Page 4 - Crappie NOW - September 2018
P. 4
by Tim Huffman
the danger of injury due to jumping,
Stories and blame varies with causes reduced tourism, tournaments,
most fingers pointing to a few government guide trips and recreational fishing. The
agencies and fish farmers. Different economic impact to a lake like Kentucky
species of Asian carp were imported Lake will be catastrophic. Some impact
to help control the over-abundance of is already being felt in several lakes.
aquatic vegetation in ponds and small The two worst carp are the bighead
lakes. The major problem developed and silver although others are included
when flooding allowed the fish to gain within the Asian Carp group.
access to the Arkansas, Mississippi and Due to what they eat, they are very
Missouri Rivers. These waters gave carp difficult to target as a sportfish. Since
plenty of avenues to spread. they have not yet been accepted as a
The result is a critical situation in great table fish and are not subject to
several states and it’s a future threat rod-and-reel fishing, there is little reason
to others, especially the Great Lakes for them to be pursued the average
region. Eight to ten years ago the warning fisherman. The carp have few predators.
came out about the impending, potential To compound the problems, carp
threat, and now the reality is here. It grow rapidly and reproduce up to four
doesn’t matter who caused the problem, times a year. This allows their numbers
the key is to take measures to reduce to overwhelm other species.
the damage before it’s too late. Solutions include commercial
harvest for food and fertilizer. Blocking
Carp Problems and Facts: their entry into other waters. And a
The silver carp are famous for their variety of testing generic alteration or
ability to jump. Vibrations in the water, eradication, but nothing is ready at this
like those from an outboard motor, time.
causes them to jump. They are a danger The carp have moved into most
to fishermen, water skiers and anyone oxbow lakes during river flooding.
navigating the water. They are said to Any creek, river or tributary, and most
jump up to ten feet high.
Their biggest problem is they
disrupt the food cycle by eating the
same things as our shad, minnows and Judge White: Judge Executive Wade
young sportfish. But they don’t eat just White’s efforts, including the War On Carp
a little, they devastate an area due to coalition, is to save fisheries from Asian
their number and size. This has caused carp. fishing, safe navigation, tourism and
a decline in sportfish in areas with heavy businesses in some waters are at critical
concentrations of carp. levels of risk if measures aren’t taken to
A result in reduced bass, catfish remove the carp and stop their destruction.
and crappie populations, along with
4 Crappie NOW September 2018
