# smoked carp, anyone?



## bigfish98

As a kid growing up in western Illinois, I remember eating smoked carp.  My grandfather used to smoke carp, but I believe his recipe and methods are in his back pocket on that big fishin hole in the sky.  As I have moved around the midwest, I have asked people if they have ever had it or know the best way to prepare it and have had no luck (and my fair share of "what are you smoking" looks).  I was wondering if anyone on here has done it, if there is a trick to doing it, and what the general steps are.  Any help would be appreciated!

Stay smoky, my friends!  :grilling_smilie:


----------



## SmokinAl

I can think of a lot of fish I'd rather smoke than carp. When I was a kid we'd shoot them with a bow & arrow, but we never ate them.


----------



## bigfish98

Al, thats what I have heard from most people.  I have had fried carp and I really like it.  I haven't had smoked in so long I honestly cannot remember if I like it or not, but I have family on the Red River here in ND and that has a ready supply of carp.  Figured why not try it again.  May start a national craze!  Doubt it, but hey, you never know!


----------



## billebouy

When in doubt, smoke it.

I've never had it, but it used to be pretty popular (there used to be a pretty good market for it in the NY area).  If I had a supply of carp, I'd sure give it a go.

Most the old recipes seem to say "roll it in salt, chill over night", some say "salt and sugar".  I see no reason to not try Bearcarver's brine, try it out.

Worst case, you make some cats happy!


----------



## DanMcG

We had a local farmer that would smoke up carp, I had it quite a few times and liked it.  It was moist with big flakes of meat. I can't help ya with the recipe as Bob Has pasted on many years ago also,

If it was me, I'd get some smaller ones and do it like a salmon. Maybe?


----------



## moikel

Considered a pest down here,eradication programs using electric shocks then turned into fertilizer. Eaten in Eastern Europe/China but its all about getting the muddy taste out of it.I  remember an old dutch lady had a way of doing it that when I was a little kid but lost in mists of time. Good luck


----------



## Bearcarver

Bigfish,

Like Al said, we used to shoot them with bow & arrow, with rubber fletching & a special tip, but I used to give all of my Carp to my Grandfather, so he could roto-till them in his garden-----"Great fertilizer" !!!

That said, if I was going to try to smoke some, I would use the same brine I use for my Smoked Salmon, in my signature at the bottom of all of my posts. Go by size of pieces for how long to brine.

Then Smoke them low & slow like in my Step by Step for snacking type smoked fish, like I did.

If you want to eat it as a meal, instead of for snacking, take the heat up quicker, so it doesn't dry out much.

Bear


----------



## moikel

We used to catch them on worms then bury them around the passion fruit vines, that grew over  back fence.its illegal to catch them & return them to the water so they end up in stinking piles on riverbanks . Are you sure they are worth the trouble.


----------



## bigfish98

Bearcarver said:


> Bigfish,
> 
> Like Al said, we used to shoot them with bow & arrow, with rubber fletching & a special tip, but I used to give all of my Carp to my Grandfather, so he could roto-till them in his garden-----"Great fertilizer" !!!
> 
> That said, if I was going to try to smoke some, I would use the same brine I use for my Smoked Salmon, in my signature at the bottom of all of my posts. Go by size of pieces for how long to brine.
> 
> Then Smoke them low & slow like in my Step by Step for snacking type smoked fish, like I did.
> 
> If you want to eat it as a meal, instead of for snacking, take the heat up quicker, so it doesn't dry out much.
> 
> Bear




Thanks Bear. 

Next time I get some out of the river, I am definately trying it.  I will let you all know how it turns out!

Bigfish


----------



## whittling chip

You will need to filet them properly. Here's a link: http://www.ibowfish.com/KBF/silvercleaning.pdf

When I was a kid my parents talked about sometimes people pressure cooked them. The y-bones are are real problem.

I've tried them a few times, cooked numberous ways. I raise Japanese koi and over the years we always have had ugly ones that weren't worth selling so we tried eating them.

