Here's how I see it, nobody's beating up on Drew because he likes carp. What he does that gets a few wound up is constantly shoving the idea that carp are a peaceful sportfish with no negative impacts to native fish or the environment down everyone elses throats.
Carp eat fish eggs, fry, insects, roots, muddy water, kill vegetation and warm water. All of these are facts, and have negative impacts on native fish. Are carp the silver bullet, no. Carp are found as high as big cliff dam, foster dam, and Dexter dam. Salmon and steelhead all spawn in those systems. Now they are in the Rogue. To say carp don't inhabit the same water as salmon and steelhead spawn is ignorant. This is all fact.
The state of Oregon prohibits the importation and release of carp in Oregon waters. That tells me that they realize what a negative impact they have. My opinion is that carp are not the worst factor on native fish, but they are not good. Compared to bass, at least bass are edible, have an economical benefit. Again, this is not to attack drew, as long as he's chasing carp, I don't have to compete with him tuna fishing. Lol. I, like most, have no respect for carp. Most introduced fish however harmful, have value to the overall human population, the same can't be said for carp. Love them or not, you really can't justify the need to have them in Oregon.
