Mud Marlin Extermination Challenge! How Many Carp Can I KILL?

Carp are a major scourge on Australia's inland waterways. We can all do our small bit to help reduce their numbers by catching and humanely killing as many as possible. Better yet, why not get involved by fishing in large-scale organised events like the annual Lake Glenbawn Family Carp Muster? In this episode, I attend that terrific event, and set myself the challenge of killing as many carp as I possibly can in four hours - all while sight-casting to them in ultra-shallow water!
If you love this video and my channel, please consider shouting me a beer (or a coffee!) to help me produce lots MORE great KZbin content for your viewing pleasure! Simply go to: www.buymeacoffee.com/starlo
Thanks... and cheers!
00:00 Carp Wars
01:00 Carp Muster
02:00 Let's Go!

[@timcheeseman2956]

I was shocked at what a good fight the carp put up, they're certainly a lot of fun to catch and a worthy foe. It feels good to be doing something positive for the aquatic ecosystem when you pull one out too.

[@StarloGetsReel]

So true.

[@stevem1467]

Do you put them back in water once they are dead and is there a way to defiantly tell they are dead once caught

[@timcheeseman2956]

@@stevem1467 in Qld it is illegal to return them to the water dead or alive, they have to be buried or disposed of in a bin to avoid eggs finding their way back into the waterways

[@stevem1467]

@@timcheeseman2956 in vic it says to return them back to water once dead and cut them up but I don’t like leaving them next to bank

[@timcheeseman2956]

@@stevem1467 seems like they're saying either remove them or sink back in the water by cutting them up, as long as you're not leaving rotting fish on the side of the waterway (so burying the carcasses is a viable option too). I usually bring a bin liner and wrap them up and drop them in a bin somewhere nearby.

[@peterhipwell4632]

Thanks for comments and video I fished for bass in Bjelke-Petersen dam in about 2002 and gee do they put up a fight I caught one 49cm what a fight!!! Carp just seem to run back and forth but the fight is good Heaps removed from the waterway thanks for sharing

[@brettschurgott3808]

What a fantastic comp. Congratulations to all of you,your all winners in my book. Thanks Steve.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@PeachyFlyFishing]

Nice one Steve! Some great fish, and pretty slick production too mate! :)

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thanks mate! 👍

[@FishtalkVideo]

Excellent video, Steve. There should be more comps like that. So much fun and good for the vegie garden!

[@StarloGetsReel]

Couldn't agree more!

[@keithprinn720]

there have been carp comps all over teh country for decades but this challenge ups the ante

[@SouthAustralianAdventures]

Hi Starlo! This video is so good!

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thank you! Be sure to share it to your friends. 👍🙏👍

[@SouthAustralianAdventures]

@@StarloGetsReel I will!

[@AndrewFishman]

23:20 Those cows hooves would do more muddying and damage than any number of schools of carp. But, lets blame the fish...

[@StarloGetsReel]

You would think so, and in specific areas that could well be the case, especially after rain, but there are dense carp “blooms” of muddied water all over the lake, including along forested shores with no cows. They are incredibly prolific there.

[@michaelbeattie6953]

Good stuff starlo. Get rid of as many of these horrible things as you can. We catch them near mildura on the Murray. There are so many that we have little competitors amongst ourselves.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Good stuff!

[@ianbertenshaw4350]

Great video Steve! Wouldn’t it be nice if there could be one or more of these comps running every weekend!

[@StarloGetsReel]

It would!

[@rosef5362]

Another great video. Well done! The artificial baits you were using did you work them like you would other plastics? It looked like it hit the water and the fish just took it.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Cheers! Yes, if you get them in just the right spot they seem to come straight over and suck them up. If not I give them one little hop to attract the carp’s attention then let them sit.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Great technique Steve. And the fishbat treatment looks like great therapy too. 😂 My mate used to chop them in half and toss em back in. It seemed to frighten them away and allowed better fish to find the baits.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Interesting!

