Fighting "Flying" Fish on the Illinois River
The Army Corps of Engineers reported last week that the vicious Asian Silver Carp seems to have eluded an electronic barrier on the Illinois River and may have reached Lake Michigan.
While the Army may find the carp fight daunting, one civilian angler thinks he's found the answer. CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports when outsdoorsman Chris Brackett sets out on a fishing trip, he comes armed for combat.
"Let the battle begin," he says.
The river looks deceptively calm but one-by-one, then two by two, the enemy makes himself known.
The Asian Silver Carp is the scourge of the Illinois River but a star on YouTube. Imported to keep fish farms algae-free, the carp escaped during Midwest floods and now dominates many waterways.
Vibrations from outboard motors scare the carp, setting off their notorious and frenzied flight.
"It was one of them deals where a redneck says, 'Watch this!'" says Brackett.
Like any good river rat, Brackett saw an opportunity.
"I hit the first fish and I knew immediately that it was going to be something cool," he says.
After he nails one: "Extreme aerial bowfishing!"
A sport was born. It sometimes looks like an arcade game but instead of Whack-a-Mole it's Dart-a-Carp. But here, the fish fight back.
What began as a goof among friends is now a thriving charter business.
"Ain't nothing better!" says sportsman Sam Wise.
Country music star Craig Morgan, who also hosts a hunting and fishing show on the Outdoor Channel, saw "Brackett's Racket" online but was unconvinced.
"Everybody said this was pretty intense but I jumped out of planes and rode dirt bikes for fun. I mean after all, it's just fish."
But what fish! You'd have to call this a target-rich environment. It's hard to say whether Morgan had more fun as the hunter or as the hunted.
Shooting fish in a barrel? Maybe. But it does take patience and steady aim. Quick reflexes help too. Beware: Brackett says the Silver Carp is cross-breeding with its heftier cousin the Big Head Carp. Next year could be the season of 50 to 60 pounders.
"Killer fish man, killer fish," says Brackett. "We're gonna need bigger cages."
