SPOTLIGHT ON: CARP
Recently I got a communication for the New Jersey Division of Fish and
Wildlife about a new state record grass carp that was caught on May 31 of
this year. The fish weighed 50 pounds. Now get this: the angler, Steve
Babilino, caught the monster on 6-pound-test line while fishing from shore
at Garrison Lake. The carp had a 47-inch length and a 32-inch girth. Wow!
Although carp are disliked by many North American anglers, and are regarded
by many as a nuisance species that is not native to North America, they are
among the most abundant fish in North America, especially in the United
States. While there is currently a small carp following in North America,
promotional efforts have produced little change in the appreciation of, or
effort spent on, these fish, despite the fact that large specimens exist in
many bodies of water, and despite the fact that when hooked, carp are among
the strongest fish in freshwater. The fact that carp are abundant,
relatively large on average, and overlooked by most anglers, means that in
the United States and Canada there is relatively untapped potential for
those who are interested in them.
A greater understanding of carp is necessary for people to get interested
in fishing for them. It's important for North American anglers, who are
used to aggressive meat-eating species, to understand carp, which are plant
feeders with very different in the behavior, which in turns dictates very
different methods. In the Encyclopedia section of my site, we cover this
and so much more. So if you want to know about all of the different carp
species, about the habits, and about fishing for them, this is the place to
visit.
And, by the way, the grass carp is just one of many different species of
carp. It can reach 100 pounds, and withstand water temperatures as low as
32 degrees F. and higher than 90 degrees F. And that New Jersey record,
while big, is not as large as this species gets. The grass carp can grow
over 100 pounds. How'd you like to catch that in your local lake?
http://www.kenschultz.com/template2.asp?fishname=CARP
