# Asian Carp



## JoshGibson

Its hard to believe there are so many out there who dont know about the asian carp. It is an epidemic in a lot of the mississippi and other places....regardless if the fish was released at least some folks were eduacted by it....I knew immediately what it was. Check out youtube for vids of them.....From what I understand they breed like crazy too!


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## jacmec

This is why. ODNR Aquatic Invasive Species.


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## Carpn

I agree that I'm suprised that more people don't know about them....But when we live here in our own little world in Ohio and the DNR does nothing to make people aware of them then I can understand why folks don't know about...The DNR really needs to add them to the invasive listings on their website and in the regulation books. They are in the Ohio river and there is nothing that can be done about that...we've been seeing them while bowfishing down there for awhile....We just hafta do what we can to keep em out of inland bodies of water and Erie...I see em making it into some lakes though cause the young silvers and bigheads can be mistaken for shad if you don't look close...Some are gonna make it inland thru a bait bucket no doubt.


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## Fisherman 3234

I am a biologist and know what this fish can do if it were to get out and start to breed. This fish is very resilient and also has a very high reproductive rate which makes it a big threat. They also wreak havoc on the native vegetation and out compete almost all of the native species of fish. The fish was a great catch, and it was also a good thing that we know it exists there now to take the proper precautions. But it would have been irresponsible to take no action. I have a feeling too that now the ODNR is going to add the Bighead Asian carp very soon.


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## pendog66

these fish scare the hell out of me and i know what they look like, but i think im more worried about the snakeheads making their way in our waters


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## krustydawg

Everyone can sit here and bitch about the ODNR not posting pictures / regulations / educating the public in regards to these fish all they want. Where is the personal accountability when it comes to us as sportsman ? The information is out there, educate yourself ! It's like everything else in todays society, everyone wants to place the blame elsewhere instead of looking in the mirror and accepting the fact that the person staring back at you is responsible for the decisions they make. Not me or any Govt. Agency. By reading some of the posts in that other thread there are guys out there that could care less where these fish end up. That is what disturbs me. Oh well the wheels are in motion.....


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## Fisherman 3234

The Northern Snakeheads have primarily only been found in the Potomac river system where wildlife officials are keeping a very close eye on their movements through tracking devices. What is dangerous about this fish is that it can live out of water for quite some time. This adaptation helps them to move from one water source to another. But I don't think that there have been any reports of Snakeheads in Ohio yet.


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## boeing

I recall seeing the original posting on this subject but don't find it now. Where was it the Asian carp was caught?


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## Fisherman 3234

Krustydawg is absolutely right, and it also disturbs me that there were some individuals that could have cared less as well. Invasive species are no laughing matter, they can destroy a native fish population very quickly (but yes it does take some time). Taking action was the right thing to do. One good things about these threads is that even though there has been sort of a nasty overtone here, people have gotten educated because of it.


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## Fisherman 3234

The fish was caught on a "Military installation" pond close to the Mad river watershed. Close enough so that it might have been in the flood plain.


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## pendog66

Fisherman 3234 said:


> The Northern Snakeheads have primarily only been found in the Potomac river system where wildlife officials are keeping a very close eye on their movements through tracking devices. What is dangerous about this fish is that it can live out of water for quite some time. This adaptation helps them to move from one water source to another. But I don't think that there have been any reports of Snakeheads in Ohio yet.


its only a matter of time, theres reports of them in PA and i just saw a story recently they are in arkansas now


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## pendog66

Fisherman 3234 said:


> The fish was caught on a "Military installation" pond close to the Mad river watershed. Close enough so that it might have been in the flood plain.


wow thats not good..


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## Lewzer

They been around in the Ohio River for several years. There was one caught by a bass fisherman near Steubenville in the Pike Island pool about 6 years ago.
I remember reading a post about one caught in the Ohio along the Indiana border last year too.

Military installation?
Wright Patterson AFB?


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## iteech

Some of you are speaking in code..."taking care of the situation", "handling it responsibly", etc--you lost me. You DO mean, of course, that you should KILL IT, right? If that's it, be plain. I'm sure the state fish and game folks need to see it...take a picture, and send them the pic with info on where caught. Also, I've heard of this several times, but I still do not know what they look like--are they easily confused with another type of carp or gamefish? Some people cannot open the links (I have no idea why that is), but it would help enormously if someone could patch in a pic of that carp. Of course I know what a snakehead is--I've had nightmares about them coming out of the water and biting me--but if I ever caught one, I'd throw the rod and run to the car, never to return again. If I (or any of us) catch one of these carp, we do need to do whatever is necessary, but I gotta know I've got one...thanks guys...


