Redneck Fishing Tournament
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| Redneck Fishing Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Fishing tournament |
| Frequency | Annually in August |
| Location(s) | Bath, Illinois |
| Inaugurated | 2005 |
| Founder | Betty DeFord |
| Most recent | August 3-5, 2023 |
| Website | www |
The Redneck Fishing Tournament is an annual carp fishing event held on a channel of the Illinois River near the community of Bath, Illinois. The event is typically held during the first weekend in August[1] and is specifically intended to decrease the population of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), a prolific species of Asian carp, in the river.[2] Different to other fishing tournaments where angling is the predominant technique, Redneck Fishing Tournament participants use dip nets to catch fish jumping out of water.
Silver carp is a notorious invasive species in the midwestern United States and has become a nuisance pest in various waterways of the Mississippi Basin[3] over the last twenty years, competing for food with native fish.[4] The fish can weigh around forty pounds (18 kg) as mature adults, and their flesh is typically more bony than those fish species that are usually consumed by the average American, thus causing the fish to be unpopularly seen as a trash fish in North America (despite being a staple food fish in their native Asia). Their large size is of particular note, because the fish are easily startled vibrations from motorboats move through water and subsequently respond by jumping high out of the water, potentially hitting and injuring boaters.[5][6]