I have been searching and havent really found a good answer. what do you guys do with your carp? i dont want to go out and kill them for no purpose. i dont have a garden or anything like that to fertilize. i dont have the desire/equipment to pickle them, or pressure cook them. what else can i do? that will actually taste good?
Carp are a nuisance and detrimental to most all waters that they inhabit in the USA. Killing them for the sake of killing them is not a bad thing. HOWEVER, it is great that you want to know what to do with them before you go out and kill a bunch. Irresponsible fish dumping is a big no-no. It's gross, inconsiderate and a black-eye for bowfishing. Eating them is always an option. In some places, food pantries will take them. Ask your local wildlife rehabilitation places if they want some, same for zoos and animal parks. If you're in an area with crawfish or turtle farms, they usually will be glad to take them. Some farmers will let you put them in their fields for fertilizer. In some locations you can cut the fish (so they don't bloat and float) and then sink them back into the water where they came from. They feed the catfish and the turtles that way. Check for the legalities before doing this. We eat some of the fish we shoot. Bigheads, buffs and grassies mostly. Others go into our garden. Before we had our own field we had farmers that would let us put them out in their corn. (do this at least 200 yards from any dwelling because they can still get stinky out in field) We have also given many away to folks who will eat them and to wildlife rehab places. If you brine and smoke them, you just leave the bones in and pick them out.
I love buff and carp if you find a guy that knows how to score it and deep fry the bones out i think i would rather eat it then most other fish. add hushpuppys and coleslaw with cayenne pepper and of course a super cold Budweiser and i am set. I am not knocking others but i was raised if you kill it you eat it and there is just no other way i would have it.
i wasnt really raised that if you kill it you eat it, but i hate killing things just for the fun of it. i dont have any turtle farms or anything like that around. i would like to eat them, rather than just fertilize them. i think ill try the smoking method and hope for the best.
I was going to suggest that. when i still traped I woulf cut them up with a machedi, freeze them and use them for coon and mink sets. Now my neighbor sometimes takes them as he still traps.
i used to trap but dont have the time for it now. i know they are invasive species, but that still doesnt make it right in my mind just to kill them for no reason. (not saying anyone said to waste them) think about it, in many states deer are vastly over populated, but its not ok to just shoot them because they are so over populated. but yes i realize they arent supposed to be here and serve no purpose. i think i will try smoking them, then if they arent tasty enough i will freeze them for catfish bait.
More money has been spent (our tax dollars) to control carp than any other invasive species. We are talking BILLIONS of dollars in damage and tax money. It's not that they just don't belong here, they damage the ecosystem. In some places they absolutely destroy it. I understand if you don't want to kill more than you can use.... but make no mistake, people who kill boatloads of carp are to be commended, not condemned
if they are big enough, you can eat around the bones. very good fried. remove the fillets and then cut in strips between the bones. Dwayne Chapman has a good video on youtube showing how to fillet them.
If you don't like eating them...post something on craigslist asking if anyone wants free carp. You might just get a bite.
why not? everything else is on there. but truth be told, asian and grass carp are better than catfish, IF done right, meaning bones arent cut and all the red meat is removed
Heres a good use for them, turtle bait .... Ran a turtle line with a buddy today. Filmed the whole thing, here is him with todays put up, with only 9 traps out. Fun stuff, but them snappers are mean machines!
Neat! How much can you get for a turtle? We occasionally see some giant snappers and huge softshell turtles. I've eaten snapping turtles but never the softshells, they're too darn fast to catch. We can't trap or shoot them here in IL, have to catch 'em on hook and line or by hand. Can't sell turtles, the meat or even the shells. We have had people who have wanted to buy the carp from us for food... but we can't legally sell carp in IL or trade 'em off either.
I amateur and carp if you are a guy who knows how to score and fry the bones I'd rather eat, and most other fish. Add hushpuppys and coleslaw with cayenne pepper, and of course a super cold Budweiser and I was I am. I am not attacking others, but that was raised was, if you kill, eat and simply no other way I would.
Pick up an outdoor fryer from a camping equipment supplier and fry those babies up!!! Afterwards sprinkle some lime juice and hot sauce on them. You'll never wonder what to do with carp again.
