Eating Carp

[Logan]

I notice that the main freshwater fish targeted is Carp...are they edible? Is there a reason they are legal to spear in many places where other 'gamefish' (bass, catfish, pike, walleye, etc.) are illegal?
Thanks,
Logan

[Bill McIntyre]

It seems like almost any fish is eaten by someone somewere, but carp are generally considered to be inedible by those not on the verge of starvation.

I believe that the reason that its legal to spear them so many places is that they are a non-native species that crowds out native gamefish.

[ErikY.]

I shoot them and eat them. They are a very underated fish: nice texture, few bones, sometimes challenging to find and shoot where I hunt.
Peace,
Erik Y.

[Bill McIntyre]

I guess I overdid the inedible part. After all this link shows that they were introduced to Europe from China as a source of food. I think its still safe to say that most people would prefer a bass or sunfish or walleye, but taste is a personal thing.

http://www.feap.info/home/FAQ/Answers/ans1_en.asp

And this link shows the mechanisms through which they are bad for native game fish populations and therefore legal to spear so many places.

http://www.und.nodak.edu/org/ndwild/carp.html

[Logan]

Bill-
Thanks for the info...certainly more than I ever needed to know about Carp. I guess I could do my own homework (read: google search) but it's just so much easier to post the question here and watch the answer appear:). I assume from your almost instantaneous replies that the water is still crap out there, but I was glad to read that your boat made it safely through the storms.

Erik-
On your word I think I'll try to eat one, assuming I can find and shoot it. Any idea if they can be found in Georgia?

Logan

[element]

They are a very underated fish: nice texture, few bones, sometimes challenging to find and shoot where I hunt.

Erik,
I thought Carp had a lot of bones? I have never filleted one so I dont know.

Does anyone have pictures of a fillet?
Thanks,
Cory

[straight shaft]

Carp and crap are just a misspelling away..stick to snapper! :D

[dmay]

Erik,
I thought Carp had a lot of bones? I have never filleted one so I dont know.

Does anyone have pictures of a fillet?
Thanks,
Cory

Carp DO have a lot of bones. I read that you have to cook 'em enough so that the bones will become soft or melt to become edible. I've never eaten a carp (and I never will) but I've caught plenty of them and thrown them in the trash. They ruin any body of water they become introduced to.

If you wanna see a filleted carp, google "carp fillet" and hit the image button.

[sdbr911]

They are very bony. I saw one come up and eat a floating cigarette butt one time. Garbage fish.

[element]

Carp DO have a lot of bones.

Thats what I thought. Thanks.

[element]

They are very bony. I saw one come up and eat a floating cigarette butt one time. Garbage fish.

Once I was on a charter boat down in Mexico and saw a big Yellowfin eat someone’s cigarette butt as well. Fish are dumb. Carp are probably dumber than tuna, but I think a lot of fish eat stuff out of curiosity.

[drsmileybee]

Unless you have tried it yourself or seen somebody eating or cutting it how do you know? Is it just because that is what you heard? We shoot them all the time bowfishing. I do know that they bleed lots, but as far as taste I don't know myself. I might keep some and fry them up at the fire station and see what the verdict is . :D

[Logan]

Drsmileybee-
Do you shoot Carp in GA? Any recommended places? I'm in Atlanta so i really hope you say either lake lanier or Allatoona :).

I read over some of the 'literature' on eating carp and there seems to be quite a following. Generally frying is recommended but canning allows the bones to soften and become digestable for later consumption. Check out:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1975_May_June/How_To_Clean__Fillet___Cook_Carp
The consensus is just that the meat needs to be soaked in either lemon juice or saltwater before cooking, although I'm not sure why. Could be that the blood is full of urea that needs to be neutralized (like shark and skate).

[drsmileybee]

We shoot them in the Savannah river or in Clark Hill Lake. I am sure you can shoot them in Lanier and maybe Allatoona. You just need a boat with some bright lights and a good recurve bow from Ebay.

[wvandeman]

Most freshwater states allow you to hunt carp because the DNR in those states would get killed by the BASS and fish lobbies if they opened gamefish (bass, walleye, crappie) to spearos. We are allowed to shoot carp in Indiana (as well as gar, bowfin and suckers), but most people don't eat them. We have health advisories for eating carp, particularly the larger size carp.

http://www.state.in.us/isdh/dataandstats/fish/2005/carp_advisory.htm

I don't know about your state but many of ours are full of PCBs

[ErikY.]

