restaurants, as well as smoked. What's left is being turned into pet food, and animal feed, if there's anything left after that, it's being turned into fertilizer.

I'm wondering if I could do something along the same lines, only smaller scale? I'd still need to catch more then on fish at at time, but I could specialize in say smoked filets? It's something to think about....

 

[Farmfresh]

You would have to check with your local fish and game department. In Missouri fishing with nets or other means is not legal.

What you are suggesting would require a commercial fishing license and that would extremely limit WHERE you could fish.

 

[Jaxom]

Yep that's what I'm concidering. Left a message with the chairman of the Illinois Commerical fisherman's Association. Still waiting for a reply though... <sigh>

 

[xpc]

Jax, I saw a similar article on those asian carp and it is becoming a big multi-million dollar business, saw the same $4 a fish price too.

Years ago when I still lived in Wisconsin they had a species of carp I think they re-named "silver bass" and sold quite well in the ethnic food markets.

I don't know what the procedure or amount of money that would be involved to tool-up for the task but always thought that if it were easy everybody would be doing it.

 

[~gd]

Jax, I saw a similar article on those asian carp and it is becoming a big multi-million dollar business, saw the same $4 a fish price too.

Years ago when I still lived in Wisconsin they had a species of carp I think they re-named "silver bass" and sold quite well in the ethnic food markets.

I don't know what the procedure or amount of money that would be involved to tool-up for the task but always thought that if it were easy everybody would be doing it.

D0wnstream in Lake Ontario the "silver bass"is not a carp but a 'drumfish' on Canada side they are called Sheepheads really not a pretty fish but didn't look like sheep to me. If we caught one on hook and line we would dump it on land and not take it home. Carp were taken by bow and arrow and by spears in shallow water. Coming in from the lake they were fair eating, white flesh with huge flakes of meat. Taken from a creek the would usually have a muddy taste and then were only fished for sport.

 

[xpc]

Yeah I just saw that when I tried to find "silver bass" it may have been something else or just a local name given to make it sound tastier.

We had sheephead in Tampa bay that were kinda ugly to look at, ate the barnacles off the pier pilings and had teeth like sheep. We also had the gulf toad fish that was so ugly you just cut the line if you caught one. I always kept a long pair of leather welding gloves on the boat.

 

[Jaxom]

I've continued to do research on this. The asian carp I'm speaking of are actually good eating, unlike their eurpean cousins. This because these fish are filter feeders. They eat basically plankton. But that's what's causing the problem. They're an invastive species and they have no preditor to keep them in check.

Asian carp is actually a generic term for 4 different species. Broken down into Black Carp, Silver carp, Grass carp and Big head carp. Since the the word "carp" has a bad reputation as not a very pleaseant fish to eat, these more desirable fish are being retagged Silverfin. This isn't uncommon, Chillean Sea bass was first called Vensualin tooth fish. Orange Roughy also went through a simlar name change as well.

Currently there are two companies that purchase these fish from commerical fisherman. Both have reciently undergone major upgrades to thier prespective facilities so as to be able to process more fish. The fresh fish are fileted, the filets are then either frozen, sold raw or smoked before being sold. The guts that are left over are either processed into cat/dog food or turned into fertilzier. This is a zero waste opperation, isn't that great!

I've found a more current example of the harvesting process. One fisherman uses basically a large duck boat. (about 30' long) and a 35hp motor to run up and down the river. Along with his crew of two and him self they harvest 10,000-15,000lbs of fish per day. In 2008 this fisherman caught half a million pounds of asian carp. This grossed him around 300k in revenue. After taxes, expences and wages for his two crewmen, his net pay was 80k. Not bad when concidering that these fish run from 8 to 18 cents per pound. Not the $4 per fish as I had orginally read.

So investment wise you need a boat w/motor, either a trammel net or hoop net, to harvest the fish. Once you get back to dock you then need a truck and/or trailer to haul your catch to one of the two canneries.

What I'm still trying to figure out is if there's any grants and/or low interest loans to get someone started. Not many are doing this, because the invasive species have chased all the native species away. And there's been no interest from younger generations to catch "carp". But the state is looking into all different ways and means to get these fish under control. One of the two canneries is already exporting 10 tons of this carp back to china!

I realize that I might not get anywhere with this. But it sure beats sitting around and whining I don't have a job! Funny thing I ran into. I deal with several state and county agencies to help find work. There are many different programs to get training in this field or that one. But not one of these programs offers a forklift training classes or course work. Yet I see tons of jobs where companies are begging for forklift opperators. Pay scale running up to $15 an hour!

 

[Boyd]

I've continued to do research on this. The asian carp I'm speaking of are actually good eating, unlike their eurpean cousins. This because these fish are filter feeders. They eat basically plankton. But that's what's causing the problem. They're an invastive species and they have no preditor to keep them in check.

Asian carp is actually a generic term for 4 different species. Broken down into Black Carp, Silver carp, Grass carp and Big head carp. Since the the word "carp" has a bad reputation as not a very pleaseant fish to eat, these more desirable fish are being retagged Silverfin. This isn't uncommon, Chillean Sea bass was first called Vensualin tooth fish. Orange Roughy also went through a simlar name change as well.

Currently there are two companies that purchase these fish from commerical fisherman. Both have reciently undergone major upgrades to thier prespective facilities so as to be able to process more fish. The fresh fish are fileted, the filets are then either frozen, sold raw or smoked before being sold. The guts that are left over are either processed into cat/dog food or turned into fertilzier. This is a zero waste opperation, isn't that great!

I've found a more current example of the harvesting process. One fisherman uses basically a large duck boat. (about 30' long) and a 35hp motor to run up and down the river. Along with his crew of two and him self they harvest 10,000-15,000lbs of fish per day. In 2008 this fisherman caught half a million pounds of asian carp. This grossed him around 300k in revenue. After taxes, expences and wages for his two crewmen, his net pay was 80k. Not bad when concidering that these fish run from 8 to 18 cents per pound. Not the $4 per fish as I had orginally read.

So investment wise you need a boat w/motor, either a trammel net or hoop net, to harvest the fish. Once you get back to dock you then need a truck and/or trailer to haul your catch to one of the two canneries.

What I'm still trying to figure out is if there's any grants and/or low interest loans to get someone started. Not many are doing this, because the invasive species have chased all the native species away. And there's been no interest from younger generations to catch "carp". But the state is looking into all different ways and means to get these fish under control. One of the two canneries is already exporting 10 tons of this carp back to china!

I realize that I might not get anywhere with this. But it sure beats sitting around and whining I don't have a job! Funny thing I ran into. I deal with several state and county agencies to help find work. There are many different programs to get training in this field or that one. But not one of these programs offers a forklift training classes or course work. Yet I see tons of jobs where companies are begging for forklift opperators. Pay scale running up to $15 an hour!

What state is this in? I can drive anything with wheels and the payscale in michigan is Minimum wage...........