# Saw the weirdest fish at Meldhal dam today



## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Of all the days to leave the digital at home, was at the dam getting skips for a tournament Saturday, the guys were throwing topwater plugs to the second gate, had hooked and landed several dandy fish when one of the guys hollered out "Big Fish" looked over and his rod was doubled over, he fought this fish for 20 min. and never got a look at it, fish was doing some major work on the guys drag but he was staying with the fish.

Finally after about 30 min. the fish came to the surface, very big and very mad about having a big Zara spook in his upper jaw, it made several more big runs and he finally got it to the shore where one of his buddys used a Boga grip to bring it up on the rocks.

Man I wish I had a picture, this fish had scales, the guy that landed it was covered with slime, mouth looked like that of a big Blue cat with no barbels, when he opened it's mouth to free the Zara Spook, he said hey this fish is a plankton feeder, he don't have rakers, looked like the inside of a Paddlefish,the really weird aspect was the eyes of this fish were at the very bottom, well below his jaw and mouth, fish was a deep blue color, another discription of the way this fish looked was take a very large Blue Cat and flip him upside down, that is what this fish looked like, it tipped the scales at 40# and was 4 foot long with a deep forked tail, four of us were looking at this fish and had never ever seen anything like it.

Anybody got a clue, I thought maybe one of those Asian Carps, not sure what they look like.


----------



## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

It was a Rock Bass on Heroin


----------



## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

I have no idea what that fish might have been, BUT I want to catch one soon!


----------



## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

big head carp, that dont sound good!


----------



## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Did it look like this:

http://www.kentuckyawake.org/natureNotebook/natureNotebook.cfm?ID=8


----------



## Miso_Ohio (Apr 6, 2004)

Sunds just like one of those asian carp, either a bighead or a silver:







 *BigHead Carp​ *









*Silver Carp*​


----------



## rac123 (May 20, 2004)

That is a freaky looking fish!!!


----------



## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Sounds like on of the carp species the guys are showing pics of. Definitaly not good.


----------



## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

It looked like the Big Head that Miso posted except the eyes were at the bottom of it's head instead of up high, thats what made the fish so freaky looking, talk about a major fight they do put up a good one.


----------



## JIMS SVT (Aug 19, 2004)

That thing scares me.It looks like a giant chub.


----------



## catfishhunter33 (Apr 6, 2004)

hhjhjhjhjhjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

I saw a dead one several years ago there too. It was huge.


----------



## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

How the heck did they get in the Ohio River?


----------



## ssmagundus (May 21, 2005)

Still waiting on the 3 eyed fish to be caught out of the ohio. I know its in there


----------



## bassinator (May 26, 2005)

Hey, I have been fishing in the ohio river more than 30 + yrs, I have NEVER seen a fish like that!!! and about the 3 eyed fish (in the Ohio river Its hard to tell what the heck you will catch with 3 eyes) The water is so poisend that the fish dont grow long but they grow in directions!!!!!!!! lol, I have a buddy thats a diver down at the greenup locks and damn and he said he has NEVER saw anything like it either,, thats a wierd fish (what did you catch it on!)
:B


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Here's a picture that was sent to me from Western KY in 2000.


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Here's pictures of a dead one at Meldahl too. I've heard of "30# stripers" jumping 10'-12' in the air once. The guy said you're gioing to think I'm lieing, but after hearing of the BH Carp...it might've been them.  









You can see how small my foot looks....it was a huge fish !!


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

> How the heck did they get in the Ohio River


You'll find some interesting stuff. They were used to "clean" sewage ponds & got into the rivers during a flood.


----------



## catfishhunter33 (Apr 6, 2004)

hhjhjhjhjhjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

They would win on "Fear Factor" (TV show) anytime...


----------



## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

mrfishohio said:


> You can see how small my foot looks....it was a huge fish !!


WOW. I just looked at the picture then went on reading, checked it back out after you said "look how small my foot is" went back and was stunned. That thing is massive.


----------



## fisharder (Mar 18, 2005)

All carp are imports and can cause real problems, all carp an non-native fish should be taken and cast up on the banks remember fishing pressure can make a difference.So don`t throw it back throw it on the bank!!!


----------



## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

I have friends that live down past Louisville that have been seeing large numbers of bigheads and silvers for about 3 yrs. I haven't seen a bunch but I have seen a few. Last yr. on Memorial day weekend when the river was up around 48 ft. I saw several mixed in with some bigmouth buffalo in a flooded field off Tanners. 
2 yrs ago i went down to Ky. Lake and got into a bunch of them below the dam. From what I hear they are really thick there now.
DOC- I believe you fish down there some...If you wanta see some of these things shut off all your boat lights ( cept your navigation lights of course) and troll around slowly...When you see some disturbance on the surface troll over about 10 yds away and light it up with a handheld spotlight....Odds are it'll be a bighead...


----------



## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

They look like they put up a heck of a fight. So are the big heads planktivores and the silvers predators?


----------



## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Fishman- They are both filter feeders..I know a biologist who has been studying these fish in Missouri for a few yrs...I'll see if he'll come on here and fill us all in a little better.


----------



## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

I know they've been in the Ohio for years, they just haven't wreaked havoc like they have in the Southern waters. There's been a few posted that were caught in bass tournaments too. Maybe they have a problem reproducing up here or something. I know they are a major problem in the South where they have took over entire eco systems.


----------

