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.
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.