@ hazmail
Different countries , different habits , hahaha
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I have heard before, that rabbits and carp have turned to a plague in Australia , since the early colonists have imported them to keep up the old British habbits of hunting and fishing , as they where used to from home .
Eating carp has a long tradition over here , the fish is originated from Asia , normally they had(and still have) scales , the one pictured here doesn't , it is a hatchery form especially bred for easier handling in the kitchen
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They first brought them to northen Germany(don't know about the rest of the country and Europe)around the years 1100 to 1200 , when christian monks had christianized the local tribes .
Due to beeing not allowed to eat meat of animals during feasting times , these monks in their monastaries started out in carp hatchery those days , and since probably the tradition goes to eat carp for Xmas or even more for New Years Eve .
But usually these hatchery carp only live for three or four years , otherwise they'd get too big for the kitchen , also their quality of flesh gets worse , when older . Usually they have 4 to 7 lbs at this stage !
They also have a better taste during the cold season , since there are not so many small particles and algiae in the water at that time of year , also the fish don't eat so much as well anymore in colder water , thus not often digging the muddy sediment anymore .
But in Australia its always warmer than in Europe , those conditions are better for them to spawn , since they need very warm water for reproduction , over here they only do in very warm years(which nowadays occur more often) .
It is always the problem with such "alien" animals brought to a place , where they don't belong , we have troubles with a sort of crabs , that got to our North Sea harbors from Asia around 100 years ago in the ballast tanks of ocean liners .
These nasty critters have by now even reached Vienna through the Danube river , they are a disease to anglers , since they eat off your bait and snap line and leader
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There are times , that you can't just put out a baitfish or worm over here , a fish never has a chance to find it on time , these crabs are there first
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I only have one solution , like for your carp and rabbit plague as well :
Sell them to Asia , they eat anything over there
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PS : In my opinion a big carp outmatches any pike in terms of playing it , once hooked .
Only bad thing is , that you sometimes have to wait for days to get one on ! Nothing for me
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