Crazy Carp Have Invaded Missouri's River

NW Cable News ^ | 08/28/03 | Staff Writer

[Blue Collar Christian]

"I also shot one out of the air with a bow and arrow..."

And I was starting to take you seriously. If I go fishing with you, I'll be sure to bring my waiters.

[carptracker]

I know it sounds crazy, but you can make these fish jump out of the water by running around behind the wing dikes. The fish are large and thus are easier to hit. In the two or three hours it took for two of us (four in the boat, three shooting at a time) to actually hit fish, we had six jump into the boat, one striking the driver hard in the leg. If you look at some of the videos and pictures of the fish that are available on the web, you will agree that a person spending a good part of day out there would be able to get one out of the air with a bow. It is, however, easier to grab them out of the air with large landing nets. We caught four of them in an hour that way on my pontoon boat (three people with nets out). There is video on the web of one of my technicians grabbing one out of the air with a net. That video was also used on ESPN as part of an advertisement.

[carptracker]

You are correct, sciaenids of all species seem especially susceptable to a variety of parasites. But I think that here in Missouri, largemouth bass are possibly more parasite-ridden than drum, because of the prevalence of the fluke parasites that go through the bird-snail-fish life cycle. At any rate, none of those parasites of sciaenids or centrarchids present a signicant danger to people, unless you count being grossed out.

[carpio]

Carptracker writes: But the drum had another problem. I (surprisingly) found the frozen and then thawed drum to be tough as boot leather. The stuff was even hard to cut.

I too have found this toughness to occur with fresh water Drum occasionally. But only when filets from a very large one were cooked slowly in some manner other than deep frying I thought. Say for instance if I decided to sautee some filets in butter for breakfast. Then it has turned out so tough I could not chew it. I have thought this was connected to the size of the fish (too large) and the slow method of cooking.

I will have to do some experimentation in cooking techniques next summer when I am back on the Wabash. To see if I can verify my theory about the size of the fish and the speed of cooking. Maybe freeze a few also in different ways to test out your explanation of the occassional rubbery Drum.

I spend winters in the southern part of New Mexico and there are no fresh water Drum here in the desert.

[carpio]

BTTT

[Eala]

LOL!

[Old Professer]

What's the problem, they're just eating the fish that the other fish won't eat.