The adverse publicity the carp has received inevitably created myths that have failed to die even to this day. One story that continues to go around is that carp will gorge themselves on the eggs of gamefish thus limiting the numbers of gamefish that will hatch. This has been proven to be false as a study conducted by the New York Conservation Department was not able to find a single egg in the stomach of 600 fish that were analyzed over a five year period. Carp are bottom feeders that root bottom vegetation. Carp will sometimes lie dormant partially or wholly buried in a river or stream bottom during the winter months in a state of hibernation and revive in the spring when water temperature stir the spawning urge.

In the wild, carp will spawn from April to May as soon as water temperatures reach 60 degrees. The male and female will pair up in the shallow and weedy waters and spawn with a great deal of splashing. The small grayish-white eggs are distributed over a large area and will cling to plants and debris where they will remain unguarded. The average female will produce about 150,000 eggs per pound of body weight. Eggs will generally hatch between 4 and 8 days. The fry will sink to the bottom and will grasp the bottom or plant stems. During their second day, fry will struggle to reach the surface to gulp air for their gas bladders. Once this task has been accomplished, they will swim freely using up their yolk sac. Once the yolk sac has been absorbed, the fish will start feeding on algae and plankton. As adults their food will also include, small crustaceans, mollusks, and insect larvae. It’s mouth is designed for sucking food from the bottom.

Young carp grow rapidly and under exceptional conditions can increase their weight by 3 pounds per year. A good average for growth is about a pound per year. The main reason for this rapid growth rate is it’s exceptional conversion of food to body flesh, one of the best in the animal kingdom. A 10 pound carp is a good angling catch with a 20 pound or better fish considered to be a trophy by many. Much larger fish have been taken with the largest rod caught fish weighing 55 pounds. The largest captured carp was caught in a net and weighed 83 pounds. Carp will generally live 20 - 25 years in the wild. Captured fish have lived as long as 47 years. They can tolerate high temperatures, up to 96 degrees for a 24 hour period as well as extremely cold conditions to the point of withstanding temporary freezing. They can utilize atmospheric oxygen and thus be the last to expire in a dying pond.

SELECTIVE BREEDING

The carp offers many advantages to the fish culturist. It has been farmed extensively in Europe since early days. Selective breeding is nearly as old as there are many varieties or strains that exist today. These strains are distinguished by body form and scale patterns. The typical wild carp is 3 times as long as it is deep and fully scaled.

Selective breeding has been performed for many reasons. The Russians have developed a cold-resistant "king" strain for stocking arctic waters while Asians have developed a golden variety for ornamental purposes. Chiefly, however, the carp has been promoted as a cheap source of protein by the United Nation for the underfed populations of the world. From a pond without fertilizer or supplementary foods, 300 pounds of carp per acre is a good yield. With the addition of fertilized, yields can be as much as 3 or 4 times that figure.

ANGLING VALUE

There is constant discussion of the value of carp as a target for anglers. Most fishermen consider the carp to be a challenge and even more so when they are fought in the swift waters of rivers. The carp is a surprisingly hard fighter that can be difficult to hook, presenting many obstacles for the angler to overcome.

Many of the popular baits that are used for catching carp, you would swear came out of a popular cookbook. There is advice on the proper portion of water to flour, methods for kneading, the use of corn, potatoes and even gumdrops and jellybeans. One recipe calls for the angler to put bread in a piece of cloth and soak it. Once it has been soaked, squeeze out the water, and knead the dough, working in cornmeal as you do. Too much cornmeal will cause the dough to be too brittle. Carp can distinguish between salt, sweet, bitter and acid so by adding a bit of sugar or cheese to a dough ball could make the difference in being successful or not. No other binders are required. Just as you think you have mastered the bait making process of carp fishing, it is important to place the dough baits properly on the hook. As the carp will usually pick up the bait, mouth it and spit it out several times to evaluate it’s taste, the dough must completely cover the hook yet not be so large that the carp will have difficulty in taking it.

FOOD VALUE

The carp is a good fish to eat especially when it is properly prepared. The fish should be skinned and the dark meat removed. The dark meat is very tuff and has a strong flavor that is objectionable to many people. Carp is excellent when smoked and the roe is edible and often sold in canned form. Carp flesh is an important ingredient in gefilte fish. Some people like to bake the carp after it has been stuffed with a vegetable stuffing.

Carp are found in the local area in the Merrimack River throughout it’d length, in the Mill Pond in Danvers where they are actively sought after and Leggs Hill Pond where I have seen fish as large as forty pounds. Even with all the special bait that are in use, I have had great luck fishing with night crawlers on the bottom in the Merrimack River.

Give carp fishing a try. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised at the fight they put up as well as the size of the fish you will catch.