Big Head Carp.

Another exotic species is making it’s way up the Miss. Story in today’s Pioneer Press.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/3646040.htm

Interesting article. States that these critters may pose a danger to jet skiers…. so they’re not all bad! Just kidding now.

Your close james,

I think your getting them confused with the BUCK SHOT CARP.
Thats the new exotic species that spews lethal lead projectiles.LOL

No seriously…. a quote from the article…

“The giant Asian carp apparently leap into the air, as high as 8 feet, when startled, which has caused problems for some boaters on the Mississippi River.

“That might be a problem for the Jet Skiers,” said Herb Gray, chairman of the International Joint Commission’s Canadian section.”

Could you imagine these headlines…”Jetskiers up in arms demanding further public funding to eliminate the exotic big head carp from area waters after the 7th jet skier suffered serious injuries this past weekend on an area lake when an 80 Lb carp apparently ‘fell from the sky’ onto the unsuspecting operator.”

Doink!!

OK, so I’m being silly. But that mental image sure makes me chuckle…

Can you imagine the hell they could raise when startled under docks.

Could you imagine if they travel in schools!

Anybody know how far north these fish have made it so far? The article says they make up 90% of the biomass in some areas, this could easily be much worse than zeebra mussels.

Not to mention, the first one caught in Mn is a new state record!!

Where’s Carp Chaser??

J.

I posted a link to a different article a few days ago from the Lax Trib that covers this same topic and might shed more light on these fish. Here is that article again:

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/rednews/2002/07/04/build/outdoors/00lead.php

And here is an article from cnn.com on that snakehead fish that was being discussed:

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/07/12/alien.fish.ap/index.html

I think I heard or read, that they are as far north as the Davenport area.

“70 fish per square meter”. How do you get a crankbait through that! Yikes!

Do they spawn in the backwaters like other carp?ohh I hope they do!

We figured out how this would work too. Since Wi. has a rifle season for deer and Ia. has shotgun only…….

When these things come flying out of the water………..
well i’m glad i live in Wi.

JUST KIDDIN !!!

ec

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s SUPER CARP!!! Can you imagine having an 80# carp on the end of your line? I’ve chased after 20# carp with my trolling motor just so the fish wouldn’t take and break all of my line off my reel. Can you imagine the look on a bass fishermans face when he makes a cast under a dock and all of a sudden a 80# fish comes up crashing through the center of the dock with dock pieces flying all over!!!!! Just don’t tell Nate or he’ll start a Carp Tournament Curcuit. There might even be a Carp Searchers of Minnesota Fishing Club/Curcuit. Seriously, this fish could cause alot of big trouble in the river. Not to mention the boat accidents and lives that could be lost.
At 7.00 an inch it could get to be an awfull Taxidermy bill too. lol.

yeah the problem with fishing for them will be threading phytoplanton on your hook!.. if you can do it and then cast it too… well.. my hat is WAY off to you!!
Im afraid they fish are going to have a profoundly bad effect on the fishery without providing a significant angling opportunity… they will be snagable and thats about it… Im sure they will legalize the snaggin of them.. and if its anything like the paddlefish used to be they will stack up below dams and be quite the battle…. but the down side is the consumation of the phytoplankton which is the base of the entire ecosystem… removal of that will make it tough for bait fish to survive… and these things are NOT accessible as a food source….. so its going to be a constant battle to keep their biomass down so that native speicies have a chance… it most likely will mean the extinction of the already embattled paddlefish…… since they will complete directly with them…. they are hurting already.. I cant see how this wont destroy their remnant population…… these fish could change the river as we know it…… I agree there are certian comic aspects…. but the reality of someone hitting a big fish at speed is sobering……

So if they eat like a paddle fish that means they open there mouth and eat whatever fits in as there swimming along. I heard that they only eat plankton and I might believe it except I caught one on 1/2 of a sheepie while fishing for catfish on the Chippewa. This was a good size fish and appeared to have teeth marks on its face (the paddle was gone)and the teeth marks still had what looked like fresh blood running from them. It was realy weird looking but we had to throw it back. I was standing on the tressel footing reeling like crazy and I told my buddy to grab it when it swam past. We had a few beers by then and when he saw the fish he said fxxx you “You grab it”.After taking a photo the fish was released. What I would really like to know is what tried to eat this fish This was probably 20 years ago and the only paddlefish I have ever caught,I hope it made it but without it’s paddle who knows. Whats that thing for anyway??

leinieman,Hmmm?How did you get your name anyway?

