Redneck Fishing Tournament

Last updated
Redneck Fishing Tournament
StatusActive
GenreFishing tournament
FrequencyAnnually in August
Location(s) Bath, Illinois
Inaugurated2005 (2005)
FounderBetty DeFord
Most recentAugust 3-5, 2023
Website www.originalredneckfishintournament.com

The Redneck Fishing Tournament is an annual carp fishing event held on a channel of the Illinois River near the community of Bath, Illinois. The event is typically held during the first weekend in August [1] and is specifically intended to decrease the population of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), a prolific species of Asian carp, in the river. [2] Different to other fishing tournaments where angling is the predominant technique, Redneck Fishing Tournament participants use dip nets to catch fish jumping out of water.

Contents

Silver carp is a notorious invasive species in the midwestern United States and has become a nuisance pest in various waterways of the Mississippi Basin [3] over the last twenty years, competing for food with native fish. [4] The fish can weigh around forty pounds (18 kg) as mature adults, and their flesh is typically more bony than those fish species that are usually consumed by the average American, thus causing the fish to be unpopularly seen as a trash fish in North America (despite being a staple food fish in their native Asia). Their large size is of particular note, because the fish are easily startled vibrations from motorboats move through water and subsequently respond by jumping high out of the water, potentially hitting and injuring boaters. [5] [6]

History

Silver carp were among several species imported to the United States, notably to Arkansas, in the 1970s as a way to reduce algae in commercial fishing ponds. Flooding events along the Mississippi River and its tributaries during the 1980s are commonly considered to have been what allowed the fish to escape those commercial ponds and make their way into rivers, other ponds, and lakes. [7]

The first officially recognized event was held in 2005 and attracted an estimated two hundred participants. Media attention grew, bringing in more participants the following year. [8] Participants in the tournament have come from as far away as Europe [9] and Asia. [10] Participants in the tournament board boats and travel the river for two hours at a time, [11] using various types of fishing nets to catch the fish as they jump out of the water. No fishing poles are allowed in the tournament, and releasing any fish that are caught back into the river is prohibited. [12] The fish that are caught during the tournament are used for various purposes ranging from scientific research to ingredients in fertilizer and cat food, to, in some cases, human consumption. [13]

The 2018 tournament resulted in over 5,300 fish being removed from the river, while previous tournaments have caught as many as 10,600. [14] [15] [16]

In recent years, proceeds from the event have been donated to charities in the area. [17]

Because of flooding & the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was on hiatus until 2021. [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carp</span> Various species of cyprinid fishes

The term carp is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized quarries and are valued as both food and ornamental fish in many parts of the Old World, they are considered trash fish and invasive pests in many parts of Africa, Australia and most of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian carp</span> Species of fish

The Eurasian carp or European carp, widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The native wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered a destructive invasive species, being included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive species. It gives its name to the carp family, Cyprinidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois River</span> Illinois tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States

The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River at approximately 273 miles (439 km) in length. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, the river has a drainage basin of 28,756.6 square miles (74,479 km2). The Illinois River begins with the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers in the Chicago metropolitan area, and it generally flows to the southwest across Illinois, until it empties into the Mississippi near Grafton, Illinois. Its drainage basin extends into southeastern Wisconsin, northwestern Indiana, and a very small area of southwestern Michigan in addition to central Illinois. Along its shores are several river ports, including Peoria, Illinois. Historic and recreation areas on the river include Starved Rock, and the internationally important wetlands of the Emiquon Complex and Dixon Waterfowl Refuge.

