On topic of hunting and fishing...
As we all know, Asian carps are a pretty big problem in U.S. lakes and waterways. However, they mostly get treated as a rough fish. The reputation is deserved since the Common Carp is very difficult to filet, which is the Western way of preparing the fish. They also have a very strong "fishy aroma" that is a bit hard to mask.
However, I eat the carps that I catch, and the way you prepare them makes a pretty big difference. Expert chefs in China remove the lateral lines from the fish before cooking, which reduces the fishy taste by a great deal. I have no where near the expertise to do that, so I try masking it with scallion, ginger, and soaking the fish in cooking wine. After that I cut them into chunks and pan fry them, and then add soy sauce and other ingredients and simmer the fish for a while. The taste is actually quite good if you prepare it right. You just have to watch out for a lot of little bones when you try eating it.
Here is a pict of two carps we caught in a bucket:
We originally caught five but gave three away to friends. If you haven't tried carp fishing, try it out. The bait is very easy to make. Basically oatmeal mixed into a dough ball with Big Red that you can wrap around your hook. It is sticky enough to stick to the hook even when submerged. Since carps are bottom feeders you want to make sure that your hook and bait sinks to the bottom of the pond. After that, just sit back and wait. They are very good fighters for their size.
