Thread: Asian Carp.. Kentucky Lake how bad?

I saw my first ones below Bagnell dam in the Osage river about 98 maybe 99. Since then I have fished the Mississippi and Ohio and its tributaries. And the Tennessee and Cumberland,Kentucky and Barkley. About 5 years ago I pretty much stopped going to Kentucky. I don't know for sure how many dollars I have contributed to the West Kentucky economy....but if I had it all back I could retire.

It's a catastrophe.A plague of Biblical proportions.

When I was in the second grade in elementary school,my Dad showed up at the door of my class one day and told the teacher I was needed at home for the remainder of the day. When we got in the truck I ask Dad where we were going...he said I just wanted you to see this. He took me to one of the local conservation lakes of about 70 acres. We stood on the boat ramp and watched as the Missouri Dept.of conservation dumped chemical in the water to deprive it of oxygen.Them people scooped all the fish out as they came to the surface.HUGE buffalo,German carp,gar,etc. After a period of time don't remember exactly...they restocked it. Rough fish have never been a problem again,and I guess that was 64 maybe 65?

I can still see parts of it in my mind's eye as if it was yesterday.

Originally Posted by redearhoosier

I think it might come down to developing a commercial fish market for these fish. I guess that's the common sense answer until they figure out how to kill them off. I've heard they've tried this but the money wasn't really good enough?

This is not directed at you specifically I am only using your quote.

Most folks agree that, for now, the commercial guys are the best hope. But at the same time the commercial guys are getting bashed and beat up on other "fishin" discussion boards and catfish boards as "raping the resource." KDFWR was successfully lobbied to cut the take on catfish down in the Ohio. Basically they crapped on the group that is supposed to help with the carp.

Off soap box.

I think they are negatively impacting the shad and skips below the dams. Can't catch a skip down there now.

An interesting read

Huge, once-hated fish now seen as weapon against Asian carp | U.S. News | US News

Originally Posted by Dlogfish

An interesting read

Huge, once-hated fish now seen as weapon against Asian carp | U.S. News | US News

Not being combative but

#1.. the bowfishermen won't let an alligator gar live for a week before they skewer them

#2... the Asian carp grow to such a size in one year that I seriously doubt they would have one iota of effect on total population.

I think this is just a way for some special interest group to raise $$. The best way to get them somewhat under control is to get the price per pound of carp up where commercial fishermen will be able to make a profit.

SOBs rip nets. If there is such a thing as fishing too good it is with the carp. Nets get so full you can't lift it.

I feel a little safer in my toon. Have only had one try to get in the boat and it hit a young man who was sitting and is 6'5" in back of neck at idle speed. Have seen a bunch of smaller fish (silvers) jumping this year. That means soon they will be bigger. Jumpers I'm not worried about except physically but big heads are really getting huge!!! We snagged one in the side this week and it was every bit of 15 pounds. Huge pods of these fish roaming just under the surface this time of year....flat water you can see them swimming with their big white lipped mouths wide open. When starting the motor sometimes it looks like an acre of water erupting when they spook. I have no answers but I'm not very smart. Spent 25 years running into buildings on fire when even cockroaches were evacuating the premises!!!! The big brains at KDFWR and every state that has them needs to figure this out with or without fed gov't help...Hate to see some kind of poison used to kill them but I see no other option. Whoever mentioned draining a lake that got rid of carp...definitely not an option. How ya gonna drain a whole set of all rivers and tributaries connected to the Mississippi?

I remember something in the past being told me that their gills are different than the sport fish gills.
This in mind, I thought the lab rats had developed a chemical to remedy these ivasive fish which would and only could effect them due to their gills.
Also, the huge kill a couple of summers ago. Was that a secret project that the state didn't do, or was it related to low low oxygen levels in the water?

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Lots oh huge dead Bighead's floating in the lake right now