Posted on 11/15/2021 3:52:05 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT
The fish may have been accidentally dumped into the lagoon 20 years ago, one expert said.
But unlike Chance the Snapper, who experts quickly determined was an illegal pet released into the pond, Knize’s catch raises environmental questions: How did an enormous carp — an invasive species — get into the manmade lagoon? And what does its presence mean for the urban pond and vulnerable Lake Michigan?
Knize and his neighbor fought to get the beast out of the water, maneuvering it toward them as it tried to swim away. After 30 minutes of wrangling, they finally got it to shore, but it was so big they could barely lift it up. Knize’s neighbor had to run home to get a net that was large enough.
Irons, who managed the department’s carp program for a decade, said carp were accidentally introduced to the lagoon about 20 years ago. When a state-contracted fish hauler dumped a bunch of game fish in the lagoon for urban anglers like Knize, some carp found their way into the batch, he said.
Though carp are highly invasive, Knize’s catch doesn’t spell trouble for the lagoon, Irons said. A few carp won’t harm the lagoon — or any other ponds, for that matter — because carp only reproduce in flowing bodies of water like the Illinois River, he said.
Carp pose a great danger to the lake’s native aquatic environments because they consume much of the food that native fish normally eat. They have a ravenous appetite — they can eat 120 percent of their body weight in a day — and reproduce at a high rate: A single fish is capable of laying over 1 million eggs every year.
(Excerpt) Read more at blockclubchicago.org ...
Chicago Angler Accidentally Catches Enormous Record-Breaking Carp
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4012003/posts
Amazing that he caught that fish in Humboldt Park, which is in the middle of Chicago.
7 posted on 11/11/2021, 6:03:54 PM by
That fish is big as crap!
The WKRP Carp is bigger!
*Humboldt Park ping*
What a lot of folks don’t realize is that gold fish are in the carp family. Rather than wack them they throw them in the nearest pond or flush them and if they survive that and make it to a stream, they gladly grow and reproduce.
We have a Muskie breeding lake near me and the Park Board just took the carp fence down on the stream that empties it after losing the battle to keep them at bay.
That was a great episode! The mascots fighting in the restroom is classic!
All that time in Humboldt Park ... I’m surprised it wasn’t shot and killed long ago.
Obviously this is Trump’s fault.
For those so inclined, that’s a lot of Gefilte fish.
“Bill, don’t you know we only reproduce in flowing water?”
“Now Ethyl, you know I can’t read!”
—” I’m surprised it wasn’t shot and killed long ago.”
Most bullets do not penetrate water with much energy.
Unfortunately it was frigging hilarious and the public loved it so the network said 'That's what we were talking about! More of that please!'
I thought this was a story about Joe Biden, but then I saw it said “Carp”...stupid dyslexia
Full time Bailey Quarters would have put ratings into orbit.
Despite being name dropped on “Chicago PD” like it’s Lawndale or Englewood, it’s not a bad neighborhood.
The area around the actual park (which is for some reason not in the Community Area of the same name) is gentrified.
Classic!
Can’t believe that thing was in there, he sure ate well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.