Carp Question

[PAtroutguy]

Ok. I caught a 29" carp about 8 year ago. I don't know the girth. It was a common. Anyone have a guess how much it weighed?

Thanks.
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[River_Runner]

Hello I hope this will help you, I catch at least 75 to 100 carp a year , and in all my time catching these fish I have landed a few real nice fish. I have come to the conclution that a carp that is wide across the back and has a nice girth. It is kind of my own method but it is fairly acurate , the fish that you landed in my geuss would have weigh about 28 or 29 pounds. In my area the fish that has good girth is a pound an inch. I hope this will help you . The next time you catch a nice fish measure it and then weigh it , and see how close I really am.. Good Fishin[fishon][fishon][reply][/reply]
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[PAtroutguy]

Thanks!
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[gxtmfa]

I don't want to be rude, but I've always wondered if carp fishermen practice catch-and-release. Carp are, after, a highly invasive species and most states have laws making it illegal to release carp. What do you do with the fish once you've caught it?[reply][/reply]
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[FishKillr]

I save them for catfish bait....they work great!
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[gxtmfa]

[quote FishKillr]I save them for catfish bait....they work great![/quote]

that's what I do too! It's one of the only catfish baits carp won't take in some places.
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[idahocarpin]

I am a avid catch and RELEASE carp angler. Yes some areas dont want carp in the waters but FACT of the matter is the us fish and game are the ones that spread carp across america because the lack of all the native fish for FOOD. You hear people talk about how bad carp are to the waters yet all the native fish species have managed to return just fine even with the big bad wolf carp around. Bass were not all across america or in many other countrys so bass have been introduced to waters all around the globe and bass will do much more damage than a carp as they eat everything they can get their big mouths around.

The us is the only country in the world that does not consider carp as sport fish and dont look now guys but america is jumping on the band wagon. Hell why not there a blast to catch and lets face it no matter how hard anybody tries they are here to stay. Look into some of the tournaments and paylakes there can be some serious money to be made catching and RELEASING these great sport fish..

Just my opinions here to each their own but me I LOVE carp fishing

Good luck to you all in what ever you are after and tight lines
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[FrankM]

Well idahocarpin, I would actually think carp are worse. Carp from my understanding at least some species. Some like the big head or asian carp, will eat plankton. Fresh water clams will eat this plankton. Clams are something catfish love to eat least here they do. These plankton are then eaten by forage fish. Minnows, chubs, shiners, daces, suckers, killifish, shad, bony fish, sunfish (small mouths and crappie are excluded), native carp and eulachon (anadromous). They all eat plankton.

Where as large mouth bass, will only eat these forage fish, or forage creatures such as crayfish. So large mouth will kill out the forage fish, but carp can wipe out entire ecosystem from plant matter to plankton. Fish such as the paddel fish here in america will only eat plankton. Remove the plankton and eventually the carp who do have a voracious appetite and will eat more then bass in a single sitting (assumption based on owning koi and goldfish) will eat themselves out of house and home eventually dying. Leaving behind the only remaining things left...bacteria and nutrients. I know my koi ate algea off of their gravel, by mouthing it, chewing on it and spitting it back out.

So yes bass will eat forage fish and out compete those native predatory fish, carp will decimate everything.

I've never seen freshwater jellyfish, but the biologists here are very concerned that the carp if introduced will eat the freshwater jellyfish. The jellyfish are found in Waterman Lake, Lake Mishnock, Lower Sprague Reservoir, and peep toad pond. If they exist anywhere else in the state then they are undiscovered. So jellyfish here in freshwater are very rare, so carp can potentially wipe out the freshwater jellyfish population. Bass will not eat them, and it is unknown if the carp will.
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[gxtmfa]

Just because the DNR stocked a few carp in the 1880s (I thought the rest were privately introduced, but I wouldn't be surprised if the government encouraged stocking them until about the 1970s) doesn't make it justified. The carp may not consume native species but they do:
1. eat from the base of the food chain
2. Destroy spawning beds
3. Destroy water quality

Number three is the one that scares me the most. When I say "water quality" I mean to say that they contribute to stratifying phosphorus by kicking up sediment. They destroy ecosystems. This isn't to say they're the reason a eutrophic lake goes into overdrive; we also have to consider fertilizers and damming.

But the problem occurs when we compound the factors; damming slows water currents. Coupled with an algae bloom, oxygen will be depleted. The system will go from a eutrophic body of water to a hypereutrophic body of water. During this period only a few species will survive; namely, bullheads and carp, and maybe channel catfish.

It seems far fetched, but it happens a lot in Illinois:
1. River is dammed; oxygenation is impeded
2. A dry season- people overcompensate with fertilizers
*2. farmers' fertilizers run off into river
3. Algae bloom further depletes oxygen
4. Cold winter with heavy snows freezes water, further depleting oxygen
5. Spring thaw

When spring thaw arrives, what's left are nothing but carp. They flood into the river system. The original body of water, meantime, will reach its max population density... with carp. Native fish populations can't fit back into the ecosystem. Whether or not they compete directly with carp doesn't actually matter. The system becomes so imbalanced that it can't support more fish. This happened in a lake near me- even the carp stopped breeding temporarily. The native fish are tiny; with carp at the base of the food chain, the forage species are dwindling. Carp also make the water so muddy that bass have difficulty spawning.