The carp we shoot up here in Alberta arwe called Longnose and Mountain Suckers, maybe slightly different from what you have down there in the States. They have very few of the smaller bones you would find in a Northern Pike and are easier to filet in my opinion. Tastes better than Pike too. My wife fries them with garlic and chilis.
Peace,
Erik Y.

[wvandeman]

Most of the ones I see are grass carp and buffalo carp. They're bottom-feeders so I guess it depends on the water condition as to edibility. I would guess that anything you pull out of a clear Canadian lake is pretty edible.

[Quetzal]

Erik,
I thought Carp had a lot of bones? I have never filleted one so I dont know.

Does anyone have pictures of a fillet?
Thanks,
Cory
The ones I have eaten did have a lot of bones. Small ones. Taste is ok. I think it has to do with what they have been eating. I take them from water w/ 30' viz.

[Quetzal]

The carp we shoot up here in Alberta arwe called Longnose and Mountain Suckers, maybe slightly different from what you have down there in the States. They have very few of the smaller bones you would find in a Northern Pike and are easier to filet in my opinion. Tastes better than Pike too. My wife fries them with garlic and chilis.
Peace,
Erik Y.
Is that a carp or a Barbel, or Tench?

[MichaelBaranows]

That doesn't look like the carp we have in Texas.

[Bill McIntyre]

That doesn't look like the carp we have in Texas.

Its not. I Googled it, and here is one hit:

Similar Species: White sucker and longnose sucker
Identification: Lips are bumpy, lower and upper lip
separated by a notch. Breeding male has bright red stripe
along side, distinguishing it from other suckers.
As its name implies, the mountain sucker is found in
mountainous regions of western North America, from
California and Colorado to British Columbia and
Saskatchewan. In South Dakota, it is only found in the
clear, cold streams and a few lakes of the Black Hills.
The species is most at home in small streams with aquatic
vegetation and undercut banks. The primary food of this
fish is algae that it scrapes from rocks. Mountain suckers
spawn in late spring to early summer in streams. These are
small fish, usually not over 1 pound.

Another hit described it as a native species, so these don't seem to be carp, which are non-native and came from China via Europe. No wonder Erik has a different impression of taste and boniness.

[Wayward Son]

While I have not eaten carp, I have met people who do & like it. I'm told the key is in preparing them.

Under the skin they have a dark layer that needs to be removed. I'm also told they are bony & need to be cooked properly to make the small bones soft enough to not worry about. i've never learned the details of either of these things.

[ErikY.]

Thanks Bill.
I guess like most fish, they get local names in varying states of correctness (ie: freshwater Burbot up here are also called Ling Cod in the West and Lawyer fish in the East). We call these fish carp, but it looks like they ain't.
Now I'd really like to taste a carp... my wife has eaten them many times and loves them (in Indonesia).
And the ones I shoot are usually around 2 or 3 lbs- very heavy and solid fish for their size. They are easily spooked and are a hard target if they're swimming mid-water.
Peace,
Erik Y,

[junior]

Nail them to a pine board, boil for an hour...eat the pine board. At least that's what grandad always told me:D

[shooter226]

Shot in a creek in OK.

Looks like a goldfish that was released and grew.

[Bill McIntyre]

Thanks Bill.
I guess like most fish, they get local names in varying states of correctness (ie: freshwater Burbot up here are also called Ling Cod in the West and Lawyer fish in the East). We call these fish carp, but it looks like they ain't.


Yes, common names for fish can be a real pain the ass, and it was even worse when I was an avid shell collector. Some shells had different common names all over the world. I guess that's why serious shell collectors end up using Latin names for clarity, but that hasn't caught on among us barely literate fishermen and spearfishermen.

[dmay]

Shot in a creek in OK.

Looks like a goldfish that was released and grew.

That's exactly what the carp in Southern California look like, overgrown goldfish. They hang around the docks and eat whatever trash falls off and into the water. They'll even come up and bite your finger if you stick your hand in the water.

[schulzeFish]

I don't know, I sure wouldn't eat them. Even the good folks that Sally Struthers helps feed, exhaust all efforts in the dump before succumbing to the carp fillets. :D

[Wayward Son]

Found this pic on the net. this looks like the carp I'm familiar with in the southeast.

[disabled-diver]

in the uk carp are like the fabled frshwater rod and line fish of dreams lol hahaha :D kinda like bass in america or tarpon in saltwater, they do taste good but like all fish only when prepared correctly....for example stuffing them works quite well :D carp in the uk are non native but the monks breeed them to eat in the middle ages way back ago but now theyve are readily excepted as a native speecies unlike catfish.... :( which is a stupid idea

[ErikY.]

