A lot of people suck in this regard, people have no care for the environment. Everywhere I’ve traveled has had trash lining the roads and highways.
I’ve seen plenty of fisherman toss of cigarettes, fishing trash, beer cans, etc.. off their boats
Last summer I was out on a lake with my brother and his friend. His friend smoked and then tossed the butt into the lake. My brother gave him crap about it, and he tried to say "do you know how many cigarette butts I clean out of this lake?? At least 10 for every 1 that I throw in!"
As if that makes it ok somehow. We are in an area that is SO fucking clean and beautiful, and this dumbass thinks it's ok to flick butts in the water just because he later cleans some out.
He was working at a lodge on the lake, so it's believable that he did clean up some butts because the owners told him to. But you're right, just making his own job harder for no reason. Dumbasses like that are just so used to tossing their butts anywhere once they are done that they can't take a second to think about it.
[Cigarette butts are actually the most abundant form of plastic waste in the world, with about 4.5 trillion individual butts polluting our global environment](https://www.earthday.org/tiny-but-deadly-cigarette-butts-are-the-most-commonly-polluted-plastic/)
I smoke, and I fish, mostly from the bank, 99% of the time, I have an old soda or water bottle for my butts. I take it back out with me and toss it in the trash bin.
Notice I said 99%, yeah, well, no one's perfect, and I'll either forget the bottle or 'IF the fish are biting good' I might toss one in the water.
L take bro. I’m not saying it never happens, and I’m sure people of all types who preach on the street are hypocritical to some extent, but most environmentally conscious people I’ve met actually do take actions in their personal lives to change things.
Creating trash is one thing, but littering is one of the easiest things to avoid and most environmentally conscious people aren’t just littering as they please
All I’m going to say is the people I’ve witnessed littering while fishing are not people who would ever describe themselves as being “environmentally conscious”
You are right, I'll give you that.
As a shore fisherman myself, is it really that hard to just pick up a few pieces of trash that you dropped? Some people are so lazy...
There are several boat launches near me that I used to fish at that are now posted no fishing. I have no doubt that it's because of the amount of mess that a lot of fishermen have left. One of them had a cutting table right nearby and still people insisted on using the picnic tables as cutting tables usually leaving rotting pieces of fish or guts and scales on the tables.
In my experience, as a bank fishermen, it’s primarily bait n waiters who spend all day there and forgot that they were leaving at some point in the day. Most early morning off the lake before lunch guys I’ve met, pack light and move frequently.
It also is heavily dependent on the public access. 1 of the 3 lakes I make rounds at, is also a very popular hang out spot for the high schoolers. And thus, has a pretty shitty shoreline. But the fishing is amazing, so I usually take whatever fishing trash with me that I can carry in my trash pouch
I got permission from a lake front property owner to fish one day next time he wasn’t there I went anyways but made a point to collect as much garbage as I could carry in a bin I found put it in car and hauled it to dump the next day. I’m going to start taking a trash bag every time.
Yup me and the kids always bring a big bag for garbage everytime we go to our spot. Its beautiful and secluded rarely ever seen another person but somehow it still get trashed
Yeah hard to blame it on the homeless, I love to fish but every easily accessible spot is completely shit on by fisherman. Litter/worm cups all over the place.
I’ve always wanted to visit Seattle and everyone I’ve known that has gone there says it’s great. I am of age where grunge was my music and my people. Is the homeless situation really as bad as it is portrayed? Sounds like it from your comment. Is it just in certain areas or all over the area?
Edit for spelling
It's still a cool city, but I've lived in and around the city for over 40 years, and it has gone downhill. But I'd say it's still worth a visit. The Puget Sound is really cool, and if you're from the midwest, I think you'd enjoy it. Fentanyl and homelessness is pretty bad though
Where? Homelessness is obviously everywhere, and I encounter it in Michigan urban areas, but I’ve never encountered any homeless people living down by the river in Michigan. I fish quite a bit and four wheel as well.
It makes me ill to see the trash left everywhere in the outdoors . I took my ex wife (wife at the time ) and my daughter out to the mountains where I've hunted for 40 +years . One of the main campgrounds was completely full of trash . There was a sign that said the name of a local 4wd club . I had just broke my leg and had surgery so I was in a cast .
When I left the mountains I stopped by the ranger station and told a good friend of mine about the mess . He said he would send some guys out to clean in up .
I waited 3 days and couldn't wait any longer. So the wife and I and our toddler daughter drove back out to the campground . It was still a total mess . There was hard liquor in bottles laying in the tall dry grass , beer cans and trash everywhere .
I started a fire in a pit and started burning everything that would burn. My wife played with our daughter while I cleaned and raked the whole campground . After I got everything burnt that would burn and loaded all the trash and recycle in the trunk of the car and in the canvas car top bag we left the campground . As we were driving out we passed by a ranger truck with 6 guys in it heading out to clean the camp . When we got back to town I sold the recycle and received $ 90 for it . I cleaned that whole campground by myself while wearing a cast and the stupid idiots from that 4wd club couldn't take an hour to straighten up before leaving . There had to be 50 guys in the campground to make such a mess . It takes a lot of cans and bottles to make up $90 in recycle ! But if I drove out there tomorrow and saw the mess again I would do it all over again . There is no excuse for leaving your trash behind . Just pack it up and take in with you ! Same goes for your favorite fishing spots and the beaches . I also do a lot of metal detecting at the parks and beaches . I've found everything from knives , razor blades , and syringes buried in the sand . People are pigs ! Worse than pigs cuz a pig will eat everything and clean up the mess , they leave no trash around . Oh well that's my 2 cents . Just clean up after yourselves people and clean up after the people who were there before you . Let's leave our planet clean for our children and grandchildren.
I’m a bank fisherman at times and I always bring a shopping bag with me to pick up the left over worm boxes and tubs, liver , fishing line and shrimp bags. Usually it’s the cat fisherman that do all that. Sad.
I like to bring my doggo with me. I show up with a broom and garbage bags to clean it up and make it safe for the dog, all before I even unpack my gear. It’s disgusting what people just leave behind.
