I would appreciate if anybody could confirm the fish in the photos by Carlos De la Pena Jr. are bighead carp or not.
He took them during the cleanup of the winter fish kill at McKinley Park lagoon on Tuesday.
It would not be surprising if more bigheads were in that lagoon. Within the past decade three large bigheads have been confirmed there.
If anybody knows the answer about the photos, please post below or e-mail at outdoordb@sbcglobal.net.
Here's De la Pena's note:
Just wanted to fill you in on my discovery this afternoon at McKinley Park on the southside of Chicago.There was apparently a major winter fish kill at McKinley Park Lagoon!
Today I assisted a gentlemen that works for the a company called Aramark, his job entitles him to remove dead fish and debris from the shoreline of several city park lagoons.I noticed that there were several Large dead Asian Bighead carp along the shoreline and I immediately flag him down and told him that those are invasive species. I recommend that he inform his boss so that they can contact the IDNR. I counted about five 25+ lb Asian bighead carps along the northern shoreline near the fishing pier.
I tried to call the IDNR but I didn't get an answer from those guys and I also left a voice message for Bob Long Jr at the Park District office informing him of what I witnessed.
Yep, surely look like bigheads to me.
looks like one to me. Here is a picture link
http://kenspondandlake.com/CARP12G.gif
I live across from McKinley Park and walk the park every day. I counted about 50 bighead carp over 2 feet long dead this spring, along with every other type of fish. Did a rough estimate of about 10,000 dead fish. Well since than, I have not seen a single fish, not a minnow, nothing in the last two months. Everything is dead but the crayfish and snails.
Some are saying the lagoon was shocked to kill the carp, while others say it was a severe winter kill.
Does anyone have evidence it was purposeful kill by the City?