Here's a good pic of the Longnose Sucker. Anglers here seem to enjoy catch and release as they are decent fighters, but tey get thrown back or on the beach since they are bottom feeders and ugly. Funny that lobster, shrimp, crabs and clams all fit that description but people line up for them :rolleyes:

These Suckers get up to 9 lbs apparently, and they also eat small fish and freshwater shrimp. The roe is excellent too.
Peace,
Erik Y.

[Fondueset]

Heres what we call a carp here - this one is quite huge. Maybe carp is a generic term where Erik lives - but the suckers are a different fish entirely. Here is also a shot of some white suckers hanging with smallmouth bass. Suckers here are pretty hard to approach.

Carp get a bad rap for a couple reasons. One - there are a few differents species - some - like the infamous Asian Carp - are causing real problems. (asian carp are totally freaked by boat motors and boaters have lost teeth, broken arms etc. when they get wacked by these huge fish flying out of the water!) These are Uber filter feeders and there is concern about them getting into the great lakes - which are allready being super filtered by zebra muscles and other non-indegenous species. The carp we do have here have been here for a long long time - they are very versatile and can exist in really bad water - but they prefer to run in cool and clear water - in fact they tend to be seen most in the spring and fall because they move out into the cooler water during the summer. I like photographing them because they have alot of character.

Suckers are about the only remotely edible fish that are legal here - so I'm pretty interested in this thread! We can spear carp, but they are long-lived (therefor inclined to accumilate mercury), bony and not good tasting. Also gar - which you could as well catch with a good pair of gloves, also lousy eating and way to cool looking. Bowfin - the most toxic fish in the great lakes. and Suckers - which, interestingly - are the least toxic.

Game fish are all off limits here - which is just silly - salmon are stocked to absurdity and the Lake Trout population is very healthy. Moreover these fish are pretty much unavailable most of the year because they run deep. They don't come in till mid-october/november and are fast moving apex predators, generally short on curiosity and would pretty much have to be hunted aspetto style. Here a speargun is more restricted that a bow or thrown spear.

If they are good eating I'm down! Interested in any cooking hints Erik - thanks for posting!

Freedive pics of my Environs (http://imageevent.com/aliciah/lakemichiganfreediving)

[Logan]

Fondueset-
Those pics on your site are great! I had no idea lake michigan was that warm and clear. Looks like there are plenty of fish too!

Check out the link on post 13 in this thread for some cooking tips.

Logan

[sacha58]

Fondue set gave the image of what a Carp is supposed to be in Europe, It is considered edible and some eastern european countries consider it a delicacy. I have fished for those with a rod a lot in my younger years and used to cook some, every now and then.
Clean it immediately from the guts, leave it in a marinade that covers it all made with some cheap red winw, vinegar, onions, lawry, pepper, garlic. afeter one such night in the refrigerator you can oven cook it or grill itseasoning it with salt, pepper, bacon on both sides and lots of rosemary It tastes some what of dirt anyway, better to keep em alive in a clean water environment for a few weeks before eating. Filleting and frying can make anything good. Chinese cuisine has some great recipes for carp too. I do prefer bass or walleye or muskie .......or .....TUNA

[disabled-diver]

yeh i ask my grand dad and he said the scret was to run a hose pipe into theyre guts then turn it on and leave them for a day or so in a cool place to wash out.... :( bit of a waste o water wen u cud jus go shoot someting nicer :lol:

[JLittle44]

I spent many summers shooting those grass carp growing up on the Guadalupe river in South Texas and have tried every wich way to fillet the bones out of them. There is simply no way to do it. I'm also pretty sure that rumor about cooking the bones soft is a bunch of BS as well. It would take a long slow boil to break down the tissues and the meat just wouldn't make it.

Anyway, after years of senseless slaughter (small town, no tree huggers) I figured out that the rib-cage is the best part. These fish have a really large chest cavity with thick rib bones. On the bigger fish there is nearly an inch of meat. This is also the only meat on the fish with none of those little spider-bones.

A .22 rimfire round is the most efficient way of collecting these critters, but the old recurve is somewhat challenging and way more fun. You have to stalk them pretty quietly and hit them quartering away. I have pulled in quite a few arrows with only a scale stuck on the end and I was shooting a 65# bow. Those damned scales are about the size of a nickel and almost as hard. I don't know how they hear you walking, but they do, and they will see you as well. So if you see one downstream, take the time to circle around behind him and come back upstream at 'em.