I used to indulge in ice cold Bock (special Leinies brewed in the spring) by the 1/2 barrel. I used to have plenty in the cellar and a tap in the extra fridge in the kitchen. Nothing like ice cold Bock from a frosty mug. Well I got older and wiser and now I have been collecting some Leinenkugels Brewery items to decorate the bar and basement family room. I still drink a few but usually just ice water if I’m out fishing. Beer just doesn’t quench my thirst and I very rarely drink pop. Have a good one. Steve

leinies limited? loved that brew myself…. it was great…..

We use to save two cases of Lienies Bock from year to year. Then at the Menomonie Fish & Game Ice fishing contest, we would compair the two years & vote which batch was the best. That was some of the most fun I can remember!

Its not just Big Head carp we need to worry about – they have moved up the Old Miss. to about the Quad Cities area (Davenport, IA -Moline, IL). There are much greater numbers below Lock and Dam 19 at Keokuk (that dam has a 38 ft head and the gates do not lift out of the water like the other locks and dams) and this dam acts as a barrier. There are also Silver Carp (these are real jumpers and in some areas of Pool 22, just running an outboard down a side channel will result in fish jumping into the air -also the boat)and then the Black Carp. The Black carp eat snails and mussels – and were intoduced by the catfish farmers in Lousiana/Alabama to eat snails which were an intermediary host for a parasite infecting thier catfish – now they escaped to the Missisippi River and one US FISH and WILDLIFE service employee who tried to blow the whislte on them was demoted. And so it goes. There are some in the natural resources profession who believe the impact from non-native species will be much worse than any loss of habitat or impact from the navigation industry that we have seen on the UMR so far. FLASH – this just in – a commerical fisherman reported catching a BIG HEAD CARP from Pool 9 in June!!!

*yikes*….. thanks for the update John…..!!.. I know your right… the invasion of foreign species has just begun to be felt…. who knows what the final impact will be… I guess were going to a global ecology……. how boring… and also how devasting to who knows how many species… but I feel that numbers of species will be going down…… many were tottering anyway because of marginal habitat…. extra competition and predation will most likely push them over the edge…..

Hmmmm, these carp sound like a new found fishing opportunity. 4 ft long and can jump 8ft in the air. Can exceed 100lbs. …Sounds like fun to me!
.

Here is a link to a couple pictures of the carp, one even jumping out of the water behind a boat!!! Ugly critters if you ask me. http://dnr.state.il.us/fish/2001/asiancarp.htm

That is one darn ugly fish!

Even my twelve year old daughter thinks it is an ugly fish. Is it just me or does that center photo look a little hokey?

Yeah !
That guys arms look about six foot long !!! I think he learned that from somebody I know real well ! Isn’t that right Hawger !!!

Richard (Smitty)

Keep a tight line !!!

Time to start bringing the old Baseball bat with just in case the carp wants to try jumping in the boat….Yikes! 100 plus pounds

There’s just something wrong about a fish with an upside down head! Is that why it leaps out of the water vs. diving for cover? J/K

Hey Kid,…didn’t we just read an article on these fish in fridays star and tribune…Said they can jump 12 ft in the air and the commercial fisher dudes were using garbage can tops as shields?

SWANY

Actually, it was Saturday before the rains cut loose but yes………………we did read an article regarding them only being 25 miles from Lake Michigan and if they escape into the lake, it’s ALL over! There’s some rinky dink electrical thing they’re trying to use to keep them limit to their current location and southward but even so, look for life on the Illinois river to be very different from now on!