John Gillio Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 Went to a favorite spot on the vermilion for late fall sauger. Instead of sauger, the hole and nearby flats were loaded with every kind of carp that call this stream home. The asian carp inthe first picture below is the same fish that is in the pictures that follow. With the aid of the video provided ,on another thread by Rob G., I was able to tame the bones and end up with an exceptional meal of tasty , flakey white, deep fried Asian carp. The stripps were served during lunch at work today. All brave enough to try them were very impressed . Thanks Rob! I definitely will be cooking them up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonn Graham Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 I have always heard that Asian Carp is very tasty. If we could ever get the US market to get over the "carp" stigma, we could have one helluva food source for the entire country. The amount of Mega 3 fatty acids is supposedly excellent for our bodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 I have always heard that Asian Carp is very tasty. If we could ever get the US market to get over the "carp" stigma, we could have one helluva food source for the entire country. The amount of Mega 3 fatty acids is supposedly excellent for our bodies. I agree. Finding a way to market them for consumption here in the states would solve alot of problems. I grew up eating European Carp, and they are a strong tasting fish. These Asian Carp have a very mild flavor. It's just the idea of getting people to try them. They are not the bottom feeder that other carp are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Trybul Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 I tried one of the silver carp earlier this year. It came from the IL river below starved rock. I was left very unimpressed with the taste. I don't eat very much of the fish I catch. When I do it is usually walleye, crappie or stocked trout so maybe I'm spoiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 Paul, that is pretty much all I eat too, but I thought the taste was about like that of a crappie. It was caught on a cool day and I cleaned it as soon as I got it home. It was still jumping. That may have been the difference. It is said that they do spoil quicker than most other fish if they are not gutted right away. I may try to bake one or grill one. I like eating fish, but I don't keep many. I may keep a few of these and do my part at putting a tiny dent in their population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom L Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 John - What did you catch them on? I thought these Asian carps are vegetarians (algae eaters). In the first picture, it looks like you had a fly attached to the reel, or maybe they were just some dried flowers on the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Tom, I was fishing for sauger by dragging a twister along the bottom. The carp were so thick I kept snagging them in the dorsal fin. They were everywhere in the water column. A friend who used to fish for them said he had good luck drifting boilies made from flour and chicken feed. He would mix the ingredients into small spheres with a diameter of about a centimeter, then boil them a few minutes until they felt like a small rubber ball. They supposedly stay on a small single hook quite well. Some recipies call for algae but he said chicken feed works just fine. I haven't tried it myself. I've found that if you cast a jig upstream and work it back you often snag them in the mouth while they are filter feeding. They are often facing upstream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryne Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 I always carry a 2 ounce weighted treble hook when im on the river. At the end of the day me and my buddy throw these out and reel in fast, snag one on almost every cast. They sure are a blast on bass gear. These things make runs like no fish iv ever caught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 I always carry a 2 ounce weighted treble hook when im on the river. At the end of the day me and my buddy throw these out and reel in fast, snag one on almost every cast. They sure are a blast on bass gear. These things make runs like no fish iv ever caught. The game wardens have been ticketing for intentional snagging with a treble hook, so be carefull with this even if it is just for carp. The trebles do a number on any other species that get in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryne Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 usually when we snag em we can see them. And since the carp have moved in, the game fish population has dwindled. Quite sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 usually when we snag em we can see them. And since the carp have moved in, the game fish population has dwindled. Quite sad. Agreed, and if the game fish are there it's hard to get past the carp to get at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 John, nice write up and glad you enjoyed them. I really believe the trick to a better taste is gill and gutting them as quickly as possible and keeping the meat chilled. Also, get rid of all the red meat along the lateral line and the lipid and fat deposits along the belly. That's where the strong flavor comes in. If one follows that, I think they will be surprised at how mild the flavor is. It should never have been named a carp, which would have helped with the popularity contest. Not sure if they are of the same family as the common or grass carp? BTW, they are very good on the grill and smoked as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryne Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 It is very frustrating, we used to catch smallies and largemouth on spinnerbaits,cranks, redeyes, etc. Due to the carp