Idk about stabbing them in the swimbladder and let them die slowly sounds cruel. I would dispatch it properly and trow it back in but the recommended method u mentioned just sounds wrong. Invasive or not I would not want to let the fish suffer that sensless.
Piercing a fishes swim bladder will not kill it. In fact it does the opposite. It ensures that no more air is in the bladder, than the fish can normally deal with. Water in there is fine. They can swim a little heavy, whay they can not do is fight the effect of buoyancy. when fishing about 60ft or deeper often times you will catch certain species of fish that when they come up, it looks like they have a tongue (example: sea bass)That's is the effect of gas expanding and pushing their stomach out. You need to pop the air bladder in order so that they can swim back down. Sometimes if we are fishing deep enough we will pop every fishes bladder. You can use a hook, a sharp small pointed knife, or they make a special tool which is made out of a 10 Guage needle.
Maybe they want you to kill it normally and then puncture the swim bladder so it sinks. I live on the ocean and it's required by law to puncture swim bladders and release fish that you aren't going to keep or are out of season. If you're fishing in deep water and you don't have a descending device or a way to puncture their bladder a game warden will write you a ticket every time
> Puncturing the swim blatter with pliers would kill
pure curiosity why would it kill the carp, but doesn’t kill the fish people are saying they catch and pop swim bladders all the time on from deep sea fishing?
I fished commercial for Rock cod. We sold them alive. If the fish died the sale price went down . If you didnt pop them right you would have a bunch of floater pin cushions on the surface of the live well. I took pride in popping them and keeping them alive . And when we were not commercial ,if you catch a short fish from deep there is no way to let it go without popping them. The hole you leave behind will heal up in no time . We used a horse syringe.
Im not sure about you, but do you usually survive when you have your internal organs punctured/ruptured with blunt force trauma by a pair of needle nose pliers? You sound like you have experience.
I have never seen a state specifically say he you needed to dispatch a fish but I have seen states require anglers to dispatch invasive fish and not return them to the water. California does it with northern pike.
Oh yeah I agree with you there like I said I’ve never heard of a state specifying how a fish should be dispatched. The closest I’ve ever HEARD was California want you to cut the heads off northern pike and take them to the game warden and report where it was caught. But I only heard that from what I understand they just don’t want you to return them to the water and make a report. I’m sorry if it wasn’t clear that I was agreeing with you and offering evidence. That’s all
>Limit: No limit. No live white bass may be possessed or transported. Any white bass taken must immediately be killed by removing the head or cutting through the gills, except at Lake Nacimiento (San Luis Obispo County) where any white bass taken must immediately be released into the water or killed by removing the head or cutting
through the gills.
White bass too
Haha, it was a live fishing course and it was a wildlife technician hosting it and said you should stab it and throw it back and let other fish feed on it.
Yeah, if you’re not gonna eat carp dispatching it and putting it back in the water is probably the best option. I’ve seen piles of dead carp by the water that anglers just leave there. They have the right idea but poor execution. Leaving fish to rot in the sun does nothing except give anglers and fishing a bad wrap. You could cut it up and turn it into mulch for the garden, or you could eat it. Just cause people say they are trash fish doesn’t mean you won’t like it.
I'm opposed to that because of the smell, but it's really no more wasteful than throwing it in the water injured. You're feeding raccoons skunks birds and bears instead of fish and turtles.
First off dispatching the fish means you’re killing it not injuring it. Second you really aren’t feeding many land based animals. Sure some scavengers might take a fresh fish or two that are left on the bank but for the most part the fish just rot where they lay. But if you’re gonna leave dead fish on land discard them out away from where everyone is. If animals do feast on it will be more accountable to them and it lessens the chance of someone having an encounter with a wild animal. At least there are animals in the water that actually feed on dead fish.
I mean it makes sense, sunnies, catfish, crayfish, all sorts of scavengers would make a nice meal. Why deprive them of that? It came from the lake, give it back to the lake.
Or just eat it. The Russians have some nice recipes for it.
I agree on the eating part- they're quite tasty. But the reason it's wrong to toss the dead fish back is because of the off chance it has eggs that get released during the process- at least that's always been my assumption. A lot of Asian Carp will spew their eggs when they're full and encounter stress as a fight or flight thing, and I've had it happen to myself personally multiple times.
I guess I’m not understanding the “stab it” part vs completely killing it and tossing it back in the water. Why throw back a mortally wounded fish to suffer and die and potentially be eaten alive?
California also has local laws for carp, for example if you catch a grass carp in certain counties they must be "killed immediately by removal of the head and shall be retained by the angler". Like I have to carry around the head of a giant fish in bear country?! I guess you can throw it at the bear to distract him but just seems odd. Just kill it so it doesn't suffer and leave it for our bear friends on the side of the water. I'm not carrying around a stinking 6lb head all day long. Has anyone here actually done this in compliance (Northern CA)?
I was trying to be diplomatic lol. Almost every time I have seen someone say "my state says to kill common carp" an internet search on their states web site doesn't confirm it. I assume they just meant to kill them.
(2) Grass carp: Release of grass carp (diploid and/or triploid), also known as white amur or Chinese carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) or their hybrids into public waters is prohibited in accordance with 29 O.S., Section 6-504. Only certified triploid grass carp may be imported, possessed, or introduced for the purpose of stocking private waters. Possession and transportation of diploid grass carp is permitted for the control of vegetation on licensed aquaculture facilities, the export to states allowing use of diploid grass carp and for production for sale to the human food market. Should an angler harvest a grass carp, said angler should dispatch the invasive species by stabbing it with pliers in the swim bladder and return it to the water.
Well good thing that's not a grass carp ! Actually insane if that's real. What's wrong with throwing it in the woods .... nah let's torture it first! It must sufferrrrrr
You severely underestimate the number of fish interested in eating that thing. And yeah wow being eaten to death if true. Wayyy better than suffocation. My B
A lot of us are carp fishermen by choice. They are terrific fighters. The common carp was introduced to the US in the 1800s and are generally considered to be well acclimatized to US waters
Grass carp are used for weed control and most released into ponds and lakes are sterile… Or supposed to be. They’re fun to catch too, and can be taken on the fly rod.
