Carp Nets

I’ve been browsing this site for some time now and never really felt compelled to post but something I watched today gives me reason. Friends and I happened to be driving by on hwy. 10 just as they were pulling some carp nets into the beach area this side of the Prescot bridge. We stopped to watch, along with 20 to 30 other spectators, the fishermen and a C.O. clear some carp nets of game fish and other game species. Many walleyes were turned back exceeding 7 pounds and a few that had to be close 10 that I would like to snap pictures of this spring before tossing them back myself. A 40 + pound Paddle fish, sturgeon, huge cats, sheeps head the size of trash can lids, and even a few nice muskies were all turned loose, ALIVE! It was an educational experience to see the diversity and quality of fish, and fishing, the St. Croix has to offer us. Apparently they do this in the winter under the ice as well. Here’s to the big ones that got away.

If you ever get the chance, or happen to be in the right place… It’s worth a look.

That’s a pretty cool post! It’s nice to hear about some of the fish that you KNOW are out there now. None of what you saw surprises me but it’s nice to have visual evidence too!!! Too often when chasing large fish do I wonder if they’re really even there! I know the river is FULL of monsters but you don’t see them nearly as often as other fish so sometimes the doubts creep in. Thanks for sharing!

was it the Wisconsin DNR or MN? I would guess Wi.. since it was THAT side….

Rivereyes,

These guys are from the cat food companies…ie comercial fishing for carp, sheephead, white bass, suckers ect. It is somthing to see. I have seen it a couple times. I’d like to see a little more carefull handling of our beloved walleye. But, over the sholder is better than the latter…..

J.

who in the hell allows that to happen??!!!

catfood companies???

that doesn’t sound right.

who monitors that?

it would be interesting to see… wonder if the DNR in “control” could/would give some kind of schedule……

plus I thought white bass are a game fish? wonder what they are authorized to make into kitty food?

the nets are set up on the mn. side at the park just across from prescott. the fishermen, if you will, send these fish to the east coast ..alive..in semis full of water..I guess from what these guys have told me the fish markets out there cant get enough of them. I’ve watched them do this up by hudson and down at the kinni park. Its sad to say that they dont even make a minute dent in the pop. Your right tho, its definetly cool to watch..it just goes to show how many fish there are in any given area.

The times I have watched them, they were not keeping the fish alive. They were filling up 55 gallon drums full and trucking them off to Illinois to be processed into cat food. They also net up on pool 2.

Makes you wonder what is in a comercially produced Fish Stick…??? YUK!

I heard at one time McDonalds was the largest domestic purchaser of carp. Enjoy that Filet-O-Fish!!

I do but they’re not as good as battered and tartered sheepies! LOL!

A couple of years ago, I talked with the C.O. watching the netting, and to a few of the guys doing it. They have to be present when the nets are in the water, and have to return the game fish as soon as possible. The time I was there, as Bill said, these fish were being packed up live, in Semi’s, heading straight to New York. They were joking that these people from the East Coast were buying up this “Fresh fish from the pristine waters of Minnesota and Wisconsin”! Obviously, we here have a little more smarts than that. Otherwise they would be staying here! These guys I talked to make enough $$$ netting these fish in the spirng to take the rest of the year off.

One note about these nets, these are the most dangerous kinds of nets to our big walleyes because of the hole diameter. It has a large diameter to allow these mombo carp to enter and get caught. The Native Americans at Mille Lacs use smaller hole net diameters to catch “Eater” size fish, and not the hawgs.

Tuck

I would like to see that. There are some monster fish out there. By the way, I’ve had smoked carp which isn’t bad at all.