Hooked!

Monday evening I accompanied my guys fishing.  Chris was fishing for catfish on bottom.  Me and Ike were fishing for blue gill with bobbers.  Ike had caught 3 blue gill.  Before too long he threw out his line and almost immediately he yells, "Somethings messing with my line!  I got something!  I need some HEEELP!"  Chris grabbed the net while Isaac was realing in his catch.

We were shocked, to say the least, to see this 14 pound carp hooked and caught on a #10 blue gill hook (the smallest).  It was the largest fish ever caught where we were fishing.  They were really surprised to find out it was caught by a nine year old!  That's my boy!  I couldn't tell you who was more excited, though - Isaac or his daddy!

Shortly after Ike's big catch, I caught a rather large catfish using the same small hook.

Unfortunately, we had to throw the big carp back.  I've always heard that they're good eatin'.  They're actually a delicacy in Europe.  A lot of people open pay pits stocked with carp over there for this reason.  But, you have to know how to get around that mud vein when you clean them - which can be a pretty crappy job.  Sorry, couldn't resist!  Since, we (and by saying 'we' I really mean Chris) don't know how to clean them - back into the water it went.

The catfish was another story.  I already had planned to make tilapia for supper last night, so we fried it up and served it along side the other fish.  Can you say, "YUM!"?

We had so much fun we're going back tonight!  That leaves me with just one question:

Anyone know how to clean a carp?