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## jacmec

I can agree to a point that we share the responsibility for being able to id an invasive species. But it is ridiculous to think that the ODNR does not have the majority of this blame. It is their publications that are to inform fishermen/women across our state. It is our tax money that is designed for them to monitor and gather information on invasive species. If information about endangered or invasive species was purely spread by word of mouth and the ODNR did not exist we would have one heck of a problem on our hands. So I am in no way bashing the fine work the ODNR does, but if you want some reason why the fishermen/women of Ohio don't know about this invasive species it is purely because no wide spread publication on this matter is available. The only reason why I got an education about this is because of OGF. Now, what about all of those that don't belong to OGF? Those who fishing education purely relies on ODNR publications?


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## krustydawg

iteech said:


> Also, I've heard of this several times, but I still do not know what they look like--are they easily confused with another type of carp or gamefish?


Here ya go......


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## browneye

So Krusty - just so we can be clear - when you threatned to call the "authorities" or the "gov. agency" on this uneducated fisherman, were you staring in the mirror when you were on the phone? Your personal accountability speech didn't work for Joe the Plumber and it doesn't work for me on the Southwest Ohio Fishing Reports website.

Thanks Sarge.


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## fisherman5567

krustydawg said:


> Here ya go......


Man, everytime i see that pic i just cant get over how big and nice that thing is!


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## bgrapala

So I really didn't think this whole carp thing would end with my request to close the other thread, but at least I tried. Guys, in all seriousness I put that post up expecting positive replies. Instead I got my a$$ reamed by a few guys for not doing the "responsible" thing and killing that fish. Being originally from Kentucky and growing up fishing there I always kept up with the publications that DNR there put out. Having been staitioned in Ohio the last two years as an active duty airman, I have done the same for both years. No where in any publication that I've read either manual or website from the ODNR does it say anything about this fish. Thats why I did what I did. Is it written somewhere that you get extra credit for doing extra research? Maybe you get a secrect discount if you can name all of the invasive species that threaten the bodies of water in Ohio. If so then thats great! That's not the reason I fish. I don't even fish for food purposes. I fish because it is the one thing that I truly love to do and I'm trying to pass that love onto my son. It's reactions like this that make it hard to be passionate about something these days. I wasn't pointing the finger at anyone for blame. As soon as I found out what this fish was and what kind of damage it caused I contacted the authorities right away. I still have not gotten a response...I guess they figured it wasn't that big of a deal just like the office that manages those ponds. Honestly I figured I'd catch some slack for the amount of blood on the fish and on the ground...not for it being the type of fish it was. I'm not a carp angler, I have never claimed to be. I do research on bass and catfish...thats it. The picture of me and my fish probably should not have been posted by someone other than me, but then again it is the web. I figured someone with the intelligence of Krusty would've at least cropped my face or body out of it and just left the fish seeming as how that was all that was asked for. Matter of fact I went back out to that pond today to see if I saw the big guy floating...sure didn't and I guess that sucks. I did however manage to catch 6 big bass and 2 decent channels in 2 hours. I guess that fishery is hurting pretty bad though...


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## Fisherman 3234

Some of you guys are missing the point completely, it is not the fisherman's fault that he caught the fish, (and it was a great fish by the way its one of the biggest Bighead Asians I've seen caught.) The point is that this fish can be a sort of ecological atomic bomb that can seriously hurt native fish populations (Carp and other species, but it does take time). If you don't believe me then look up how people are trying to deal with it in Illinois and the great lakes. Now I did think it was appropriate to notify the ODNR about this because of the fish and not the fisherman. The fisherman had nothing to do with it. From my understanding too is that the fisherman contacted the ODNR immediately after the post and explained to them what he caught. So, he did the right thing.


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## misfit

as if 53 replies on the original thread wasn't enough


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## fisherman5567

misfit said:


> as if 53 replies on the original thread wasn't enough


LOL  And the road goes on forever and the party never ends!


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## imalt

i am uneducated on every fish species also and understand the dangers these invasive species can do. and he did the right thing by contacting the odnr. it is still a cool catch and the biggest fish i have ever seen caught in ohio native or not. it needs to warm back up so everybody can get out and fish. this happens everytime it gets cold everyone gets their panties in a bunch.


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## fisharder

Even the lowly common carp are not native fish to Ohio they are all imports.
let me repeat that all carp are non-native to the state of Ohio.
There is no limit on carp and no regulations on what you do with them after you catch them. I do not target carp and don't fish bait so I catch very few but I catch them or snag them every so often. I am and always have been a C&R fisherman but when it comes to carp that is out the window.


