Flying Carp On The Gasconade River

[rakloeppel]

I have been fishing the Gasconade River by Vienna, Mo for 40 years (Catch And Relese). I saw something this past weekend that just about made me sick......flying carp.

I have witnessed them on the Kaskaskia River in Illinois but never thought the invassive fish would make their way up the Gasconade.

I am really concerned that this could destoy the small mouth population on the river.

Anyone else witness this on the river?

[Gavin]

Saw a couple turtles eating a dead one near Jerome two weeks ago.

[Greasy B]

It was inevitable.

[Riverwhy]

I was just upstream from Bell Chute access on Sunday and two asian carp jumped up against our boat.

[UnCivE]

Holy jeez, are you serious? This is bad.

[Al Agnew]

I knew this was going to happen when I floated upper Joachim Creek a few years ago and there was a school of them in every pool. If they could get up that little, clear creek and live, the larger Ozark streams were definitely not safe from them. So far, I haven't seen any in the middle Meramec or Big River, though they are thick on the lower Meramec.

[stlskyline]

That's not good. Did some cat fishing on the Illinois River last summer and my bubbly had one fly into the boat, hit him in the face and break his nose.

[Seth]

We usually gig a few asian carp early in the season when it first opens near Vienna. Most sloughs on the Gasconade will have a few small asian carp in it from the MO on up near Jerome now.

[rakloeppel]

I knew this was going to happen when I floated upper Joachim Creek a few years ago and there was a school of them in every pool. If they could get up that little, clear creek and live, the larger Ozark streams were definitely not safe from them. So far, I haven't seen any in the middle Meramec or Big River, though they are thick on the lower Meramec.

Al,

Any studies on how this will effect our Missouri streams? Will they take over and destoy our small and large mouth fishing? It just makes me sick to think about it,

[Al Agnew]

I don't know of any studies on that. Maybe somebody else knows more. I don't know what their effect will be on game fish.