[@orange3too]

2 cents. (even though the kanadastan govt. removed pennies from our currency, becuz it removes heavy metals from the body when you contact copper.) I was a professional Class A hunting and fishing guide in Western canada. In the spring fishing and bear camps i would catch pike, (fresh water barracuda), walleye (murray cod) and carp and smoke them all boneless. (If you found a bone you got a dollar from me.) All smoked over Alder wood, (no f'n clue to what to compare it to your wood smoke there.) All brined same amount of time 6-8 hrs. apple juice, vinegar, or ACV(apple cider vinegar), brown sugar, salt and a hint of garlic powder. I wood smoke them over the damp alder til done depending on weather. I served them as welcome treats for the new guests upon arrival. Every time the carp plate was either the first or tied with the walleye to be done first. fyi-I would soak it in milk or vinegar for 1 - 2 hr before brining if the water is warm. The muddy taste is the same bacteria that causes foot rot in cattle. The vinegar kills it and the milk neutralizes the skanky mud taste. All the best, great videos. Tight lines, many blessings...Peace...in JR

[@StarloGetsReel]

Great tips! Thank you.

[@anthonycox1870]

great video champion

[@StarloGetsReel]

Cheers!

[@JDHambo]

It’s great to see the growth of my favourite fishing channel, now I wanna go catch some carp! 😂

[@StarloGetsReel]

Cheers! 👍

[@mal9948]

G'day Steve. This might be of some interest. I fish the Murrumbidgee between Leeton and Narrandera. Carp havent been as much of a problem for a few years, but last summer season, after the floods that lasted on and off for over a year finally subsided, carp were in plague numbers again. I would catch over 30 of them in a couple of hours, plus a few nice cod and yellas amongst them. Wherever I went carp were in plague numbers. Normally they would take shrimp or worms but I caught carp on every type of bait I threw out. Cheese, never had that happen before, shrimp, worms and even chicken strips!! I thought I'd try carp meat and they took that as well!! I figured that their vast numbers were making them compete for whatever food was in the water. Luckily this season, I'm not catching those sorts of numbers, but there are still a lot out there. We used to have an annual Carpathon fishing comp but that unfortunately hasn't run since covid. I hope they run it again. Cheers.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Great feedback! Thank you. Yes, sadly, the recent floods have dramatically boosted carp numbers in many regions. We really need to do something... Carp cull comps are a great idea.

[@mal9948]

@StarloGetsReel Thanks for your response Starlo. I think its great how you try to respond to all the comments. You have a great channel and always look forward to new content. Cheers

[@thatfamousguy]

Awesome work starlo. I'll be sure to shout you a coffee on that website. I have another question. If you don't mind. I fish bass in the rivers and do really well. But when it comes to dams I have no luck. I assume it's because I rarely use a depth sounder in my kayak at the dams. If you are looking for an idea on a tutorial, I'd love to know what I'm doing wrong. I think it's because bass in dams seem to act really different to bass migrating in shallow streams. Another thing I'd love to learn is how to tell when different fish will be about (on the coast). Thanks starlo Marcus

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thanks Marcus. You’re spot on - bass in dams tend to behave quite differently a lot of the time than the same fish in rivers. A sounder can definitely help in finding them. 👍

[@feartheduck6664]

Good catch Sir! Days like this are very beneficial to helping bring carp stocks down. Irrespective of the species, sight casting and good fights are fun, and that makes pest control a true subset of fishing! I used to catch them in Lake Burley Griffin. Their scent was definitely not pleasant and I wonder if run off from Parliament House was the cause….. 🙃

[@StarloGetsReel]

Spot on!

[@NoName-qv8ko]

Love ya work Starlo. The only fish I target is carp the bonus is they're great fun.

[@StarloGetsReel]

You got that right!

[@stevem1467]

Can you use them as bait at all is there any use once you dispose of them

[@yep.fishing]

Hey Starlo, ive been using a plastic worm on a ned head with a stinger for Carp recently. Works well for bream too

[@StarloGetsReel]

Nice!

[@frednurk8590]

Onya mate. What was your final tally? Maggie Beer ate carp on Cook and the Chef, and raved about it.. just a fyi.