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## GETTIN' THERE

Well guys, this thread got my interest up. Have gone out on the web trying to find what info I can on this beast. Articles from Mississippi to Wisconsin.
One thing I have not come across is any DNR telling anybody to kill this fish upon capture. Did come across this booklet (pdf format), but have not had time to read it just yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bighead_carp

scroll to A national plan for the control of Asian carps under invasive species.


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## CO_Trout

Good to see that some are being educated about this and other invasive species. 

But, 

The only reason this is getting so much attention now is because it was cold the last 2 days and *NO ONE COULD DO ANY GOOD FISHING.

LET IT WARM UP SO WE ALL CAN GO OUT AND CATCH SOME GOOD SPORT FISH TO TALK ABOUT NOW*

Tight Lines to all and some catch some big fish so I can ask you how to catch them.


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## true2plue

imalt said:


> i am uneducated on every fish species also and understand the dangers these invasive species can do. and he did the right thing by contacting the odnr. it is still a cool catch and the biggest fish i have ever seen caught in ohio native or not. it needs to warm back up so everybody can get out and fish. this happens everytime it gets cold everyone gets their panties in a bunch.


Go 300 miles to the Chicago River and complete your fascination by having one of these critters fly out of the water and smack some sense into your noggin. It could be hotter than Haiti out, and this matter would be just as serious. Please get a clue!!


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## misfit

> There are carp that are native to Ohio and they are the Bigmouth Buffalo and the Smallmouth buffalo


not quite.buffalo are a sucker species and carp are minnow species.they may be in the same big family,but they are not carp.


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## Fisherman 3234

Thank you for the correction, you are right they are part of the sucker family along with the redhorse and golden redhorse suckers.


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## Gone Fission

Fisherman 3234 said:


> Krustydawg is absolutely right, and it also disturbs me that there were some individuals that could have cared less as well.....


Couldn't have cared less


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## fshnteachr

I can't believe I am getting into this debate.... (been educational and disturbing all at the same time.) I am not comfortable with our "personal accountability as outdoorsmen" being questioned if we are not aware of the invasive species out there. Good God, I have trouble distinguishing between all kinds of fish, let alone being aware that something may be harmful. Bgrapala, I feel for you man, don't get discouraged and lose your passion for fishing. Just let it go, nothing is bringing that moment back when you released it so don't beat yourself up over it, or worry about the naysayers on this post. Yeah, we need to be educated, your post helped a lot of us become aware of these problems.

I am now going to go get my Ph.D in "harmful wildlife" so I can be a properly informed outdoorsman.


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## Fisherman 3234

C O Trout is right maybe we all just have a small case of cabin fever with the cold weather . We just all need to go catch some fish and be happy.


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## jacmec

fshnteachr said:


> Bgrapala, I feel for you man, don't get discouraged and lose your passion for fishing. Just let it go, nothing is bringing that moment back when you released it so don't beat yourself up over it, or worry about the naysayers on this post. Yeah, we need to be educated, your post helped a lot of us become aware of these problems.


+1 on that! Don't let the trolls bring you down on fishing or the forums. It can get this way sometimes but usually not. 




CO_Trout said:


> Good to see that some are being educated about this and other invasive species.
> 
> But,
> 
> The only reason this is getting so much attention now is because it was cold the last 2 days and NO ONE COULD DO ANY GOOD FISHING.
> 
> LET IT WARM UP SO WE ALL CAN GO OUT AND CATCH SOME GOOD SPORT FISH TO TALK ABOUT NOW
> 
> Tight Lines to all and some catch some big fish so I can ask you how to catch them.


Agreed. Funny how it brings names from other parts of the forums out.


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## LMRsmallmouth

Ok...I think we got it now....Asian carp are bad...ummmm k. (south park)

I have fished about 4000+ days in my life and have caught about 20 carp total, couldn't tell the difference between a big head, little head, common, uncommon, grass, dirt, whatever carp. I do care, but I probably would have made the same mistake. That doesn't make it right to stone and pillage someone for not knowing. There are lots of things I am knowledgeable about but I will not call the cops on you if you are not as good. I think these 2 threads were beneficial in the end and educated us all, I just wish attacking an innocent poster wasn't what we needed to get it all understood. Either way you look at it, I am SURE it was a blast to catch and a very impressive catch (even if you should have killed it) Oh well....I am sure this thread is on its way to a slow death as well.


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## CamdenGizzard

I went to the lake, caught it and me and my family ate the whole thing in one sitting.

Lets all move on now!

HA

..............

I'll say it again..... Great catch!!!


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## Flathead King 06

Camon... great fish man!!! catch of a lifetime! sorry that this has turned into one of those all out bashings, I've been there and had it done to me  it really makes you question ever posting again... but life goes on and people get over things


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## JoshGibson

Like the title says....I just didnt know if any of you had seen the youtubes of them.


