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 event held on a channel of the Illinois River near the community of Bath, Illinois.

Contents

The event is typically held during the first weekend in August [1] and is specifically intended to decrease the population of silver carp, a species of Asian carp, in the river. [2] The fish is an invasive species in the midwestern United States and has become a nuisance in various waterways [3] over the last twenty years, competing for food with native fish. [4] The fish can weigh around forty pounds (18 kg), and their flesh is typically more bony than those fish species that are usually consumed by the average American. Their size is of particular note, because the fish respond to vibrations from motors as boats move through water by jumping 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 generally considered useless 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 and is approximately 273 miles (439 km) long. 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 recreation areas on the river include Starved Rock and the internationally important wetlands of the Emiquon Complex and Dixon Waterfowl Refuge.

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

Bass fishing is the recreational fishing activity, typically via rod angling, for various North American game fishes known collectively as black bass. There are numerous black bass species targeted in North America, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass or Kentucky bass, and Guadalupe bass. All black bass species are members of the sunfish family Centrarchidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian carp</span> Common name for several species of fish

Several species of heavy-bodied cyprinid fishes are collectively known in the United States as Asian carp. Cyprinids from the Indian subcontinent—for example, catla and mrigal —are not included in this classification and are known collectively as "Indian carp". Asian carp are considered invasive species in the United States. In June, 2022, the EPA funded initiative to rebrand Asian Carp as Copi was announced. The new name — Copi — is a part of the Federal and multi-state campaign to reintroduce the carps to the public as a healthy and responsible seafood option in order to decrease its numbers in U.S. waterways.

<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 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. 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">Jullien's golden carp</span> Species of fish

The Jullien's golden carp is a species of endangered freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae found in Southeast Asian river basins. Its existence is being threatened by various economic activities, such as large-scale agriculture and the building of dams for hydropower.

A fishing tournament, or Angling tournament, is an organised competition among anglers. Fishing tournaments typically take place as a series of competitive events around or on a clearly defined body of water with specific rules applying to each event. They can take place on or along the edge of oceans, lakes, rivers, including ice covered bodies of water.

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

The fishing industry in the land-locked country of Laos is a major source of sustenance and food security to its people dwelling near rivers, reservoirs and ponds. Apart from wild capture fisheries, which is a major component of fish production, aquaculture and stocking are significant developments in the country. Historically, fishing activity was recorded in writings on the gate and walls of the Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang dated 1560. For many Laotians, freshwater fish are the principal source of protein. The percentage of people involved in regular fishing activity is very small, only near major rivers or reservoirs, as for most of the fishers it is a part-time activity.

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

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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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