Sounds like you might be near my area, I don't know many places where you can fish striper and black bass. There's a big, deep, salty, cool lake that has just enough saline for the striper to reproduce. And striper is soooo yum!!!

I ususally catch black bass on a plastic worm. The best for me has been Mann's Apple Jelly worms. They smell like apples, but I think it's the color and very soft texture the bass like.

To the UK angler, it sounds so funny to hear about purposely getting carp. Most people here get mad when a carp hits. It's considered the same as getting a snapping turtle, only less dangerous. We don't really think they're good eating. And it seems like they offer no challenge, just throw anything with a hook and you get a carp. Maybe it's a different carp though. The main thing is that we think they have way too many bones to be pleasant eating. I read somewhere that hempseed is an excellent bait for carp. Any experience on this? BTW, sometimes I takes the hulls off a few bagseeds and eat them, wow they are delicious.

As far as hunting, my dad is against it, but he eats meat. I have never understood that viewpoint. Livestock are treated terribly before they get to the refrigerator, on an animal welfare basis I would take venison over beef any day of the week. Plus it tastes sooo freaking delicious. I have never hunted though. I'd like to if I can just get the nerve to actually shoot a mammal. Maybe I should go for quail or doves on my first hunt.