To clean them, you scale the fish with your bare hands. It's incredibly easy. Those big tough scales come off in handfulls. Fillet them as you would any other fish and then cut out the rib cage, but cut strait down instead of at an angle like you normally would. Throw the rest of the fish away. You are not doing anyone any favors by giving them that meat and these fish are so prolific, we'll never be able to shoot them all.

I like to slice them up in pieces about four rib bones thick or so and then deep fry them southern style. It's a little strange eating fish off the ribs, but they do hold a lot of tartar sauce. The meat is not very delicate, but it is flaky and tasty. I have eaten quite a lot of this fish and find the tast to be unique. It's nothing like catfish; probably closer to bass. You would have to be on crack to say that it's a great-tasting fish. The thing is, you can have a blast shooting every one in sight and come home with dinner.

I have also shot and eaten many gar fish. We call them aligator gar down here. Now that fish IS damned tasty in the two-three foot size range and also very easy to clean. For some reason, it seems to be nearly impossible to stone them and they fight like hell. Carp kind of roll over an play dead after a short fight.

[Marcus]

Jlittle44,

"gar are easy to clean"? Please share your technique with us.

[JLittle44]

To clean a gar, you make one cut from tail to head right up the belly. Please don't ruin your fillet knife on this step. Just use an old poket knife or something. Use a pair of pliers (diagonal cutters work well too) to snap the spine then just reach in and pull the meat out in one long pull. Try and visualize skinning a snake. The whole fish jumps out of it's skin pretty easily. Then you just fillet the meat off the spine like any other fish.

The meat is very delicate and has a mild flavor. The outter hyde is very slimy, but the meat is not at all. I will target this fish for dinner well before any bass or perch. Thankfully though, I now live much closer to salt water and don't eat freshwater fish as often.

Some of you may also know that this species is fun to target with H&L. Just make a loop in 1/4" nylon rope using electrical tape. The loop is in the middle and equall lengths of rope hang beneath the tape. Fray both lines out to make a skirt. Use bullet-nose slip-weights and jig the lure right in front of the fish. I like to cast right in front of their heads when they are feeding and surfacing. When they hit, their teeth tangle in the nylon skirt. It's the cheapest fishing lure you'll ever buy and a great fight.

[Marcus]

Do you gut the gar before pulling the meat out?

great info by the way.

[bhowell]

It is apparently legal to spear carp in Lake Lanier or Alatoona. However, knowing the DNR guys I am sure you would get questioned.

http://www.takemefishing.org/default.aspx?id=317

[drsmileybee]

It is apparently legal to spear carp in Lake Lanier or Alatoona. However, knowing the DNR guys I am sure you would get questioned.

http://www.takemefishing.org/default.aspx?id=317

They are looking for the large bass you could not pass up and decided to stick and put it in the live well. It is hard to pass up some of the fish but it is not worth the little award they give when they find an illegal fish. :D

We always throw the carps back and sometimes eat the catfish. Sometimes they have bowfishing tournaments out here and at the end of the tournament all the carp are given to a cat-food company and they make cat food. It is a good deal for the lakes and for the cat-food company. :thumps:

[Fondueset]

Interesting bit on the Gar - we do not have alligator gar here - just long-nosed - and they seem extremely docile. The pictures on my site were the only gar I've seen in quite awhile. Very odd place for one to be too. Strangely a few days later we ran into a northern pike in the same spot - also very odd.

Carp in Lake Michigan - at least around here - are quite active and, at times, almost aggressive - which can really take you by surprise!

[dmay]

Instead of eating Carp, try givin them a little love!
:thumps: :D

[bbellman]

i've ;tried them baked/smoked/barbqd nothing killed the overwelming STRONG taste
if your going to cooke them DONT DO IT INDOORS

[rmo8jlt69]

smoked carp is a delicacy in European nations and if you go to stores that carry fine wines, cheeses, and meat youll find smoked carp. I would never eat the trash fish but I have shot a couple of them with my bow and given them to the older men catfishing up river, they say they are better tasting than whitebass or catfish.

[ROBERTO REYES]

Once I was on a charter boat down in Mexico and saw a big Yellowfin eat someone’s cigarette butt as well. Fish are dumb. Carp are probably dumber than tuna, but I think a lot of fish eat stuff out of curiosity.