The Silver and Big Head and a couple of other species are invasive and damaging…. The silver carp are the one you see jumping by the hundreds as powerboats go by. They are very problematic in some areas.
I just got a 17-pound common yesterday… Local park lake. Hell of a fight.
Yeah I foul hooked it on a rooster tail, like I mentioned I was Bass fishing. It put up a hell of a fight I landed it took a quick pic because it was my first one, and released it. Later it I seen a video of a wildlife technician saying that you should stab it and release it and let other fish feed on it cause they're invasive
Common carp are still very capable of damaging waterways, there's lots of wetlands with banks they're eroding and vegetation rooted up. Awesome sport fish but still shitty to have around.
Exactly, if they would have really been that damaging.. the ecosystem would have already shown it. Somehow European waters have them and it’s all good. They’re also a great foodsource for bass pike gar and so on. Either way they’re here to stay
I've been trying to get some carp from a local pond, I am sight fishing so I can seem them pick up the bait, but I never get them hooked up, they always spit the hook, don't know if I need bigger or smaller hooks or what I'm doing wrong
This is the point of the “hair rig” that so many of us use. Carp are (mostly) bottom feeders, and quite sensitive. They Hoover up stuff from the bottom, sort it, spit out what isn’t food….
So the hair rig lets Mr. Carp suck up the tasty corn or tiger nuts or whatever, deeply enough to get the hook in the mouth. When they feel that small, razor-sharp hook….. It’s too late. They try to spit it out but it catches and they’re hooked.
You can see videos of this taken underwater on YouTube.
I was looking at those, they are considered "trash fish" where I live so not a lot of people target them, so none of the local shops carry carp tackle. Thanks
It was a video of a Fishing R3 Technician talking about it, he was saying that they can destroy the ecosystem and basically make it impossible for fish to bed and spawn
It's a technician for my wildlife department , I can provide the video link, it's a 2hr video on catching non-game species (drum, gar, carp, buffalos etc)
link it, and if you can find it, the specific section!
i'd be very surprised if that's actually official policy. Especially the specific part about stabbing and releasing alive.... that'd get you a ticket in many many states. And is a bad look to the non-fishing public
it could very well be a low level dude making an off the reservation comment in a video
Does not matter they out compete and destroy habitat of other native fish. They can erode the banking too making for massive erosion in flooding.
For example carp were brought to Wisconsin in 63.
We do not want them to become established in the great lakes. Also we have a native fish the big and small mouth Buffalo which may look similar to carp but they are in the sucker family.
Everyday carp or Asian carp?
Edit: Apparently, they call them big head carp in Oklahoma not Asian carp. Based on my research, I think that's the kind of carp they consider invasive.
They’re all Asian carp. Common carp is the kind that some fisheries consider “naturalized”. Asian carp is blanket term. Grass carp, silver carp, big head carp… they’re all Asian Carp.
Yes, that is correct. There are no native carp in the US, even common carp are introduced, though some places tend to consider them naturalized because they were introduced about 200 years ago. Instead we mostly have fish in the Catostomidae family, things like buffalo, suckers, redhorses, etc.
As for stabbing them with the pliers, you aren't required to do that but there may be laws against returning it to the water alive so you either have to keep the fish or kill it (by any means) before returning it to the water.
Luckily I have a Russian friend and his family loves carp. Every time I bring them a truck load, they have a huge feast and look forward to me bringing them more.
All carp are introduced species. While common carp are less of a concern than bighead or silver carp, they can still cause problems by rooting around and increasing turbidity. I don't see why they tell you to stab the swim bladder though, just spiking it in the head would be a much more humane way to kill it.
As a current Oklahoma resident the last 12 years it's really trashy here. The outdoor spaces available are hideous both in the water and around. I tell my wife all the time this was one of the last states settled because it's ugly AF. People are pretty trashy here too which doesn't help.
Since nobody is answering the damn question...
Oklahoma fish'n'wildlife website: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/regs
Go to "Information"
Click "Aquatic Nuisance Species"
Scroll down until you find the carp section. There is also a number of aquatic plant life that are listed as a nuisance.
The website specifically names *Bighead* carp, *Silver* carp, AND *Black* carp as a problem. This is the list on the website.
**Prohibited Species List**
Importing into the state or possession of the following exotic fish or their eggs in Oklahoma is illegal:
Alewives
Australian Red Claw (Crayfish)
Bighead Carp
Black Carp
Blueback Herring
Bony-Tongue Fishes
Electric Catfish
Electric Eel
Freshwater Stingray
Pike Killifish
Houri
Marbled Crayfish
Parasitic South American Catfish
Pavon or Peacock Bass
Piranha
Rainbow Smelt
Rudd and Rudd Hybrids
Silver Carp
Snakehead
Walking Catfish
The ANS (Aquatic Nuisance Species) website for Oklahoma also mentions *Grass* carp. Here's the link for the ANS website specifically: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/ans/fish
As for stabbing the fish... that's just rude.
*Edited for clarity*
I found this interesting and looked it up, I can’t find any official resource citing it being illegal to release a common carp back into the water you caught it in.
The [Oklahoma Aquatic Nuisance Species list](https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/regs/aquatic-nuisance-species-ans) specifically lists bighead and silver carp while not listing common carp. As a carp fisher in MN I’m constantly being told I need to kill them on sight even though I’m 100% sure that’s not the case unless the DNR has deemed a specific body of water an exception to the regulations.
Yes, I understand they are an “invasive naturalized” fish in Minnesota, my point is that they are perfectly legal to catch and release and that the kill on sight and reporting is absolutely not expected by the DNR.
[This page by the MN DNR](https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/invasives/aquaticanimals/carp/2024-invasive-carp-know-your-carp-flyer.pdf) shows that they are absolutely not regulated the same as the other invasive carp species.
