Carp Effect On Bass Bite?

[WRB]

My first hand experience with carp population explosion was at Big Besr lake located in the SoCal mountains.

Big Bear was named for the bear population in the early 1800's, the lake was small created behind a Indian dam they built who know's when? The Indian dam was a simple Birmingham or mound of dirt about 3-4' high located about 1/2 east of windy point, creating a lake about 2 miles long.

Back in the mid 1850's fox farmers planted carp into the small lake for fox food, the carp thrived, the fox farms became bigger. The bear population also grew feeding on carp the farmers left laying around after netting them and became a problem for everyone including cattle ranchers. The cattle ranchers blamed the Indians for cattle kills and whipped out the local Indian population. Gold was discovered near Big Bear at Holcome valley and population of people exploded. Ranchers and orange orchard famers decided to build a new dam in 1890 increasing the lake to over 7 miles long . The carp had a new home. Rainbow and brown trout were planted along with bluegill, crappie and bass. Resorts opened up, the fishing was great until the carp population already establish over populated the lake, something had to be done!

1957 when I was working on a boat landing on Big Bear lake, the DFG poisioned the lake to kill all the fish to end the carp problem and it worked.

To answer the question, have I ever watch carp wipe out bass spawning beds; yes, many times. A school of big 20 lb carp work their way across a spawning flat, the next day there are few bass left guarding nest sites. However after a few weeks, the bass return and usually spawn agian, that is how nature works if there is a balance in populations.

Tom

[scaleface]

I didnt know carp were responsible for wiping out Indian tribes .

[Sea NaCl]

I have a few large grass carp in my pond that feed off the weeds on the surface. The bluegills and bass like to eat all of the small craws and baitfish that the carp knock out of the weeds. So I'm guessing that you could catch a few fish if you throw the right bait near a carp that is feeding.

[WRB]

I didnt know carp were responsible for wiping out Indian tribes .

Now you know!

Tom

[papajoe222]

White man known by many names. Chief Long in the Nose never hear this one.

[WRB]

White man known by many names. Chief Long in the Nose never hear this one.

Lucerne Valley, dead mans point, was the location where the ranchers caught up with the Indians....do your research Chief Lng in the Nose.

Ironically the local Big Bear citizens are trying to save some carp near Standfields cut-off as the lake recedes from the current drought...let the carp die, remember the Indians.

Tom

[LuckyGia]

When I see carp, I move.

[Ozark_Basser]

All I know is that the bite has slowed way down for me in my pond. Carp are everywhere right now also.

[BASSPATROL247]

I know that this is a bass forum, but if I have a situation where that many carp are actively feeding, I'd be targeting the carp. They fight much harder than bass and are usually much bigger. It is not uncommon to see 20+ pound carp. Imagine the fun in fighting those fish!

X2 i fish them once in a while, they are a blast and fight like a freight train!! Now about carp affecting the bass bite, carp are spawning here now and for me that means any shallow(5ft and less) coves that taper off slowly to deeper water do not get fished, ive never been able to catch bass in that scenario but if its shallow with a drop off close by i will fish the edge of where the carp are spawning, i beleive the bass sit right inside the muddy water stirred up by the carp to ambush prey...

[jitterbug127]

At one of my local lakes the carp have all but eliminated the bass population, reel in carp all day. 10 hours might lead to a bass or two

[Preytorien]

Many times in our area local nieghborhoods, they'll install triploid carp as a grass/weed management solution. It doesn't matter what DNR booklets say or pond management guys, I've never seen a pond with carp introduced that sustained its fishing quality. It always goes downhill. Like Tom said, they roam through bass beds and wipe them out, however I almost never see them come back and spawn again. It ruins their spawn. I can think of 3 large ponds they did this to, and within about 2-3 years the fishing is downright awful. I know they say they don't compete for the same sources, but when the carp eat the cover the bass/bluegill use to protect their young, and then mess up spawning beds too, the fishing quality is going to start suffering. A couple places' HOA's have realized that the water is extremely muddy after about a year too. There are no plants and small fry to keep algae and silt in check. So now they've got muddy ponds with virtually no fishability.....they had to drain them to kill the carp (and all the other fish too), then install diffusing stations every 200 feet or so to help with algae blooms. It was an expensive lesson to learn to quit putting carp in ponds. Carp aren't native, so they won't easily fit in with other species without unbalancing something somewhere. 