Your best advise is to roto-till them in the garden. That's what they taste like!


----------



## roller

I just saw something on I think the Cooking Ch.  maybe on DDD on smoked Carp. This guy was making a ton of money selling them in his place...He smoked about 50 of them a day if I remember correctly...It sure was a good thing for him...Down here in Louisiana we eat a fish called a Buffalo thats in the carp family. The most popular part of it is the Ribs and believe me they are VERY GOOD....deep fried...lots of white meat...The best size is around 15lbs.


----------



## ptcruiserguy

Well being raised by a man that could cook any kind of fish, I have eaten the "trash fish" called carp. It is a very good fish if done right.

don't go over a 5 or 6 pounder first of all. 3 to 4 lb would be better. If you leave bone in, there is a mud streak in the center spine area (looks like little blood sacs).

You have to take a small tip knife and remove this. After that soak in salt water for 24 hours. Then use Bearcarvers brine and then follow his smoking directions also.

If you decide to fillet them, then still soak in salt water for 24 hrs. Then brine with same above and same cooking method.

You will love eating this fish it is an excellent piece of fish.

My father passed it off as White Bass one year at a family cookout, and everyone loved it. Excellent on the grill wrapped in foil with butter and garlic.

Oh, and the reason about not using anything much over 5 lb. is that there is alot of fat that is hard to remove from the fish. Gives it a greasy taste.

Happy Smokin'

Mike


----------



## bigfish98

ptcruiserguy said:


> Well being raised by a man that could cook any kind of fish, I have eaten the "trash fish" called carp. It is a very good fish if done right.
> 
> don't go over a 5 or 6 pounder first of all. 3 to 4 lb would be better. If you leave bone in, there is a mud streak in the center spine area (looks like little blood sacs).
> 
> You have to take a small tip knife and remove this. After that soak in salt water for 24 hours. Then use Bearcarvers brine and then follow his smoking directions also.
> 
> If you decide to fillet them, then still soak in salt water for 24 hrs. Then brine with same above and same cooking method.
> 
> You will love eating this fish it is an excellent piece of fish.
> 
> My father passed it off as White Bass one year at a family cookout, and everyone loved it. Excellent on the grill wrapped in foil with butter and garlic.
> 
> Oh, and the reason about not using anything much over 5 lb. is that there is alot of fat that is hard to remove from the fish. Gives it a greasy taste.
> 
> Happy Smokin'
> 
> Mike


Thanks for the info!  I went to college for Aquatic Biology with an emphasis in Fisheries so I try to give any fish at least an even shot.  I have had some catfish (one of the most tasty fish ever if you ask me) that have been extremely nasty to eat, so I am willing to give other not so often eaten fish a try as well!


----------



## rbranstner

I vote for Bears Roto-till in the garden method. haha Thats about all we ever did with them but you can smoke them and they come out pretty good. My old man use to smoke quite a few carp and suckers back in the day.


----------



## bigfish98

rbranstner said:


> I vote for Bears Roto-till in the garden method. haha Thats about all we ever did with them but you can smoke them and they come out pretty good. My old man use to smoke quite a few carp and suckers back in the day.




I have had some really good smoked whitefish in the Bemidji area before!  Thinking of doing that too!


----------



## rbranstner

bigfish98 said:


> I have had some really good smoked whitefish in the Bemidji area before!  Thinking of doing that too!


Yea they are pretty good as well. None of these compare to smoked salmon but they are different and can be very tasty. The only thing you want to watch is they like to dry out since they don't have all of the oils like a salmon or trout.


----------



## Bearcarver

bigfish98 said:


> Thanks for the info!  I went to college for Aquatic Biology with an emphasis in Fisheries so I try to give any fish at least an even shot.  I have had some catfish (one of the most tasty fish ever if you ask me) that have been extremely nasty to eat, so I am willing to give other not so often eaten fish a try as well!