Oh no, my secret for getting tuna is out!

[Sebastien]

I guys,

You're really strange here about carps, in Europe for the Jewish population carp in very famous meal, they organise a big party and carps are the main dish
In Europe people don't eat the cat fish , they just eat dirt, but lot of fish are dirt-eater such as eal. and i know you don't eat them here. In France eal is a Restaurant fish very hard to find and maybe 30/40 euros a plate, just a question of food habits...

About carp I'm use to go bowfishing every summer few carps in my best friend river, they are yummy, but they come from a fresh water river, maybe avoid muddy water...
Wvandeman is right maybe when they are really big they could hold some kind of deaseses but Tuna too...
However I shoot one 20 pounder, and I'm still there!!!
I tried several reciepes but the best one for me and most of my friends is;

The Quiche a la Carpe
. two nice carp filets
. a bowl of creme fraiche
. a big sweet onion
. few dried grappes
. a pastry

Just mix everything with a blender and put it on the pastry. Cook it for 45 min in the ovin at 250 C Celcius. . Serve with a glass of Chardonnay

My last answer would be ; if you kill something you eat it!!! that's a good behavior to avoid trouble with tree-huggers!!!! for me it's unaccepatble what they're doing after Bowfishing tourmament in few state like Texas or Indiana, they just shoot them and put them back in the lake, it's a shame for every sportsmen!!!!!

[Fondueset]

Thanks Sebastian - here the carp swim in lake michigan - they like to stay in the cold, clear waters - maybe I will try a small one sometime :)

[rmo8jlt69]

I agree with Sebastian with the "eat what you Kill" creed. But I have killed lots of carp and never have never eaten them, now the old black guys that are always catfishing at the damn where I hunt love the nasty things. You forgein people eat some weird stuff, on the other hand some forgein people just moved into the neighborhood and I caught them keeping largemouth bass out of the local pond, they told me they were weating them. bastards

[cerobit]

hell, with creme fraiche and lots of wine just about anything will taste good ;)

one of my favorites is hardhead ( little tunny ) seared just-medium rare. Down here in Fla, i've drawn some funny stares when I stop someone on the boat from throwin them back just so I can bleed, gut and put them in brine-Ice. damn good eats as Alton Brown Should say!

Point is, just about anything can be prepared with a bent towards taste and you're missing out if you don't think so, but hey, more for me :thumps:

[Louis Rossignol]

Carp and crap are just a misspelling away..stick to snapper! :D

:lol: :lol:


Nothing looks worse than a bunch of bloody, muddy carp rolling around in the back of the pickup truck with spear holes in them.

The water that we get them out of is so disgusting that if your eyes get wet, you have an eye ache for a week. I'm sure if any of the water got into your mouth you'd probably die!!!

[Fondueset]

Nicely rigged little riffe :) Here they prefer clear and cold water - which it is. I think the bad rep carp have comes from the fact that they can thrive in most anything - what they prefer is another matter. Took this one yesterday - first fish I've seen since december.

[peskydor]

As a 13 year old, my first speared fish was a sucker, similar to a carp. I used a broom handle setup, called a polespear today. The next year, I acquired a Cressi Saetta spring gun and speared several large carp. One thing I noticed about the carp in my area was that they were spooky, very hard to approach and so shadow shooting was most productive. At first, I used them as fertilizer in my Dad's garden. Later, I tried some filets on the skillet. After soaking in salt water, the fish was fried in a flour/Old Bay batter. Not too bad. It didn't gag me or anything. My guess is that a proper marinade--vinegar, dill, Bay, lemon, olive oil, Jane's Crazy Salt, water-- would spice it up just right for the grill.

[mnguy]

In asia, carp and tilapia are the main foodfish. I find that they are good broiled vietnamese style with onions, spring onions, dill and peanuts. Doesn't hurt that I'm vietnamese myself.

They are also pretty good if you just grill them whole and remove scales afterwards. I remember one time I was at lake mojave on the nevada/arizona border and the area I was messing around in was full of them at like 1-2 pounds under this part of the shore w/ an undercut ledge and overhanging brush that touched the water. I was catching them on 2# line and brought one back to the family group. They were thoroughly drunk already. An uncle looked at the carp, yelled out "happy birthday" and threw it on the grill alive and closed the lid. After it stopped kicking around they gutted it and closed the grill again. It was pretty good eating.

