Officials urge anglers to watch bait supplies for Asian carp
FOX file image of a Siamese Carp. (Courtesy: Andrew Hosegood, Flickr, CC 2.0)
LANSING, Mich. - LANSING, Mich. (AP) — If you go fishing this summer, check twice to make sure juvenile Asian carp haven't slipped into your bait pail.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and other agencies are battling to keep the invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes. They're easy to recognize as adults — especially silver carp, which jump from the water.
But when young, they can be confused with common bait fish such as gizzard shad and various types of shiners.
Bait often is transported across state lines, including from areas with breeding populations of Asian carp. So it's possible for juvenile carp to get into the bait supply.
A video that helps identify juvenile Asian carp is available online at http://www.michigan.gov/invasivespecies . Among telltale characteristics are body color, scale pattern, mouth shape and size.