1969912 0 #1 August 15, 2007 Airborne fish? With a hunting bow? This is really strange. http://splodetv.com/insane-bow-fishing "Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ." -NickDG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #2 August 15, 2007 Strange indeed... Got to be a really quick reflex to be able to shoot one of those damned things in mid-air with a bow! Now, skeet shooting with a shotgun, that's easy... As for me.... just light a stick of dynamite and throw it in... KABOOM!!! Then get the net out and scoop them in, a-la crocodile dundee! "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iceburner 0 #3 August 15, 2007 it's just like bow fishing for carp...just now you gotta be a faster. I enjoy bow fishing...it takes some real skill to hit a fish. Helps me out with reflexes for deer hunting too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1969912 0 #4 August 15, 2007 Any idea what kind of fish they are? Looks like they would have better luck just grabbing the ones that land in the boat. "Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ." -NickDG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Armour666 0 #5 August 15, 2007 http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/invasive/asiancarp/ Not a good fish to have around , As for the video must say thats some pretty good redneck skills there.SO this one time at band camp..... "Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cderham 0 #6 August 15, 2007 They are Asian Carp. That is here in Peoria Illinois on the Illinois River. They do not like the vibrations from the boat motors and will jump out of the water. They also jump around the bridge pillars of auto and train bridges. When out on the river you have to be very very carful not to get knocked out by flying fish. I have seen so many people on TV from around here because of this. One guy got hit in the face and made it to the finals on America's funniest home videos. Check out this article it explains the whole invasion: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20061016/ai_n16781193 TROUBLED WATERS: THE ASIAN CARP INVASION; UNWANTED BOUNTY; As fast- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The, Oct 16, 2006 by DAN EGAN Second of three parts Havana, Ill. The only thing more spectacular than the volume of Asian carp now frothing the water in some river stretches of the northern Mississippi basin is the speed at which the invasion has occurred. Part-time commercial fisherman Mike Savochka netted 6,500 pounds of bighead carp on a hot summer morning in late July. He said those nets, dropped in the same area of the Illinois River, once regularly filled with 5,000 pounds of native buffalo fish. "Today we got one," he said of his buffalo fish total. "Not 1,000 pounds. One fish." Savochka remembers the first bighead he brought into his wholesaler. Nobody knew what it was. Related Results TROUBLED WATERS: THE ASIAN... Environment: Giant Carp Gone Wild Asian carp a menace to ecology New lake threat: Asian carp Most Popular Articles in News Black Women White ... Naked boys vs. naked ... Tisha Campbell-Martin ... The gangs behind bars ... How do I look? ... "We thought they were salmon," he said. That was just five years ago. Four species of Asian carp are now loose in U.S. waters. The most menacing bighead and silver carp have overwhelmed stretches of river in the Mississippi basin and have been found within about 50 miles of the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Imported as an agent to clean fouled waters, the filter-feeders let loose by government researchers three decades ago have a new generation of biologists in a fight they fret they cannot win. It is a fight that could well change forever life in the Great Lakes region, home to more than 4 million recreational boats and a $4.5 billion annual commercial and recreational fishing industry. Advertisement Caught off-guard by the blitzkrieg speed of the invasion, researchers have yet to figure out exactly how the fish are affecting the Mississippi basin's native species. But those who make their livings studying the infested rivers say there is little doubt that these creatures that are so effective at stripping the plankton at the bottom of the food chain are changing the way things work in the river. Bighead carp can reach a jockey-sized 100 pounds; the jumping silver carp are just a slightly smaller version of the bighead. Neither has a true stomach, which essentially compels them to eat non-stop. One fish can carry as many as 5 million eggs, a devastating attribute if the fish get into waters where no worthy predators exist. "Their strategy," said United States Geological Survey biologist Duane Chapman, "is to overwhelm the environment." Kevin Irons, a biologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey in the Illinois River town of Havana, has watched that strategy succeed. "Six years ago, the Asian carp was nothing," Irons said. "Now most of the biomass out there is bighead and silver carp, so there certainly are implications." But Carole Engle, director of the aquaculture center at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, points out that silver and bighead carp have been swimming in the wild in Southern states for more than two decades, yet they apparently have not reproduced nearly to the extent that they have in Northern waters. She thinks polluted Northern rivers are a big part of the problem. "There are tremendous amounts of nutrients going into that (Illinois) river," she said. That, she said, means