freediver

Paul, That would be highly illegal here in Wisconsin.

I rigged up my Xtracycle to carry all of my spearfishing gear and bought a cooler that fits into the side bag. I mainly shoot crappie, perch, and bluegill so a smaller cooler is all that's needed. On occasion we do put the hurt on the local carp population and it's during those times that a buddy brings his pick-up so that we can drag them away to his farm. I've eaten smoked carp, but our lakes are so full of them we could never eat them all and they have the same contamination issues that you have.

Here's a couple of pics.

Jon

freediver

Here's some more bike specific photos.

First is my original ice box set up for my xtracycle and then shots of my new cooler. I can carry much more, and keep them cooler, with this new set up.

Last shot was from a good day diving last winter.

Jon

Mike H

Nice setup Paul. One thing though don't put them back in the water! Just make a pile and let the scavengers take care of them. My buddy and I used to make huge piles of carp when we were growing up in Upstate NY. They were taking over all the local creeks and rivers Ugh.

paulrichardson

Thanks! Yes, in some states it is illegal to put them in the water, however I have not seen that as law in NY (if anyone knows of such, please link it). Any fish I have put in or lost in the water (pulled off the arrow in the brush) was gone the next day - the canal is full of aquatic scavengers as well. I do prefer to throw them in the bushes or corn fields, though. Those are gone quickly too - many hungry things lurk about in the night.

paulrichardson

Very nice! You like to get far more intimate with the fish, I see. Is it legal to spear anything besides carp when diving? If so, cool! Nice string of crappies! And thats a beautiful pile of carp - that has to be a blast!

paulrichardson

LOVE the eye shot!

freediver

We're allowed to shoot panfish and rough fish in most parts of the state- there are a few counties and lakes that are off limits. I mainly aim for crappie as they provide the best fillets, but there are just SO many carp around trashing our lakes that you can't help but take out 10-20 on a good day.

Our lakes are pretty green around here right now so I'm doing more biking than diving these days. Once the weather cools off we'll be back to diving all winter long. Here's a little video I put together from last winter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWCkDThxebQ

Jon

paulrichardson

A fresh carpsicle for you all, followed by a post-slaughter bit of Swiss absinthe.

vja4Him

How do you prepare the fish for good eating? I love fish .... Salmon is my favorite though ... especially smoked salmon ... !!!

vja4Him

What kind of a rear rack is that? What does is cost? And could I mount something like that on my Electra Townie? I'd like to rig up something for grocery shopping and running errands ...

Sturmcrow

That is an Xtracycle. It's more of a half-frame that moves the rear wheel back and makes space for a lot more cargo. They run about $500 for a basic kit or $260 for just the frame that moves the wheel back (but nothing to put cargo on or into). There is a sticky about building your own Xtracycle knock-off for much cheaper.

Elkhound

I was always taught that a major rule of hunting/fishing ethics is that you eat what you kill; if you won't eat it, don't kill it.

Dan Burkhart 

I think we could make an exception in the caes of varmints. A carp would fall into that category, doncha think?
I know I'd have to be pretty desperate to
eat one.

Elkhound

Catfish are a type of carp, and they are quite tasty.

Define 'varmit.'

Many people consider squrelles 'varmits', but they are said to be good eating. (Despite my state of residence, I never have.

Dan Burkhart 

varmint
Noun
Informal an irritating or obnoxious person or animal [dialect variant of varmin vermin]

Sirrus Rider

Or invasive species as Carp also happen to be. If you have a thief in your house and he's about to kill your dog. Do you let him or do you shoot him on site? If it were myself I'd be firing with guns blazing to kill the invader and get him the Fock out of my house. Same thing with carp they are displacing native game fish and they don't belong here.

Sturmcrow

Just because a carp has barbels doesn't make it a catfish or vice versa. Carp have gigantic scales and catfish have none. Carp are considered unfit for the table because they are about the boniest fish you will ever come across. Catfish are great fare because they are so easy to filet with nary a bone to be found. So far as I know, the two are completely unrelated.

freediver

Carp and catfish are NOT related.

freediver

Carp and catfish are NOT related.

Carp realy do a number on the lakes around here. They uproot the plants which allows invasives to come in and outcompete the native species. They also turn the vis to crap by stirrign up the silt on the bottom through their feeding habits. It's gottne so bad around here the th DNR has taken to netting them out from under the ice in some lakes. They would expand the prcatice to more lakes, but the cost is too high. Last winter they puuled over 20,000 pounds of carp out of just one local lake.

You can cook carp, my grandpa used to love them fried, but they are a pain to clean becuase of all the bones. You can smoke them and they are pretty tasty to eat that way- becuase they are such an oily fish to begin with. Most of the carp we shoot end up on a farmer's field, but int he winter we'll take a couple of smaller ones and smoke them. Small ones, taken from cool water, have fewer toxins and firmer meat.

BTW: the bike is an xtracyle built up onto a Marin Novato. It's a kit you can buy to add on to most mountain bikes. The only one I know it won't work with is the Tassara- because of the extra short chain stays. I've found it to be the most useful bike I've ever owned. I can carry both kids to school on it and then go grocery shopping afterwards. It's also good for diving, or camping, on the weekends.

Jon

Elkhound

So, a 'varmit' is an animal whom some human has decided he doesn't like.

Elkhound

Carp got here because humans put them there. The carp is only doing what God or Nature designed him to do; that he is doing it in what we consider the wrong place is hardly the fish's part. Comparing the fish to a violent robber is neither fair nor accurate.

GodsBassist

My grandpa told me a really good carp recipe once... something about taking a cookie sheet and filling it with dog doo, and then putting the carp on it. You cook it for a while, then throw the carp out.

For the record, comparing the fish to a violent robber is both fair and accurate... they're dangerous for the local fish population, cost resources and leave a taste in your mouth that's comparable to dog doo...

ooooooh I get the recipe now.

Edit: That bow bike is full of awesome, BTW.

Hot Potato

Nice DIY solution.

I just ordered a Montana Scabbard. Larry, the maker, told me to reinforce the bottom area that holds the tip of the re-curve with pipe foam/padding, to lessen the stress on the limb of a re-curve. The Montana scabbard is made to support the bow from the bottom, having been optimized for compound bows. I figure I could rig something once I got one on my bike. Right now my re curve's are take-down bows, nothing fancy. But I have been lusting after some nice wood one piece eye candy re-curves, not sure I would give them the bike treatment though.

Where does one learn about bow fishing? Only ponds and lakes near me, not even sure it is legal in my area.

mackerel

Mister MacKerel does not approve.

CVB

It is not just what we consider to be the wrong place. It IS the wrong place. Humans disrupted the ecosystem by introducing the carp, and it's decimating native fish populations. Now, if you're concerned about the well-being of individual fish, you must also consider the well-being of the native fish. Which leads to quite a dilemma. On the other hand, you could look at the greater good of the stable ecosystem and man's responsibility to try to restore that which we have screwed up, which leads to any easy solution. Get rid of the carp.

paulrichardson may be a little brazen in his posts, but it is for the greater good. Not everyone who tries to do what's right for the earth is a SNAG (sensitive new-age guy). (And I don't use the term pejoratively - I'd say I AM one.)