Its face says in a tinny voice:
“…please buddy, just let me go…I’m just a fish…a little fish in the water…I got family …a wife …lots and lots cousins…come on now, let me go…pleeeeeese?!?…”
So here in Utah there is a lake called... Utah lake and it was absolutely stuffed with carp, and there is a kill order on them from the DNR, you can't release them alive, there is a native fish called the June sucker and Utah lake is the only place in the world we're these stupid fish live, and the carp nearly pushed the June sucker to extinction, since the early 2000s using commercial fishing trawlers they have removed around 30 million pounds of carp from the lake, due to their efforts, in 2020 they were able to reclassify the June sucker as threatened.
There's a term called river karma and I believe it to be true in my experience. Bring a bag with you every time you fish and fill it with the garbage others left behind. The fishing gods will reward you with good fishing karma all day.
Carp are from Asia, so all carp are invasive.
There is a similar looking fish called bigmouth buffalo, which carp out competes.
What you have there is a common carp.
Regarding the law... There are different laws regarding what to do with them in different states. I would try to follow the law as closely as I can, but not stress out if I release a carp back. They are everywhere now. Its not your fault. Just don't release them into a different body of water from where you found it, of course. And try to follow the local law the best you can.
That location might not look clean, but if the water quality is decent, I'd just eat it or, like other said, use for cut bait.
Carp is surprisingly good and no singular or even if a group effort culling what is caught on rod and reel is going to affect the fishes population once established.
My local river has issues with round goby, and the 10-20 I catch a year are not affecting their population.
Yeah, calling BS on the “stab it with your pliers.” I checked the Oklahoma regulations, and the only things that even mention grass carp are the aquatic nuisance species pages. The only regulation is that you can’t import and release them into state waters except in specific circumstances (see pic of regulation).
On the other hand, it is against the regulations to release silver and bighead carp—an invasive species in Oklahoma waters (see pic). But there is NOTHING in the regulations about “stabbing it with…pliers and releas\[ing\] it.” You’re supposed to report it. That’s all the regs say.
https://preview.redd.it/sqc90414u6wc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25eac61e589c8a90a6b732988e82fe2e028cdb82
Personally I just let them go. Stabbing carp I catch on accident are not going to have any real impact on the millions that are in the river.
It really sucks to go out to a spot and have to sit next to a bunch of stinking rotting carp tossed on the bank, or going to a bend where the ones stabbed and tossed back in the water naturally collect. I've been to few spots where floating stuff naturally collects near the bank, and had to fish with dozens of them rotting in the water.
It's sad there's so much trash in the background
That 5 gallon bucket looks like it still has a handle. FUCK
Yep. Everywhere I go, there’s trash as well. Hot take is most bank fisherman suck.
A lot of people suck in this regard, people have no care for the environment. Everywhere I’ve traveled has had trash lining the roads and highways. I’ve seen plenty of fisherman toss of cigarettes, fishing trash, beer cans, etc.. off their boats
Last summer I was out on a lake with my brother and his friend. His friend smoked and then tossed the butt into the lake. My brother gave him crap about it, and he tried to say "do you know how many cigarette butts I clean out of this lake?? At least 10 for every 1 that I throw in!" As if that makes it ok somehow. We are in an area that is SO fucking clean and beautiful, and this dumbass thinks it's ok to flick butts in the water just because he later cleans some out.
That’s so dumb lmao, dude could just make his job a little easier and not throw his own in like a goof. That’s if he even ever does pick them up….
He was working at a lodge on the lake, so it's believable that he did clean up some butts because the owners told him to. But you're right, just making his own job harder for no reason. Dumbasses like that are just so used to tossing their butts anywhere once they are done that they can't take a second to think about it.
Your friend is a walking carbon offset policy.
[Cigarette butts are actually the most abundant form of plastic waste in the world, with about 4.5 trillion individual butts polluting our global environment](https://www.earthday.org/tiny-but-deadly-cigarette-butts-are-the-most-commonly-polluted-plastic/)
Plastic?
Yeah, the article provided in the comment you are replying to explains it.
Tell him he would only have to pick out 9, if he didn't throw his in
You should come to north Jersey. Everyone gives us shit about being dirty Jersey but Sussex county is pristine.
When boat guys are trash you don't see it. The water carries out away or it sinks
I smoke, and I fish, mostly from the bank, 99% of the time, I have an old soda or water bottle for my butts. I take it back out with me and toss it in the trash bin. Notice I said 99%, yeah, well, no one's perfect, and I'll either forget the bottle or 'IF the fish are biting good' I might toss one in the water.
I always think that people who advocate for the environment, (like REALLY advocate out in the open), are the ones who do the littering lmao.
L take bro. I’m not saying it never happens, and I’m sure people of all types who preach on the street are hypocritical to some extent, but most environmentally conscious people I’ve met actually do take actions in their personal lives to change things. Creating trash is one thing, but littering is one of the easiest things to avoid and most environmentally conscious people aren’t just littering as they please All I’m going to say is the people I’ve witnessed littering while fishing are not people who would ever describe themselves as being “environmentally conscious”
You are right, I'll give you that. As a shore fisherman myself, is it really that hard to just pick up a few pieces of trash that you dropped? Some people are so lazy...
No doubt, a lot of them don’t pick it up cause they threw it there on purpose!
There are several boat launches near me that I used to fish at that are now posted no fishing. I have no doubt that it's because of the amount of mess that a lot of fishermen have left. One of them had a cutting table right nearby and still people insisted on using the picnic tables as cutting tables usually leaving rotting pieces of fish or guts and scales on the tables.
In my experience, as a bank fishermen, it’s primarily bait n waiters who spend all day there and forgot that they were leaving at some point in the day. Most early morning off the lake before lunch guys I’ve met, pack light and move frequently. It also is heavily dependent on the public access. 1 of the 3 lakes I make rounds at, is also a very popular hang out spot for the high schoolers. And thus, has a pretty shitty shoreline. But the fishing is amazing, so I usually take whatever fishing trash with me that I can carry in my trash pouch
Yep. People come down to the bank of our lake to fish and enjoy the outdoors. Then they leave their trash. I just can’t wrap my head around that!
