I tried, But Did Not Succeed (At netting a really interesting fish gone wild on the Illinois River)

[MarkUpnorth]

Asian Carp, an invasive species, introduced down south to attempt to clean up the heavy vegetation in the rivers, turned out to be a big mistake? Well, they are invasive, BUT... Did you know: They are not a carp at all? They are eaten all of the world, but not here? Maybe if we stop calling them carp, and at least the one species, call them silver fin, more people would try it. And interestingly, nowhere else in the world do they jump like they do here! Possibly some dominant gene mutation that stuck here? And Chicago has been for years, trying to stop the invasive species from reaching Lake Michigan. Installing electric barriers.... And you know what? They may not want to go there! Why? The zebra mussels in Lake Michigan, also an invasive species, brought in with ballast water of large ships, the mussels have cleaned Lake Michigan from the dark green to crystal clear. But, such changes have consequences. Like no more smelt, who need to feed on plankton, snarfed up by the zebra mussels, and now another mussel working the depths of the lake, to further clean any last bit of plankton. So....Asian "Carp" feed on plankton. If there's no plankton, why would they want to go there? BUT, headlines over the news, a new study showed that the Asian Carp were not going further towards Lake Michigan, which flows into the Illinois River, not going there because the water was too polluted!?!? Hmmm, I know the "Asian Carp" are probably the cleanest fish in U.S. Inland waters, from what I keep reading, because they feed off the surface, and not on other fish....but apparently they also dislike dirty water. Wait!!! That's the water we drink!??? The fish won't go there because of pollution, but we drink it?

Anyway, the attachment below, is a crazy event, which I did not partake in, but rather went when all things were calm and normal (dead, except for barges, and a half dozen other boats seen over 2 days). We did see, many, many fish jumping. Especially near the dam at Joliet where we settled on fishing for catfish, since we weren't having enough skill to catch them with nets on our own. The more boats, the more the fish are stirred up, and the better your chances of netting them. Or, maybe, we just stink at it? We did have one jump about 3' up literally an inch from the boat right where my fishing partner sat. He said it got him wet in the face when he turned to see it. So, we did get a cooler full of catfish. Oh, one Silver Fin, a baby...only about 6" long, found under a seat cleaning out the boat after getting home.

I've contacted the person in charge at the DNR regarding promoting the Asian Carp, and I talked to Clint Carter who is in the video, but recommended to me to go see to simply buy some. He sells it deboned, and vacuum packed. Just a short 3 hour drive to get to him? He doesn't ship anything yet.

From all the chef's talking about them, how good they are, and how they pick up the flavors of spices etc., that you use. Yep, that will be my next trip!

CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY Fish. Can never get enough watching them!

pbs.org/video/redneck-fishi...

[Kenu]

They did the same thing with carp at American Falls Idaho🤷🏼‍♂️. Several years back they, Asian came and netted the blank out of them. Ten semi loads and shipped them back home. Like you say it’s a delicious dinner for them. Never tried one but I know several that have and saw their good if you know the right way to do it? It’s bad as people catch them and throw them up on the beach and leave them, stinky 😖. Lots of people use bow and arrow 🏹 and shut them for sport, no limits anytime of the year. Like you say, crazy 😜🤪 Ken 🐾🐾

[MarkUpnorth in reply to Kenu]

These are not carp. They don't even look like them. Very prominent chef's love them!

Yet, nearly all of it goes to making dog and cat food, or liquid fertilizer?

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

Interesting and I would eat one. They look good.

[MarkUpnorth in reply to carolek572]

I'm thinking a little butter, some moscato,...in a cast iron frying pan....would fresh parsley help, or hurt....?

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador in reply to MarkUpnorth]

Personally, I use parsley for garnish. We 'eat' with our eyes as well?

[MarkUpnorth in reply to carolek572]

Will do!

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador in reply to MarkUpnorth]

So, when can I expect a dinner invitation? Just teasing. Please post of this fabulous gourmet fish feast when you have it, okay?

