Page 6 - Crappie NOW - September 2018
P. 6
ASIAN CARP ARE NOT OUR FRIENDS
adjoining lakes, that connects to a river
with carp are exposed. The fish can also Ice house: A big problem for transporting
swim through locks and dams giving thousands of pounds of fish each day is
them access to other waters. having enough ice to get the carp to market.
A new ice house near a ramp in Lyon County
Solving the Problem KY, was built specifically for commercial
Crappie USA General Manager, fishermen to have access to more ice.
Darrell VanVactor has been preaching
the need for action for a decade. “I’m no
biologist but I’ve personally watched the are ready to lose half their business if
carp and have listened to experts. The something isn’t done immediately. One
thing about the carp is they are filtering study predicted 2.4 billion dollars of lost
the same waters where our gamefish are revenue in one region alone due to the
laying eggs. They eat Zooplankton and carp.
small organisms from the water. When “Fishing here has gone from what I
they do, that leaves no food for our always considered one the best overall
baitfish and without baitfish you don’t fisheries in the nation to what I would
have sportfish. That’s where we are consider headed for rock bottom. It’s for
today.” all species. The crappie population is
He says the Kentucky and Barkley really down and what we have are very
Lake area, at least on the northern end, thin. The carp eliminating shad means
6 Crappie NOW September 2018
