[airbornemike]

I dont have the itch, I've got hives after wath'n this http://hatchesmagazi...s-bonefish.html scroll down on the screen. I like Barry Reynolds and all but there look'n a little to trouty for me, cool vid though.

[chrisserafin]

Say what you want about Carp, but a 30 pound fish on a fly rod has got to be cool.

What would be the ethical thing to do with them though, once caught? From what I understand, they eat..well everything....and gamefish eggs, and alot of people throw them on shore.

[airbornemike]

chrisserafin, on 08 March 2010 - 12:02 AM, said:

Say what you want about Carp, but a 30 pound fish on a fly rod has got to be cool.

What would be the ethical thing to do with them though, once caught? From what I understand, they eat..well everything....and gamefish eggs, and alot of people throw them on shore.

Yeah... throw em on shore to rot and stink up the area, not to mention kill a perfectly good game fish :angry: . Do a little more research and you'll find that carp are probably the least of our worries when it comes to the survival of other "game fish" here in our state.

I think you misunderstood my post, I was promoting flyfishing for are fresh water bones we have :)

[Rob G.]

Mike, several studies have shown carp to be detrimental to other native species. Because of their tendency to root around causing greater turbidity of the water and the fact that they often destroy bedding areas of other native fish such as bass and sunfish, they aren't the most desirable non-native species to inhabit our waters. That being said, they're here to stay, and of course there's no shortage and truth be told, I spent quite a bit of time the last few years throwing nymphs and other flies their way and enjoying every time I had one on. When else do I get forced to play a fish for 15 minutes, see him get into my backing and actually play him off my reel. I enjoyed the video a great deal and if you haven't checked it out, he has a whole video focused on taking those other bronze backs as well.

[airbornemike]

Rob G., on 08 March 2010 - 04:54 PM, said:

Mike, several studies have shown carp to be detrimental to other native species. Because of their tendency to root around causing greater turbidity of the water and the fact that they often destroy bedding areas of other native fish such as bass and sunfish, they aren't the most desirable non-native species to inhabit our waters. That being said, they're here to stay, and of course there's no shortage and truth be told, I spent quite a bit of time the last few years throwing nymphs and other flies their way and enjoying every time I had one on. When else do I get forced to play a fish for 15 minutes, see him get into my backing and actually play him off my reel. I enjoyed the video a great deal and if you haven't checked it out, he has a whole video focused on taking those other bronze backs as well.

I'm hearing ya Ron, I fish em all the time, what I said was "carp are probably the least of our worries" this is in refrence to local poaching, habitat loss and polution. I wont argue your point regarding them not being the most desirable non native, unlike the brown trout and a list of many other "non native" glamour fish.

I've read a couple "studies", and yes they due tear up the shoreline during there spawn and if theres silt stirred up it sufficates other fishes eggs and may ruin spawning beds, especially were carp populations a very high. I also know common carp are the least studied fish in north american and very little is really known about them.

My point is killing a pile of carp and leaving it to rot on the shore aint gonna due squat to the population exept stink up a good fish'n spot.

[john l]

The issue of turbidity is more in still water. Also in our midwestern stream we have a tendency to blame the carp for the negative of too much silt. Carp may stir it up most noticable in cleaner small streams but the volume of erosion & effluent caused particulates is not related to carp.They cope with it better than some other fish, another reason to respect this species. They're tough as nails & smart to boot.All these fish are hanging on despite waves of habitat degradation that push our aquatic environs to the limits of supporting life.You can blame carp only after we take credit for most of the mess.

[ronk]

In the 90's & the first cupl '00 years I had some memorable times with Dupe carp.They were everywhere & they were big!For whatever reason their #'s crashed. I don't know if there's a connection but as the amount of weeds increased each year the carp #s decreased.Could be that with the bottom heavily carpeted with weeds for most of the year the carp could no longer root along the bottom for food forcing them to find greener(less green) pastures.Though there were way too many of them back then I do miss having some around to lay a fly in front of.But there's always the Fox.

[Scott F]

When I see carp stirring up the sediment, I often see smallies hanging around slurping up what the carp dig up.
One reason there might be fewer big carp around the DuPage is the recent popularity of bowfishing. A few years ago, I took a picture of a large pile of dead carp that all had been shot by arrows and had been dumped in the DuPage.

[airbornemike]

ronk, on 09 March 2010 - 04:21 PM, said:

In the 90's & the first cupl '00 years I had some memorable times with Dupe carp.They were everywhere & they were big!For whatever reason their #'s crashed. I don't know if there's a connection but as the amount of weeds increased each year the carp #s decreased.Could be that with the bottom heavily carpeted with weeds for most of the year the carp could no longer root along the bottom for food forcing them to find greener(less green) pastures.Though there were way too many of them back then I do miss having some around to lay a fly in front of.But there's always the Fox.

Ron I had one on the dupe this last season slurp up a size 8 yellow popper, it was the craziest thing, watched it all happened in slow motion. That fish was easy high teens but I see many more over my way on the fox compared to the dupe.

[ronk]

airbornemike, on 09 March 2010 - 11:23 PM, said:

Ron I had one on the dupe this last season slurp up a size 8 yellow popper, it was the craziest thing, watched it all happened in slow motion. That fish was easy high teens but I see many more over my way on the fox compared to the dupe.

That's not unusual.Carp on the Fox love sipping caddis dries.I usually carry a few on the Fox just in case there's a hatch.If there's a mulberry tree dropping fruit onto the water the carp go nuts losing all their customary caution & are easily caught on a bassbug.It's as if they get drunk on the stuff.One day a few years ago while smb fishing I caught 3 all at least 10lbs on a 4wt during a mulberry hatch.I had to chase one about 50 yds.The other 2 fought in a tight circle apparently reluctant to leave the security of the pod.

[jim b]

Scott F, on 09 March 2010 - 05:12 PM, said:

When I see carp stirring up the sediment, I often see smallies hanging around slurping up what the carp dig up.
One reason there might be fewer big carp around the DuPage is the recent popularity of bowfishing. A few years ago, I took a picture of a large pile of dead carp that all had been shot by arrows and had been dumped in the DuPage.

I remember that pic. I enjoy bowfishing too but take them with me...they really do stink and can attract disease carrying flies. Although I think carp are here to stay, efforts to manage them should be put in place to keep their numbers down. They compete for resources just like any other animal that depends on space and food to survive. They are fun to catch which makes them great for kids. One of my most memorable experiences was with my brother...he was fishing the Lombard Lagoon and caught a 5 lb'er. He got his picture taken and was in the local newspaper. He still has that pic to this day! Taking a few really isn't going to do much for the population, however, taking thousands can help. I know they have the hillbilly carp tournament on the Illinois River each year to take the asian carp. Also several years ago they had a carp festival in Montgomery on the Fox River; I think it was sponsored by the DNR but I can't be sure. I also agree with Scott; where you find the carp, smallies aren't that far behind!

[BrianJ]

I've had multiple times while fishing Mathiesen Park that smallies were hanging right behind carp. I'd look for a rooting carp, throw a fly just past him so it swings right in back of him, and wham! smallie on. I agree that they look to catch whatever the carp dig up. Smallies can't dig around in the rocks as well as a carp can, so they'll do the next best thing & just hang out behind them.