Illinois DNR Offering Fishermen $100 Bounty for Black Carp Caught in Indiana

Avid fishermen and women in Illinois and Indiana on the lookout for invasive carp species might be able to earn some extra money.

Illinois’ Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering fishermen $100 for every black carp caught in Indiana, according to a web page posted Tuesday from Indiana’s DNR.

Black carp are a breed of fish native to eastern Asia and populated the U.S. in the 1970–1980s.

The fish are a serious threat to the surrounding wildlife in the area, including Indiana’s mussel populations.

WKDO reported that states have been looking to get rid of the invasive carp species after fishermen caught two black carp in the Ohio river ten miles away from the Indiana state line.

Although there are no reports of the carp coming to Indiana’s waters yet, agency officials are working with other state agencies to sweeten the deal for semi-experienced fishers to go after the carp.

Illinois’ DNR recommends that those who do go after the black carp use bowfishing methods to capture them. For the lucky ones who capture the black carp, the agency recommends fishers do three things:

• Keep the fish and make note of its location.
• Cool the fish on ice once you have killed it.
• Call the DNR at 1-866-663-9684 to report the fish.