And I am never in support of planned aclimatization/ species introduction. I am against stocking non-native salmonoids in the Great lakes, introducing flatheads to the Potomac and rivers in the Carolinas, nor do I support spreading bass beyond their natural ecosystems.

Carp are especially concerning because they don't even belong on the North American continent. They decrease water visibility by kicking up mud and many top-tier gamefish like walleye and various esox have evolved to thrive in clear water.

If you don't agree with me, I suggest you read reports of flathead introduction Minnesota lakes as a method to control carp populations. Bearing in mind that flathead are apex predators, it should becof little surprise that they reduced carp populations by 90% in some cases. What may surprise you is that the quality of native game fish spiked drastically; as carp declined, native fish grew larger. You can attribute this to flathead controlling gamefish species- but that doesn't account for bass and Muskies growing larger and healthier. Especially when a survey of the flatheads' stomach contents showed that they preyed almost entirely on young carp.

If this doesn't convince you that carp negatively effect gamefish populations, check out the reports of all the lakes where flathead weren't introduced and carp persisted. A few years after carp are introduced, the native fish species, including bass and crappie, are negatively impacted.

At the very least, take the carp home and bury them in your garden for a natural fertilizer. This helps reduce carp numbers and fertilizer use.
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[syncityangler]

we have a lot of carp here in lake mead, i am an avid carp fisherman they can save a skunked day any given day, especially with kids i would rather catch carp all day with my kids then have them go home disappointed, i usually CPR all my carp, but i do take a carp here or there for catfish bait. there is a HUGE number of carp throughout a lot of our waters everywhere. even though they don't eat native smolt like squawfish do, they do have an impact on some sensitive systems by making a mess up-rooting native vegetation and destroying natural habitat for forage fish and spawning beds. has anyone ever seen carp spawn? its brutal, a nice clear cove will quickly become chocolate water within minutes when a school of excited boars are persuing a sow, it gets quite messy. so i can understand the carp haters point of view, but at the same time i also understand the carp lovers point of view. i think there will always be a debate when it comes to this species. but i have seen an increase in carp fanatics out there. they fight like hell, unlike stinking suckerfish. carp haters should try landing one on 4lb test and an ultra light rod that there is a good fight, even on med/hvy tackle they fight well. i fed a family one time on a carp my son had caught we were gonna throw it back when a foreign lady came up to me and asked if she could have the carp to feed her family so i said sure,she was very grateful. they are a delicacy in some cultures. [fishon]
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[idahocarpin]

They can be quite destructive during the spawn. There are plenty of carp to fo around cpr fishermen bowfishers and who ever else. I just dont like the killing just to kill them use them for something at least. Like you said bait, food something I have yet to try one but I have heard from several people that if cooked properly they are great to eat in fact there is a resturaunt someplace I cant remember where but one of these food critics went there and carp is their specialty and aparently they are always busy... I may have to try one I guess. If people are going to go catch or shoot them just to throw them on the banks at least try and find a local family that will eat them.......

My big thing is the carp are here to STAY it is almost impossible to eliminate them now. There are viruses that will only kill carp and if the government was that worried about them they would use it.

Look at central and upstate NY and several places in Texsas carp are bringing in TONS of money they are a blast to catch and in other countries they are considered sport fish in fact statistics say they are the MOST popular sport fish across the globe.

Love them or hate them they are here to stay so people may as well learn to enjoy them and many people have already seen the big picture and are guiding for them. There are already several specialized tackle dealers here in america that sell nothing but carp gear and baits etc. It will blow up its just going to take some time.

Like you said if you want to get your kids into fishing sure a dozen worms and a bobber they can usualy catch a million tiny panfish but grab a couple cans of sweet corn and hold on picture the s when a little kid catches a fish as big as they are or just catch a bunch of small 10lbers....

syncityangler have you checked out carpanglersgroup yet? If you enjoy carpin you should find some good stuff on our website
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[syncityangler]

first off.. I love carp, and I love fishing for carp and I catch and release all my carp minus the couple per year I harvest for bait. so noone go get all butt hurt about this post it was meant just as a joke from one of my buddies in the Nevada forum.... this one is for the carp haters LOL []

My Carp were prepared according to an old family recipe passed down to me by my dearly departed Uncle.

Ingredients:
Whole fresh Carp, gutted
Beach Sand
2 lengths of 2" x 4" per fish (as long or slightly shorter than fish)
Coat-hanger or Wire
Half a cigarette
Salt & Pepper

Preparation

After gutting the carp, lay them in beach sand on each side and get a good coating. This is to reduce slime. Then take a lit cigarrette and place it in the fishes mouth. This is to impart a smoky flavor and to remind the fish one last time of lazy days eating cig butts at the marina.
You then take each carp and place it between two lengths of 2" x 4", wrapping them with the hanger or wire to secure the wood pieces to the carp. You then place each prepared carp into or over your fire pit or bbq. Allow at least 30 minutes of cooking time. Use a splash of water to keep the flames from completely burning the 2x4's. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. After the 30 to 45 minutes of cooking has elapsed start checking the fish to see if the flesh has become firm. Once you are confident that the fish is fully cooked, remove them from the heat/fire.

Serving:
Gently unwrap the wire from the wood/fish and discard the wire. You then take each piece of wood and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Throw the Carp back on the beach and then eat the 2x4's.

DELICIOUS!!!!!!
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[Paulpro]

Well the one in my pic was almost 29lb,but no measurement,average seems like 16lb,for down here.
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