[outlaw-outdoors]

I dont know about other states but here in arkansas it'slegal to spear virtually every fish in our waters execpt for trout. The season goes from june 15 to March 15. You can shoot bass, catfish crappie, and so on. Carp, drum, buffalo, redhorse and gar can be shot year round.

[Quetzal]

It is apparently legal to spear carp in Lake Lanier or Alatoona. However, knowing the DNR guys I am sure you would get questioned.

http://www.takemefishing.org/default.aspx?id=317
KEOWEE IN SC NEAR JOCASSE IS LEGAL TO SHOOT CARP.

[T2K]

First of all I hate carp. They are invasive and can ruin lakes due to their feeding habits. I would not suggest eating carp, but I have heard that smoked carp isn't half-bad. I have never spearfished for carp, but my freinds are big into bowfishing. We bowfish for carp and get upwards to 50 carp in one night, It's a lot of fun.

[transcendstime]

I agree with Sebastian with the "eat what you Kill" creed. But I have killed lots of carp and never have never eaten them, now the old black guys that are always catfishing at the damn where I hunt love the nasty things. You forgein people eat some weird stuff, on the other hand some forgein people just moved into the neighborhood and I caught them keeping largemouth bass out of the local pond, they told me they were eating them. bastards


Hmmm, I lived in MI most my life and basically every person I know eats both large and small mouth bass. I dont understand why this would make them bastards... Just a smart food choice in my book.

[khel]

First of all I hate carp. They are invasive and can ruin lakes due to their feeding habits. I would not suggest eating carp, but I have heard that smoked carp isn't half-bad. I have never spearfished for carp, but my freinds are big into bowfishing. We bowfish for carp and get upwards to 50 carp in one night, It's a lot of fun.

So, you never even tried it but nonetheless you wouldn't suggest eating it ?
:eek:

@rmo8jlt69

Now, what's wrong with eating bass? :)

[mnguy]

First of all I hate carp. They are invasive and can ruin lakes due to their feeding habits. I would not suggest eating carp, but I have heard that smoked carp isn't half-bad. I have never spearfished for carp, but my freinds are big into bowfishing. We bowfish for carp and get upwards to 50 carp in one night, It's a lot of fun.

So you've never even tried it, suggest not eating it and yet go out and kill 50 in a night? :eek: ^10

I'm sure some trunk-sucking greenie would love to twist your words around and make all of us look like bastards to the general public. It wouldn't be the first time :rolleyes:

[Fondueset]

Sounds like he was bowhunting :)
In some areas Carp are a problem - particularly the Silver or 'Asian' carp - the one that freaks out and jumps out of the water when it hears boats. Here they are well integrated into the ecosystem and mostly live in cold,clear water. Rumour has it they even munch on the zebra muscles a little.

I do agree - as spearos we have to be mindful of public perception. It's also my personal preference to take only what I'll eat and never on scuba. All that is for sure partly my environment and the species that are around here. Though I'd see no reason to change my approach even (and maybe especially) if silver carp start taking out the jet skiers. :)

[Spearnoob]

They are very bony. I saw one come up and eat a floating cigarette butt one time. Garbage fish.


Hope you're not the one throwing garbage in the water.

[Mullins]

Over here in New Zealand we get both Koi carp and grass carp. Both species (at least I think both, koi carp at least...) are classified as noxious pests and it's illegal to remove them from the water without killing them :thumps: This is because they've made a hell of a mess of some of our waterways, rendering them pretty much uninhabitable for our other freshwater species and multiplying out of control. It's pretty sickening looking down a stretch of river to see hundreds of orange heads lined up at the water's edge sucking away at the weed. I bowhunt for them occasionally - on a good day we might get a dozen or so, not quite the numbers you guys talk about. Normally I'm quite conservative about what fish I shoot, but carp are the exception. I have no moral problem with killing heaps of them, digging a hole and dumping them in it, simply because they're a pest. If DOC (our Department of Conservation) could selectively posion all the carp in the country without killing other fish as well, they'd do it. They're a major problem over here and DOC is trying hard to prevent them from spreading south, especially to the taupo area which has some of our best trout fishing. If they spread down there, we could likely kiss goodbye to that fishery.

I've tried eating them (as you do when you have that much excess fish). They may not be the same species as yours, but these ones seem to be about 80% foul smelling oil, 10% slime and 10% bones. When we took a fillet off one and started to cook it the cats ran away and refused to re-enter the house for 24 hours. The human inhabitants didn't fare much better - we had to open all the windows and stay out until the rancid smell of seared carp-juice receded.