The Redneck fishing tournament is an annual event held on a channel of the Illinois River, near Bath, Illinois. It is usually held during the first month of August. It's purpose is to decrease the population of silver carp, as species of Asian carp, in the river. The fish is an invasive species in the midwest and has become a nuisance in various waterways over the past twenty years. These invaders are competing with native fish for food. The silver carp weigh around forty pounds and are bony. They respond vibrations by jumping out high out of the water. The motors from the boats make them jump, and the boaters have nets with which to catch the silver carp during the fishing tournament.
Silver carp were among several species of fish imported to the U.S. in the 1970's as a way to reduce algae in commercial fishing ponds. It is thought that flooding along the Mississippi River in the 1980's allowed the fish to escape those commercial ponds and make their way into rivers, ponds and lakes. The Redneck fishing tournament is a way of controlling the silver carp population. The fish that are caught during the tournament (nets only, no poles) are used for scientific research, fertilizer and cat food.
When I first heard about this tournament, I thought if was just a way for people to have some fun, and I didn't like the idea of them killing fish just for fun, but now that I find out that this is a way to control the population of the unwanted silver carp, I understand. Proceeds from the event have been donated to local charities. Because of the pandemic, the tournament has been on hiatus since 2019.
(I tried to insert a short video of the redneck fishing tournament so you could see the thousands of fish jumping out of the water, but I couldn't. If you google redneck fishing tournament you will see a short video of the event.)
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