Common belief is the catfish farmers brought the carp over from China. Not totally true. The government was involve with the imports.
Both the Bighead and the Silver were introduced in the early ’70s. Not by flooding but by carelessness soon after importing them.
The furthest up stream a Silver has been found is L&D #5 and Mr. Chapman admitted it could have been placed there. No one knows for certain.
Usually the Bighead invade an area then the Silver follow. The Silvers will dominate the area soon after arriving “in large numbers” which is what it takes for them to spawn successfully.
It takes 26 river miles (minimum) for them to successfully spawn. There’s also a need for backwaters at the end of those miles. No flood plan lake (backwaters) no spawning can happen.
Northern Pike, Dog Fish and Flatheads are known predators. They found an 11″ Silver in the gullet of a flathead. (just another reason to lower the WI limit of flatheads and close the winter dormant season)
The romantic quote from Jurassic Park- “Life will find a way”
If that was true, we wouldn’t have extinct species.
Ecology and Physical Science is Critical in slowing and possibly stopping these fish.
The only question that was read to the panel of mine (yours) was “Is there any place these fish have been 100% stopped?”
The answer I heard was “yes and no”. They haven’t been stopped from physically moving, but they have been stopped reproducing.
I couldn’t ask a follow up question because they weren’t taking verbal questions from the audience.
What species will be impacted the most?
Paddlefish, Large Mouth Buffalo and Gizzard Shad
Sunfish and catfish will be effected the least.
I was surprised at the attendance. A good mixture of age groups as well.
The self proclaimed “recovering attorney” for the stopcarp.org group said what was clearly evident. “I don’t know much about carp, but I’m hear to help stop them from destroying our lakes and rivers”. Close the locks before it’s too late!!
Oh, the point on the stopcarp.org website that says 10 females and as few as 10 males = a new population? That was debunked on stage by Mr. Chapman. “It takes large numbers of fish to start new populations”.
Fighting this battle at the leading edge is not in MN. It’s in Southern Iowa. But we can tell the general population they’ve been found just South of the Twin Cities without telling the true story. No spawning populations.
Stopcarp.org is more of a threat to the hunters and fishermen…the sportsmen of MN/WI then any of the Asian Carp that were discussed tonight.
That’s my take on tonight’s lecture and I’m sticking to it.
Have at it Buzz. 
