# Carp though the ice?



## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Has anyone here fished for carp though the ice? Im going to one of my favorite fishing holes with a buddy of mine for northens and this is also my favorite carp lake. Do carp hit in the winter? what kind of set up and bait is used?


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Don't know about your area but here carp seldom bite in the winter.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I'll bet they'd be fun to spear through the ice. Maybe sprinkle some corn in the whole to bring them into view.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Too bad you can't shoot fish, they seem to die so quietly, like a "Boom" first.
Nephew trying to get me out shooting them with a bow, even got a special platform w/rail. 
Gonna take him up on it later thsi year when the ice goes out.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Maybe I'll just set up a tip up with some corn on the bottom and see what happens. Who knows, I might find it works. That would be a trip.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Try chumming in a couple Holes and try.

Here we get Suckers in the river but it doesn't freeze.

big rockpile


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I've heard of people spearing suckers through the ice on rivers. They have people drive them to the holes by tapping on the ice.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

fishhead said:


> I've heard of people spearing suckers through the ice on rivers. They have people drive them to the holes by tapping on the ice.


Our river stay open all Winter because they are spring fed so the water stays around 50 degrees.So we go out at night with Lights on the front of the Boat shinning down into the water,have a Railing on the Front and Gigs with 12' Poles,Gig the Suckers.

Alot of people clean them once at Camp and fry them up have them.Me I just soon do it in early season,going out at night on the river in below zero Temps just an't for me.

big rockpile


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

We've caught a few carp in cold water that wasnt iced over yet. Carp do feed under ice though as we use to set trammel nets for them when we commercial fished. The guy I fished with had a contract for 200lbs of fresh scored carp and buffalo with the local prison to be delivered every thursday. 2 weeks of no delivery he lost the very lucrative contract. This was over 20 years ago and they paid him $3.00/lb THEN. Thats $2400/mo, so we chased carp hard year 'round.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I need a contract like that. There are so many carp around here Id retire early. why would a prison want carp?


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

JJ Grandits said:


> I need a contract like that. There are so many carp around here Id retire early. why would a prison want carp?


Probably dinner. Buffalo are supposed to be good too.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Around here use to have Carp in the Stores and people would pay to fish for them.You would go to the Lake buy a Ticket for so many pounds,if you caught over that weight you paid so much per pound.

big rockpile


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Buffalo are good eating and carp are too if prepared properly. The prison fed the Catholics and other religious groups that wouldnt eat red meat or anyone else that wanted them to eat as opposed to the normal menu or bologna(the normal substitution). That was a very lucrative contract for 20+ years ago. We have a good population in all our waters around here. Our pay ponds have them too. Its usualy $10 a day to fish and your allowed 4 catfish, 6 carp and some ponds/lakes have bass and bluegill to catch too. Carp are good fighters too and we use the scrap's for trapping bait. Asian carp are our newest invader and they make the european carp look like a blessing. Carp arent native to North America by the way. They were brought over from Germany in the 1850's(?). Buffalo are native though but its rare to catch buffalo on rod and reel. Alot of the rough fish are good eating and some readily bite on rod and reel.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

backwoodsman said:


> Buffalo are good eating and carp are too if prepared properly. The prison fed the Catholics and other religious groups that wouldnt eat red meat or anyone else that wanted them to eat as opposed to the normal menu or bologna(the normal substitution). That was a very lucrative contract for 20+ years ago. We have a good population in all our waters around here. Our pay ponds have them too. Its usualy $10 a day to fish and your allowed 4 catfish, 6 carp and some ponds/lakes have bass and bluegill to catch too. Carp are good fighters too and we use the scrap's for trapping bait. Asian carp are our newest invader and they make the european carp look like a blessing. Carp arent native to North America by the way. They were brought over from Germany in the 1850's(?). Buffalo are native though but its rare to catch buffalo on rod and reel. Alot of the rough fish are good eating and some readily bite on rod and reel.


