Missouri
Missouri Angler Lands Monster Invasive Carp, Buries It
When George Chance caught a potential world-record fish in March, he didn’t do a lot of celebrating.
It wasn’t like he caught a highly sought-after bass, crappie or catfish. Instead, he landed a 97-pound bighead carp, an invasive species that is scorned by fisheries biologists in Missouri and surrounding states.
Yes, it was a gigantic catch, the biggest freshwater fish Chance had ever reeled in. But instead of rushing to the taxidermist, Chance buried his fish in his garden to serve as fertilizer.
“I didn’t want that big ugly thing hanging on my wall,” said Chance, 78, who was fishing in a slough off the Mississippi River near his hometown of Festus, Missouri. “I’ve already planted a couple of rows of tomatoes over the spot where I buried it.”
Chance won’t forget the fight the giant fish put up. He was casting for big flathead catfish when the carp hit the crankbait he was retrieving.
“I caught flatheads weighing 45 and 35 pounds three days before that,” Chance said. “I thought I had another one.”
Instead, he had one of the rough fish Midwest fisheries biologists label Public Enemy No. 1 — an invasive carp.
Four species go under that heading — silver, bighead, black and grass.
All made their way from Asia into Midwestern rivers after being inadvertently released from aquaculture operations. Some of those fish farms raised the carp for fish food, fish oil, fertilizer or even human consumption.
The carp made their way into major riverways during floods. And it was like Frankenstein had been released.
The invasives thrived in their new home, overpopulating rivers such as the Mississippi and the Missouri. By the early 2000s, it was obvious that Missouri, Kansas and surrounding states had a problem.
That problem has only gotten worse with time.
“Silver carp are highly, highly abundant in just about every river they get into,” said Joe McMullen, big river specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation. “They’re a real threat to our native species.”
How? The invasive carp are filter feeders, meaning they feed heavily on plankton. The fry of native species also rely on plankton, meaning they compete for the same food source. Adult species such as paddlefish, buffalo and gizzard shad also rely on plankton.
Simply put, there are concerns that the invasive carp will take up too much biomass. That is especially a concern if the invasive fish get into smaller bodies of water.
Jumping Fish
If you doubt the silver carp’s abundance, try running your boat through a side channel off of the Missouri or Mississippi rivers.
Dozens of startled fish jump out of the water, like kernels of popcorn in a pan.
“They spook very easily,” said Kasey Whiteman, a fisheries researcher for the Missouri Department of Conservation. “Because they’re filter feeders, they look for that warm, slower-moving water.
“They can gather in those areas in impressive numbers.”
The silver carp brings a new mean to the fisherman’s saying, “They were jumping into the boat.”
A Plague on Missouri Waterways
Anglers have been injured when they have been clobbered by the flying fish. Reports of anglers being knocked out or absorbing blows to the chest or legs aren’t uncommon.
Silver carp are by far the most abundant of the invasive species. They don’t grow nearly as large as the bighead or grass carp. But there is strength in numbers.
Massive schools of two- to five-pound fish have been reported in the major river systems. As for size, there are exceptions to the rule.
Whiteman remembers sampling one silver carp that weighed almost 60 pounds.
“It had a head as big as a football helmet,” he said.
Culling the Herd
Fisheries officials have declared war on the invasive species.
Large-scale programs in which state and federal agencies collaborate to remove large numbers of carp have found success.
Last October, the Missouri Department of Conservation joined with Illinois and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide more financial incentives to commercial fishermen to harvest the invasive carp and get them out of the Mississippi River.
A staggering 1 million pounds of carp, mostly silvers, have been harvested in that short amount of time.
“If we can make harvesting of these invasive carp economically viable for commercial fishermen, maybe we can make a dent in populations,” McMullen said.
Other removal projects have also found success. Whiteman led a program to reduce populations of silver carp in the Grand River near where it joins the Missouri River.
Research showed that silver carp were abundant in the Missouri River, but they were hard to target because of the river’s size. So, Whiteman and his crew shifted their attention to the lower six miles of the Grand, which also had a sizeable population of the invasive species.
They closed part of the Grand by putting large nets at both ends of the six-mile stretch and went to work removing the invasive carp.
In September 2022, the Department of Conservation got 25,000 pounds of mostly silver carp out of the river. The crew returned to the same stretch a year later and collected 36,000 pounds.
“We tested for density a week before our removal effort and a week after and we found that the population was significantly lower,” Whiteman said.
“That gives us hope that in these small specific areas we can reduce the population of invasive carp that live there.”
A Tough Battle
Still, containing the invasive carp isn’t easy.
