Hey just wondering if Carp are good to eat?

I think it depends more on the waters where they come from. I remember eating carp as a kid, but I haven't eaten any of them as an adult.

I've eaten Buffalo Carp before, when I was a kid. My mother would score it before frying. Didn't care too much for it. What I did like, was smoked carp.
I've heard that Grass Carp are ok eating, but I wouldn't know.

I have eaten smoked common carp that came from very clean water in NW Wisconsin and it was delicious! Tried to get the recipe and was told that it was a "Tribal Secret". (My supplier is a full blooded Native American) I have heard that properly prepared Silver Carp (yes, the ones that jump) are very tasty but haven't seen a recipe. According to the Illinois DNR, the scoring process is intended to allow small bones in the carp to dissolve during cooking. Tom

ever hear of Gefilte fish?

Or this one that my grandmother used to make:
http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/lutfisk.htm

The recipe I've always heard of for carp goes something like this. Nail the scaled and cleaned carp though the head to a pine plank and season to your pleasure. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place carp in oven and cook for 45 minutes. Remove carp from oven. Remove nail from carps head. Place nail and carp in trash. Eat plank!

Haha okay so I guess they are definitely a catch and release kind of fish.

On some waters the harvest of carp is encouraged even if the only use for them is fertilizer. One park district lake near me prohibits the release of carp-$50 fine. Check with whoever manages the water you are fishing. Tom

Posted By bass or bass? on 03 Apr 2011 06:00 PM
The recipe I've always heard of for carp goes something like this. Nail the scaled and cleaned carp though the head to a pine plank and season to your pleasure. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place carp in oven and cook for 45 minutes. Remove carp from oven. Remove nail from carps head. Place nail and carp in trash. Eat plank!

Sound like a "true" fisherman to me. Throw away and bash what we don't understand.

Carp is an underappreciated fish in the US. I see where municipalities and states have put a ban on keeping certain Carp alive, but for the most part they are a fish to be recogned with. They are fierce fighters and the meat is delicious, yet bony. Give the fish a try and just don't listen to some wannabe "sportsman" who probably never hooked and fought one.

I'm pretty sure sure that some are going to give me some FLAK, go right ahead. Many of those who have known me for years on here have an understanding of what I am talking about and where I am coming from with the statemnets I have made.

Have a whale of a day!

Just a few thoughts on carp. First off, they are a non-native species in North America. There are many good reasons to have a carp population in a body of water, the foremost being that some species consume and can control plant life and others types remove other substances that can be harmful if left unchecked. The problem comes when a lake gets out of balance and one species crowds out all the others. Somehow it became established in the bass fishing community that carp eat bass eggs. While this may be true, I doubt a controlled carp population would have a significant effect on a healthy bass population.(or any other species for that matter) Often times, because carp do not have a natural predator the numbers can get out of control. This often times is the reason for a "no release" rule. I have also seen no release rules applied to other species in certain lakes. My point is that a healthy, well balanced population of many different species is usually good for any lake and there should be room for all of us to target our favorites! Tom

I would love to catch a carp and I would try it. I mean other fish eat some pretty gross stuff too but you aren't eating the fish's stomach.

I never said I throw them away or "bash" them. It's a joke! Lighten up!!! I enjoy catching any fish, and I release all cleanly hooked fish.


Hey Pegsguy, here in Arizona northern pike are non release fish. All pike caught must be killed.

Northern have the same problem carp do- tasty fish with too many bones! I have heard that northern are considered "undesireable invasives" in all or parts of a few states, just like white perch are a problem in some places. Also, being apex predators there aren't any limits on them other than available food. Tom

Posted By Pegsguy on 05 Apr 2011 09:23 AM
Northern have the same problem carp do- tasty fish with too many bones! I have heard that northern are considered "undesireable invasives" in all or parts of a few states, just like white perch are a problem in some places. Also, being apex predators there aren't any limits on them other than available food. Tom

There are ways of dealing with the bones, like in pike related species:
http://www.youtube.com/v/H3-GLr9bTX...n_US&rel=0

even if from cleen waters i would never eat one

Most are unaware that the common carp were spread throughout the us by the FISH AND GAME !!! The native species were so low that the carp were brought in and spread about for FOOD. Bottom feeders? uhm kinda they eat snails muscles crawfish blood worms etc etc they are no worse than a catfish. I have heard that carp are good to eat but as some people already said they should come from clean water and I would not recomend eating anything bigger than say a 5lb fish... Bass werent all over the us as they are now they were spread around the us and other countrys and they do more damage to the native waters than carp ever thought of.

Carp are known around the world as the worlds greatest sport fish. America is one of the only countrys that dont see the carp as a sport fish but that is slowly changing. If you enjoy catching fish for sport give carp a try they are a great fighting fish. Get into a bunch of carp and your kids will be hooked for good...

Check out www.carpanglersgroup.com They are a america based carp club check out the forums theres a bunch of great people on there and plenty of tips and tricks to catching more and bigger fish.