Catfish are my favorite eating fish, preferably 16" and below.

They are the only fish we don't fillet. We just skin 'em, gut 'em, and cut the heads off 'em.

Then after frying them, you can just grab the head end of the backbone, and with your fork, scrape all the meat off in two strokes, leaving every bone that catfish was born with, in one perfect piece. Awesome Fish !!!

BTW: I was eating catfish many years before they were socially accepted in the NorthEast as a fish to eat.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Bear


----------



## bigfish98

Bearcarver said:


> Catfish are my favorite eating fish, preferably 16" and below.
> 
> They are the only fish we don't fillet. We just skin 'em, gut 'em, and cut the heads off 'em.
> 
> Then after frying them, you can just grab the head end of the backbone, and with your fork, scrape all the meat off in two strokes, leaving every bone that catfish was born with, in one perfect piece. Awesome Fish !!!
> 
> BTW: I was eating catfish many years before they were socially accepted in the NorthEast as a fish to eat.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Bear


The innovator, never the imitator!


----------



## Bearcarver

bigfish98 said:


> The innovator, never the imitator!


This thread you started brings back memories of sitting on 5 gallon buckets on the bank of the Delaware River, at least half-way through the night, with my Dad. I had one line goin', he had two.

Two Kerosene Lanterns going in front of us.

Catching catfish left & right, mostly between 10" and 14" long. My Dad had it down to about 15 seconds----grab the catty in the mouth with a rag (to get a good grip on the slippery little guy). Then cut around the back of the head, just behind the gill plate, Then grab the skin, at the cut (with needle-nose Pliers), and in one smooth motion, strip the whole skin off in one piece. Throw said catfish in the bucket of water, replace the lid/seat (catfish will swim around all night without skin). Re-Bait if necessary, and return sinker to bottom of river.

Ahhhh----The good old days!

Sorry if I got off track a bit,

Bear


----------



## bigfish98

Bearcarver said:


> This thread you started brings back memories of sitting on 5 gallon buckets on the bank of the Delaware River, at least half-way through the night, with my Dad. I had one line goin', he had two.
> 
> 
> Two Kerosene Lanterns going in front of us.
> 
> 
> Catching catfish left & right, mostly between 10" and 14" long. My Dad had it down to about 15 seconds----grab the catty in the mouth with a rag (to get a good grip on the slippery little guy). Then cut around the back of the head, just behind the gill plate, Then grab the skin, at the cut (with needle-nose Pliers), and in one smooth motion, strip the whole skin off in one piece. Throw said catfish in the bucket of water, replace the lid/seat (catfish will swim around all night without skin). Re-Bait if necessary, and return sinker to bottom of river.
> 
> 
> 
> Ahhhh----The good old days!
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry if I got off track a bit,
> 
> 
> Bear


Bigfi
Bear,

I beta your dad and PETA would have been great friends.  I used to raise catfish in baskets in my pond so I am ok skinning them, but nothing like your dad.  I have to use skinning pliers made especially for catfish.  Just skinned some the other day and the smaller ones I kept whole.  Mother in law didn't care too much for them.  she is used to filets.

Bigfish


----------



## daveomak

Big Fish, Evening.... I have heard carp is a delicacy in Europe.....

The muddy taste... When I was in Kansas, the locals had cement coffin liners they kept in the yard with recirculating/overflowing lake water in them... They would catch catfish and keep them in there for months, feeding them also... don't know what they fed them but they said it got rid of the muddy taste....

Bones... I have caught whitefish that are real bony and oily.... Gutted and skinned them... scraped the fat layer from between the meat and where the skin was... Salt, pepper, onion, garlic and butter... wrapped in foil and braise until done.... the meat peeled off the bones cleanly... the oily taste was not there... very good eating whitefish....

Carp may be the same in some respects... just some thoughts to pass on... do not know about carp but I have tried to catch them on hook and line and had no success....


