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Post by illinoisfisherman on Sept 6, 2024 10:31:03 GMT -5
This used to be a great place to fish. Sauger, walleye, northern pike, large and smallmouth bass, white bass, stripers, hybrid bass, channel cats, flathead cats, even the occasional muskie and many more species of game fish.
Ruined by greedy carp breeders. It’s doubtful that it will ever recover.
I spent many years on this water
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Post by tampaspicer on Sept 6, 2024 12:38:32 GMT -5
I thought they were introduced to reduce algae growth and improve water-quality conditions in certain waterways.
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Post by jmarkb on Sept 6, 2024 12:52:15 GMT -5
I thought they were introduced to reduce algae growth and improve water-quality conditions in certain waterways. They were. Then they escaped and forced out the native fish. |
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Post by tampaspicer on Sept 6, 2024 13:32:53 GMT -5
Silver carp are native to eastern Asia. The species was imported from China to the United States during the early 1970s to help fish aquaculture operations and improve water quality in retention ponds/sewage lagoons. Large flood events allowed the species to escape into the Mississippi River, where they reproduced and established wild populations. They continue to spread through flood events and through migration within connected river systems.
Interesting. So the aquaculture operations(fish farms) are to blame but who is responsible for the retention ponds/sewage lagoons part of the equation?
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Post by illinoisfisherman on Sept 6, 2024 14:43:02 GMT -5
Before they were distributed to the retention ponds and etc they were supposed to be sterilized so that they could not reproduce in the wild.
The breeders built their farms to close to the river to save money. Then flooding allowed them to escape into the Mississippi.
They have migrated upstream since then. The biggest fear that they have is that they will get into the Great Lakes. At that point they could potentially spread across vast areas of North America and destroy pretty much all native fish species.
They have installed electric barriers to thwart the migration but they have constantly been captured past the barriers.
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Post by illinoisfisherman on Sept 6, 2024 14:50:28 GMT -5
FYI my brother shoots them with a bow and arrow. It’s a growing sport but it won’t replace lazy days lounging along the river with the family and the associated picnics.
He started a group that is online. I believe it is Illinois Bowfishing or something like that.
He also eats them says they taste like cod.
I understand that they feed them to prisoners in jail.
They had one organized shoot near Henry Illinois years ago and they shot something like 20,000 of them on one weekend.
I bowfished for carp 50-60 years ago but my tore up shoulder won’t let me draw a bow any longer
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Post by anumber1 on Sept 6, 2024 16:53:51 GMT -5
We have bought some to experiment with for stone crab bait.
Problem is they cut them up into small strips and doesn't stay in traps well.
It is also incredibly oily and has a large amount of guts.
Crew hates them.
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Post by conchydong on Sept 6, 2024 17:10:58 GMT -5
We have bought some to experiment with for stone crab bait. Problem is they cut them up into small strips and doesn't stay in traps well. It is also incredibly oily and has a large amount of guts. Crew hates them. with the price of pig shanks/feet going up due to the ethnic population that use them for food you have to look for alternatives. I used any bait I found including road kill and stingray wings and they all worked back when I was a part timer. |
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Post by TRTerror on Sept 7, 2024 9:43:31 GMT -5
Best Blue Crab trap I ever pulled I had stuffed a road kill Racoon in it the week before..
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Post by tonyroma on Sept 7, 2024 9:46:02 GMT -5
Surprised you just didn’t eat the raccoon.
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Post by madm002 on Sept 7, 2024 15:11:01 GMT -5
They put these carp in an impoundment in central Illinois where we used to have a place. They grew much larger than thought and would jump out of the water at the sound of an approaching boat. Some drivers took to wearing helmets if they were running the impoundment at speed.
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Post by illinoisfisherman on Sept 7, 2024 17:07:53 GMT -5
They put these carp in an impoundment in central Illinois where we used to have a place. They grew much larger than thought and would jump out of the water at the sound of an approaching boat. Some drivers took to wearing helmets if they were running the impoundment at speed. I have been hit in the head by a 5pounder. It rang my bell. I have seen them around 20 pounds. Have heard of people being hurt badly by them. I quit fishing the Illinois River because of them. I loved that river. It had everything |
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Post by jmarkb on Sept 7, 2024 17:12:33 GMT -5
The only couple successful plans that I know of to release exotics into our waters is the Sunshine bass, a hybrid that FWC raised in pens in S Florida, and then released in the local canals and lakes. They have been very successful, one reason for it if they don't breed. The other is releasing Peacock Bass in the same waters. Everything else has been a disaster.
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Post by TRTerror on Sept 7, 2024 17:51:21 GMT -5
Mayan Cichlids and Tilapia ain,t nothing wrong with them.
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Post by tonyroma on Sept 7, 2024 23:49:44 GMT -5
UF released some sterilized Asian carp in our lake. Point was to take down some invasive hydrilla. Attachments:
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