Recreational fishermen aren’t much help. Because the invasive carp feed mostly on plankton, they rarely strike on traditional bait.
Though Chance caught his fish in the lip, fisheries biologists say that seldom happens. They urge anglers not to throw the invasive carp back when they catch one.
They even have programs to show how to clean and prepare the carp for the dinner table.
Meanwhile, officials continue to search for ways to give the carp value and incentivize their removal.
“I think we are making some progress,” McMullen said. “But there’s still a long way to go.”
Brent Frazee is an award-winning writer who freelances for magazines, newspapers and websites. He lives in Parkville with his wife Jana and his two yellow labs, Millie and Maggie.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 25, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 25 drawing
07-21-55-56-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 25 drawing
Midday: 3-2-0
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 0-0-5
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 25 drawing
Midday: 2-6-3-9
Midday Wild: 4
Evening: 9-5-6-8
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 25 drawing
Early Bird: 07
Morning: 09
Matinee: 04
Prime Time: 14
Night Owl: 07
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 25 drawing
12-14-22-26-28
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 25 drawing
35-38-41-43-62, Powerball: 08
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Dozens of dispensaries have been ordered to close after Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said they are selling without licenses.
The AG’s office sent cease-and-desist letters to 33 dispensaries. Of those, 13 are in the Kansas City area, according to information provided by the state.
Each location is accused of selling cannabis or marijuana products without a state license, or selling other products deceptively marketed as marijuana, according to Hanaway.
Hanaway’s office also said testing found some products contained things such as lead, arsenic, and ethanol. They also used deceptive labeling and packaging, including designs that may target children, according to a news release.
Here are the locations named by the AG’s office:
- Big Chiefs Kush Waldo (Kansas City)
- Dr. Smoke (Kansas City)
- It’s A Dream (Kansas City)
- KC Kush (Kansas City)
- Main Smoke Shop KC (Kansas City)
- Mr. Niceguy (Kansas City)
- Prohibition Cannabis (Kansas City)
- Center Smoke Shop (Independence)
- Gray Area Cannabis (Independence)
- Herb Depot (Independence)
- Sacred Leaf (Independence)
- Super E Cig Smoke Shop (St. Joseph)
- Vapor Maven (Cameron)
The letters demand each of the above the businesses stop selling the products in question.
The full letter sent to the businesses is below.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Missouri
Missouri Senate committee hears bill on private school bathroom policies for transgender students
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – Missouri lawmakers are once again debating restrictions involving transgender students.
A Missouri Senate committee heard testimony on a bill that would allow private schools to enforce bathroom and locker room policies based on gender assigned at birth on Tuesday morning. Senate Bill 1558 would prevent cities, counties, or other local municipalities from adopting ordinances that would force a private school to change its bathroom policy, and defend private schools from lawsuits about bathroom use with state funds.
The bill was introduced following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that students can use the bathroom that matches their preferred gender. Republican lawmakers want to keep that ruling from applying to private schools in Missouri.
Senate Education Chairman, Republican Sen. Rick Brattin, defended the legislation during the committee hearing.
“I think this is common sense, and it’s unfortunate we have to actually pass legislation like this,” Brattin said. “Now all of a sudden it’s like, we’ve created this social contagion that no one knows what sex they are or that it’s a ‘construct’, but society for all of human history has been male and female.”
Guillermo Villa-Trueba, PhD, a lobbyist for the Missouri Catholic Conference, testified in support of the bill on behalf of religious private schools.
“It’s very helpful for Catholic schools and private religious schools in general so we can enact policies that align with our religious beliefs and with biology,” Villa-Trueba said.
Democratic State Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern said the legislature spends too much time on bathroom-related legislation.
“Here in the education committee, we have spent a tremendous amount of time talking about these issues,” Nurrenbern said. “And I can say in the last six years working in the education committees, both in the House and Senate, I am tired of talking about bathrooms, and I wish we could spend a heck of a lot more time talking about classrooms.”
Samantha Jones, a Missourian who testified against the bill, said the measure is based on incorrect assumptions. Jones drew on her own experiences as an intersex person.
“It is an incorrect assumption that gender is rigidly binary and that sex is as well,” Jones said. “Attacking the transgender and nonbinary and intersex community is an unnecessary waste of time, tax dollars and other state resources.”
The bill is one of 52 measures dealing with transgender issues being considered by Missouri lawmakers. Missouri currently has no statewide regulations on which bathrooms transgender people can use in public. Twenty-one other states, including Kansas, have some kind of regulation in place.
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.
Copyright 2026 KY3. All rights reserved.
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