Invasion of the Flying Carp

Flying Carp are fast becoming a navigational hazard to boaters on the Mississippi river. Silver carp were imported in the 70's and 80's in an effort to clear invasive plant life from catfish ponds. These fish are great leapers and when startled by passing boats can launch into "missile like" jumps and actually land in passing boats. While this might seem every anglers dream, some of these fish are rather large, and could cause a serious problem to "impacted" anglers.

Duane Chapman, a Fisheries Biologist with the U.S. Geological Service Environmental Research Center in Columbia, Mo., has had several run-ins with the silver carp.
"We do indeed have carp guards on the boat to keep the crew from being hit by flying silver carp," Chapman wrote in response to an e-mail Tuesday. "Because we are performing research on these fish, trying to understand their biology and find ways to control their populations, we are in the thick of them constantly."

Be sure to check out the photos of one of these acrobats, wedged half way through a boat seat.