The Redneck Fishing Tournament is an annual event held on a channel of the
Illinois River
The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the D ...
near the community of
Bath, Illinois
Bath is a village in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 310 at the 2000 census.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Bath has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 310 people, 1 ...
.
The event is typically held during the first weekend in August and is specifically intended to decrease the population of
silver carp, a species of
Asian carp, in the river.
The fish is an
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
in the midwestern
United States and has become a nuisance in various waterways over the last twenty years, competing for food with native fish.
The fish can weigh around , and their flesh is typically more bony than those fish species that are usually consumed by the average American. Their size is of particular note, because the fish respond to vibrations from motors as boats move through water by jumping out of the water, potentially hitting and injuring boaters.
History
Silver carp were among several species imported to the United States, notably to Arkansas, in the 1970s as a way to reduce
algae
Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...
in commercial fishing ponds. Flooding events along the
Mississippi River and its tributaries during the 1980s are commonly considered to have been what allowed the fish to escape those commercial ponds and make their way into rivers, other ponds, and lakes.
The first officially recognized event was held in 2005 and attracted an estimated two hundred participants. Media attention grew, bringing in more participants the following year. Participants in the tournament have come from as far away as Europe and Asia. Participants in the tournament board boats and travel the river for two hours at a time,
using various types of
fishing nets to catch the fish as they jump out of the water. No
fishing poles are allowed in the tournament, and releasing any fish that are caught back into the river is prohibited. The fish that are caught during the tournament are used for various purposes ranging from scientific research to ingredients in
fertilizer and
cat food, to, in some cases, human consumption.
The 2018 tournament resulted in over 5,300 fish being removed from the river, while previous tournaments have caught as many as 10,600.
In recent years, proceeds from the event have been donated to charities in the area.
Because of flooding & the
COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was on hiatus until 2021.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
Fishing tournaments
Annual sporting events in the United States
Annual events in Illinois