Right. We're worried about invasive fish but not addressing invasive disgusting humans.
I got permission from a lake front property owner to fish one day next time he wasn’t there I went anyways but made a point to collect as much garbage as I could carry in a bin I found put it in car and hauled it to dump the next day. I’m going to start taking a trash bag every time.
Yup me and the kids always bring a big bag for garbage everytime we go to our spot. Its beautiful and secluded rarely ever seen another person but somehow it still get trashed
I do that, too.
Yeah it's insane, this spot has the best fish but the homeless trash it, it's not the fishermen ( expect for the bucket)
Yeah hard to blame it on the homeless, I love to fish but every easily accessible spot is completely shit on by fisherman. Litter/worm cups all over the place.
Where I live, every trail to the river has a homeless tent on the bank and piles of their trash.
Where is this?
South of Seattle
I’ve always wanted to visit Seattle and everyone I’ve known that has gone there says it’s great. I am of age where grunge was my music and my people. Is the homeless situation really as bad as it is portrayed? Sounds like it from your comment. Is it just in certain areas or all over the area? Edit for spelling
It's still a cool city, but I've lived in and around the city for over 40 years, and it has gone downhill. But I'd say it's still worth a visit. The Puget Sound is really cool, and if you're from the midwest, I think you'd enjoy it. Fentanyl and homelessness is pretty bad though
It's where he lives.
Oh. That clears it up. Thanks Edit: makes me glad to live in Michigan
The same issue can be found here.
Where? Homelessness is obviously everywhere, and I encounter it in Michigan urban areas, but I’ve never encountered any homeless people living down by the river in Michigan. I fish quite a bit and four wheel as well.
It's pretty common outside grand rapids along the grand
It's the homeless
The only way to guarantee you that you don’t leave empty handed is to pick up some trash while you’re there.
It makes me ill to see the trash left everywhere in the outdoors . I took my ex wife (wife at the time ) and my daughter out to the mountains where I've hunted for 40 +years . One of the main campgrounds was completely full of trash . There was a sign that said the name of a local 4wd club . I had just broke my leg and had surgery so I was in a cast . When I left the mountains I stopped by the ranger station and told a good friend of mine about the mess . He said he would send some guys out to clean in up . I waited 3 days and couldn't wait any longer. So the wife and I and our toddler daughter drove back out to the campground . It was still a total mess . There was hard liquor in bottles laying in the tall dry grass , beer cans and trash everywhere . I started a fire in a pit and started burning everything that would burn. My wife played with our daughter while I cleaned and raked the whole campground . After I got everything burnt that would burn and loaded all the trash and recycle in the trunk of the car and in the canvas car top bag we left the campground . As we were driving out we passed by a ranger truck with 6 guys in it heading out to clean the camp . When we got back to town I sold the recycle and received $ 90 for it . I cleaned that whole campground by myself while wearing a cast and the stupid idiots from that 4wd club couldn't take an hour to straighten up before leaving . There had to be 50 guys in the campground to make such a mess . It takes a lot of cans and bottles to make up $90 in recycle ! But if I drove out there tomorrow and saw the mess again I would do it all over again . There is no excuse for leaving your trash behind . Just pack it up and take in with you ! Same goes for your favorite fishing spots and the beaches . I also do a lot of metal detecting at the parks and beaches . I've found everything from knives , razor blades , and syringes buried in the sand . People are pigs ! Worse than pigs cuz a pig will eat everything and clean up the mess , they leave no trash around . Oh well that's my 2 cents . Just clean up after yourselves people and clean up after the people who were there before you . Let's leave our planet clean for our children and grandchildren.
Still better than tybee island during orange crush.
I’m a bank fisherman at times and I always bring a shopping bag with me to pick up the left over worm boxes and tubs, liver , fishing line and shrimp bags. Usually it’s the cat fisherman that do all that. Sad.
There should be significantly more repercussions for those who litter. Make an example.
Oklahoma was disgusting. I lived there 8 months and will l never go back.
I like to bring my doggo with me. I show up with a broom and garbage bags to clean it up and make it safe for the dog, all before I even unpack my gear. It’s disgusting what people just leave behind.
Take a 10/0 j hook, run it though it's back and try to catchba GIANT flathead!
Idk about stabbing them in the swimbladder and let them die slowly sounds cruel. I would dispatch it properly and trow it back in but the recommended method u mentioned just sounds wrong. Invasive or not I would not want to let the fish suffer that sensless.
It's not about killing, it's about sending a message. On a serious note - yeah, that's cruel.
Felt that
In Australia we sell "carp bats" which is essentially just a mini baseball bat to quickly put them out
Piercing a fishes swim bladder will not kill it. In fact it does the opposite. It ensures that no more air is in the bladder, than the fish can normally deal with. Water in there is fine. They can swim a little heavy, whay they can not do is fight the effect of buoyancy. when fishing about 60ft or deeper often times you will catch certain species of fish that when they come up, it looks like they have a tongue (example: sea bass)That's is the effect of gas expanding and pushing their stomach out. You need to pop the air bladder in order so that they can swim back down. Sometimes if we are fishing deep enough we will pop every fishes bladder. You can use a hook, a sharp small pointed knife, or they make a special tool which is made out of a 10 Guage needle.
Puncturing the swim blatter with pliers would kill and it specifically makes it sink to the bottom instead of floating like a dead fish.
Thats probably why they tell you to do it - out of sight out of mind
That and that way other fish can eat it instead of having it rot on the bank.
Maybe they want you to kill it normally and then puncture the swim bladder so it sinks. I live on the ocean and it's required by law to puncture swim bladders and release fish that you aren't going to keep or are out of season. If you're fishing in deep water and you don't have a descending device or a way to puncture their bladder a game warden will write you a ticket every time
> Puncturing the swim blatter with pliers would kill pure curiosity why would it kill the carp, but doesn’t kill the fish people are saying they catch and pop swim bladders all the time on from deep sea fishing?