----------



## moikel

Ive seen an English guy on tv,Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall ,catch big grass carp out of a pond ,then put it in a trough that was fed by running river water.Left it there a week then poached it in a fish kettle. He has made a big impact in the UK with his take on fighting back against bad food,bad farming practices,bad fishing practices & waste. He is also a smoker so theres a few reasons to like him.

If carp was all you had I could understand the effort,but....


----------



## Bearcarver

DaveOmak said:


> Big Fish, Evening.... I have heard carp is a delicacy in Europe.....
> 
> The muddy taste... When I was in Kansas, the locals had cement coffin liners they kept in the yard with recirculating/overflowing lake water in them... They would catch catfish and keep them in there for months, feeding them also... don't know what they fed them but they said it got rid of the muddy taste....
> 
> Bones... I have caught whitefish that are real bony and oily.... Gutted and skinned them... scraped the fat layer from between the meat and where the skin was... Salt, pepper, onion, garlic and butter... wrapped in foil and braise until done.... the meat peeled off the bones cleanly... the oily taste was not there... very good eating whitefish....
> 
> Carp may be the same in some respects... just some thoughts to pass on... do not know about carp but I have tried to catch them on hook and line and had no success....


Great tips Dave,

A guy I know was doing something similar & he was feeding them corn meal.

Also, I was never into catching carp, but they were my GrandPop's favorite sportfish (LOL--I guess because the ones he caught were so big). He always either used parboiled potatoes or dough balls with corn meal in them for bait. That was in the days of the cane pole. They had bait casting reels then, but the best way to cast was to pull the line out by hand & throw it. LOL

I found them easier to shoot with Bow & Arrow, especially when they were "skimming". A good pair of "Polarized" sun glasses makes a world of difference.

Bear


----------



## walterwhite

DaveOmak said:


> ... do not know about carp but I have tried to catch them on hook and line and had no success.


I've caught them using a dough bait made with Wheaties breakfast cereal. Add some strawberry flavor and/or anise oil for extra flavor. You would think that something made with Wheaties would soften pretty fast and come off the hook but it did not. And if you get some on your rod handle and let it dry you will need sandpaper to remove it.

I just buried the carp I caught in the garden for fertilizer. I forgot them once in a plastic bucket in the trunk of my wife's car. I was definitely not a hero that day.

One day I'll try smoking one and see how it comes out.


----------



## schmokin

If you fillet them, trim the red layer off  the outside of the fillets then soak in salt water 24 hours. Rinse off then I soaked them in Hi-Mountain Gourmet Fish brine for 24 hours. They were very good flavor just a pain to eat with all the y bones.


----------



## africanmeat

Carp is a great fish to eat just it is a pain to get rid of the bones the easy way is the jowish way you fillet it and mins it like a dish called gefilte fish

http://www.jewishrecipes.org/jewish-foods/gefilte-fish.html

now you can smoke it


----------



## bigfish98

africanmeat said:


> Carp is a great fish to eat just it is a pain to get rid of the bones the easy way is the jowish way you fillet it and mins it like a dish called gefilte fish
> 
> http://www.jewishrecipes.org/jewish-foods/gefilte-fish.html
> 
> now you can smoke it


All I see on here is grinding it.  Is that what you were getting at?  Or is there something else?

bigfish


----------



## sprky

I have had smoke carp and actually its quite good if done correctly.........I have also had some nasty smoked carp. I haven't had any in years I was still in school the last time I had some.  My granddad had a neighbor that came from down south somewhere along the Mississippi river. I would go over to my granddads house and we'd all go fishing. His neighbor would take all the carp and sucker we caught. he would clean them up and smoke them. I can't for the life of me remember exactly how he did it. I remember he soaked them for a day changed the water and soaked them again. The backs were always split and I don't remember why. I remember a lemony taste to them as well. he did the good carp I have had. The nasty carp cane from a fish market in Savannah Ill. I stopped in there once to grab a bite to eat and they had smoked carp, and took 1 bite and spit it out, the guy was laughing and told me it's an acquired taste. It had a real bad fishy/ dirty taste. Now the smoked sturgeon he had was excellent.