there might be plenty of food to go around for all the fish, and she notes that the scientific community has yet to show a direct connection between the silver and bighead carp explosion and the loss of native species on an ecosystem already ravaged by pollution, dams and other invasive species. She said "hysteria" has taken over where hard facts are needed. "We need good science," she said, noting that heavy infestations on the Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri rivers appear to be localized and not uniform throughout the basin. "What impact are these fish really having?" Geological Survey biologist Cindy Kolar agrees that the data on the Asian carp's impact on native species are slim, but that doesn't mean there isn't trouble in the water. "In terms of (scientific) literature, it's just not there yet," she said. "That doesn't mean there are not effects." Illinois biologist Irons points to preliminary results from a study on an 80-mile stretch of the Illinois River that shows the average weight for a 25-inch buffalo fish has dropped from over 12 pounds to less than 9 pounds in the last five years a period of time that coincides with the invasion. "We're seeing the buffalo are starting to suffer," agreed Rob Maher, commercial fishing program manager for the State of Illinois. Maher adds that he is seeing commercial fishing operations go belly-up across the state, and a big reason is that the only thing fishermen are finding in their nets is thousands of pounds of unwanted fish. The recreational fishery is also suffering. Mike Conlin, chief of fisheries for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said he has seen enough to know there is "no question" the carp have squeezed out the native bass on the Illinois River near Peoria and the anglers who chased them. He notes that Peoria's big-time bass fishing tournaments have disappeared in the last decade and said they are "absolutely" a casualty of the bighead and silver carp invasion. Today the big sport in Peoria is watching the silver carp jump. Or slaughtering them with bow and arrow. "We're trying to take advantage of a bad situation," said Christine Appleberg, president of the Illinois Bowfishers association. NO CURES IN SIGHT FISH BREEDING OUT OF CONTROL Biologists concede that they have yet to find a way to halt or even slow the spread, and every section of river or lake the fish colonize is likely a section of river or lake that will have Asian carp for good. Some people are hopeful that strategic fishing programs might someday help curb the Asian carp numbers, but at the moment the price is too low to bring enough fishermen to the river. There is a downside to relying on fishermen to control the species inevitably the fishermen will become dependent on them. That could lead to demands that biologists manage waterways to sustain carp numbers in order to sustain the fishing industry, and "I certainly don't want to be managing rivers for these fish 20 years from now," said Geological Survey biologist Chapman. Another potential control is to plant native predators, but the carp grow so fast twice as fast as other fast-growing Mississippi natives, such as the gizzard shad that there are worries no native species may be able to control them. "Once you get to be a 5-kilogram (11-pound) silver carp, there's not much out there that is going to bother you other than people," said Chapman. Advertisement The extensive dam systems on the rivers of the Mississippi basin could also be used to manipulate the peak spring flows that spawning Asian carp apparently require. There are wilder ideas. Researchers are beginning to look at genetically modifying captive fish so they produce only male offspring. The theory: Release these fish into the wild, and they might just eventually and ironically breed themselves into extinction. Fish poisons such as rotenone, meanwhile, are out of the question except for small-scale treatments because of the number of fish and the vastness of waters they have infested. So the question now is: Where will the fish will turn up next? "In invasion biology, proximity to the source is probably the single most important predictor," said Gregg Sass, director of the Illinois Natural History Survey research center in Havana, Ill. That means the Great Lakes are in trouble. ALREADY VULNERABLE GREAT LAKES COULD MAKE GREAT HOME The only thing standing between the fish and the Great Lakes is an electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal that has a history of power failures. The Great Lakes are already ravaged by the arrival of more than 180 foreign invaders, and the worry is that the carp could be disastrous for an already sick system. Although the lakes still sustain a booming commercial and recreational fishery, in some ways the world's largest freshwater system has become more an artificial fish factory than a self- sustaining ecosystem. The sea lamprey invasion in the middle of the 20th century destroyed what was left of Lake Michigan's overfished native lake trout, the natural king of the food chain. The loss of that top predator opened the door to invading alewives, a pocket-comb-sized Atlantic herring that, coupled with historical overfishing, decimated what was left of Lake Michigan's other native species. Today, lampreys are controlled by a non-stop poisoning program, and alewives are controlled by a non-stop Pacific salmon-planting program, which drives the lake's recreational fishing business. Native species have been eliminated or so squeezed to the side that