[@StarloGetsReel]

I actually lost count… not that I’m very good at maths! 🤣 Yes, I’ve had it cooked for me by experts and it wasn’t too bad. Tastes like oil-soaked soggy cardboard when I cook it. 🤮

[@lestabithasadventures]

Very good! What was the biggest? My biggest so far is 82cm out of the Murray at Koondrook. It took a big yabby, I thought I hooked a good cod, nope!

[@StarloGetsReel]

My biggest in that session was an 80 and from memory an 82 was the biggest in the Muster. 👍

[@tonyfentonphotovideo657]

Hard fighting, fly eating, smart fish. I love chasing them on my 6w

[@StarloGetsReel]

Yes, fun on fly.

[@kermitthehermit9588]

Sight fishing carp in clear, fast water is just about the ultimate challenge. Untapped resource. Just close your eyes, peg your nose and pretend they have spots 🤣

[@stevem1467]

Sadly in my river carp are everywhere and they go for all my lures on my ultralight set up and it’s quite the fight

[@StarloGetsReel]

Yep, increasingly the case.

[@stevem1467]

@@StarloGetsReel in summer it’s all I seem to catch they are everywhere, I do think they are lovely looking fish but hopefully can come up with a solution to rid our rivers of them. In the UK they are the most protected fish species and they are shocked with how we have to dispose of them here. They go for anything but in the UK they seem harder to catch due to cold water and I think some live till they are around 30 so have caught on to lures etc

[@kermitthehermit9588]

That priest actually has a pretty good note 🎵

[@StarloGetsReel]

It does, doesn’t it? 🤣

[@alft69]

I wonder if some of the funds from our recreational fishing licenses were put towards a ‘carp bounty’, somewhat like recycling aluminium cans. Cash for each carp handed in. Each Carp would earn $X. It would be an interesting experiment!

[@StarloGetsReel]

It would! However after NSW DPI Fisheries handling of things like the groper ban, I wouldn’t trust them to run a choko vine over an outside dunny! 🙄

[@alft69]

@@StarloGetsReel Sad but true…

[@stevegray4012]

Great video, we should introduce a similar competition in WA, get all the school kids catching blowies for a prize.

[@RevIt66]

My dad used to spend his holidays irradicating feral animals of any type with a Bow and Arrows, everything from buffalo to carp, he has pics here of 38 carp him and his mate shot in 30min, they came across a billabong teaming with them.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Nice!

[@mitchmcbride6053]

Excellent video mate what is your opinion on being able in nsw to set up a drag net and catch multipolar time and put back no catch I can’t see any other way I really don’t like introducing a disease because the potential of unwanted damage , if you think about it they are in our waterways surviving so the disease could also survive and affect the ecology of the water way . Its a certainty interesting and a must solve problem

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thanks. I think the virus could really help to reduce carp numbers but I doubt it will be used. We’ll probably never get rid of carp. Best we can hope for are some control and reduction measure.

[@jeffbrunsdon7227]

Awesome work mate , I would love to know what other plastics they will take, as I would be keen to get rid of a few next time I am out there 👍

[@AndrewFishman]

Wriggle and curl tails worked slowly and paused often, creature baits (yabbies, prawns, insect imitations). I like to fish for them unweighted on a light circle hook where possible, or with a small running sinker if required. This allows sucking fish to inhale the bait, rather than having to pick it up.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Yep. What Andrew said. I’ve done really well on smaller Squidgy Wrigglers.

[@jeffbrunsdon7227]

@StarloGetsReel thanks Starlo lucky I have a good supply of squidgies (old school one's, the best 👌).

[@jeffbrunsdon7227]

@AndrewFishman thank you Andrew I will definitely try and nut em out 👍

[@AndrewFishman]

@@jeffbrunsdon7227 Good luck mate. It is great fun. Shallow bays, rivers and creeks and a pair of polaroids will certainly produce nice fish. Good, slow worked hard bodies in smaller sizes and yabby patterns can also work very well on very big fish. I have caught many as bycatch when targetting natives or reddies and also actively sight fishing for them. The Stumpjumper seems to be a good place to start on hard bodies, the small one. I have probably caught more on Stumpies than anything else, although I have an old rebel craw that is the bomb.

[@benfairhall5331]

Hey Starlo what spec expride rod do you run?