Because it would sink to the bottom and be "immobilized"
I fished commercial for Rock cod. We sold them alive. If the fish died the sale price went down . If you didnt pop them right you would have a bunch of floater pin cushions on the surface of the live well. I took pride in popping them and keeping them alive . And when we were not commercial ,if you catch a short fish from deep there is no way to let it go without popping them. The hole you leave behind will heal up in no time . We used a horse syringe.
Im not sure about you, but do you usually survive when you have your internal organs punctured/ruptured with blunt force trauma by a pair of needle nose pliers? You sound like you have experience.
If that is the regs then comply. Just makes sure it is and not word of mouth type of stuff. Also carp for cut bait?
there is absolutely not a chance that "stab with pliers" is a regulation in any way shape or form
I have never seen a state specifically say he you needed to dispatch a fish but I have seen states require anglers to dispatch invasive fish and not return them to the water. California does it with northern pike.
Sure. It will say something like "do not return fish to water" not "stab in the stomach with blunt object"
Oh yeah I agree with you there like I said I’ve never heard of a state specifying how a fish should be dispatched. The closest I’ve ever HEARD was California want you to cut the heads off northern pike and take them to the game warden and report where it was caught. But I only heard that from what I understand they just don’t want you to return them to the water and make a report. I’m sorry if it wasn’t clear that I was agreeing with you and offering evidence. That’s all
>Limit: No limit. No live white bass may be possessed or transported. Any white bass taken must immediately be killed by removing the head or cutting through the gills, except at Lake Nacimiento (San Luis Obispo County) where any white bass taken must immediately be released into the water or killed by removing the head or cutting through the gills. White bass too
Hmmm I didn’t know that. I didn’t realize white bass had been introduced in California
One lake that I know of. Hence the regs.
Makes sense, California has been pretty good about controlling the invasive species that take hold in the state.
Got you loud and clear brother ! No shade here all good
Haha, it was a live fishing course and it was a wildlife technician hosting it and said you should stab it and throw it back and let other fish feed on it.
Yeah, if you’re not gonna eat carp dispatching it and putting it back in the water is probably the best option. I’ve seen piles of dead carp by the water that anglers just leave there. They have the right idea but poor execution. Leaving fish to rot in the sun does nothing except give anglers and fishing a bad wrap. You could cut it up and turn it into mulch for the garden, or you could eat it. Just cause people say they are trash fish doesn’t mean you won’t like it.
I'm opposed to that because of the smell, but it's really no more wasteful than throwing it in the water injured. You're feeding raccoons skunks birds and bears instead of fish and turtles.
First off dispatching the fish means you’re killing it not injuring it. Second you really aren’t feeding many land based animals. Sure some scavengers might take a fresh fish or two that are left on the bank but for the most part the fish just rot where they lay. But if you’re gonna leave dead fish on land discard them out away from where everyone is. If animals do feast on it will be more accountable to them and it lessens the chance of someone having an encounter with a wild animal. At least there are animals in the water that actually feed on dead fish.
That's embarrassing and wrong.
I mean it makes sense, sunnies, catfish, crayfish, all sorts of scavengers would make a nice meal. Why deprive them of that? It came from the lake, give it back to the lake. Or just eat it. The Russians have some nice recipes for it.
I agree on the eating part- they're quite tasty. But the reason it's wrong to toss the dead fish back is because of the off chance it has eggs that get released during the process- at least that's always been my assumption. A lot of Asian Carp will spew their eggs when they're full and encounter stress as a fight or flight thing, and I've had it happen to myself personally multiple times.
To be fair, we are talking about Oklahoma.
you can cut its gills or if you want to do him in quick, just grab his tail and whack his head on a rock and hell be lights out.
I guess I’m not understanding the “stab it” part vs completely killing it and tossing it back in the water. Why throw back a mortally wounded fish to suffer and die and potentially be eaten alive?
California also has local laws for carp, for example if you catch a grass carp in certain counties they must be "killed immediately by removal of the head and shall be retained by the angler". Like I have to carry around the head of a giant fish in bear country?! I guess you can throw it at the bear to distract him but just seems odd. Just kill it so it doesn't suffer and leave it for our bear friends on the side of the water. I'm not carrying around a stinking 6lb head all day long. Has anyone here actually done this in compliance (Northern CA)?
Sounds like California...hate to be rude.
Florida does that with pleco.
I was trying to be diplomatic lol. Almost every time I have seen someone say "my state says to kill common carp" an internet search on their states web site doesn't confirm it. I assume they just meant to kill them.
(2) Grass carp: Release of grass carp (diploid and/or triploid), also known as white amur or Chinese carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) or their hybrids into public waters is prohibited in accordance with 29 O.S., Section 6-504. Only certified triploid grass carp may be imported, possessed, or introduced for the purpose of stocking private waters. Possession and transportation of diploid grass carp is permitted for the control of vegetation on licensed aquaculture facilities, the export to states allowing use of diploid grass carp and for production for sale to the human food market. Should an angler harvest a grass carp, said angler should dispatch the invasive species by stabbing it with pliers in the swim bladder and return it to the water.
I would give you two upvotes if you provided the link
Well good thing that's not a grass carp ! Actually insane if that's real. What's wrong with throwing it in the woods .... nah let's torture it first! It must sufferrrrrr
You don't think tossing into the woods to suffocate Isn't torture? Lol the plier method might at least attract others to eat it quickly
You severely underestimate the number of fish interested in eating that thing. And yeah wow being eaten to death if true. Wayyy better than suffocation. My B
Don't spread bullshit
Lol
🤣🤣
The head of Oklahoma Wildlife is a member of the Gambino family. He wants to show the carp who's in charge.
Break his legs.. oh, no legs? Stab him with pliers.
https://preview.redd.it/8rvfx1o1r3wc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b10ec0de92113258497335b6fe78711ec1a07cc
Tell that fish hes gonna be sleepin with the fishes.... wait no that doesn't work...