the entire system is now, in the words of renowned Canadian biologist Henry Regier, "stripped down to just a very simple and sad caricature" of its former self. That makes it particularly vulnerable to new invasions. Picture today's "stripped down" version of the Great Lakes food chain as a skinny tower of building blocks, instead of the fat pyramid it once was. Now imagine the comparative damage that could be done by pulling a block from the base. "The more complex an ecosystem is," explained Ron Benjamin, Mississippi River fisheries supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "the more resilient it is." The system is already showing signs of wobbling. In the late 1980s, the average 7-year-old native whitefish in Lake Michigan weighed more than 5 pounds. Today a fish that same age weighs about 1.5 pounds. The reason: The whitefish's main food source, a tiny shrimp-like creature, is disappearing from the lake bottom, a likely consequence of the arrival of the filter-feeding zebra mussel in the late 1980s and its cousin the quagga mussel a decade later. But the trouble they're causing should worry more than fishermen. Advertisement The filter-feeding mollusks have also increased water clarity, which has spawned outbreaks of rotting algae, at times rendering Lake Michigan beaches useless and producing a stink so wretched it does what was unthinkable just a few decades ago it can make you pity the people who live in the million-dollar mansions on the lake bluffs. There are more ominous impacts; in some places on the Great Lakes, mussel-induced algae blooms have triggered botulism outbreaks that have killed tens of thousands of birds. Zebra mussels have also been implicated in increased levels of a toxic blue-green algae called Microcystis, which produces a poison that can cause liver damage. And now there is the looming arrival of filter-feeding Asian carp, dubbed by some the 100-pound zebra mussel and, biologist Chapman notes, another Microcystis-enhancing species. Microcystis is covered with a material that allows it to survive a trip through a silver carp's nutrient-rich gut, and it actually "comes out on the other end stimulated," Chapman said. The question on everybody's mind: Can the Asian carp find a home in the Great Lakes? The unfortunate answer: Yes. Chinese professor Zhitang Yu has studied Asian carp for 50 years and probably knows as much about the habits and needs of the fish as anyone in the world. He thinks our big lakes would be a suitable home, even if they are colder and clearer than the nutrient-rich rivers of the Mississippi River basin. That, he said, means only that the fish will grow at a slower rate. "In northern China, it's very cold, and we have the fish there, too," Yu said through an interpreter. The Great Lakes tributaries, he said, will be the biggest trouble spots. Chapman agrees adult Asian carp might find a home in the lakes, but the fish need the lakes' big, free-flowing tributaries to spawn. Biologists have mapped 22 such rivers on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes, including the Manitowoc and Sheboygan rivers. Most also agree Asian carp could thrive in the warm, shallow bays and harbors of the Great Lakes. Unfortunately, those are the same waters anglers and boaters tend to occupy, as well. What worries U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Mike Hoff is that the Great Lakes are being compared to other lakes and reservoirs, and they shouldn't be. "The Great Lakes are, in some places, much like rivers. There are big, strong currents," he said. That could make open waters suitable spawning grounds, and that, he said, "unlocks much more habitat." Hoff also worries what the combination of all five carp species could do to the lakes, because they depend on such different types of food. Bighead and silver carp are filter feeders; grass carp eat vegetation; and black carp eat mollusks. And then there is the bottom-foraging common carp, a weed-of-a-species that has plagued the Great Lakes for more than a century. Each individually poses a significant threat, but Hoff said that working together they "can break apart the connections on which our ecosystems are based." The only prediction Chapman will make about how the fish could change the lakes and the way people use them is to "expect the unexpected." Advertisement "It's possible you could drift along for 40 years before they go crazy. Or they could go crazy right away," he said. "You can't predict it." ON JSONLINE.COM A slide show, Sunday's installment of this series, links to the "Troubled Waters" series from past years and more, at www.jsonline.com/links/asiancarp THE SERIES SUNDAY: Super-sized cousins of the common carp are now within 50 miles of Lake Michigan, threatening to forever change life in the Great Lakes region, home to a $4.5 billion annual commercial and recreational fishing industry. TODAY: Picture today's version of the Great Lakes food chain as a skinny tower of building blocks, instead of the fat pyramid it once was. Now imagine the damage done by pulling a block from the base. TUESDAY: The only thing standing between Asian carp and the Great Lakes is a failing electric barrier on a canal that connects the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. A new barrier would help if the government would turn it on. Chris It's Jimmy Time!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Fast-As-Fuck/6099474213 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #7 August 15, 2007 A fun way to help keep the carp population in check, hold tournaments on who does the best bow-hunting job on these fishes every weekend. Bonus Points scored on where the arrow pierced the fish. