Regan Gotch is Mypolonga Carp Mania’s first champion fisher

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There are a few hundred less carp in the River Murray this week, thanks to the fishers who took part in the inaugural Mypolonga Carp Mania.

Several hundred people congregated at Woodlane on Sunday for the judging of the event, a first for the Lower Murray in many years.

Local cricketer Regan Gotch took home the day’s biggest honour by reeling in the heaviest fish: a 6.072-kilogram whopper.

He caught it while on a boat near the Toora pump station, using nothing more unusual than corn for bait.

Not a bad way to make $500.

“It was a bit of fun,” he said with a shrug.

Other winners on the day included:

• Open (on land): On land – Dennis Gao, 4.748kg
• Under 16 (on water): Crystal McDonald, 1.386kg
• Under 16 (on land): Alexis Schutz, 3.764kg
• Under 10 (on water): Max Bailey, 3.542kg
• Under 10 (on land): Piper Schutz, 3.862kg
• Biggest native fish: Ron Bloomfield, 47.5 centimetres

Open prize winners took home $500 each, under-16s got $300, under-10s got $100 and $200 worth of fishing gear, while Mr Bloomfield snagged $250.

Deputy Mayor Andrew Baltensperger, who first floated the idea of a competition a year ago and presented the prizes on Sunday, said the event had surpassed all his expectations.

“There’s so much smiling, so much laughter, so much enthusiasm,” he said.

“Hopefully it spreads the environmental message, too, about these rodents of the river, these piscatorial pests.”

Organising committee member Malcolm Butler said the event had turned out 10 times better than what he had imagined.

“We’re over the moon with this turnout … and it’s good to see so many kids and families,” he said.

Mypolonga Progress Association’s Paul Prosser expressed his gratitude towards everyone who had helped out, from committee members to food vendors, sponsors and local band Woolshed Road, and to the state government and Murray Bridge council for their contributions.

Would the competition return next year?

That would depend on whether more hands were willing to join the progress association and pitch in to make it happen, he said.

“We’ll have to have a meeting and see what everybody says,” he said.

“But we hope to be back.”

What will happen to all the carp caught on Sunday?

Most of the carp caught during the competition were put in a truck, to be hauled away and turned into compost.

But some were taken aside by Ben Chapman and Bridie Armour, an enterprising couple from Adelaide who had another use in mind.

Their start-up, Pets for Plant, turns the pest fish into dog treats.

“We catch or get our carp, mince them and dehydrate them … and sell them at cafes and online,” Ms Armour said.

“We’re trying to get the taboo around eating carp out of Australian culture.

“Dogs seem to love them, anyway.”

It was strange that Australians seemed to have such prejudice against eating river fish, Mr Chapman said – perhaps because some of the world’s tastiest saltwater fish swam on our doorstep – but “it’s a pest, so we might as well utilise it”.

Carp are an introduced species to the River Murray, and crowd native fish out of the ecosystem while stirring up mud with their bottom-feeding habits.

Their density is highest between Lock One and the Murray Mouth, with up to 400 kilograms of fish per hectare – that would mean about one carp in every 10-metre square of water.

The federal government has considered releasing a deadly virus to get rid of them all, but leading chefs have suggested we should eat them instead.

• Join Mypolonga Progress Association: Contact Steve Hein on 0407 769 250 or attend a meeting at 7pm on the first Tuesday of the month at Mypolonga RSL.
• More information about Pets for Planet: Visit petsforplanet.square.site or search for Pets for Planet on Facebook or Instagram.
• Read more: National Carp Control Plan released, but questions remain
• Read more: All-star chef Mark Best returns to his Murray Bridge roots