A record carp haul on Spring Lake, near Prior Lake

[HD]

A record carp haul on Spring Lake



Commercial fishermen cut a large hole in the ice on Spring Lake and pulled in an astounding 34,000 pounds (17 tons) of carp with their nets on Jan. 30.

While native fish were released again into the lake, the carp were taken out and prepped for market, some purchased by sellers as far away as North Carolina. Volunteers helped to sort the native fish from the carp, and some returned a couple of days later to count, weigh and haul out the carp on a large semi-truck.

This big carp haul was coordinated by the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District as part of its comprehensive plan to help reduce the carp population in Spring and Prior lakes. Carp stir up the bottom of the lakes and destroy native vegetation essential to native fish. Removing the carp is one of many tools the watershed district is using to improve the water quality of Spring Lake.

Last week’s seine on Spring Lake is the largest haul of carp the watershed district has on record, netting 2,575 carp. Rough estimates by WSB, the district’s contractor for the project, calculate that this could be as much as half of the carp population in the lake.

It's a big win for Spring Lake, but there's more work to do. The watershed district will have another seine event later this year and plans to install carp barriers at connecting stream locations to block them from their spawning grounds. The seine event was part of a comprehensive carp management program partially funded by a Clean Water Partnership grant.

[Rebel SS]

17 tons??!??!! That's a lotta smoked carp!!!! 

[mike89]

canned carp like they used to do Iowa!!!!

[glenn57]

That outta keep boar supplied with fish for a while!!

[Rebel SS]

He could assemble an entire singing chorus of "Roberts"....! 

[snow1]

Shot plenty of carp over the years,folks fishing near us always took the fish or we take them to little siagon on university ave,these folks loved them,steak'em out and deep fry,not my deal but it was either that or buried in a deep hole.

[Rebel SS]

Smoked carp are great..really! Smoked a lot of them myself, just the thing to wash down with a couple of cold ones. 

[snow1]

Agreed,smoke carp,buffalo and suckers here too,I found that late summer into fall they were better as they tend to be more oily.Asian folks fried in tempera and shore fishermen from the chicago area love'em rolled in corn meal and deep fried.Must be a big market out east as this business booms every year around the state.

Now if only they can figure out how to rid our rivers of the silver and bighead carp...

[Rebel SS]

There's a huge carp factory up by Wabasha (or Winona?)that came on river a couple years ago...they net 'em, and ship 'em out east. Big article in Big River magazine I get about it.

[snow1]

I seen video's of that operation on the outdoor channel,tough business in the winter.

[dew2]

There's a huge carp factory up by Wabasha (or Winona?)that came on river a couple years ago...they net 'em, and ship 'em out east. Big article in Big River magazine I get about it.

These guys MAYBE?? Watervillle??
 I went an watched this netting an got 3 free buffallo fish for smokin an da pan fer 1.
 Down on prairie Island when I was young I used to help pullin an reset the winter nets for the carp.We'd smoke 100's on 100's an sellll for 35 cents a llb
http://www.wctrib.com/news/local/4016336-where-buffalo-fish-swim-nets-follow

[Leech~~]

Holy crap! That's a lot of Mrs Pauls fish sticks right there! 

[Rebel SS]

Nope, Wabasha...I found it...excerpt:


Cate Bell and her husband Keith started K & C Fisheries in Wabasha, Minn., in early 2012 to process carp to ship overseas. She buys carp from local fishermen, but, she said, “There aren’t the quantity that there used to be.”

[Leech~~]

Nope, Wabasha...I found it...excerpt:


Cate Bell and her husband Keith started K & C Fisheries in Wabasha, Minn., in early 2012 to process carp to ship overseas. She buys carp from local fishermen, but, she said, “There aren’t the quantity that there used to be.”

I'm just really happy to see some one cleaning them out of the lakes and using them. It's a Win-Win!   

[glenn57]

I would love to watch that process take place!!!!!!!

[dew2]

I would love to watch that process take place!!!!!!!

They should be out here this spring first ice out,They will be doing mullti lakes this year after the big take they had.I'lll try to remember to notify you.I will onlly get a 1 or 2 day notification of their starting,

[glenn57]

Sounds cool. Just remember some off us still work are buttz off!

[dew2]

Sounds cool. Just remember some off us still work are buttz off!

AH HAHaha must be tough on the fishin forums everyday workin yer buttz off ??Maybe thats why you smell as you do??

[Rebel SS]

Sounds cool. Just remember some off us still work are buttz off!

AH HAHaha must be tough on the fishin forums everyday workin yer buttz off ??Maybe thats why you smell as you do??

 

[LPS]

I spent a couple of days watching some guys do the netting on the St. Croix years ago.  Interesting as heck.  I even let them ride on the tailgate of my new truck to help move them around.  One of them augered a hole and went right through.  I said how much ice is there?  He said no problem, 6".  I got back in my truck and got the hell out of there.

[mike89]

good thinking LPS!!!