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## Walter Adkins

Interesting reading this and the original thread. We all get it now. We have been educated and understand what we must do. 

1st do not, in case you did not know this yet, expect the ODNR to be the answer to problems. They try but sometimes trying is just not enough. And besides they have a full plate to work at not just invasive species. 

2nd this carp is bad

3rd stop this thread and go fishing. 

This thread has served its purpose and no Josh you should not appologize nor anyone that treated others with respect in this thread or the other one. We all can learn from this thread as well as other threads. 

By the way that was one nice catch, period.


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## big_b16

montagc said:


> What worries me is how it got into the pond in the first place


Put there on purpose to control weed growth several years ago. Spoke with the guy who was involved in the process.


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## Coonhound

Looks like a grass carp to me. :shrug:


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## bgrapala

not to take away from what big b is saying, but since the contact with the gentleman mentioned that he has had, I have had further contact. The pond was identified incorrectly so now he doesn't know how it got there. I just wanted to thank everyone on the congratulations and I guess I'm glad that I could help in the education of fellow fisherman. I guess we can't all be in the top 1% of fishermen/women that could identify every species of fish we catch. Like was said before...woulda, shoulda, coulda. If only I'd known then what I know now.


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## pendog66

bgrapala said:


> not to take away from what big b is saying, but since the contact with the gentleman mentioned that he has had, I have had further contact. The pond was identified incorrectly so now he doesn't know how it got there. I just wanted to thank everyone on the congratulations and I guess I'm glad that I could help in the education of fellow fisherman. I guess we can't all be in the top 1% of fishermen/women that could identify every species of fish we catch. Like was said before...woulda, shoulda, coulda. If only I'd known then what I know now.



sooooooooooooo....... would that be considered a fish ohio????... and again great catch


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## Wiper Swiper

*"...as if 53 replies on the original thread wasn't enough"*

I don't know, Rick...are you satisfied with the ending to the first thread? Do you believe there's nothing left to say or learn about the threat bigheads pose to our native fishes? Do you feel that the posters (and viewers) in the first thread got the message and wouldn't make the same mistake the originator did in releasing that fish?

Just asking, because that's not the impression I got from some of the comments. I saw over half the responders trivialize the seriousness of the discovery, with one being so bold as to state that it's the military's domain and the DNR couldn't touch it.

I understand that the hard questions with respect to conservation aren't really your baliwick, but as a moderator for OGF, can you honestly just blow it off as "no big deal?" 

This is a powerful forum that reaches a staggering number of Ohio anglers. Do the adminstrators prefer that discussion be limited to _"where's the current hotspot,"_ and _"atta boys"_ for your latest catch?

I'm genuinely interested in your answer because it seems like the surest way to get a thread locked is to question anyone's conservation practices. Why do we always seem to back away from conservation issues?


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## big_b16

Wiper, where is your reference that states the fish should have been killed? It should be something like this...according to the ODNR fisheries management, and in accordance with published guidance, any and all invasive species as defined by the Ohio DNR listed "insert said list of species" should be killed immediately. Without that, no one made any mistakes. You may not understand how the Fed Govt views hunting and fishing on installations, but they are fairly strict. It wouldn't be a stretch to get popped for destruction of government property to kill a fish bought and paid for by you, me, and everyone else (except for Willie Nelson and most original cabinet appointees) and leave it dead on the bank.

As posted in the other thread...it was locked at the request of the originator. Something most sites have available to the original posters. Like the marketplace portion of this site.


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## bubba k

I think that someone should rent some scuba gear and go to that pond first thing tomorrow morning with a spear gun, and hunt it down like it's Big Foot! Because the fish can fly through the air like "super fish", it would be wise to first string up huge cargo nets around the perimeter of the pond so that he can't escape once he realizes that he's being hunted! After the beast is brought to shore, you should build a huge bon fire, and burn it to make sure that it doesn't somehow come back alive! I then recommend sprinkling all of the ashes into the surrounding bodies of water while doing a voodoo chant! This will kill off all of the fish's evil spirits!!!!


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## misfit

> I'm genuinely interested in your answer because it seems like the surest way to get a thread locked is to question anyone's conservation practices. Why do we always seem to back away from conservation issues?


i'm always willing to answer your questions,but generally you don't like the answers that i give
and you asked several questions,so bear with me as i answer them in the order they were asked.

1.......yes
2.........no
3.......yes and no
4.......yes
5......no
6.......it depends on your definition of "we" is.


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## true2plue

Rick, I think you forgot question #7.


