Carp are Here

[captseamus]

Yesterday while putting around in my dinghy I saw a fish floating on the surface of the water in Harbor Towne Marina on the western inlet of Lake Muskegon. It was a carp almost two feet long dead. Where's there one carp there's more... So much for the electric fence in the waterways in Illinois River systems. It had a golden tone to the scales but large..

[Boatguy30]

Sounds like BS. Any pics? All the way in Muskegon seems especially doubtful as there would be reports from further S first.

If you're concerned enough to post here; why didn't you recover and report the fish?

[captseamus]

If you are one of those boaters who don't think carp are in Lake Michigan than perhaps you think you're right. I lived in Illinois all my life and boated for 50 years on the Illinois River (where they hit flying carp with baseball bats for sport).. I know a crap when I see one! Perhaps being in Lake Muskegon doesn't count as being in Lake Michigan BUT if the carp are in that lake, the crap are in Lake Michigan too! And I could have bought it to the DNR but it was floating near the gas dock in Harbor Towne Marina. I didn't want that stinking fish in my dinghy. It wasn't going anywhere because it was bloated. What makes one think that carp are NOT in the inland lakes in Michigan that flow into the Great Lakes?

I have doubted that carp were NOT in Lake Michigan for quite some time but like everyone else never saw one... until Yesterday I SAW one floating belly up.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by captseamus

.. I know a crap when I see one! the crap are in Lake Michigan too!

Dang!!!...Watch where ya step in that state!

[capngeo]

Cut the carp guys!

[captseamus]

Carp or crap... it means the same thing... LOL

[rognvald]

As a young boy, we walked the "rocks" along Lake Michigan's Chicago shoreline and saw the enormous carp that fed along the bottom. These are not the silver carp/ "flying carp" found in the Illinois river system but a different specie. Carp was introduced in the US during the middle 1800's as a sport fish. Today it is known as a nuisance specie since it eats the eggs of game fish and quickly dominates its ecosystem. To date, there are no verified reports of flying carp in Lake Michigan.
History of Common Carp in North America - Mississippi National ...

Nature & Science - Mississippi National River & Recreation Areacarphist.htm‎

[Boatguy30]

That was my point, if this was indeed a Asian carp he found. It's a big F***ng deal. He should have done whatever he could to retrieve the body and alert fish and game authorities.

[monstads]

I agree it is serious, and should be reported. It still reminded me of this song.. enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgjs...e_gdata_player

[S/V Alchemy]

Carp are all over the Great Lakes. I had not heard that the Asian, voracious, flying, silver, able to flop across highways carp was (so far) in the Great Lakes.

They need to have a bounty put on them, and "Fish Fridays" need to return to America's prison system!

[Crimea Cruiser]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Carp are all over the Great Lakes. I had not heard that the Asian, voracious, flying, silver, able to flop across highways carp was (so far) in the Great Lakes.

They need to have a bounty put on them, and "Fish Fridays" need to return to America's prison system!

Why not just add them to commercial fishing quotas and export them to Asia where they are common food source in many countries. Could help cut the trade deficit with China.

[S/V Alchemy]

I think it would be cheaper to turn them into pet food here, frankly. I think it's difficult to trawl rivers and that's where they are...lately. The "regular" carp are bad enough...I've seen one take a duckling. These ones are bigger and badder and apparently capable of limited flight...

[captseamus]

Waiting for a reply from the Michigan DNR... Let you know what they say if they even reply.

[bobconnie]

I hate to say it, BUT Gill Nets would cure this problem In a few years !!

[captseamus]

Received an email from David Clapp, Michigan DNR that stated carp are abundant throughout the Great Lakes region also in the inland lakes and rivers of Michigan. There are also species that could be mistaken as carp including "redhorse" and "buffalo" species.

It is the "Asian" carp that draws their interest at this time. The Asian carp grows to 90 lbs and can grow to 5ft in length. They eat 40% of their body weight a day.

After my looking at the pictures of the carp that were in the Great Lakes and Michigan it appears the carp was a "Quillback"...

At no time in my post did I say I saw an Asian carp! For those of you who jumped to that conclusion about what I said reread my posts - than reread YOURS! I did not name species of carp. I stated a large "golden colored" carp. nothing more, nothing less.

If you knew what you THOUGHT you knew, you would know that Asian carp are dark gray with dark blotches.

captseamus