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Anyone Ever Tried Carp?


Kev G

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Yesterday I spent 8 hours on lake erie trolling on Lake Erie for some walleye. We ended up with 7 nice fish from 3 - 7lbs! We headed home to clean our catch. While I started to clean the 1st fish my friend brought out a plate of fillets to cook from fishing the upper river the previous day. He did them with flour, eggs, italian bread crumbs and fresh herbs from the garden. He then started to clean the walleye and I began to cook. He said the fillets were perch and bass. I never questioned him, but the fillets did look a little different. I just assumed he had cut the fillets into smaller pieces to make them easier to cook. He threw some fresh onions in the pan and within no time we sat down with a cold beer and began to eat. Halfway through the meal he asked " so what do u think ? " I told him it was delicious! He then tells me ..." you are not eating bass and perch, that's actually a small carp and sheephead!!!!!" I thought he was just bustin my chops.....but he wasn't! Honestly had he not said anything, I may never have known, and if he told me what I was cooking I may have never tried it. To my surprise it was delicious! IMO tasted better than bass! Would I catch carp and sheephead to eat em again?......probably not, BUT, I thoroughly enjoyed them!!!

Anyone here ever eaten carp or sheephead?

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Probably about one billion people across this planet eat carp. They are routinely eaten in Europe , Asia, and Africa. The guys that started our carp angling group used to do seminars where they showed people how to catch carp. They would then prepare and cook some of the smaller ones for the attendees to eat.

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Yes i did try carp Mailman a few years back. A Serbian guy was cooking some up at a family gathering and said to me try this fish. He cooked it on the bbq with some garlic and onions and i was surprised how good it was. It was white and flakey but did have a little earthy taste to it. But all and all it was good.

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An old carp recipie joke

"Take a nice thick carp filet and place it on a piece of cardboard. Cover it on both sides with melted butter and scatter it with carmelized onions. Sprinkle the carp with plenty of salt and pepper. Bake it in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove it from the oven, throw away the carp, and eat the cardboard."

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To my surprise it was delicious! IMO tasted better than bass! Would I catch carp and sheephead to eat em again?......probably not, BUT, I thoroughly enjoyed them!!!

Anyone here ever eaten carp or sheephead?

* Not "calling you out" (personally) just using your wonderful post to comment on each individuals "Stigmatas and Perceptions"

Amazing, how even after you have eaten the Carp - and said it was delicious, that you would "probably not do it again"

*SMILES*

Over the years I have often thought this to be such a contradiction. (By the way... I do not frequently eat Carp!)

The fish come from the same waters. Basically have the same diets ...

Yet we will cherish one over the other.

Weird how "Views / Tastes" are based more on "Fiction" than reality.

To each there own.

ps: No wonder there are so many CARP out THERE! lol

There not TOP on the MENU over here it seems

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I would guess they taste ok BUT I would be more concerned with the toxins. They as well as any bottom feeders eat the garbage off the bottom of our polluted systems It may be quite exceptable in clean waters.

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Halfway through the meal he asked " so what do u think ? " I told him it was delicious! He then tells me ..." you are not eating bass and perch, that's actually a small carp and sheephead!!!!!"

I would no longer consider this individual to be a "friend." Remove from facebook, unfollow on twitter, delete from contacts, lose my number, text me never.

He might as well have injected you with the plague. Next time you're over there you'll be halfway through your meatloaf and he'll reveal it's actually baked dog food.

I would be ticked.

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The only issue that I would have is the fact that they are known to be scavengers. With the pollution levels in some of our waterways I would be hesitant. If you look at the MOE guide to eating sportfish you will notice that carp often has lower quantities depending on the waterway. The only thing I would say is to follow the guide when it comes to eating fish.

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Scavengers? I don't know, all fish are scavengers...fish are oppurtunistic and will take any meal. I have caught carp and sheephead on tubes, sheeps on cranks, jerks, spoons, and spinners. I would say that would be just like a bass...just sayin! If it is a young carp or sheephead (freshwater drum) I would probably try it. I'm not shy around the dinner table. Deep fried, everything tastes good.

