Slam-time here for Asian carp

The arrival of late July often spells an end to prime fishing for most species in Illinois.

Not so Asian carp. If anything, hot summer weather is the best time to snag, shoot and otherwise boat these invasive nuisances that have overrun the Illinois River.

Proof of that came last weekend when 31 boats in the Innerloc State Bowfishing Championship out of Henry hauled in an estimated 18,000 silver carp.
Many of those fish were not shot, but merely jumped into the boats of the bowfishermen. While the weather was not hot, the carp were. The fish went so crazy that the winning boat accounted for 4,150 carp in 12 hours.

Most of the fish were smaller, as big fish for the tournament weighed only 16.3 pounds.

“Conditions were perfect on the Illinois River for jumping silver carp. The water was low and there was nowhere for them to go but up,” wrote Ed DeVries of the Bowfishing Association of Illinois.

Those perfect conditions help explain why Wisconsin tele-angler Pat Reeve was in town this week to shoot flying carp with Chris Brackett. Reeve, whose show Driven TV is now on the Outdoor Channel Sundays at 8 a.m.,  said he hopes to air the show later this year.

Weston and Jodi Clark also filmed a show two weeks ago for their Higher Ground Outdoors Show. That show should also air before January.

“The river is a little low, but they’re crazy jumping. It’s pretty much slam-time now,” Brackett said. “Once that water gets up it doesn’t matter if it fluctuates some. They’ll keep jumping. It should be good now until we flood again.”

Improving conditions on the Illinois River also explain why “Photo Joe” Egli of South Pekin is smiling again. Photo Joe is as hard-core as they come in terms of snagging, so it’s been a rough spring and summer for him what with all this high water.

When the wickets finally went up last Wednesday, I was surprised not to hear from him. Turns out Photo Joe was on Lake Michigan catching salmon. But as soon as he got back he headed to Peoria Lock and Dam for a Wednesday outing.

He reported snagging was “very slow.”

“We couldn’t catch them by the dam but get them off the rocks on the Peoria side, deep,” Photo Joe said.

He was accompanied by first-time snagger Kurt Karnes of Groveland, who he said is hooked after tying into a few 16-pounders.

Snagging should only improve in the months to come as more fish mass below the dam. No question, snagging or shooting these hard-fighting fish is a good way to spend a summer day outdoors.

And the Bowfishing Association sure proved there are good ways to use the fish.

Several members took silver carp home to eat. Yes, Asian carp are a very good eating fish when properly cleaned. While they are bony, they have nice, white meat.

Several tons of fish also went to the new Heartland Processing plant in Havana.

And DeVries said an Indiana company also had special tanks on hand to haul carp to their plant where the fish are turned into a high-grade emulsion fertilizer.
Finally, a crayfish farmer from Wisconsin took a load home to feed his crawdads.

As DeVries noted, “While bowfishing won’t stop the spread of invasive fish, totals like these will surely put a dent in their population and hopefully give our native fish room to grow.”