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A Minute With Mike: Carp Carp Hooray!

Vic Reyes
Credit Vic Reyes

Stateside producer Mike Blank takes another peek into the future to see how Asian carp might change our way of life

Once again it's time to dust off theol’Future-tron2000 and see what might be happening in our state's future.Dateline: Summer, 2050

 

Lake and river towns throughout Michigan are undertaking final preparations for tonight's30thannual Celebration of Carp, or “Carpration” as some Michiganeers fondly refer to it. Since its arrival in the Great Lakes in 2020, the Asian Carp has revolutionized Michigan's industry and diet.

 

The bustling carptopulous of Ludington, once a sleepy lake town, is putting on three straight nights of fireworks to honor the fish that has created thousands of jobs.

 

Not to be outdone, Alpena will attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest carp cake. Nicknamed the Alpena Queen, the carp cake should weigh in at over 400 pounds, easily beating the previous record holder, the 257-pound Harbor Beach Haggie.

 

All across Michigan, folks are prepping for carp tastings, carp bastings, carp frying, carp drying, carp stewing and even some carp glueing.

 

Of course, the exact date of carp entry into the Great Lakes in unknown. However, scientists theorize that the invasive fish bypassed electrical barriers near Chicago waterways by simply being picked up by a bird and then accidentally dropped on the other side.

 

The first large pod of Asian Carp was found in Lake Michigan on July 16,2020, which now, of course, marks the Carpration Celebration.

Copyright 2021 Michigan Radio. To see more, visit Michigan Radio.

Mike Blank is a producer and editor for Stateside. Inspired by a story on a bag of Uncle Ray’s potato chips, Blank created the satire segment “A Minute with Mike” which can be heard on Stateside. A proud U-M drop-out and Summa Cum Laude graduate of Wayne State, Blank first started working in radio in 1998 and has worked at WKHM, WDET, WXYT and WWJ. Blank won the 2012 Michigan Association of Broadcasters “Best Morning Show” award as the lone producer of the Charlie Langton Show. A Michigander since age 2, Blank has resided in Detroit since 2004 where he enjoys walks to Tiger’s games and watching wild pheasants in the vacant lots across the street.