481 - From what I"ve heard, they're actually not only edible, but quite tasty, especially baked. Next time one of you guys takes one out, you oughta try taking the fillets home and cooking them!

Other then that, I'm just generally DW. I too, would much rather battle and catch a 30 pound carp then a 10 pound bass. Not that I don't like bass or any of the other smaller fish, just that I much prefer the challenge and fight of the bigger, stronger fish, like various carp species, and catfish.

I once deep hooked a grass carp. Having heard that they were good eating, I kept it. They are bony, just like a regular carp. I pickled it. Not bad if you like pickled fish. I wouldn't place them on a top ten list for edibility though.

That's wrong on so many levels !!!

If the parks and wildlife stocks them, they are supposed to inspect the lake so there is Quote- no way they can escape-. They have to build fences to contain those critters from escaping. Spillway"s and all incoming creeks have to be barricated to keep fish from escaping. My question if they are in waters they were not stocked in, how did they get in there? And who is liable for possible damage done downstream?

assassinator -

Untrue. Most carp lovers would prefer to see a healthy bass (predator) population. The biggest disappointment to a carper is to find a water stuffed full of stunted 5 lb carp.

Yeah, as Brian said any carp lover would just go to a lake that already has huge fish. If all the bass died, the carp would just overpopulate and stunt out at 5-10 pounds, wimp carp. Fun, but small. Some of the best places I ever fished consitently produced trophy bass, carp, and Northern Pike, a seriously fun to catch fish. Like a gar, but a lot prettier and a lot nastier. Nothing like bringing in a bass and having a monster Pike engulf it hehe. This lake was also full of huge common carp.

Of course, I'm talking about grass carp. If someone slipped a few big commons into another pond it wouldn't be likely to effect it much, but a few grassers could lay it to waste. HUGE fines though so I doubt anyone is dumb enough to do that.

Much more likely that floods wash them downstream, things like that.

Carpoholic, if you get another one you keep, you ought to try baking it or something, depending on your own preferences. That's the way I have heard they are best, anyway.

I've always heard that buzzards like eating carp. Buzzards gotta eat too you know...

well you guys turned what was a informitive thread into meaningless twaddle....WTG!!

Merry Christmas

Back up north they'd throw carp in to the woods for the raccoons.
I have not personally done this.....Never had the heart and now that I am older and wiser, I appreciate the fight a big carp puts up !
Wish they were a bit more edible. It always seems that when there is a consumption advisory, carp are first on the list.

Merry Xmas Zach (and all !!!!!!)

why did my post disappear???I wasnt attacking anyone, just stating how I think grass carp get mysteriously distributed to waters where they are not wanted.is this not allowed???