[rjoneslaw]

I’m here in Illinois so I know

[MarkUpnorth in reply to rjoneslaw]

But, have you actually seen one in person? Have you eaten one. Okay, I've seen them. Next, I'm going to visit Clint Carter (as in the event), and try cooking with them.

[rjoneslaw in reply to MarkUpnorth]

no I haven't seen 1. no I will not eat 1

[jimeka]

Great video to watch. Thank you, very informative and May I say, fun to watch all the fish jumping, blessings Jimeka 😊

[goatgal]

I love catfish, smoked and grilled mullet, sardines, herring, and will even eat tilapia (though I don't think it has a lot of flavor), so I'd love to try these if they were available here. When you visit Clint for cooking, let us know how that goes, preparation tips, etc. I would eat a lot more sustainably farmed or netted fish if it were more available! And maybe with the increased rainfall, fish ponds will benefit.

[MarkUpnorth in reply to goatgal]

From what I have read on line, I don't think they have a whole lot of flavor because the chef's talked about how they pick up the flavors they cook with so well. It is a white meat fish. But I've also read so many places, that they are "clean", resisting the contaminants they are exposed to environmentally, which in a state that the Department of Public Health, of which I used to know the head of years back on a first name basis when I ran an environmental company, the public announcement they made back then was, all hospitals in the state have been informed of the urgency and what to do if anyone accidentally swallows water from any of the Illinois rivers. How horrible is that!?!? Haven't heard that in a while, but I doubt it has changed. AND, like I mentioned, the headlines on the news brief regarding the Asian Carp, not wanting to get into Lake Michigan, because of pollution in the water coming from Lake Michigan, our drinking water source!? These fish are smarter than we are?

And how was Clint preparing them in the video, fried in batter. Sorry Clint, too unhealthy for me, but that's what the average person wants. I try and avoid anything fried, not that it isn't delicious, or at least it used to be to me. Now my fried food, which is very little, is air fried. My deep fryer has been collecting dust for a decade? And my turkey fryer? Yeah, never opened the box I believe. I think I still have it buried at the back of a shelf?

Smoked fish, now that I LOVE!

[goatgal in reply to MarkUpnorth]

Sounds like these are similar to Tilapia (Nile Perch), mild freshwater white fleshed fish. My husband was a fisherman so I have eaten bream, sunfish, pickerel, mullet and catfish from fresh water, and mackerel, sea trout, pompano, flounder, snapper, and redfish from salt. We ate what he (sometimes we) caught fried, broiled, grilled, baked...myriad ways. Like you, I don't fry anything any more, and though I live close to the James River, I wouldn't eat anything caught locally. The James is polluted with heavy metals and warnings not to eat fish caught there, and local ponds are polluted with run off from farmers' fields (herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and sewage sludge/biosolids. The latter is free so many farmers use it on pasture, where they graze beef cattle. But if we are what we eat (and this applies to all mammals, not just humans), what would I be ingesting if I ate beef grazed or fish caught locally?}

[MarkUpnorth]

That's why I'm so interested in the silver fin. Supposedly toxin free?

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador in reply to MarkUpnorth]

🤢 carp, bottom feeders! 🤣😂 Pretty smart carp to not go into a lake MarkUpnorth ! 🤔 Makes you wonder what they know and you don't! 😕 So don't eat the 🐟! 🤣🤗💕🌠

[MarkUpnorth in reply to Jesmcd2]

You missed it, Asian "carp" aren't at all carp, they eat off the surface, not the bottom, like carp and catfish do. They are the "cleanest" fish in our polluted waters? With a name like carp, people shy away. But they aren't at all referred to as carp in the whole rest of the world, where are eaten everywhere. Chefs are calling them silverfin here. They also Don't try jumping out of the water in the rest of the world, only here. Tell you something about the quality of our water?...Nah, a evolution due to a gene transformation? But a really fun fish to watch!