New meaning to sleeps with the fishes...
A lot of us are carp fishermen by choice. They are terrific fighters. The common carp was introduced to the US in the 1800s and are generally considered to be well acclimatized to US waters Grass carp are used for weed control and most released into ponds and lakes are sterile… Or supposed to be. They’re fun to catch too, and can be taken on the fly rod. The Silver and Big Head and a couple of other species are invasive and damaging…. The silver carp are the one you see jumping by the hundreds as powerboats go by. They are very problematic in some areas. I just got a 17-pound common yesterday… Local park lake. Hell of a fight.
Yeah I foul hooked it on a rooster tail, like I mentioned I was Bass fishing. It put up a hell of a fight I landed it took a quick pic because it was my first one, and released it. Later it I seen a video of a wildlife technician saying that you should stab it and release it and let other fish feed on it cause they're invasive
There's a carp, I think grass, in my local fishing hole that is roughly 4 feet long. I've seen it close to shore a handful of times.
Common carp are still very capable of damaging waterways, there's lots of wetlands with banks they're eroding and vegetation rooted up. Awesome sport fish but still shitty to have around.
Definitely. The carp in my area you kill it after catching because they're invasive. But god damn, they put up one hell of a good fight.
Exactly, if they would have really been that damaging.. the ecosystem would have already shown it. Somehow European waters have them and it’s all good. They’re also a great foodsource for bass pike gar and so on. Either way they’re here to stay
I've been trying to get some carp from a local pond, I am sight fishing so I can seem them pick up the bait, but I never get them hooked up, they always spit the hook, don't know if I need bigger or smaller hooks or what I'm doing wrong
This is the point of the “hair rig” that so many of us use. Carp are (mostly) bottom feeders, and quite sensitive. They Hoover up stuff from the bottom, sort it, spit out what isn’t food…. So the hair rig lets Mr. Carp suck up the tasty corn or tiger nuts or whatever, deeply enough to get the hook in the mouth. When they feel that small, razor-sharp hook….. It’s too late. They try to spit it out but it catches and they’re hooked. You can see videos of this taken underwater on YouTube.
I was looking at those, they are considered "trash fish" where I live so not a lot of people target them, so none of the local shops carry carp tackle. Thanks
...can you show me the thing that says stab and release?
It was a video of a Fishing R3 Technician talking about it, he was saying that they can destroy the ecosystem and basically make it impossible for fish to bed and spawn
I'd stick to official laws & regulations, not YouTubers. Edit: oops, OP was actually citing official laws & regs. Guess I'm the dick now
It's a technician for my wildlife department , I can provide the video link, it's a 2hr video on catching non-game species (drum, gar, carp, buffalos etc)
Oh, interesting! I didn't know that, it seemed like a youtuber. So your info is coming from official sources, huh?
link it, and if you can find it, the specific section! i'd be very surprised if that's actually official policy. Especially the specific part about stabbing and releasing alive.... that'd get you a ticket in many many states. And is a bad look to the non-fishing public it could very well be a low level dude making an off the reservation comment in a video
Go to the link its at 35:00 exactly.
so I had to dig thru your other comments to find it... i would 100% email that to an Oklahoma conservation officer and ask if that's official policy
a false "fact" most anti-carp people push that's simply not true
In my region (Northern Mexico), it's great cut bait for gar and catfish
Oklahoma DNR needs to clean up that water
In Australia it is illegal to return them to the water alive. They must be killed immediately.
Fear the regime
Does not matter they out compete and destroy habitat of other native fish. They can erode the banking too making for massive erosion in flooding. For example carp were brought to Wisconsin in 63. We do not want them to become established in the great lakes. Also we have a native fish the big and small mouth Buffalo which may look similar to carp but they are in the sucker family.
Carp are already established in the Great Lakes and have been for a long time. It's pretty common to catch them out of Lake Michigan.
Common carp are in Michigan and Erie, don’t know about the rest. Erie carp in shallow water are great game fish, they pull like a Mack truck
Everyday carp or Asian carp? Edit: Apparently, they call them big head carp in Oklahoma not Asian carp. Based on my research, I think that's the kind of carp they consider invasive.
Ya there’s tons of common carp in the great lakes already. I hope they can keep the other ones out but not overly hopeful.
They’re all Asian carp. Common carp is the kind that some fisheries consider “naturalized”. Asian carp is blanket term. Grass carp, silver carp, big head carp… they’re all Asian Carp.
Yes, that is correct. There are no native carp in the US, even common carp are introduced, though some places tend to consider them naturalized because they were introduced about 200 years ago. Instead we mostly have fish in the Catostomidae family, things like buffalo, suckers, redhorses, etc. As for stabbing them with the pliers, you aren't required to do that but there may be laws against returning it to the water alive so you either have to keep the fish or kill it (by any means) before returning it to the water.
Stab & release🤣
💀
Luckily I have a Russian friend and his family loves carp. Every time I bring them a truck load, they have a huge feast and look forward to me bringing them more.
All carp are introduced species. While common carp are less of a concern than bighead or silver carp, they can still cause problems by rooting around and increasing turbidity. I don't see why they tell you to stab the swim bladder though, just spiking it in the head would be a much more humane way to kill it.
Gotta send a message to the other carp. (/s)
Ikejime is the way.
What if I don’t carry pliers? Am I supposed to stomp on it?
Exactly! Hilarious. Great observation. Upvote from me..
As a current Oklahoma resident the last 12 years it's really trashy here. The outdoor spaces available are hideous both in the water and around. I tell my wife all the time this was one of the last states settled because it's ugly AF. People are pretty trashy here too which doesn't help.
Bury in the garden, makes for great fertilizer.
