the damage we've done. And all we have to do is step back and let nature rebuild itself.

Feeling like fish food is really not all that fun sounding

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Why aren't we fishing them into near extinction, like everything else we like to eat? Wouldn't they make good cat food, too?

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Points well taken. However:
(1) Aren't trout full of bones and still considered good eating?
(2) Couldn't they be ground up into a fine paté for pet food?
(3) Wouldn't trawling be a reasonably efficient way of catching them for processing?

Where there's a will, there's a way. At least, that's my way of thinking.

I just question whether introducing an even more dangerous predator fish is the way to go.

overfish the shit out of the rivers and make the carp rare


my cat jewel likes the idea.....

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]My cats love the idea, too.

1) It is said that asian carp's flesh is white and bland and people may develop a taste for it if they changed the name. Like Patagonianian Toothfish became Chilean Sea Bass. But it might not be wise to create a demand for an invasive fish.

2) My guess is that most cat food is made from fish that's left over from processing people food; what's left over after removing fillets. In tuna, it's the belly meat, which is very fatty and has a strong fishy smell and taste.

I don't know much about Asian Carp. However, German carp properly prepared before cooking is very tasty. Know of a restaurant on the Missouri river where it is the house specialty, and canned, they can be used like mackerel or salmon . They are a challenge to catch and are impressive fighters. Sadly, many fishermen view carp with scorn and after catching one, just toss them up the river bank and leave them to feed the other wildlife.
Gar look scary, but I don't think they are considered dangerous to humans and they are a native species

Texas, Arkansas...

It won't be as big as those above, but you can hook one of those and pull it into the boat, it will go for the same bait. Mind those teeth though, they will slice you open fast...

I didn't realize they were now considered extinct up this way.

boat, maybe 2 in the morning while you are running your trot line, and you come to a sudden realization about how small that boat really is.

It is at this point that you realize one of the other uses for that oar.

Willie - a family friend who had a cabin at the lake, which was probably where they grew up at. We would clean them and ice them, take the filets to the church for the Wednesday nite fish fry. Big deep kettle of grease and people who knew how to cook.

It's a great model for building community of all kinds.

They could also be used for animal feeds and natural fertilizer. That's if they aren't contaminated with metals from carp bottom feeding.

Here in Texas near my house the two prominent invasive fresh water species are koi, beautiful colors, large. Some with the long veil fins.

And delicious tilapia. A man I know uses a cast net to pull out several large tilapia with each cast. He back door sells live fish to many restaurants.

I don't know how gar breed, if they're egg layers? they don't have a chance to reproduce. Carp will eat all the eggs and carp thrive in our polluted waters.

commercial ponds.

now we are introducing this fish to combat Asian carp.

what's next? a new type of fresh water shark to control the alligator gar?

reminds me of a simpson's episode.

They would probably restore order to the current imbalance.

Virtually wiped out so "sportsmen" could have more entertaining game. Priorities, priorities !