What do you do with the carp?

I am not too sure that even the walleyes are edible in the dirty water around here, especially this year.  Years ago farmers fed them to hogs.  At this time of year migrating eagles will get most, but later pretty much nothing eats them, except maggots. Maggots gotta eat to, I guess.

[poison arrow]

[Uncle Buck]

Carp are considered good table fare in most of the world. In some European countries they are also considered a valued sport fish. My grandparents loved fried carp. I like to take young kids out fishing where they have a good chance of catching a good sized carp. Due to pollution most of them wind up as fertilizer these days.

[reddogge]

poison arrow, the word itself is not the most offensive part of your post.  Reread it carefully.

[The Vanilla Gorilla]

I'll save as much meat off carp as I can use, as they make excellent trotline, limbline and jugline bait.  Nice and oily.

Regarding the patties...I think Buffalo makes the better fish patties, not carp.

[COOCH]

The owner at a local chinese restraunt loves carp,and I love General Tso's chicken.We have an arrangment   :cool:

[Bowferd]

Shedrock, you are correct on Joe Tess's establishment in Omaha. Fish sandwich is excellent, your choice dark or light meat, from carp.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I used to give them to the Vietnamese where I grew up. They would sell them as food. My friends thought I was crazy for not charging for them. I saw it as them doing me a favor and keeping me from having to dig a hole.

After their food store closed down I would bury them. If I only had one or two I would throw them back at the end of the day in the channel where they wouldn't stink up the shore line.

I have also given them to Mink Farmers. I once tried to eat them, It didn't taste good but I would try again with a proper recipe.  

Then again after a good day it is hard to eat 600 lbs of fish.

After local tournaments they would give them to farmers to put in their fields.

[Killdeer]

I caught a middlin' sized one in the Potomac once, and brought it home. When I tried to fillet it, I could not find a way to gt the meat from the bones. They seemed to run harum-scarum throughout the muscles. I saw no rhyme nor reason to their arrangement. I'm sure God knows the whys and wherefores, but not I.

I have filleted many a fish, dismembered many a beast and have had some education in anatomy and physiology. These guys are gonna have to do some tricks to get on my plate.

Killdeer

[owlbait]

Turtle bait, fertilizer, cat food. Smoked carp is ok but only with the correct amount of chilled adult beverages to go with it.

[Paul Mattson]

I am not allowed to bring carp home to bury in the garden.

     A couple of years ago I buried some in the garden.  A couple of weeks go by, thought everything was just fine.  Then one night I let the dogs out one last time before retiring for the night.  Well you guessed it, the dogs dug up the carp and then rolled in the goo.  Of course I didn't know it until they got back into the house.  The wife was screaming, the kids were gaggin and the dogs were shaking and happy as all could be.  I was up until midnight giving them to dogs a bath.

[K. Mogensen]

Catch and release. Most of the time they are just fine and swim away. But usually I can't hit em...  

[Uncle Buck]

here is a link to a video on how to clean a carp. He uses power tools and it contains the sage advice-"if you are having trouble with this, get a bigger knife"  

[Doug in MN]

Under the Tomato plants about 6-8” But chopped into pieces. Try it one time you will see.

DD

[Bonebuster]

Aren`t carp bottom feeders?

I think the Michigan DNR produces a book containing a list of fish with extremely high levels of assorted nasties such as Dioxin, Mercury, lead, and a host of other man made horrors. Carp is high on that list.

From what I remember they are safe to eat, so long as you never plan on having children, and as long as you only eat one meal per month.    Something along those lines anyway.

They no longer go in my garden. The blue tomatoes were a warning sign.

[stagetek]

Fertilizer !! Really big tomatoes !

[KentuckyTJ]

Originally posted by owlbait:
Turtle bait, fertilizer, cat food. Smoked carp is ok but only with the correct amount of chilled adult beverages to go with it.

Or the chilled adult beverages and forget the carp. We cut their air bladders and sink them to the bottom. Turtle's gotta eat and you don't want them floating for the skiers to find them the next day.

[Craig Schoneberg]

Years ago I shot a couple dozen 2-3 pounders and took them to my wife's uncle.  Helped skin and fillet them.  Her uncle then ground the fillets, mixed salt, pepper, tender quick and mustard seeds and stuffed them into casings.  Made carp sausage.  He then put several rings in the smoker.  Said he would give me some the next time I was out that way.  A few weeks later my wife was out visiting - her uncle sent a sample (like about 2 inches)  I was very skeptical, but it was just plain delicious.  Still have the recipe and hope some day to try it again.

[Day Dreamer]

Great "Turtle bait"

[JMartin]

If you put 'em in your garden here, you'll have a garden full of stinkin fire ants in no time.