There is a reality that must never come true with regard to the spectacular and magical Great Lakes fishing, and that is the Asian carp must never beat the barrier in the Chicago Area Waterway System.
The fear is the invasive bighead, silver, and black carp will overtake our native fish by outcompeting them for plankton — microorganisms made of algae, bacteria, and tiny marine life — which is the main food source for the young of our popular sport fish like walleye, yellow perch, and lake trout. This leaves the native fish starving and stressed, which affects their hatches and mortality.
With their insatiable appetites, one invasive carp can eat up to 20 percent to 120 percent of its body weight, according to the North America Invasive Species Management, an organization formed in 1994 whose mission “is to empower invasive species management in North America” through networking with professionals and organizations.
With this past week being National Invasive Species Week (Feb. 23-27), it seemed only natural to address what could be the biggest invasive threat (silver, bighead, and black carp) to the area’s favorite game fish: the walleye…