and the constant bumping into them with our baits, we have to basically just lip plastics and jigs at structure, which isnt the best technique most of the time. If you want to see something sad. Go to starved rock and hike to Eagle Point, and as far as you can see, you can see asian carp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 Rob, thanks for the compliment. I have tried them smoked. They were very good. The next one will be on the grill. I cleaned one up today. Ryne, it is extremely frustrating. I was at my sauger spot on the Vermilion this morning. I had carp scales with every cast. I landed another big tailhooked Asian Carp, ran him home, cleaned him up, then headed out to Starved Rock in hopes of sauger. Almost every cast in every hole brought back Asian Carp scales. I landed three in the 15 to 20 pound range and gave them all away. It is the thickest I have ever seen them. If the sauger are there they can't see my lure through the mass of carp. Someone with the DNR told me that a processing plant is in the works downstate. The sooner it gets built the better,if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryne Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I used to fish the stretch of river from spring valley to starved rock about 3 times a week. Now im lucky if i fish it once a month. Its basically just a waste of my time. My fishin buddy got knocked out cold by a 16 pounder that flew out of the water and got him in the temple. I had one jump into my boat and snap a brand new G Loomis rod. I wear a helmet when im motoring from spot to spot and put all my rods away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 Ryne, people think it's a laughing matter but it isn't. A few years ago when I was fishing down on the Tennessee river one night, I had a couple Silvers break off both my running lights and one hit my throttle that almost threw us from the boat. And I won't begin to mention all the times that they hit me in my chest, arms and legs. If I fished on the Illinois much, I think I would be wearing football pads and helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryne Posted November 16, 2011 Report Share Posted November 16, 2011 I really hate when they hit the bottom of my boat, its an instant scare. I wish they could just poison the river, kill everything and start over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Ferguson Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I've fished the Illinois several times this year traveling up to 14 miles one way at high speeds and could count on one hand the number of carp I saw jump and none of them were anywhere near the boat. For the most part, as long as you don't run in shallow water, you are not in much danger from being hit by flying fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Scott, you were very lucky not to run into any. I know of a number of instances when they have ended up in boats or bouncing off of passengers in the main channel which is 12 feet deep at least. They do seem to freak out easier in shallow water. I had them go ballistic when I was yaking uppstream on the Vermilion one afternoon. I was afraid I'd have one in my lap. They all seemed to jump almost straight up out of the water. Many jumped out higher than my head all around me. I'm not sure what spooked them. Schools of them were under me a good part of the afternoon, and that's the only incident I had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Some will say that if you throttle up or down and adjust the RPM's of your motor, you will hit a sweet spot that they are more likely to respond to and go ballistic. Over here our Wabash River is getting pretty bad and if you watch the video, they're not just in the shallows but still boat 20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryne Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 The main channel at full throttle is the safest way to avoid them. Its most dangerous when your trolling the bank, or when you start the outboard and accelerate toward the main channel. Usually at full throttle on the main channel they just hit under the boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom L Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Wow! Amazing! That was quite entertaining, but I'd not want to be in the boat with those guys. Thanks Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryne Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 The worst part of them jumping in is they instantly bleed all over the carpet. Its disgusting, they are slimier than pike and bleed everywhere and smell horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 That was entertaining Rob. What a mess! That's what we are dealing with here too. Thanks for sharing that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted November 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Went out this morning to Starved Rock fully expecting nothing but Asian Carp. The plan was to land two or three ten pounders and clean them up for some winter meals. I wasn't disapointed as I mouth hooked 5 of them In a short period of time. What did surprise me was the huge sauger that hit on my first cast. He dropped off before I could land him. One day the last four weekends I don't expect a sauger, and I hook what would have been my best one of the year on the first cast. No others seen the remainder of the hour or so I was there, just carp. The carp didn't have as much fight in them today. Maybe partly because they were all snagged in the mouth and the water is getting colder. I blackened the last batch of Asians on the grill, and pan fried a few also. They weren't bad though I liked them pan fried and deep fried much more. I suppose I'll bake a few of the fresh ones and save the rest for the fryer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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