New danger to Great Lakes boaters.
 

The following quote was taken from an article on the infestation of Asain Carp into the Great Lakes:

Leaping fish not so funny

Meanwhile, recreational users of the water might also feel some impact. Asian carp have an odd penchant for hurling themselves over or into boats, sometimes striking people.

Neck injuries, broken noses and bruises are just a few of the traumas inflicted by the leaping fish, according to Pam Thiel, project leader at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fishery Resources Office in LaCrosse, Wis. Some researchers on boats have started using cookie sheets or garbage can lids as shields.

The airborne carp could sail over the electrified barrier in the canal, some officials fear.

"You come anywhere near these fish with electricity, and their response is to jump 20 feet in the air," said Rob Maher, commercial fishing program manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Maher, who is 6 foot 2 and 225 pounds, said he has been knocked to the floor of a boat by a jumping Asian carp. "Certain speeds and the vibration from the propeller cause them to panic and jump out of the water," he said. "It's amusing until you get hit by one."

Heres a link to the whole article:

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationwo...-carp-ct.story


Hmmm....might help with the PWC problem though ???????

Well, damn that's got to suck...And I thought the pelicans here were a big problem. :D

Oh dude! What happened to your face?....Fuggin' got smacked up side the head with a fish! :mad: :D

Sure hope Manatee's don't figure out how to jump like that....

WM

Don't know if it is the same fish or not. But when we go jugging for catfish on the wabash river, a fish that has been identified as a big headed carp or sheep headed carp does the same thing. I have seen jump as high as 6-7 ft.

One actually jumped in my brother's sea ark and cut itself on a piece of drift wood. It flopped around spraying blood all over them. They got back to the ramp and it looked like they had just chainsawed someone.

I rode my pwc on the river the other day and was scared of getting knocked off by one.