PeacockBass;489599; said:
so this was catch and release?
how do these fish taste?
A carp is any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is the most common and best-known species of carp.(but in the UK mirror carp are more common
) Originally from Asia, carp were introduced to England from western Europe during the 13th century, when they were cultivated mainly by monks. They were subsequently introduced into North America in 1877. Fish were released in ponds in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland. Later, surplus populations were released in Washington D.C.. This was a project of Rudolf Hessel, a fish culturist in the employ of the United States Government. There was substantial favorable publicity and carp were widely introduced throughout the United States. Introduced Carp readily adapted to their new environment, spreading rapidly throughout any drainage area in which they were released. Carp have since become naturalized in almost every water in which they were introduced.
While tasty when grown in good water, carp can be riddled with small bones in unpredictable locations. Most carp have a fishy taste and are not considered to be good for eating in North America, although they are popular in restaurants in Japan and Taiwan where the fish are also considered to be signs of good fortune. Carp is a traditional Christmas Eve dish in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Germany and Poland. The common carp is one of the most aquacultured consumption fish in the world, produced in the hundreds of thousands of tons anually.
Carp have food and angling value that is celebrated in some parts of the world. The carp has not yet gained gamefish status in the U.S. and are considered garbage among bass fisherman. In Europe on the other hand they are a trophy fish and lake owners are prepared to pay as much as £4000 or $7500 dollars for 40lb carp if fisherman fish for them on a catch and release basis.
When I have fished in parts of Europe I have spoken to Polish and French anglers they have all told me the small carp 10lb and under tasted best the big ones taste fatty and muddy.