Please don't take this personally... just my opinion... I have too many of them for my own good.
:grinyes::grinyes::grinyes::grinyes::grinyes:
So do I deadxero!
A couple of items to note:
Along about the time my grandparents were starving as share croppers and were moving to San Angelo the boys in Austin came up with the brilliant idea of poisoning the carp.
When the "Austin boys" finished poisoning the holes near my grandparents house a few carp were floating, a ton of channel cat and perch were floating and all the red fin minnows were floating.
(I mentioned them in my previous post as they apparently were the staple diet for the other fish as my Daddy and Granddaddy would bait their trot line hooks with them in order to catch channel and yellow cat).
Carp meat can be eaten and is fairly good but the process involves cutting "fillets" along the ribs, soaking the fillets in Balsamic Vinegar and various spices for several days in the refrigerator and serving cold. (The small bones are still there but have "pretty much been dissolved by the Vinegar).
Having said that the Carp meat is "nowhere and I really mean nowhere" close to the "yum yum" of battered and deep fried fillets cut off a 60 pound yellow cat.
I agree that eradication of Carp in West Texas is not possible but I disagree in that reducing their density is possible.
Virtually everyone who catches a carp severes it's neck and tosses it on the bank for the Coons' midnight snack.
In addition the induction of blue cats from the Pecos River to West Texas has helped in controlling Carp populations.
The largest blue cat which I have ever caught was approximately 12 pounds and I caught him on a hook baited with a one pound carp.
The largest yellow cat which I have ever caught was 60 pounds and I caught him on a hook baited with a three pound carp.
I know that I have had a ton of verbal diarrhea here but hopefully I have provided some insight.
TR
One last item:
Please note that the introduction of alligator gar from the Rio Grandee River has, IMHO, also significantly helped to reduce the Carp population.