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## jacmec

Wiper Swiper said:


> *"...as if 53 replies on the original thread wasn't enough"*
> 
> I don't know, Rick...are you satisfied with the ending to the first thread? Do you believe there's nothing left to say or learn about the threat bigheads pose to our native fishes? Do you feel that the posters (and viewers) in the first thread got the message and wouldn't make the same mistake the originator did in releasing that fish?


Yeah, the dead hose has been thoroughly beaten. 



Wiper Swiper said:


> Just asking, because that's not the impression I got from some of the comments. I saw over half the responders trivialize the seriousness of the discovery, with one being so bold as to state that it's the military's domain and the DNR couldn't touch it.


*Most* comments were not trying to downplay the situation. *Most* of us were saying we would have made the same mistake. Only a *few* were downplaying it and the *majority* were trying to encourage bgrapala to not take this forum witch hunt to heart. 



Wiper Swiper said:


> I understand that the hard questions with respect to conservation aren't really your baliwick, but as a moderator for OGF, can you honestly just blow it off as "no big deal?"
> 
> This is a powerful forum that reaches a staggering number of Ohio anglers. Do the adminstrators prefer that discussion be limited to _"where's the current hotspot,"_ and _"atta boys"_ for your latest catch?
> 
> I'm genuinely interested in your answer because it seems like the surest way to get a thread locked is to question anyone's conservation practices. Why do we always seem to back away from conservation issues?


I think the admins try to tame down some of the issues because people troll for this kind of stuff and get so darn cut throat about it that the point is usually lost and it turns into mess. On top of that its just a big flam war. IMO


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## NLC25

I won't knock the angler for not being able to identify the fish in this case but it astounds me that some anglers do not think we should kill these invasive species when we catch and correctly identify them (especially if you read up on the asian carp or snakehead).


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## Wiper Swiper

*"Challenging a mod is just plain foolish. Are you trying to get banned and become an internet martyr or something?"*

ummm...actually, I like Rick's internet personality! I do challenge his brain from time to time, but don't ever think I've challenged his authority. I know what he's saying when he tells me to shut up.

Along those lines...thank you, Rick. No, I don't always like the answers. And, I'm bummed you didn't leave me room for more questions!


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## misfit

> Rick, I think you forgot question #7


what was the question?



> And, I'm bummed you didn't leave me room for more questions!


ask away.you've got a whole thread here

montagc.........as for the challenging issue,i welcome challenge.as ws said,he only challenges my brain,and that works for me.lucky for him my brain doesn't present much of a challenge


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## true2plue

misfit said:


> what was the question?


Just yanking your chain!


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## misfit

LOL.you got me.i had to read his post two more times tosee what i missed.being old and drifty,it would be easy for me to miss something


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## Fisherman 3234

Nobody should bash fellow fisherman on here for not knowing what species this was. There was a time when I didn't know what the fish looked like and had only heard about it through the grapevine. But the scary reality is that this fish has only recently become a big problem (in the past few years) due to fast growth rates and high reproductive yield. Invasive species are bad any way you cut it, and most of the time when people consider it a problem it is already too late. I'm not here to bash anyone, I just want people to be aware that's all, and if you have a different opinion then me then thats ok I don't mind different opinions .


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## riverKing

...great...sorta disscussion
on these carp and on invasives.
what this fisherman did was the RIGHT thing to do, if you dont know what it is DO NOT kill it. as montac mentioned with lampreys, there are lots of native lampreys, and most fisheries biologists cannot ID them properly, meaning the invasive vs. the endagered(I once witnessed an endanged lamprey get killed because of this mis ID, that is a $1000 fine). so again I state, if you dont know what it is release it. however, if you DO know what a grass or bighead carp is(really know) and you get one in a public waterway, I sincerely hope you remove it.
now, what do you do about it if you dont know, take a picture and find out, report wierd things, thats the only way the dnr will hear about it. several of you mentioned this is the dnr's fault, I can personaly tell you that two years ago when I did a list of all records on the ohio river basin(all 315 or so species, invasives included), there where zero officially recorded silver or bighead carp in the ohio river basin in ohio. This fish could very well be the first verified capture of one in state waters. Dont blame the fisherman, dont blame the state, simply be educated and hope that the problem can be delt with, wich may mean let the fish die and put out some info.

now these fish are different from most invasives, brown trout are invasive, in many parts of the country largemouth and smallmouth are a devestating invasive. Do we go around killing every one, no, in managment many mistakes have been made(like these carp), it is not your job to fix any problems, there are people who have those jobs, and weather or not you agree with them they probably know more than most of us. these carp, like gobies and VHS, can cause much more damage than a rouge trout or bass, so dont confuse them. also be careful and dont be part of the problem, never move fish or water from one place to another, and dont play god and kill fish for no reason if you dont know what they are or dont know what role they play in the ecosystem.


