TRINITY'S 2nd Annual 2011-2012 Icing Challenge

[popolarbear]

not to highjack the forum with more carp/fish posts. but it is relevant. trinity swam next to a massive carp about the same length as his big saw up to the handle. i measured it at 41-42 inches long. for reference it is tough to get carp in the 38-39 inch size. when the coon rapids carp festival was running the largest fish caught would occasionally push 38-39 inches long. carp just don't get longer than that under normal conditions.  this one was 42inches and a monster. DNR took scale samples. and aged it at around 80 years or so in the 90's when it was bow shot. interestingly carp were first stocked in Minnesota around 1910 or so.it is possible that this was a remaining fish from the original ashgrunder bloodline that came to the US from Europe. after the war the pure bloodline died out and was lost. it was known for massive size, and unique leather scale mutation that shows itself as a partially scaled "leather carp". today fish with these characteristics can be seen in bald eagle lake and the clear water chain of lakes(were the current MN state record was caught ... supposedly by hook and line, but one report suggests that it was actually netted at one of the Dams.

with out getting too side tracked. trinity said he had just seen the largest carp he thought he had ever seen in Minnesota. hes so modest we don't even see a fish story being posted. but it is at least as important as many of the minni archaeological sites, and possibly as important as some of the larger archaeological sites that are rotting away in our local lakes, so it should be recorded and studdied.


..... a 41-42 inch 80 year old carp, possibly from the original DNR stocking in the 1910's is priceless. here is a picture of the speared fish from Bald eagle....

alot of controversy exists about how big the fish really was. some say it went 48inches other 42... i will leave it at that. the DNR did examine it. and it was much larger than the current state record(55lbs) so i think it was indeed 48inches.

enjoy