First carp of the year

[snoodslapper]

Took the kids out to fish a little bit for the first time this year just to see what we might be able to snag even though the water is a little cold. Took my bowfishing rig along just in case. Glad I did.

[smj]

Nice fishie...

[Deleted]

Nice fish man! You eat them things or no?Would be curious what kinda recipe is good for them.
Nice work
Ster

[snoodslapper]

This is a marsh and is fed by a lot of farmland drainage, so I do not eat these carp due to the toxins they likely have accumulated. I do lots of things with the fish from here. Some of them go to the local zoo. Most of them I put back in for the alligator snappers that are struggling to survive in our state. I've put large piles of up to a dozen of these up on the bank near the water on the road you see there and the snappers have them gone by the next day. Coyotes of the marsh! Some of them I almost consider pets. I'll come back the next day or that night and the brutes are chowing down on them. I've seen the same ones over and over again; almost like they come back to the same spot to see if I've left them dinner. A couple of them are big old mossy backed buggers the size of a trash can lid. I'm sure the coons get a few too as I've seen their little prints. The gar I'll generally take home and eat or put in the compost pile. I like to collect their skulls after the bugs have cleaned them off. I've toyed with the idea of trying to make a traditional quiver from a whole longnose hide, but haven't gotten the gumption yet to try.

I have ate carp from other areas, and some are very tasty when cleaned and prepared properly. But I find taste is more based on species and how clean the water is. My favorite is Buffalo and then grassies.

I've used some of these:

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/didyouknow/inland/carp_recipes.phtml

www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/1975-05-01/How-To-Clean-Fillet-Cook-Carp.aspx

[SPIKER]

Nice job snood!

Those snappers can put a hurtin' on you, better watch out they don't get you.

[snoodslapper]

Mar 16, 2009 19:41:25 GMT -5 SPIKER said:

Nice job snood!

Those snappers can put a hurtin' on you, better watch out they don't get you.

Believe me, I watch from a distance! Their heads are about the the size of a tennis ball on the biggest ones, and I am sure they could take a finger off real easy. It is pretty amazing to watch how much they can rip off and how big a chunk they can swallow. Once you see it you can understand how fast a good sized carp can be devoured.

This dude here gets lucky - lucky in the fact that he got to keep his finger... ;D

[Deleted]

Thanks for the follow-up , Been thinkin of trying carp with the Flyrod one of these days, and was thinking bout eatin one when I do.
Links were very helpful, thanks .
Ster
Edit=Thats one mean lookin turtle! That guy was lucky ;D

[nkybuck]

Sucks to be him you know that had to hurt.

[Buckshot06]

Mar 16, 2009 20:08:46 GMT -5 nkybuck said:

Sucks to be him you know that had to hurt.

He did real well not to curse.
I have caught many of them around were I live and they can get really nasty if they want to.

snoodslapper thanks for the updates and the links to carp recipes I am not sure that I will ever try them but maybe.

[BT]

Cool!...congratulations on being number 1