Oh I catch Buffalo all the time,Love the meat.We had canned Carp in a Salad last night.










big rockpile


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

How you catch those buffalo? They are tastier then carp. We catch 100 carp for one buffalo on rod and reel. Use to catch a few on set lines with cottonseed cakes and double hooks but it was still about 20 carp to one buffalo. Rarely we would catch a buffalo on a worm. Few on home made dough but it was still rare.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

backwoodsman said:


> How you catch those buffalo? They are tastier then carp. We catch 100 carp for one buffalo on rod and reel. Use to catch a few on set lines with cottonseed cakes and double hooks but it was still about 20 carp to one buffalo. Rarely we would catch a buffalo on a worm. Few on home made dough but it was still rare.


Yea I catch alot of Carp along with my Buffalo.I really don't think there is anyway to just target one.I know if I'm fishing down here on the river I just catch Suckers which I prefer over Buffalo or Carp.

big rockpile


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I can't wait for soft water fishing to start again. I have been kind of investigating selling fish I catch. NY DEC regulations hit some of it but not much. By the way Big Rockpile, my youngest daughter saw your picture and said we look like twins. Don't worry, I beat her soundly.


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Rockpile what do you use for bait for those buffalo? Just worms or dough etc? Our buffalo eat mainly plankton type foods/bottom junk like our spoonbill does. If their sucking around on the bottom they may pick our bait up and it seems like on occasion if the bait is putting a good scent trail out they search for it but otherwise its carp, sucker and cats mostly on the bottom. Those suckers are good eating too, Redhorse is our most common I think. When we commercial fished noone wanted them so we dressed them for ourselves. We filleted and scored them just like carp and buffalo with no problems. JJ of course I have no idea about your regulations but here in Illinois no fish or aquatic life taken on a sport fishing license may be bartered or sold. Some still sell a little or trade turtle meat, fish etc for other things but if they get caught its a hefty fine. Many years ago the "wolf was at the door" so to speak and we had a guy that owned a restuarant that bought turtle meat. Noone had jobs in the area and he was paying $1 lb for turtle meat. There was quite a few people dressing snappers and selling him the surplus meat they couldnt eat. Many a house was saved in the area by fish, frogs and turtle meat being sold to him and some buyers that came down from Chicago. Milk was about .75 a gallon so that kinda shows it was a while back. Today it would be like getting about $4 a lb. Theres not many fish that arent edible, of course some are better then others. Theres only a few I draw the line at and have never tried/or will try.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

backwoodsman said:


> Theres not many fish that arent edible, of course some are better then others. Theres only a few I draw the line at and have never tried/or will try.


Name the names. I know you don't eat alligator gar eggs. What else?


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

I dont eat shad or most of the baitfish family, asian carp wont grace my plate either. Gar are good if prepared right, spoonbill are awesome(boneless except for the skull, great for kids at fishfrys), dogfish(bowfin) are good eating if prepared right, they have to be dressed and cooked quickly. White perch(drum) are good in the spring but later on the meat gets wormy when the water warms up.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Are the asian carp the ones that jump when a boat goes by? I've seen videos of them, wondered if they were edible.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Ed Norman said:


> Are the asian carp the ones that jump when a boat goes by? I've seen videos of them, wondered if they were edible.


I've never ate them but I hear they are good.I've just ate Common Carp.Main thing with Common Carp is cutting all the Mud Vein out which isn't a problem.

big rockpile


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Yep the asians jump right into your boat, into your face etc. Lots of fun, NOT. Alot are talking about eating them. No thank you. They leave a slime trail across the boat. There are several bowfishing organizations etc promoting them as food. Heres what the pamphlet showed and said. First cut off the tail right at the end of the internal organs and discard(thats a 1/3 of the fish). Then you fillet the meat above the ribcage with a knife and tinsnips and discard the rest. The two little "fillets" that you have now are full of big bones. You cut between the big bones making a one bone chunk of fish that resembles a leg of lamb dish to me and fry. You eat around the big bone. Yummy, NO thanks. Guys keep telling me how good they are but wont cook up any and take to the conventions etc??? A 10lb asian you end up with about 1/3lb of meat. We cut them up for trap bait and cutbait for the setlines. They are really slimy/greasy and put out a nice scent trail in the water(and dull your knife quickly with the click click click of bones on steel). The meat is very white but has more bones then the common carp. Theres two kinds, bighead and silver I think they call them. We have both but the bighead are more common and getting rather large(6ft 100lbs). They shoot them with bows alot. They pull up to the bank/shallows/dam etcand rev up the boat. Asians jump and you shoot'em on the fly. We just pull up to shallow brushpiles and rev the motor and they jump into the boat and on you. That is if 10 or 20 dont jump in the boat on the way down the river getting to the lines. If you aint got'em...LUCKY YOU!