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## jacmec




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## Lewzer

Oh jeeez. 
Good morning to you too jacmec!
I'm reading about lamphreys and then scroll down to see your pic. That's nasty.

His wife probably wondered how he got that hicky on his forehead.


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## TeamPlaker

I was gonna sit this one out although I love a good debate more than the next guy... but after seeing that pic from Jake, I am just bothered by it. Not by the fact that there's a lamprey in it attached to a guy's forehead... not by the fact that he is smiling and seemingly enjoying it... but by the fact that you knew Dale Earnhardt.


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## jacmec

I cant resist!!!


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## Steel Cranium

NLC25 said:


> I won't knock the angler for not being able to identify the fish in this case but it astounds me that some anglers do not think we should kill these invasive species when we catch and correctly identify them (especially if you read up on the asian carp or snakehead).


If I caught one of these and decided to kill it, what do I do with the carcass? Leave it on the bank, throw it back in the water. If I have to dispose of it somewhere, throw a 50+ fish in the back of my car? If they are left on the shore, isn't it littering? If the state mandated to kill on site, groups like PITA would have a field day. Killing a goby is not a problem since it's only a few inches long. Killing and disposing of 50lbs or more of fish presents quite a logistical problem.


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## NLC25

Steel Cranium said:


> If I caught one of these and decided to kill it, what do I do with the carcass? Leave it on the bank, throw it back in the water. If I have to dispose of it somewhere, throw a 50+ fish in the back of my car? If they are left on the shore, isn't it littering? If the state mandated to kill on site, groups like PITA would have a field day. Killing a goby is not a problem since it's only a few inches long. Killing and disposing of 50lbs or more of fish presents quite a logistical problem.


Well I'd say any of those options are better than releasing it alive, do you really disagree? I'd throw it in the compost heap personally.


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## LMRsmallmouth

Nice post riverking.....sounded like how I feel. 
On my way out to get one of those pig bucketmouths that have invaded the farm pond I am bout to hit. They will be cpr'd unlike the the bighead which would have only been cp'd if I caught it after this thread...


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## Steel Cranium

NLC25 said:


> Well I'd say any of those options are better than releasing it alive, do you really disagree? I'd throw it in the compost heap personally.


I don't disagree with removing troublesome species, but the logistics would make things a bit difficult. An urban compost heap with a 50lb fish would make the neighbors happy. It's hard enough trying to dispose of carcasses from cleaned fish (walleye) when on the road in an urban area. Not everyone fishes close enough to home with a vehicle set up for disposing a fish of this size.

How do they handle these fish after killing in the states where they are caught frequently? Does the state provide somewhere to deposit these fish or are they left bankside?


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## Carpn

In KY they let you kill and discard the fish back into the water...The standard practice is to knife the fish in the swim bladder which allowed them to sink like a rock and stay down. We shoot these bigheads in the Ohio river on the other side of Louisville and we have shot a few up here in the Markland pool. I know of several being bowshot in the Meldahl pool also. We've been seeing them in the Markland pool for about 5 yrs.
In some areas such as below KY lake and Barkley lake dams there are tens of thousands of these fish. When they are up it is not uncommon to have 10 or more boats below each dam bowfishing and there are 1000's of these fish shot in a weekend there...Unfortunatly there are some idiots who will leave them on the bank or toss them back in by the boatramps but most are either taken to a farmers field or knifed and put back in the river.


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## I Fish

I doubt many would agree, but after reading this thread, and given the real threats that invasive species pose to our fisheries, as well as all wildlife in general, maybe a forum dedicated to the identification and education on invasive species is in order? I know firsthand what it's like to catch an "unidentified" fish. My mom caught one of the first ever gobies from Lake Erie. We didn't have a camera with us, so at the risk of a fine for possesing an endangered species, we kept it in the live well. This fish in particular was the 3rd one we had caught in 2 days, and after explaining the first 2 to everybody we seen, nobody could give more than a guess as to what they were, so we kept this one. Everbody, including us, thought it was a giant darter of some kind. We took it back to the State Park on Kelly's Island, and the park ranger, and other officials on hand had no idea what it was. The ranger kept it, and had 2 biologists from Columbus there on the first ferry the next morning. They speculated it was in fact a goby, but even they had never seen one in person at the time, and it wasn't in any of the ID books. So they took it back to the lab, then notified us by mail 2 weeks later that it was indeed a goby. Then, everybody we told about this, not one single person had ever heard of a goby, until almost 10 months later, there were articals everywhere about them, like they just got here. My point being, if there is a threat, there is every possibility that not even the state officials are aware of it's presence, however, they are probably the best source for this type of information. They better be. 
To me, the disturbing fact is things like the Asian Carp can be spread by so many different ways, outside of any sort of control. Given the transient nature of military personell, it is possible this was brought here in somebodies aquarium, then got to big and was released. Look at how many reports there are of pirahnnas being caught in Ohio. Sportsmen and women may know the dangers of these actions, but does the average citizen? Mostly no, and even more don't care. And then, on a forum dedicated to promoting fishing and hunting, some have the audacity to bash another sportsman for their supposed lack of knowlege, as opposed to helping them to understand? You guys let me know when you've committed to memory every fish in the world that could possible live in Ohio. Then, the next time my mom catches something not even several state officials can identify, I'll come to you.