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1969912 0 #8 August 15, 2007 They should let em use shotguns. "Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ." -NickDG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #9 August 15, 2007 There has to be a use for them.. net em and turn them into fish meal for gardening etc. Some places there is big bucks in fish biomass. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ks1384 0 #10 August 15, 2007 that looks really fun but insane... id probably get knocked into the river.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #11 August 15, 2007 Quote that looks really fun but insane... id probably get knocked into the river.... Maybe, did you see late in the video one of them put on what looked like a catcher's helmet/facemask? Probably a good idea! Down in Florida and southeast Georgia, there's some big ass Sturgeon fish that like to jump, without warning. Jet Skiers and boaters have been unfortunate victims with significant injuries. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #12 August 15, 2007 My husband used to bow fish in Texas. What they're doing on that boat looks REALLY fun! Quote Down in Florida and southeast Georgia, there's some big ass Sturgeon fish that like to jump, without warning. Jet Skiers and boaters have been unfortunate victims with significant injuries. Our sturgeon up here don't jump out of the water, however they put up a hell of a fight once you get them on a boat. I pulled in a sturgeon that was as long as I am tall, and when I got him up onto the boat, he thrashed his tail so hard that he broke my glasses and gave me a black eye. That was the second time a non-human ever gave me a black eye. The first was an M16A1 (it's a long story) .~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #13 August 15, 2007 Quote The second was an M16A1 (it's a long story) . I guess I'll make it short, it kicked back right into your face? "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #14 August 15, 2007 Quote Quote The second was an M16A1 (it's a long story) . I guess I'll make it short, it kicked back right into your face? Thank you, sir. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #15 August 15, 2007 Quote Our sturgeon up here don't jump out of the water, however they put up a hell of a fight once you get them on a boat. Eau Contrare mon Acme...... I took a couple friends of mine sturgeon fishing a few years ago down at Cathlamet WA. We anchored up just upstream of a drop off where the river goes over a ledge from 25 ft and drops to over 80 ft. We dropped in the lines into the hole and sat back to enjoy the morning. All of a sudden there were sturgeon all around us rolling on the surface and some of them started jumping... One about 25' in back of the boat was about 12 ft long. The guys girlfriend said ...." Is THAT what we are fishing for" with a look of horror on her face. You can only kleep them down there if they are 42" long to 60" long. Its VERY common to catch the BIG ones and release them.... and yes they do jump... I have had them hooked and had a 10' white sturgeon get up and tail walk across the water... It is a VERY impressive show when one does that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #16 August 15, 2007 Yowza...I haven't ever seen them on top of the water...'cept as we're pulling them in. Does take a lot of arms when they want to run on ya, however! ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #17 August 15, 2007 Here is a link... check the pictures.. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sturgeon-salmon.com/images/sturgeon-jump.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.sturgeon-salmon.com/&h=226&w=144&sz=8&hl=en&start=9&tbnid=dBPAspEPXTB7nM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=69&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsturgeon%2Bjumping%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #18 August 16, 2007 Yeesh...prehistoric 12 foot fish leaping out of the air might make me wet myself. ~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ks1384 0 #19 August 16, 2007 those look like sharks!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #20 August 16, 2007 But they sure are fun to catch.. plus you have to let the big ones go.... they are the females that keep the species going.. They are bottom feeders and dont have any teeth.. pretty harmless really. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #21 August 16, 2007 QuoteBut they sure are fun to catch.. plus you have to let the big ones go.... they are the females that keep the species going.. They are bottom feeders and dont have any teeth.. pretty harmless really. Actually, these Asian Carp are not native to US waters. The government fucked up big time introducing them here to clean up the water 3 decades ago. Now they are the dominant species with no predators. I say take the females out, whatever you can, just to at least help hold the population down somewhat..."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #22 August 16, 2007 PSST I was talking about the White Sturgeon... that have been in our waters for hundreds of millionis of years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 622 #23 August 16, 2007 these people seem to like fishing ... and they take very nice pix of their catch too...Fishin forum Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
