Asian Carp Leaping onto Boats Are Like 'Getting Hit with a Brick'

Asian carp, a species of fish not native to the U.S. that can grow to as much as 100 pounds, have been jumping out of the Illinois River and into passing boats.

"It's like somebody set off an explosion under water. They're just everywhere. These fish are probably the equivalent of getting hit in the head with probably a brick or a bowling ball," fisherman Zach Nayden told CNN affiliate WHOI-TV.

The carp have become an invasive species after being brought to America in the 1970s to clean up fresh water. Breeding in the long Illinois River, the fish are leaping onto boats by the dozens and becoming easy prey for fishermen.

"We troll through it at a certain speed to get them agitated and jump and guys just let the arrow fly," Nayden explained to WHOI-TV.

The fisherman can capture 20 fish on a regular trip and has caught as many as 180 in an especially high-volume day. The market for the fish has been growing and isn't yet regulated.

"I'm hoping I get to do this for many years to come. It's definitely a great way to spend a summer. If there's some industry surrounding this it would be great," Nayden told WHOI-TV.

Officials have been seeking ways to keep the invasive carp population under control, the Associated Press reported.

For Indiana, a lack of dams on the Wabash River has kept the current strong and steady, an unfriendly environment for carp, which breed in rivers and then prefer to live in smooth lake waters.

"The way our rivers are is a blessing," Keller told the Journal & Courier. "I just don't think we're going to see the population like these dammed-up rivers."

Despite the respite provided by 400 miles of flowing water, Indiana officials are still looking for other ways to keep the carp population at bay, including a virus or bacteria lethal only to the Asian fish.