Bighead Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Nobilis, meaning “under eye fish” in Greek) were imported into the United States in the early 1970’s by a private fish farmer in Arkansas. He was hoping the fish would help improve water quality in his culture ponds.
By the late 1970’s some state, federal, and private aquaculture facilities, as well as sewage lagoons, had also been stocked with Asian carp. Unfortunately, these fish escaped captivity when natural floods swept them into nearby local rivers. Since then these fish have grown, reproduced, and migrated throughout many of the major river systems in the central US.
The Bighead Carp is a large, powerful, filter-feeder that grows fast and reaches sexual maturity in just 2-3 years. The Bighead’s feeding patterns are in direct competition with native fish that also rely on plankton, like many adolescent fish species, as well as large fish like the Paddlefish. Bighead Carp lack a true stomach and must feed nearly continuously. Their gluttonous appetite strips the water of microscopic food sources, resulting in smaller and fewer game fish.
Bigheads produce eggs that are semi-buoyant and water currents keeps them from sinking to the bottom. Rising waters in the springtime trigger the fish to spawn, sometimes on multiple occasions. Reports have shown that in North America a female Bighead can drop as many as 1.6 million eggs, which hatch in only 3-6 days.
Bigheads are one of my favorite species to bowfish for. I always make sure that I plan a trip to the Ohio River at least once a year to pursue these river giants. Bigheads are huge and they put up a good fight, but more than anything it is a peaceful night on the water. The expansive Ohio River is typically boat free at night, except for a few barges that pass by.
Bigheads are light sensitive so we only use bow-mounted lights like the AMS Bowfishing Special Ops Night Vision lights to scan the waters in front of us to look for surface feeding Bigheads. There’s no generator noise, no lights, and no bugs; it’s just you and the river.
Some nights we find Bigheads feeding along the shoreline, while other nights they will hang 20-30 yards off the banks. Occasionally, we even find them in the middle of the river channel. Bends in the river, or oxbows, are great places to check first. Also, look for scum lines near eddies, as they like to feed in those.
When conditions are right we have shot Bigheads during the day below the hydroelectric dams. The water levels and how much water is being released through the dams dictate when the fish will be in these areas. I have noticed that after a rainstorm has passed, Bigheads come to the surface to feed.
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May, 2015
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BIGHEAD NUGGETS
Tips to take this tasty terrorist
By: Mathew Schillinger
Photos courtesy of Mathew Schillinger
Matt hoists a large bighead taken from the base of a dam
AMS Pro-Staffer Dennis Redden hosted Matt and Julie Schillinger for a couple days of fantastic Bighead fishing.