MASON COUNTY (25News Now) – To remove invasive fish from local waterways, fishermen from around Illinois and surrounding states gathered in the Village of Bath to fish them out redneck style.
The Redneck Fishing Tournament started nearly 20 years ago out of frustration with Asian carp, or copi, taking over the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.
A fisherman from St. Charles, Missouri, said the carp are filter feeders, meaning they consume microscopic organisms like plankton. Because they spawn in large amounts, it leaves less food for native species, affecting the rest of the fish population.
Now dozens have joined the man versus fish sporting competition to remove as many as possible.
“Asian carp are 80 to 90% of all life forms in that stretch of water; it’s just Asian carp, there’s nothing else, so they just take up the entire environment,” said John Roth.
The tournament participants have to follow one rule on the water: you can’t use a fishing pole. Although it might not seem like it, Roth and his team, Team Butchers, have a method to the madness that they call ‘The Floatilla.’
“There’s a lead boat which makes the fish jump, and we jump in behind them, and we net the fish that they spook and make jump,” said Roth. “It works really well; we go fairly close to the bank, and it makes them pop up, and we grab them.”
Contest organizers say Asian carp easily average eight pounds and can jump out of the water at any second. This creates a danger for boaters whether they’re fishing or not.
Roth said wearing helmets to avoid direct injuries from the fish is the first goal for Team Butchers.
“I got hit a couple of times last year, and it’s just cheap insurance, put a helmet on,” said Roth.
The Redneck Fishing Tournament’s organizers said the total haul every year is in the thousands. Afterward, the fish are shipped away to be processed and used commercially or in agriculture.
During Friday afternoon’s heat, the team with the most fish netted 123 carp. Team Butchers caught 36.
The fishing tournament takes place Friday and Saturday with a pair of two-hour heats a day followed by musical bands, food vendors, and a costume contest.
More than a dozen teams participated. It costs $50 per boat per heat, and daily admission is $5. All proceeds go to the local veterans’ charities.
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