Asian carp is a grouping of fishes commonly used to mean silver, bighead carp, white and black amur, which are regarded invasive in the United States. These four species, also known as copi, are native to China where they are collectively known as qing cao lian yong (青草鲢鳙) or si da jia yu and are farmed for food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black carp</span> Species of fish

The black carp or Chinese black roach is a species of cyprinid freshwater fish and the sole extant species of the genus Mylopharyngodon. It is native to lakes and rivers in East Asia, ranging from the Amur Basin across China to Vietnam. One of the largest cyprinids in the world, the black carp has a typical length of 60–120 cm (23.5–47 in), though it can reach up to 1.9 m in length and 109 kg (240 lb) in weight. It is carnivorous and generally feeds on invertebrates such as snails, clams and mussels.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bighead carp</span> Species of fish

The bighead carp is a species of cyprinid freshwater fish native to East Asia, and is one of several Asian carps introduced into North America. It is one of the most intensively exploited fishes in fish farming, with an annual worldwide production of over three million tonnes in 2013, principally from China. Unlike the omnivorous common carp, bighead carp are primarily filter-feeding algae eaters, preferentially consuming zooplankton but also phytoplankton and detritus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver carp</span> Species of fish

The silver carp or silverfin is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish, a variety of Asian carp native to China and eastern Siberia, from the Amur River drainage in the north to the Xi Jiang River drainage in the south. Although a threatened species in its natural habitat, it has long been cultivated in China as one of the "Four Famous Domestic Fish" (四大家鱼) together with Bighead carp, Black carp and Grass carp. By weight, more silver carp are produced worldwide in aquaculture than any other species of fish except for the grass carp. Silver carp are usually farmed in polyculture with other Asian carp, or sometimes with catla or other fish species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area</span> State park in Will County, Illinois, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in China</span>

China has one-fifth of the world's population and accounts for one-third of the world's reported fish production as well as two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production. It is also a major importer of seafood and the country's seafood market is estimated to grow to a market size worth US$53.5 Billion by 2027.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carp fishing</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powerton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area</span> State park in Illinois, USA

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References

  1. ↑ Hustis, Sam (2015-09-06). "Redneck Fishing Tournament Celebrates 10th Anniversary". CENTRALILLINOISPROUD. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  2. ↑ "The Original Redneck Fishing Tournament - Bath, IL" . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  3. ↑ Network, World Fishing (2013-10-30). "Fishing Central WFJ Episode 1, Part 3: The Redneck Fishing Tournament - World Fishing Network". World Fishing Network. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  4. ↑ Garcia, Evan. "'Redneck Fishing' for Flying Asian Carp on the Illinois River". WTTW. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  5. ↑ Walsh, Bryan. "Lake Invaders". Time. Time. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  6. ↑ "Redneck Fishing Tournament - Visit Canton, IL". www.visitcantonil.org. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  7. ↑ "Carp Attack". National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  8. ↑ "Talking about climate change at 'redneck' fishing tournament". Planet Forward. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  9. ↑ Heffernan, Erin. "How do you fight flying fish? With a net and a hockey helmet, of course". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  10. ↑ Cather, Johnny. ""Redneck Fishing Tournament" Aims to Stop Invasive Asian Carp" . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  11. ↑ "Original Redneck Fishin' Tournament Rules and Information" . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  12. ↑ "The Original Redneck Fishing Tournament - Bath, IL | About". The Original Redneck Fishing Tournament - Bath, IL. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  13. ↑ "PROTECTING THE GREAT LAKES – BIOLOGISTS TURN OUT FOR ASIAN CARP-CATCHING TOURNAMENT – Climate Change". climatechange.medill.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  14. ↑ Heffernan, Erin. "How do you fight flying fish? With a net and a hockey helmet, of course". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  15. ↑ "Illinois "Redneck fishing tournament" uses nets, helmets". WQAD.com. 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  16. ↑ Cather, Johnny. ""Redneck Fishing Tournament" Aims to Stop Invasive Asian Carp" . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  17. ↑ "'Redneck Fishing' for Flying Asian Carp on the Illinois River". Chicago Tonight | WTTW. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  18. ↑ "Near historic flooding has cancelled the annual Redneck Fishing Tournament". KMOX-AM. 2019-07-05. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  19. ↑ "Watch: Redneck fishing tournament returns to the Illinois River". NBC News. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
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