[@StarloGetsReel]

That one's the 2610M-S. Love it!

[@PaulFarrellKayakFishing]

Glenbawn is in my neck of the woods, and spent a few days with Roberta Pearce and a few other kayak fishing mates there a couple of years ago. We were disgusted at how many carp are in there! I was over at the wall and had them schooling underneath me... but couldn't get them to bite with anything I had onboard. I made the decision then and there to take up bow fishing, and now have the bow on the back of the Hobie whenever I fish there. I think I also need to take a dedicated rod rigged for carp.... Being in Muswellbrook, Glenbawn is close, but I'd rather drive a little further to fish at St Clair or Lostock.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Yep. So many in there. It’s a shame.

[@hairyscary8511]

The old mud marlin put up fight on light gear especially when they get 70cm 4-6kg+ fought few 8-10kg 80-90cm on 8or10lb line for several minutes as their bared from my net lip grip em at night onya pat is interesting😅

[@StarloGetsReel]

Cheers!

[@yep.fishing]

Hey Starlo, saw an article about Carp tsking over some lake near Canberra. You think lockdowns helped carp? Just a thought that came to mind

[@StarloGetsReel]

Maybe. They’re spreading all the time. That lake is Googong. Not good.

[@danmurphy5889]

great sport-fish when targeted this way, I bet you gave the old arms a good workout. More people need to start getting into it and find ways of preparing these fish for the table, you could probably end world hunger just from carp alone, there are plenty of local shops that sell these for around $9 to $10 a kilo, so they must be cooking them the right way.

[@StarloGetsReel]

I’ve tried. Not impressed… But I’m sure it can be done. Great fertilizer though.

[@slash502]

@@StarloGetsReel look into some asian recipes, they are great when you marinate them with soy sauce, ginger, garlic etc then either steamed or shallow fried.

[@AndrewFishman]

It is only in Australia that we DON'T eat carp, lol. In the rest of the world they are farmed for food. They ARE,literally, helping end world hunger.

[@FlyFishingwithKraza.-to4lf]

Hi Starlo. I met you at the servo on the Hume Hwy about a month ago and we had a short chat. Carp sure fight hard. I did a Video about a month ago catching Carp on the fly. Check it out if you like. Enjoyed watching your video. Cheers, Kraza.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thanks! I will for sure.

[@shanewannell3481]

How is it for fishing from the bank mate with kids from 5 to 13yrs old???

[@StarloGetsReel]

Pretty good. A lot of the competitors were shore-based.

[@shanewannell3481]

Thanks for the reply mate I will look to bring a group up for the next one for sure

[@MattsFishingEscapes]

Surely they allow a cast net?

[@StarloGetsReel]

Cast nets are illegal in NSW.

[@mickanderson3593]

Fishbaits where can i buy some in OZ, or is it order from US

[@StarloGetsReel]

You can’t get them here yet but hopefully that might change…

[@mickanderson3593]

@@StarloGetsReel had a sqwiz on ebay can get the for about 10AUD, but 35 AUD delivery. ouch

[@StarloGetsReel]

@@mickanderson3593 yes, that’s the problem. ☹️

[@mickanderson3593]

@@StarloGetsReel one more thing Steve, can you re use the 'Bait' by putting it back in the bag , or does it harden up like Gulps do. Thanks

[@alby910]

Knock some sense into that carp

[@StarloGetsReel]

🤪

[@KnightOfZero117]

It's Clubbering Time

[@StarloGetsReel]

🤣

[@CSigmaShow]

Bait?

[@StarloGetsReel]

Those were on an artificial bait called Fishbites, but they like worms, corn niblets, dough, bread… and smaller soft plastic lures.

[@CSigmaShow]

We have massive carp in our dam, but the water is to murky to see any lures.