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

There are 4 kinds of Asian carps. Bighead, silver, black and grass carp. The first 2 are supposed to be mushy but I've heard they can be turned into fish sticks. I've eaten grass carp caught on a worm. They are identical in taste and texture to halibut.


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Dunno bout the black carp but we had grass carp in ponds 30 years ago. We had to net one every now and then for a farmer and snagged/foul hooked a few. We ate them and they were good and I dont believe anywhere near as boney as the "new asians". These bigheads and silver are pure bone. The meat is flaky and white but with all the bones I dont know if a guy could make "salmon patties" , fish sticks or anything out of them. The odor is what would make me hesitant. Fresh out of the water and they have an odor, after filleting a few out for bait the odor is very apparent and unpleasent.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Fish take on the taste of water so maybe you got them out of "bad" water.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Carp make good fertilizer.


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Thats true Fish but the asians live in the rivers around here so finding clean water they inhabit would probably be impossible. Ive never eaten asian carp and never will the odor is enough for me. If anyone wants to try any "rough fish' etc out of dirty water you can soak it in saltwater overnight in the fridge and that helps. Remove any of the dark meat/yellow meat and carp have a "mudline" that affects the flavor too so its best to remove it also. Yep Hunter they do make good fertilizer, we've used the carcass's and offal for garden fertilizer from alot of fish.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Have always fished for Carp Love them.








































Then ofcourse there is Suckers










big rockpile


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I think common carp are nice looking fish but then I think yellow bullheads look great too!

When I was about 5 we brought a carp home to my grandparents house. We ended up throwing it in the tall grass and my grandpa burned it off that day. The next day I was walking through the ashes when I smelled something good. It was the carp. I ate some of it and liked it.


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

I think all catfish are pretty. But too be honest they are my favorite fish. Common carp and buffalo are good eating when prepared right. They are popular at fish frys here. After you score the fillets them roll'em in your favorite breading(Andy's mixed 50/50 with cornmeal is one of ours) and drop them in hot oil deep enough to float them' skin side down. Dont overload the pan and they'll float when done. Tater salad and coleslaw, few corn dodgers and your good to go. Heres our basic tarter sauce/fish sauce recipe. 3 cups Miracle Whip, 1/2 cup ranch dressing or real mayo, 5 tablespoons squeaze mustard, 2 tablespoon fresh/raw horseradish or 5 tablespoons creamed horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper or lemon pepper, 1/8teaspoon crushed dill. Mix all well and refridgerate. Add the seasonings to your taste, I like more salt then most and usually add 1 teaspoon of salt. Sliced onions and either lemon juice or fresh lemon wedges are good too to garnish and flavor the finished fillets. The fillets make awesome fish sandwich's too with just mayo and sliced onion.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Backwoodsman has seen an actual live Asian carp, meaning he has more experience with them than I do. But I found this guy's videos and he seems to love the things. He's a bit long winded. 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1NVUV8yhmU&feature=channel[/ame]


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Alot are talking alot about eating the asian carp. I believe their trying to convince people to eat them more to start cutting the fish numbers some. I could be wrong but one thing I did learn was alot of the smell is because they decay so quickly. If I was catching them to eat I'd behead them and eviscerate(gut) them as soon as they hit the boat/bank etc. Ice them down quick too and bon appetite(ugh). No two video's or methods Ive seen show dressing asians the same way for some reason? Just about everything is edible if your hungry enough.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

In the guy's rambling video, he does allude to the fact that these fish rot quickly, and he also said to dump the guts as soon as you catch them. If I ever got somewhere that had them, I would give it a try. Why not? But it sounds like we are lucky we don't have them.


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