The invasion of Asian Carp

In recent years Asian Carp have become a major problem especially in the Mississippi. It was speculated that these fish were first brought to the United States by catfish farmers in Arkansas as a means to stop the growth of unwanted plants in catfish ponds. What these cat fish farmers did not realize at the time is that these fish would soon become a major problem. Asian Carp not only reproduce at rapid rates but they have no known predators this play into part because they are not from here. What I hope to get from this blog is the awareness of Asian Carp and what they are doing to the lakes and rivers and some of the trouble they are causing. Currently there is not a market for Asian Carp however, if one was introduced it could be of great success. The only problem of with catching Asian Carp is that they have to be caught by a net and due to their size they are known to break nets. Asian Carp are also a huge hazard to anyone that likes water sports or fishing because of the way they jump out of the water. Recently on Desoto Lake I saw firsthand what these fish can do and exactly how high they can jump. Some boaters are now adding cages onto their boats so these fish want hit them when they are jumping over the boats. (That’s right these fish which can be 40+ pounds can jump over boats.)

Take a look at this video on youtube it shows exactly what these fish are capable of;



Now to some of you it may look like they are actually out there having fun but think of being out there trying to drive a jet ski or boating. These fish almost make it impossible.