I took my girlfriend out fishing for the very first time to the bank of the North branch of the Susquehanna. It was a spot I always go but never seem to turn up anything special except for maybe some 20+inch channel cats or smallies. She had never been fishing before and I was really hoping to get her to catch one fish to get her interested in what I love. I didn't have a proper set up for her, but I gave her my 4 1/2 ' ultralight rod and told her to pick a lure. Well she insisted on the pink worm because it is her favorite color. So i load up my gear and start casting after showing her the basics and a few minutes later I hear her yelling she got one. I turn and see her holding this ultralight setup with a 30" pike splashing in the shallows with a pink worm hanging out of its mouth. Not only was it shocking because it was her first fish, but also because it was the first pike I have ever seen landed at this spot. Needless to say, Now she is hooked and never fails to remind me who can catch the bigger fish

Wow…that’s a monster. Congrats, Eric!

I have a question, and I hope it’s taken in the correct spirit – what do you do with all of that carpmeat now? Aside from the odd “Iron Chef” episode where they whip up a batch of carp ice cream, I don’t know of anyone eating it.

Is there some whiz-bang carp recipe out there, or is this beast destined to be the basis for next year’s tomato garden? Just curious. -Bob

Thanks. Why do invasive species have to taste sooo bad? Everything ELSE in the world tastes like chicken... -Bob

To Joe and Bob, The diet of the grass carp has a lot to do with the taste. When they are feeding mostly on water hyacinth, the smell of the uncleaned fish is not too bad and the properly cleaned meat is very good with very little to no fishy smell. The biggest trick is in the cleaning. To clean a big grass carp, I never open up the gut cavity. If it has been gut shot with an arrow, then I do not even keep it or clean it. When bow fishing for them I try to shoot them behind the gut cavity. To clean them, I first start by cutting the scales off the top half of the sides starting at the tail with an electric knife. The knife will cut between the scales and the skin leaving the skin on the fish. The scales will come off in long strips and look simular to a shed snake skin. Then I cut the tender loin section off the back of the fish by following the lateral line on the side and cutting down to the back bone and cutting in from the top of the fish following the back bone. This leaves the rest of the fish whole and ungutted. I then take the two back straps and cut the skin and absolutely every bit of dark meat off. If the tiniest bit of the dark meat is left on, the meat will have an very strong taste. The meat can then be fried and is very good. I like to marinade it, then grill it in tin foil and sereve it to people and let them guess what it is. Most people honestly think it is grilled pork because it has little to no fish taste. I do not waste the rest of the carcass because I put it to good use by burying it under one of my fruit trees to act as fertilizer.

First time I ever went redfishing I hooked up with a 28 pounder on the very first cast. Not a bad way to start and I guess that helps explain why I've been hooked ever since. First evening of my very first mule deer hunt I connected with a deer that most people only dream about. He was a thirty incher with fifteen scorable points. On public land too.

For years now i have been helping out at a youth field day but last years took the cake as a boy of only 6 or 8 caught one of the two, two and a half foot long grass carp i was later to learn that it was his first time fishing. i did however have to lean in and say to the boy who's smile now wrapped around his head to remember this day because that is the fish of a life time. That is true beginners luck but it couldn't have happened to a better kid.