Outdoor Guide
Page 6
May-June 2021
Surprise! It’s an invasive black carp
Jesse Hughes of Bonnots Mill in Osage County, MO, was fishing for catfish with friends on March 4 when he hooked into a 112-pound black carp. What a surprise – the Missouri Department of Conservation lists black carp on its prohibited species list, which may not be imported, exported, transported, sold, purchased or possessed alive in Missouri without approval of the MDC director. “We hooked into it and knew it was something big, but I originally thought it was a catfish,” Hughes said. “It was the first I’d heard of a black carp. I didn’t know anything about it, so this has been quite the learning experience.” Black carp are an invasive fish from Asia that eats mussels and snails. The fish damage populations of native
mollusks, many of which are critically endangered. There is a strong possibility the species is becoming established, with breeding populations, in North America. Black carp have been found in the Mississippi River system, including the Osage River, where in 1994 about 30 reportedly escaped from a fish farm during a high-water event and entered that river. SUPPOSED TO BE STERILE Most of the black carp in the U.S. were introduced to control problematic snail populations in commercial fisheries, and these individuals are presumably sterile. Yet fertile individuals can be present, too. Given that black carp can live for 15 years, even the sterile individuals can present a serious long-term problem for native
mollusk populations. “If anglers happen to catch black carp, or any invasive fish, while fishing in Missouri waters, it’s imperative to contact their local conservation agent,” MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson said. “That way, our fisheries staff can be notified and monitor the spread of these destructive species.” The black carp caught by Hughes is being studied by the U.S. Geological Survey. “It’s a little disappointing, as I don’t think I’ll ever catch a fish that big again,” Hughes said with a grin. “But at least it’s one less invasive fish in Missouri waters.” NOT TRULY BLACK Black carp appear similar to the common grass carp, but the black carp is darker, though not truly black, and some report the adult black
OUTDOOR
GUIDE
May-June 2021
MAGAZINE
HUNTING • FISHING • CAMPING • BOATING • SHOOTING • TRAVEL Volume 29, No. 3 • Published six times a year Office: 505 S. Ewing, St. Louis, MO 63103 News department — 618-972-3744
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Jesse Hughes of Osage County was trying for catfish when he hauled in this 112-pound black carp. – MDC photo
carp has a relatively narrower snout. It also has large pharyngeal teeth, or throat teeth,
that resemble human molars. These teeth are used to crush the shells of mollusk and prey.
To learn more about invasive species, go online to https:// short.mdc.mo.gov/ZeV.
Year’s first record catch is a yellow perch Sharon Christopher of Cedar Hill in Jefferson County, who admits she is not great at fishing, hauled in Missouri’s first state record fish for this year on March 7 – a yellow perch at Bull Shoals Lake weighing 2 lbs., 7 ounces. “I got lucky because I am not an avid fisherman,” she said, laughing. “My husband and I were out crappie fishing with some friends of ours when I reeled in this big fish. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but luckily our friends immediately recognized it as a yellow perch. “The funny thing is, they were in a separate boat pretty far away from us and could tell how big it was,” she added. ‘DON’T TOUCH IT!’ Later that evening, her husband was cleaning the crappie they caught and had saved the big perch for last. As Christopher told the story, “My friend stopped him just in time and said, ‘Don’t touch that fish!’That perch was about to go under the knife, but my friend just said, ‘I think she’s got something.’And sure enough, we put the fish on our scale and saw that it beat the current record.” After getting in touch with Department of Conservation,
Sharon Christopher says she is not an ‘avid fisherman’ but that didn’t keep her from landing this yellow perch at 2 lbs., 7 ounces, the first state record catch of 2021 in Missouri. – MDC photo
the perch was weighed on a certified scale at its Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery in Branson. “I’m super excited,” Christopher said. “Again, I got really lucky. I’m a nurse and work a lot of long hours. I use fishing as a way to relax and enjoy myself, so when I caught this, I was showing everyone I work with the pictures!” The previous record was a 2-lb., 3-ounce fish caught from Bull Shoals Lake in January 2020.
Christopher said her fish is going to be mounted. “The funny thing is I do not eat fish,” she said. “My neighbor’s son is a taxidermist, and he is mounting the fish for us.” Missouri state-record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods that include trotlines, throwlines, limblines, banklines, juglines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, archery, and atlatl. For more information, go online to http://bit.ly/2efqlvl.
