# Grass carp



## GBird (Jun 12, 2010)

Sometimes in the past when we threw for shad we catch carp in the net around the park area. Is this grass carp? Is there more than one type of carp in Livingston?


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I don't think there are any grass carp in Livingston, but who knows? I often catch common carp in the cast net by the pier at the state park.


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## kellisag (Feb 18, 2010)

shadslinger said:


> I don't think there are any grass carp in Livingston, but who knows? I often catch common carp in the cast net by the pier at the state park.


There are some grass carp, not near as many as the commons but we shot a grassy about 25 lbs last week in the lake


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

Common carp and maybe a small Buffalo. If it is a grass carp it should be a big one. I have not see any grass carp in Livingston but some of my bowfishin buddies said there are a few in there.

Matt


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Come to think of it I have talked to some bowfishers who shot some in the river behind the lake.


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## Lone Eagle (Aug 20, 2009)

I wish those bow fisherman would take all the grass carp out of here as well as many of the other carp too.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

A good carp is a dead carp. I can tolerate black buffalo since Louie Hill Jr showed me how to clean one and get rid of the bones. As good as any other big fish for table fair.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Sunbeam Gator gar showed me the trick of grabbing the scales at the tail and ripping them up in big sheets with your fingers, they come off easy. 
How do you prepare one for the table without getting a mouthful of Y bones?


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## fishy (Jun 20, 2005)

there are plenty of common carp in the lake. Not so many grassies, we have only shot one grass carp bowfishing but it was a good one at 30lbs. We havent been yet this year but hope to go soon, to get rid of them and the buffalo.


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## GBird (Jun 12, 2010)

How do you tell the difference between the two types of carp?


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

The grass carp is torpedo shaped and the common carp has more of a "hump". The grasser has "broad, ridged pharyngeal teeth are arranged in a 2, 4-4, 2 formula. The dorsal fin has 8 to 10 soft rays, and the anal fin is set closer to the tail than most cyprinids." 

The picture below shows a grass carp I caught on a 3 wt fly rod. They are great fighters.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

The common carp, also called German carp, is dark on the back with lighter belly. The most charactaristic is the yellow with orange on the lower fins and jaw area.
They were introducded to America from Europe but originally are for China. They are a very common table fish all over Asia. 
A friend of mine in Thailand got rich farming them. He had six ponds of about a half acre each. He raised and sold 14 to 16 inch fish. He harvested as many as three tons every three months.
He sold the farm and bought a large nightclub and bar in Patpong street distrct of Bangkok. We did call him Kevin but now he is just Papa-san.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

That appears to be A whopper grass carp Meadowlark, bet it was a real battle on the fly rod.


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## fishy (Jun 20, 2005)

1st is a pic of a grassie i shot last year on Livingston
2nd is a pics of my uncle (Git$um) with a common carp 
both shot on same trip


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

You can walk the west side and south side of pine Island real slow in the morning as the sun comes up, especially earlier in the spring and shoot all you want of both types. Some days are better than others, but the time a guy showed me how to bowhunt them, we shot both. Wear you some good polarized glasses and you will see them. Buffalo too, a little deeper.


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## bowfishrp (Apr 5, 2007)

I dont know how I missed this old post! As the other bowfishermen have said there certainly ARE grass carp in Livingston. I have shot several over the years there and have missed a few too. There are not many but they are there. There are tons more buffalo in Livingston than carp but typically you will see a common (german) carp. I believe their numbers are kept lower because of the gator gar but they are there in numbers. Also have shot goldfish, yes those bright orange goldfish there too.


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## Boatless Potlicker (Oct 5, 2009)

I posted this on another thread, 10lb Grass Carp in east livingston, I thought I caught it on a teeney torpedo, but it was actually a tiny torpedo (threw it right on his head!). Put up a great fight on the Zebco; like a fresh water red.
:texasflag


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Nice!


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

When I lived at Beacon Bay I caught them in the spring using turnip greens for bait. They like lettuce best but it is hard to keep on the hook.
A little dab of Wishbone Ranch helps a lot.


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