----------



## africanmeat

bigfish98 said:


> All I see on here is grinding it.  Is that what you were getting at?  Or is there something else?
> 
> bigfish


at the web page there is a link *Gefilte Fish Recipes*  press on it it will take you to the recipe or press here http://www.jewishrecipes.org/recipes/gefilte-fish/index.html


----------



## mrh

My Grandpa used to smoke carp too, and I enjoyed it!  He just cleaned and scaled it never was fileted.  Then He made a brine  with "enough salt to float a egg".   I know he also put some liquid smoke in the brine too.  He did have a little chief smoker but what I remember he did it in the oven too.  I think he added some more liquid smoke when it was in the oven.   I sure wish he was still around now, so many things lost that I would like to know now!  When you ar 14 not much thinking about those things.  He also had a way to pickle carp that was really good and of course no recipe! He did it by taste! And it is probably  in his back pocket too!  I am from Iowa so they might have did it the same!

Mark


----------



## pellet

As a kid we ate nearly all that we caught, including carp. We never had them filleted but we were taught to eat with caution looking out especially for the small bones. Coming from parents that went thru the depression, not much was wasted with us in the early years. On the other hand my wifes elderly grandmother loved them and nearly spilled her beer and fall out of chair by the window when she would see me get out the the truck with a stringer full of carp. Her whole family ate carp. As for smoking, I think there is a scoring ofthe bones and its brined in a vinegar solution before salt and the smoking process begin as I recall with vinegar to dissolve the small bones at least to the point where they wont get crosswise in your throat if you happen to swallow one and the bigger bones are easy to eat around. There is also a boiling process to soften the small bones but not sure how to do it. I do know that vinegar is used for pickleing carp which is also good if you like pickled fish.


----------



## grabber

Here in WNY, we have a tourist industry of European sportsmen coming to our area creeks to fish for spring spawning carp.  They can't believe that we consider them garbage fish.  Carp is king in Europe and a lot of the rest of the world.  Growing up, the old timers had a rule that they would eat carp and suckers only in spring.  If the water was cold, the fish flesh was firm, not soft.  If you want, send me a PM.  I've got a instructions page from a smoked fish kit, with all the details on how to do them.  I tried to put it as a attachment but it said I don't have permission to do so.


----------



## harleysmoker

When I lived in Ohio we would catch them for fun because they get so big and put up a nice fight, then we just tossed them back in the lake. We used rye crisp crackers from the grocery for bait. Just dip the cracker in the lake water and make into a big ball and put it on the hook, and wait. Hang onto the rod at all times my bro in law found that out as his went flying off the bank lol.

Everyone I knew did not eat these, considered trash fish, but I seen people catch them and take home.


----------



## harleysmoker

Forgot to mention, I did hear if you eat it it has a big mudd vein in it that needs to be removed.


----------



## werdwolf

Definitely remove the mud vein.  They are bottom feeders so consider the source before fishing for them.


----------



## bigfish98

So are catfish!  They are tasty!  But I do agree with you on the mud vein!


----------



## jonboat

"Smoked carp, anyone?"  Yep, and it's good. Same situation with me - Grandfather used to smoke carp. see http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123100/carp  with all the details I could remember on how it's done.


----------



## harleyhuskerman

We grew up eating what ever fish we were able to catch.......... and this included carp.  I used to spear them in the spring in the flood waters in Nebraska and got some pretty big ones.  We fried them and ate them but the bones were the worst part.  Carp have a lot of bones that are hard to overcome.  It is all throughout the meat.  However, one time Dad smoked the carp on a Little Chef smoker and it was great.  The taste was good and the small, tiny bones in the meat dissolved in the smoking, thus leaving only the big, large bones left.  So with the little bones now softened up and edible along with a much, much better flavor, yea, carp is edible and not bad to eat.

