The Most Underrated Sport Fish in America

Carp are everywhere. For many American anglers that’s a problem. Carp are synonymous with overpopulation. A nuisance species they would rather see outright destroyed than even harvested for human consumption. There is rarely a distinction made between the different varieties of Carp that inhabit North American waterways. In the mind of many fishermen, all Carp are a problem and that’s wrong.

There are a variety of Carp species and not all are overrunning our river systems. Below are two species in Missouri that are invasive and considered a nuisance.

There are also Carp that inhabit your lakes, rivers, and streams that are not a nuisance. They are actually fantastic game fish, a great deal of fun to catch, and if you haven’t tried pursuing them, you dearly do not know what you’re missing!

If this sounds foreign, you would be correct. One only has to look beyond our shores to see how this fish is held in high regard as a game fish internationally. Take the below quote from a New Zealand outdoor publication as an easy example. The article is titled Carp Fishing is Cool. How often do you think that makes it to print in an American fishing magazine?

“Since its introduction in the 1950s, the carp (Cyprinus carpio) has dominated the recreational inland fishing industry. It’s easy to understand its attraction – it’s a…