“And if their voracious eating habits weren’t enough, the silver carp pose a direct threat to boaters. When startled, the fish launch themselves out of the water, turning into 40-lb. projectiles that could easily smash an unwary fisherman’s nose. It’s enough to turn a fishing trip into something worthy of the X Games, which may be fine for the extreme-angling participants of the wild Redneck Fishing Tournament in Illinois, where silver carp are the target and black eyes sustained from flying fish are a badge of honor. But your average daytripping sportsman on Lake Michigan might not appreciate an airborne carp smacking them in the kisser. “They are living missiles, and that’s not trivial,” says David Lodge, the director of Notre Dame’s Center for Aquatic Conservation.”