(Of course I was not picky either............ I also ate rabbit, pigeon, pheasant, raccoon, etc.)  :)


----------



## bama bbq

When I was stationed in Italy the local fisherman all fished for Carp. The even had tournaments. We would all fish for Bass which are plentiful in Italy. Not sue how they cooked them if they did.


----------



## ravenclan

when i was a kid my neigbor smoked carp and passed it off as trout !!

he would remve the mud vain as talked about above then he would soak the meat in a salt and suger brine for no less then 24 hours , he also would add other ingrediants but that was a secret.

it did taste real good and if i didnt know it was carp i would of ate more of it !


----------



## grabber

Up here in the Niagara Region of WNY, they have a tourist/guiding business for Europeans to come down and fish for huge carp that they'd never get in their native country.  During the spring spawn run, they catch huge carp that no one around here would ever think of using.  They don't understand why we consider them a garbage fish and enjoy trout, salmon, walleyes, etc.  In Europe, carp is king.


----------



## paleface

Your grandpa had it right; smoked carp are delicious. Seventy years ago, when I helped two uncles who were commercial fishermen on the Mississippi River, we sent tons of carp to markets in Chicago and New York for "gefilte fish," and we smoked tons more for local Illinois and Iowa markets as well as for Chicago. We got the highest price for smoked sturgeon -- the best smoked fish there is, besides having no bones -- and so we kids did not get all the smoked sturgeon we wanted, but we got all the smoked carp we could eat.

This nonsense about "muddy taste" is coming from mouths that have never even tasted smoked carp.  The Upper Iowa River, where I sport fish now, is NOT muddy (trout water and smallmouth bass), and so carp from it would have no excuse to taste "muddy;" the Mississippi River can be muddy, but I see no difference in the flavor of smoked carp in our local supermarkets from the Mississippi.

My uncles used only apple wood to smoke fish; but, not everybody does, and I have used many different kinds of wood with good results (if somewhat short of the ideal of apple wood).  I even got a very good/special flavor using lilac wood to smoke various meats and fish.

As far as I am concerned, the bigger the carp, the better, making the bones, therefore, no problem at all.  Most of the carp I smoke are in the 10-15-pound range, but my uncles often did carp and buffalo in the 30-40-pound range. When times were extremely busy, they did not even brine the fish.  I usually salt brine in the refrigerator overnight.  I do not bother to scale the fish (smoke them scales down), and I steak them into 7-8-inch steaks split along the backbone.  Anyone who wouldn't like my smoked carp, buffalo, and sucker, wouldn't like smoked fish of any kind.

P.S. I share the view of the people who love to eat catfish.  As a teenager, I saw a fisherman at a lake in Massachusetts, throwing catfish onto the bank and leaving them to rot.  I asked if he didn't want those catfish, and he said, "Around here, we call them 'hornpout' and nobody eats them."   I said, "Well, I'm from Iowa, and there we call them catfish, and they are delicious!"  Maybe if I had mentioned how got they are fried in beer batter, he might have reconsidered his untested bias.


----------



## tetonka

Paleface said:


> Your grandpa had it right; smoked carp are delicious. Seventy years ago, when I helped two uncles who were commercial fishermen on the Mississippi River, we sent tons of carp to markets in Chicago and New York for "gefilte fish," and we smoked tons more for local Illinois and Iowa markets as well as for Chicago. We got the highest price for smoked sturgeon -- the best smoked fish there is, besides having no bones -- and so we kids did not get all the smoked sturgeon we wanted, but we got all the smoked carp we could eat.
> 
> This nonsense about "muddy taste" is coming from mouths that have never even tasted smoked carp.  The Upper Iowa River, where I sport fish now, is NOT muddy (trout water and smallmouth bass), and so carp from it would have no excuse to taste "muddy;" the Mississippi River can be muddy, but I see no difference in the flavor of smoked carp in our local supermarkets from the Mississippi.
> 
> My uncles used only apple wood to smoke fish; but, not everybody does, and I have used many different kinds of wood with good results (if somewhat short of the ideal of apple wood).  I even got a very good/special flavor using lilac wood to smoke various meats and fish.
> 
> As far as I am concerned, the bigger the carp, the better, making the bones, therefore, no problem at all.  Most of the carp I smoke are in the 10-15-pound range, but my uncles often did carp and buffalo in the 30-40-pound range. When times were extremely busy, they did not even brine the fish.  I usually salt brine in the refrigerator overnight.  I do not bother to scale the fish (smoke them scales down), and I steak them into 7-8-inch steaks split along the backbone.  Anyone who wouldn't like my smoked carp, buffalo, and sucker, wouldn't like smoked fish of any kind.
> 
> P.S. I share the view of the people who love to eat catfish.  As a teenager, I saw a fisherman at a lake in Massachusetts, throwing catfish onto the bank and leaving them to rot.  I asked if he didn't want those catfish, and he said, "Around here, we call them 'hornpout' and nobody eats them."   I said, "Well, I'm from Iowa, and there we call them catfish, and they are delicious!"  Maybe if I had mentioned how got they are fried in beer batter, he might have reconsidered his untested bias.


Paleface, I agree with everything you said. The 'muddy' taste is nonsense, the bigger the better is true and the overall quality and taste of carp/buffalo is great. Right on about the Sturgeon, too. We, also got a lot more Carp than we did Sturgeon. If Salmon is the only fish you've had smoked, you are missing a lot of good eating. Where I grew up, smoked fish meant 'rough fish'. I do have to say, however, that I'm not a fan of Catfish. You're reference to the Upper Iowa River has me thinking you are in my area. I live just west of Winona, MN. And fish the Mississippi as well as the Root River. Good to hear from another real smoked fish enthusiast. Good Smoking!         Tetonka   SKOL!  VIKINGS!


----------



## freddi fish

I have an old 25 year old Weber Genesis 1000 three burner propane grill I am planning to fix up.  One of the things I plan to use it for is smoking.  Fish being one of the meats and carp in particular.  I used to get it at Ramers Fish market in Winona, MN where I grew up.  Tetonka, did you ever hear of them?  They went out of business over a decade ago, I believe.  Any way, I used to love the smoked carp and always thought it would be great to make my own.  I am not sure why I never tried it before.  Anyway, I hope to soon.  But, now that I want a carp, I cannot think of a good place or way to catch some.  I live over on the Wisconsin River, near the Wisconsin Dells, so, obviously, there are plenty around, but I can't say I ever set out to catch them before.  I am trying to think of a good place or way to catch a few of them.  I have caught plenty of them in the Mississippi, usually on crawlers or sometimes snagging them below the dams but how should I go about targeting them around here?


----------



## alonzo83

Freddi Fish said:


> But, now that I want a carp, I cannot think of a good place or way to catch some.  I live over on the Wisconsin River, near the Wisconsin Dells, so, obviously, there are plenty around, but I can't say I ever set out to catch them before.  I am trying to think of a good place or way to catch a few of them.  I have caught plenty of them in the Mississippi, usually on crawlers or sometimes snagging them below the dams but how should I go about targeting them around here?


Bow fishing them is the easiest way. And a lot of fun as well. 

I recently sold my old setup and am getting a whole new bow and reel setup very soon. I am in southeast Missouri the Asian carp down here are abundant and anglers will wave and thank you for bow fishing for them. I think they are missing out on a lot of fun.

Be careful it can get addicting. I have caught myself staring into a mud puddle looking for fish.


----------



## freddi fish

The asian carp dont seem to be a big issue on the upper missiissippi river yet..

I will probably just look for a couple guys bowfishing them and ask for a couple. ...  99% of the time, they are just throwing them away any ways.  Still have to get the grill fixed up and running first.


----------

