Grass carp skin-a-long

[Timo]

Bowfishin season is almost here,no reason why you shouldn't save the skins a use them on your next bow. For those who have access to grass carp,and are fortunate enough to bring some home, I put this lil picture thingy together to give ya some insight as to how I do it.  Not that this is the best or the only way,just the way I’ve learned after doing close to 50 fish.

First ya gotta start with one of these



And get ya a few tools of the trade together.



I use and old butter knife with small serrations along the tip for scaleing  the fish and later for fleshing.When  scaleing try not to get to aggressive at removing the scales for it can tear the epithelial layer,(The skin flap that holds the scales in place) I call it the scale flap. This is what makes the pattern so desirable.



As you can see from the pic,right after scaleing,shows the skin perty ugly.But when you lay down the scale flaps,it comes to life.





The best pattern usually lays along the vertical line of the fish  and below. It is good on the upper side near the back, but will be darker.I make a  full length cut on the lower 1/3 of the fish right as the main pattern stops,everything below is white in color and not much use. Being sure to run the blade all the way out to the tail. Then a cut along  the center line of the back,around the dosal  fin and down past the tail as in the belly cut. Be sure that you make clean cuts cause any hangs ups will make you upset later. Cut along the gill plate and you are ready to remove the skin.







Grab hole with your pliers and start working the skin down towards the tail, Keep your pull low to the fish and pull straight,this is where you need to be sure that your cuts are clean, as any hang ups can cause you to tear the skin.



Sometimes you have to do some knife work around the tail area to get it to let go, be careful here.

 

Lay the scale side down and with the butter knife, start fleshing the skin,takes a bit of elbow grease here, but make sure to remove all that you can,meat,fat and  oil pockets.Oil pockets lay just behind the gill plates and near the tail,you’ll see them. Be sure and remove all that you can here, for they will rear their ugly head in  when they dry on your bow.



This is what a skins looks like after fleshing.Amazing how much longer it is than the one that is un fleshed?



I then use a stiff scrub brush and Dawn dish soap to help break down the oils in the skins.It works better than anything I have found to date. Give it a good scrubbing,rinse, wash again and rinse.



A good pair to skins ready for a bow. If you freeze the skins,be sure a label for length and pattern. 



                              

[david w.]

Awesome! Those would look great!

[DanaM]

Good How To Tim Thanks eh

[Pat B]

Nice skin-along Tim. Looking forward to seeing your process of skinning the bow.

[redwasp]

very nice, I don't know if we have grass carp in NE PA but will be on the lookout. nice pics

[david w.]

Did you shoot that fish?  I never thought grass carp would hit bait.

[JackCrafty]

Great information!  Thanks Timo!

[Timo]

They hit bait on occasion, My brother caught a monster just the other day on a catfish rod.

Shoot most of them though. Truman lake is full  of them and I hunt whem with a passion. We also gig several.

Pat, If I ever get another bow done,I may lay some on it.I'll take a few pics.

[Ryano]

Timo, I think I can smell that stinky carp from here....We just have comon carp here, I tried saving the skins off one of them once but ended up throwing them out. They dont look nearly as nice as the grass carp anyways. I do have some northern pike skins in my freezer I'm thinking of trying out.

[El Destructo]

You don't want Grass Carp either...they will eat and reproduce till there is no more vegetation in a Lake or Waterway....that will support their lives and the life of other species....they are one menacing invasive species....here in Texas they are Illegal to own...or sell...the only people that can have them are land Owners that have large Ponds that are overrun with Algae and Plant Life....and then they can only have the Sterile  Fish....not able to lay or fertilize eggs....because they lay eggs like a Sturgeon...by the 10's of thousands....and Once young grass carp reach approximately three inches in length.... they become nearly 100% herbivorous..... Their feeding habits make them ideal as vegetation control agents.... as they are capable of consuming 40% to 300% of their body weight per day in plant material....but once the Material is gone...if they can ....they move on to destroy other waterways....but if contained in a single Pond...they will eat themselves into starvation....We have Common Carp in Lake Meridith so heavy that in the Harbor at the Marina....if you throw a bag of Popcorn out.....the Carp litterally 100's...climb on top of the backs of one another....and they water seems to disappear under thm....and the sickening sucking sound that emitted....is really eerie!!

[Timo]

Ryan, I've tried just about every native fish we have and nothing comes close to the grass carp for pattern. The good thing about them is their length. Most common carp grow big but stay stubby in length.

The smell goes awey after you get a good finish one them..

I would really like to get my hand on some peacock bass. Everytime I see them on tv It makes my mouth water.


El destructo, I think you are talking about "big head carp" maybe? They are very evasive, and illegal to own.

Grass carp are hybrids, so (the most of them) are sterile. I have only found eggs in one fish over a period of 10 years now. They are used for vegitation control, in ponds and private waters, you can buy them at will every spring around here.

[El Destructo]

Grass Carp aren't all Hybrids....they have a Hybrid Strain that is Man-Made.....Thats the only kind you can have here in Texas... Sterile ones...but there have been two isolated cases of true Grass Carp getting into Ponds on Private Land here...and totally taking over...eating and breeding till they starved themselves to death....the PWS said that if these Fish would have had a way to the Canadian River....they would have spread havoc all the way through the water system....they aren't as bad as the Big Head...I know I have seen first hand what they are doing to the Waterways right now ,,,,and they are heading for Lake Michigan....and Scientists say if they get in the Great Lakes....they will never be stopped....at least Grass Carp are supposed to be a good eating Fish....I have never eaten on though.....cant get passed the Name!!! But they aren't a True Carp....no Barbells or Sucker Mouth.....enough of that....let see some on a Bow Timo....I bet they look good....I am still waiting for some skins to come my way from Oregon one day......

Also Timo....have you ever tried King Slamon?? I had some big Skins last Year when I went on a Fishing Trip back Home....and I didnt even think of saving them....and they were all big enough to back a Bow with too....what a moron!!!

[0209]

Will this work with any other fish skins also?  Just descale it, skin it, and clean it with dish soap?  If so that's cool.  Anyways, thanks for an awesome build-along.  Really informative and the steps are very clear.  Like the pics too. 
Ian Mittelberg

[Timo]

I usually can them and then make fish cakes from them. Very good eating!

I'll have to hunt up some pics of the skins on a bow.I plan on doing a skin along later.

I've heard that king salmon will work, I've never seen them on a bow though. And yes you area moron. 

0209, I imagine that any fish would work. As I stated, I've tried lots of different types that are native to my area, and all come out about the same,other than patterns.

[DanaM]

Mike I will be hanging around the fish cleaning station this fall, going to get some salmon and brown trout skins
Got 2 brown trout skins last year just used one on a top secret project all I can say is leave the scales on their
really stuck to the fish and very small so won't hurt anything. And anyone that thinks a fish skin won't add integrity to
a bows back is nuts, the brown trout skin was like thin rawhide