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## Ajax

I would love it to be legal to shotgun (steel shot of course) silver carp below the dams. That would be fun.


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## bgrapala

Wow guys when I first posted my original post I never expected such a response. Over 3300 views and 126 posts generated by ONE fish. I think A LOT of people can say they're educated now. Tight Lines!!


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## NLC25

I am glad you posted about your catch too! At least more people have not posted suggesting it is a good idea to release these things. Maybe they have now conducted their own research.


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## jayhoffa01

First Congrats on catching a fish of that size, many will never catch something that big.

Well guys... I would like to clear up some things about the pond on Wright-Patt. I'm quit familiar with this area. I was a volunteer game warden there for the past 5 years and head game warden for the past 2 until I retired in February.

The area in question is Twins lakes on Wright-Patt, the lake/pond is in the flood plain of the mad river. The pond lies in a very low area, when ever there is flooding in the Dayton area, you can be sure that this area is also flooding. I have witnessed Mad river crest high enough to connect this pond and also Hebble creek(which runs into the Mad River) yearly (sometimes more than once a year). The only possible way that the fish could have gotten there would be from the mad river. This pond is stocked yearly with catfish, but also has carp and bass. I have never seen a fish anywhere close to that in size come out of there. I have talked to Bow fishermen who talk of 20+ lb carp being in there but nothing to this magnitude.

What I will do is inform the person who took over for me about what was caught and where. So that he can: 1- be educated on the problem/issue and 2- contact ODNR for help on what to do.

Ill write more after I talk to him for those who are interested.

PS Im sure the Bow Fishermen will be out in force once the word gets out


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## bgrapala

Thats why I never gave the location of the pond. It is a very nice area that few people know about. Thats why I love to fish out there. People have their honey holes and I guess I just lost mine. I've already been in contact with the people that needed to be contacted and steps are in order to get it taken care of.


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## Carpn

jayhoffa01 said:


> First Congrats on catching a fish of that size, many will never catch something that big.
> 
> Well guys... I would like to clear up some things about the pond on Wright-Patt. I'm quit familiar with this area. I was a volunteer game warden there for the past 5 years and head game warden for the past 2 until I retired in February.
> 
> The area in question is Twins lakes on Wright-Patt, the lake/pond is in the flood plain of the mad river. The pond lies in a very low area, when ever there is flooding in the Dayton area, you can be sure that this area is also flooding. I have witnessed Mad river crest high enough to connect this pond and also Hebble creek(which runs into the Mad River) yearly (sometimes more than once a year). The only possible way that the fish could have gotten there would be from the mad river. This pond is stocked yearly with catfish, but also has carp and bass. I have never seen a fish anywhere close to that in size come out of there. I have talked to Bow fishermen who talk of 20+ lb carp being in there but nothing to this magnitude.
> 
> What I will do is inform the person who took over for me about what was caught and where. So that he can: 1- be educated on the problem/issue and 2- contact ODNR for help on what to do.
> 
> I&#8217;ll write more after I talk to him for those who are interested.
> 
> PS I&#8217;m sure the Bow Fishermen will be out in force once the word gets out


Is it possible the fish was transported in accidently when stocking catfish?..I may be mistaken but I thought bigheads and silvers were used to some degree in fish farm ponds down south to help clean the ponds...I may be mistaken though. Bigheads have really fast growth rates so that fish is probably less than 5 trs old!!


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## big_b16

jayhoffa01 said:


> PS I&#8217;m sure the Bow Fishermen will be out in force once the word gets out


They sure will be now. Gotta love that.  I didn't think there was anything that needed to be cleared up. Have your replacement talk to Eddie (R&G club) and he'll be fully informed. No need to post anything else on a public forum.


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## fisherman5567

Just a reminder for any of those who wish to fish these ponds....must have proper id to get on base and once on base you must get a base fishing license (seperate from ohio license). just fyi.