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I would guess they taste ok BUT I would be more concerned with the toxins. They as well as any bottom feeders eat the garbage off the bottom of our polluted systems It may be quite exceptable in clean waters.

I do fish for carp but have never eaten them. I would if a person preparing the fish knew what they were doing

This may be another subject for another thread but carp are not "garbage eaters " they will take crayfish, snails, mussel, fish, worms, seeds etc... They can be caught on the surface or mid depth. They will take lures. I started catching them on the fly. They are omnivours and oppurtunists. I feels it's time for the stigma for carp to be known as 'garbage fish" needs to change. People are starting to recognise them as a genuine sportfish now. JMHO

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As was mentioned , when eating most fish species , it depends on the quality of the water . I have eaten small 2 lb channel cats from Charles Daley Park pond in the spring , but all the fish in there would not be tasty in the warm summer water . I have eaten a small drum.....better tasting than the smallie from the same water , caught the same day . I know some Serbians who love to eat sheephead , some Germans who love to eat carp and Latvians who loved to eat eels years ago . We have people from other countries who eat most fish they catch and eat them often as a staple food in their diet and the fish eating guidelines are completely ignored , or not understood........To be safe , buy store bought fish .......

..................ya'all know what I mean.................................. :crazy:

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Well I can tell you...that in Oklahoma when we visit there we always eat big catfish. The forage base is mostly shad, but the catfish there is amazing. The water looks like the

Louisiana outback muddy coloured...but the catfish are so good. Down there they hang the fish by the head and cut the tail off to bleed it out....the meat is pure white with no blood or discolour. Deep fried outside...awesome. And the people there live well into thier 90's. And this is from a person who does not even like fish....

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Guest live2fish85

I agree catfish tastes awesome, deep fried in a cajun batter and then make some cajun dip. It is one of my favourite fish.

As for buying store bought not a chance. Unless you are getting it from some where like Port Dover where they have the fish that has come staright from the commercial boats and the store is always fresh. Buying from fortinos and that I wouldn't even bother.

Also how did you not notice the difference. Any carp fillet I have seen is a fairly red.

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Great post Mailman! That really shows how our perceptions can cloud our judgement on things. The fish tasted great, but you'd still never eat it again! lol

I wouldn't hestitate trying carp out of clean northern waters at all... I think. lol

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Both the sheephead and carp were young healthy fish... They both tasted great! The fillets where a beautiful white and just fell apart when i touched it with my fork...These fish were bled out, washed, and then soaked. The water was also changed a few times. All i know is that it's somethin that ill never forget!!!!

great discussion guys...

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I had Carp while I was in China for 2 weeks in 2007. It was rather common over there. Just about everywhere we ate, it was on the menu. Over the 14 days I had it 2 or 3 times with rice and a veg. I enjoyed it. But, it was the least exotic thing I ate while I was there, so maybe my senses were a little off due to the blasting tastes of other terrible things I had. I do recall enjoying it though.

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store bought fish really?i think i will stick with the fresh fish i catch.at least i know where they come from heard some stories about the farm raised ones

Hey Mazz.....lol...check my post , #15 and hold & drag the mouse over the bottom line where the smiley is..I often put in a hidden statement like that .You are right about most store bought fish . I would rather eat local fish when going out for fish'n chips or ocean fish from down east at least , like haddock etc. Locally I take a nice feed of perch , crappie or a nice juicy pike anytime . :wub:

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I, like most guys here, have never tried carp. BUT if given the opportunity, I would! Gotta try everything once, right?

Here is my input for the topic:

Growing up, which wasnt that long ago (I'm only 26), I used to make a FORTUNE off of my carp catchings! Living in a farming community, we had alot of field workers. Jamaicans, Trinidadians, mexicans, and they seemed to have no problem with the taste of the fish! They would ride their bicycles to our local carp honey-hole, and they would pay us $5 a fish! That was alot of money to us!

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