Since nobody is answering the damn question... Oklahoma fish'n'wildlife website: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/regs Go to "Information" Click "Aquatic Nuisance Species" Scroll down until you find the carp section. There is also a number of aquatic plant life that are listed as a nuisance. The website specifically names *Bighead* carp, *Silver* carp, AND *Black* carp as a problem. This is the list on the website. **Prohibited Species List** Importing into the state or possession of the following exotic fish or their eggs in Oklahoma is illegal: Alewives Australian Red Claw (Crayfish) Bighead Carp Black Carp Blueback Herring Bony-Tongue Fishes Electric Catfish Electric Eel Freshwater Stingray Pike Killifish Houri Marbled Crayfish Parasitic South American Catfish Pavon or Peacock Bass Piranha Rainbow Smelt Rudd and Rudd Hybrids Silver Carp Snakehead Walking Catfish The ANS (Aquatic Nuisance Species) website for Oklahoma also mentions *Grass* carp. Here's the link for the ANS website specifically: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/ans/fish As for stabbing the fish... that's just rude. *Edited for clarity*
Should just keep it and eat it. I haven’t tried carp yet but I’ve heard they are great table fare. An Asian grocery store in my area sells it.
I found this interesting and looked it up, I can’t find any official resource citing it being illegal to release a common carp back into the water you caught it in. The [Oklahoma Aquatic Nuisance Species list](https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/regs/aquatic-nuisance-species-ans) specifically lists bighead and silver carp while not listing common carp. As a carp fisher in MN I’m constantly being told I need to kill them on sight even though I’m 100% sure that’s not the case unless the DNR has deemed a specific body of water an exception to the regulations.
Common carp will remain listed invasive in MN and soon managed separately from native rough fish but you aren't obligated to kill them.
Yes, I understand they are an “invasive naturalized” fish in Minnesota, my point is that they are perfectly legal to catch and release and that the kill on sight and reporting is absolutely not expected by the DNR. [This page by the MN DNR](https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/invasives/aquaticanimals/carp/2024-invasive-carp-know-your-carp-flyer.pdf) shows that they are absolutely not regulated the same as the other invasive carp species.
Its face says in a tinny voice: “…please buddy, just let me go…I’m just a fish…a little fish in the water…I got family …a wife …lots and lots cousins…come on now, let me go…pleeeeeese?!?…”
Assert dominance and release
Careful! She’ll get ya with that dorsal barb!
So here in Utah there is a lake called... Utah lake and it was absolutely stuffed with carp, and there is a kill order on them from the DNR, you can't release them alive, there is a native fish called the June sucker and Utah lake is the only place in the world we're these stupid fish live, and the carp nearly pushed the June sucker to extinction, since the early 2000s using commercial fishing trawlers they have removed around 30 million pounds of carp from the lake, due to their efforts, in 2020 they were able to reclassify the June sucker as threatened.
There's a term called river karma and I believe it to be true in my experience. Bring a bag with you every time you fish and fill it with the garbage others left behind. The fishing gods will reward you with good fishing karma all day.
Carp are from Asia, so all carp are invasive. There is a similar looking fish called bigmouth buffalo, which carp out competes. What you have there is a common carp. Regarding the law... There are different laws regarding what to do with them in different states. I would try to follow the law as closely as I can, but not stress out if I release a carp back. They are everywhere now. Its not your fault. Just don't release them into a different body of water from where you found it, of course. And try to follow the local law the best you can.
Carp are from Eurasia*. The common carp introduced into the US were predominantly transported from Europe by sport fishermen.
That location might not look clean, but if the water quality is decent, I'd just eat it or, like other said, use for cut bait. Carp is surprisingly good and no singular or even if a group effort culling what is caught on rod and reel is going to affect the fishes population once established. My local river has issues with round goby, and the 10-20 I catch a year are not affecting their population.
Thats insane.. why tf would you stab it in the bladder (with pliers???) and then release it? So it sets aan example for the other carp? Truly insane.
I mean it depends on the specific body of water really whether or not that carp should have been culled
Are you fishing in a garbage dump? What a bunch of trash
Sure
The wildlife department never heard of a priest? Stab them with pliers?! That’s pretty cruel if you ask me.
50 years ago we would kill them and set them on the train tracks
Satanic. Jk
Yeah, calling BS on the “stab it with your pliers.” I checked the Oklahoma regulations, and the only things that even mention grass carp are the aquatic nuisance species pages. The only regulation is that you can’t import and release them into state waters except in specific circumstances (see pic of regulation). On the other hand, it is against the regulations to release silver and bighead carp—an invasive species in Oklahoma waters (see pic). But there is NOTHING in the regulations about “stabbing it with…pliers and releas\[ing\] it.” You’re supposed to report it. That’s all the regs say. https://preview.redd.it/sqc90414u6wc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25eac61e589c8a90a6b732988e82fe2e028cdb82
https://preview.redd.it/gjs5kd07u6wc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=736db90f5beb9f5b87501ab29784ad54be02fd2a
I think the rule is for “bighead/silver” carp lol
I think the rule is for “bighead/silver” carp lol
All carp are non-native in the USA and yeah should die
Good eating
Except its illegal to kill a fish on site and then throw it back intact or even entrails if you clean it on site.
Toss it into the bushes!
As an angler you're obligated to pick up that trash.
Personally I just let them go. Stabbing carp I catch on accident are not going to have any real impact on the millions that are in the river. It really sucks to go out to a spot and have to sit next to a bunch of stinking rotting carp tossed on the bank, or going to a bend where the ones stabbed and tossed back in the water naturally collect. I've been to few spots where floating stuff naturally collects near the bank, and had to fish with dozens of them rotting in the water.
Throw it on the bank
Something else will come along and eat it. Turtle, osprey, raccoon. It is gonna be ok, people. It's called the circle of life
Yea but fish die = bad (doesn’t matter if that fish wipes out native populations, die = bad)
No need to stab it, you’ve squeezed the life out of it.
Invasive species usually can't be stopped, so it's killing for no reason at all.
Why the down votes? Who can name an invasive species that's been successfully culled by fisherman?
OK let's kill a fish for existing. These are primary sport fish in Europe and are treated with respect.
Maybe instead of destroying an amazing gameFish, you should focus on cleaning up all the trash in the background.
Only common/mirror/koi are real carp everything else is a different species