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## riverKing

carpn I would think that your idea of how the fish got in there is more likely than most. I highly doubt that the fish came from the mad. If they transported some commercially fished catfish from the lower ohio it may have gotten in that way, they are pretty common down bellow louisville.
intresting fact, what you mentioned with aquaculture, that was how these fish originally came to be in the US. all the way back in the late 60's I think it was arkansas(dnr) that brought them over for various control in small isolated lakes. this worked great until well, they got out in floods..


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## Carpn

I hope everything works out and they don't end up using rotenone or something else drastic just to try and remove one fish from the pond. These things are bad news but I don't think it's worth killing a whole pond out for one fish...They are pretty diffucult to shock from what I hear and if it is just one fish bowfishing may be the answer...But it'd be like trying to find a needle in a haystack...They become alot more active after dark and will come to the surface to feed on plankton....Here is a pic of one from the other side of Louisville out of the Ohio river.I've posted this pick before but maybe it'll help folks ID one of these if they even do catch one.

..


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## I Fish

bg, what did you catch this thing on, or did you snag it? Also, has anybody ever tried eating one? I'd think if there is just one of them in the pond, they should be able to net it?


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## I_Shock_Em

riverKing said:


> carpn I would think that your idea of how the fish got in there is more likely than most. I highly doubt that the fish came from the mad. If they transported some commercially fished catfish from the lower ohio it may have gotten in that way, they are pretty common down bellow louisville.
> intresting fact, what you mentioned with aquaculture, that was how these fish originally came to be in the US. all the way back in the late 60's I think it was arkansas(dnr) that brought them over for various control in small isolated lakes. this worked great until well, they got out in floods..


I did a study on asian carp at osu last spring. In the early 70's, catfish farmers in the south (primarily in Arkansas and Mississippi), not the dnr, introduced bighead and silver carp into their ponds primarily for vegetation control. It is suspected that when the Mississippi flooded in the early 90's, the carp were able to get out of the ponds and into the river. if these fish get past the electric barrier, on I believe the Illinois river, and into the great lakes, the fisheries there will be destroyed. numerous biologists have said the great lakes will become giant "carp ponds" if the asian carp get in there.


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## bgrapala

I actually caught it while I was bass fishing with a 3/4 oz Red Eye Shad. I was doing a yo yo retrieve and I honestly think it fell right in front of his mouth as he started to suck in. 1 in a million shot I guess. I knew it was a big fish when I felt the bite so I laid into the hookset. I guess thats when he realized something was there that shouldn't be because he pulled my rod back...I'm just glad that I was able to quickly get my thumb on the drag to loosen it up or I'da lost him.


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## CamdenGizzard

The only thing I haven't learned from this thread is how to dispose of said fish...... Should I get the bobcat out and bury it? Should I burn it at the stake? Should i cut it into carp steaks? How about I gut it and smoke it?

I'd have to use my chain saw to fillet one!


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## CatBassCrap

What's an Asian Carp?


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## bgrapala

Well in the last three days I've done a ton of research on this fish and from what I've read its actually a good tasting fish which kinda makes me wish I'd kept it. Its not popular in the states because it has the stigma of carp being that it is in the carp family. I've read the meat is firm and white and actually tastes better than salmon when smoked. The popular market even in America is still Asian markets though.


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## imalt

i was thinking you could of sold that fish at a fish market somewhere and probably got a good price for it.


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## bowhazard

Those darn 'bowfisher' guys might be able to help a bit...










They have a lot of floating bones that make it hard to eat.


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## Rocky Forker

I now know what it looks like,and what it is.If I see one it will be a dead SOB,but if they are already in the Ohio river,and the Illinois river,what can be done to stop them from destroying every fresh water game species from Louisianna to northern Ontario? What can be done to stop a devistation like this? Maybe a bounty by individual states? One problem I think that not many people have thought of is, I am 42,I fish all the time,and until these threads,I couldnt identify the fish that was in those pictures. If I would have caught one,it might have been me putting up the pictures of a fish that I was proud of catching. But,the information I have now tells me that these are a very big problem.The main lesson I have learned is,what some people do know,I may not.Education is the key to this,and any problem.Ridicule doesnt solve any problem. I fish the Ohio river regularly,and I now know what to look for. I printed up pictures of the fish from this thread,and gave them to friends of mine to show them what to look for,told them if accidentally they catch one it must be destroyed. If it had not been for this site , and my membership therin,I still would be ignorant to the very big problem.


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## Erterbass

Rocky Forker said:


> I now know what it looks like,and what it is.... If it had not been for this site , and my membership therin,I still would be ignorant to the very big problem.


Great point, Rocky. OGF is a great forum - literally - for learning about not only what's biting, what bait/lures to use, etc., but also how we can be conservationists here in Ohio.

Thanks for your post.

Bob


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