[@AndrewFishman]

Well, we might differ on the carp and how much of a problem they are, but you got some lovely fish there using my favourite method of sight fishing them with a fly or lure. Great fun. I am not one to bash their head's i though. It is sad that it has become so ingrained in Australians mind that the only goo carp is dead. There are may fewer now than in the 90s, and i we are honest with ourselves, we start to recognise the important role they play in fast growth of native species of fish and birds. The rivers were already ruined, the dams are themselves an unnatural environment. It is easy to blame carp, but they do not present the same issues elsewhere in the world where they have been for millions of years. We are not THAT different. The mindset of the 80s has grown into something horrible in 2020s.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Definitely not fewer now than in the 90s! FAR more today, and in many waters where they simply didn’t occur in the 90s. They are a massive (and growing) problem.

[@AndrewFishman]

@@StarloGetsReelWell, locally, I can say that we don't see the massive schools we used to in the urban lakes, we don't see them in the Bidgee like we used to and the numbers seem down in the Yass and Molongolo rivers also. More natives and bigger by the year. Gotta admit it is a few years since I was out an about in NSW, but the ACT is sure not seeing the cricket score numbers of mid sized carp I used to take for granted. Just my observations. I could be 100% wrong, but not as wrong as that virus would be.

[@StarloGetsReel]

@@AndrewFishman you’re right in some rivers for sure but overall the numbers are way up and they are turning up in new waters on an almost weekly basis. Googong near Canberra is the latest one I’ve heard about. It’s really worrying.

[@AndrewFishman]

@@StarloGetsReel Trust me, if I find a carp in Googong, its days are numbered. I grew up in Burra fishing the Queanbeyan River for some of Australia's oldest established Brown Trout above the Tin Hut end of the am. I remember when the dam almost burst during Easter 1977 when there were flooding rains and the wall was only half constructed and most of Qbn was evacuated. However given the proliferation of golfish and redfin in the dam, carp will probably not tip the balance and just feed the monster cod and yellas we get out there. And the trout are invasive anyway. There used to be remnant blackfish populations in the Qbn, but I have not heard anything of them for years. Same with Cotter, and if carp get above the dam there, I will feel the same. Keeping them out is not the same as trying to reduce a population by killing a few.

[@user-bq5is7bn9m]

vegans hait the thumbnail

[@StarloGetsReel]

Ah well, can’t please everyone. 😉

[@mbnz0174]

Complains about the environmental damage that carp do, then shows cows freely wandering in to the waterway and shitting all over it. Great video, but some sense of perspective on these issues!

[@StarloGetsReel]

Yes, sorry, not my cows. 😉

[@etd5791]

Hahaha will never get rid of them. Best sporting fish. I support catch and realease of all fish.

[@StarloGetsReel]

We’ll have to agree to disagree on that. I refuse to release carp, tilapia or redfin.

[@etd5791]

Disagreed upon 😅🤣😅. Must ad to this. I do both types of comp. Some release, some cull. A mixed one for me. Used to hunt too but will only eat the meat now. No more killing unless i'm Starfing and meat is no more available.

[@theiaofseed]

@@etd5791You're killing more fish by releasing Carp back into the river, they don't belong in our river systems

[@etd5791]

@@theiaofseed nah. I dont fish in the rivers. Fish not big enough. Oh and misinformation is the problem here. They do 100% less damage than a lot of predatory out of towner species. Where i fish, the native fish are thriving and the water is sparkling and clear. But also looking at the water where i fish most damage is done to the environment by invasive hooligan campers who has absolutely no respect and regard for what is not theirs. Why not put out some camper and feral dero virusses? That will sort about 90% of the damage done to this beautiful environment. Oh and to ad to it. Real carp fishermen and women are the ones who clean up (every time they fish) after the filthy ferals who also put other decent campers under the same label. Same with boating. Ive seen oil slicks on the water and picked up endless amounts of metal, plastic, canvas etc , from boats that are not water worthy and ferals who just dont care so dont just blame the carp. Look at the bigger picture and breathe normally. You should have a go at proper carp sport fishing. Its 10 times better than other fishing.

[@waynerandles6126]

Nice fish Starlo they fight well if only they were brown trout 🥹 I don’t think all that cattle drinking and churning up the mud would help😒

[@StarloGetsReel]

Water there is a bit warm for trout. 😉 The cattle definitely have a localised impact but the carp “plumes” are all over the lake, even along heavily timbered shores. You really need to see it to appreciate how many of the damn things there are… Hundreds of thousands of them.