[BASSPATROL247]

Good tip . I need to remember that one .

Good tip . I need to remember that one .

When the carp are spawning, which follows shortly after the bass and before the bluegill, I avoid the immediate area as I've never done much good close to all their commotion. Their ritual is a good indicator to me that the female bass have moved off the nests and that's when I begin fishing deeper areas.

The bluegills spawn right after the bass and theres usually a few bass spawning still when the gills move up and start to spawn, bluegills are almost all done romancing and the carp have been at it for a about two weeks now here in east central nebraska. Once carp get into a lake the vegitation starts disappearing wich affects all species and they grow fast and eat alot!! Only thing carp are good for is cutbait and a very good fight after wich when they lose they become cutbait ha ha ha... 110% bad for any gamefish species ie..bass,crappie,walleye etc... trouble here is when they impound a new flood control resivoir they usually put a no live bait regulation so they dont go from a minnow bucket to the lake, even if they dont get in that way all it takes is a pond or one of the creeks to flood and they find their way in the lake. If you fish lakes with live bait allowed and have no carp never never ever dump ur minnows in the lake when done, i ised to when i was young and dumm thinking i was helping the fish by feeding them when i was probably putting carp and god knows what else in the lake. All the lakes here have had carp since ive been alive except for a few but theyll end up in there eventually from high water periods ot an uneducated angler that dont know better...

[CeeJay]

The bluegills spawn right after the bass and theres usually a few bass spawning still when the gills move up and start to spawn, bluegills are almost all done romancing and the carp have been at it for a about two weeks now here in east central nebraska. Once carp get into a lake the vegitation starts disappearing wich affects all species and they grow fast and eat alot!! Only thing carp are good for is cutbait and a very good fight after wich when they lose they become cutbait ha ha ha... 110% bad for any gamefish species ie..bass,crappie,walleye etc... trouble here is when they impound a new flood control resivoir they usually put a no live bait regulation so they dont go from a minnow bucket to the lake, even if they dont get in that way all it takes is a pond or one of the creeks to flood and they find their way in the lake. If you fish lakes with live bait allowed and have no carp never never ever dump ur minnows in the lake when done, i ised to when i was young and dumm thinking i was helping the fish by feeding them when i was probably putting carp and god knows what else in the lake. All the lakes here have had carp since ive been alive except for a few but theyll end up in there eventually from high water periods ot an uneducated angler that dont know better...

 

I respectfully disagree  

A few of us anglers, though not many, have tremendous respect for the common carp as American sport fish.  Carp fishing is just about fun, just like bass fishing, crappie fishing, catfishing etc. 

Whether we like it or not common carp have been here since the 1800's and are now very much a part of American rivers, lakes and ponds.  Coexisting with all the rest of our favorite sport fish.

Fighting and landing a 20 pounder is still the highlight of my angling adventures to this day. 

But it's all good and I have no problem with differing opinions on them. 

[BASSPATROL247]

Oh i agree!! On them being very fun to catch and are every bit if not more challenging than most.

species.. but they do alot of things that are not good for othef fish, more so than another species do to another..i still take a can of corn out sometimes and fish for them, wether i need cutbait or not...

[MassBass]

Asian carp were widespread in Europe as early as 530 B.C.

[Flippin4Biggins]

I agree I can't catch a d**n thing with carp spawning in the area in fishing

[yugrac]

I picked a LMB up out of an area with about 20 carp holding near a shoreline, I cast into the fish, not knowing for sure what they were and picked up a decent bass, after closer inspection discovered all the other fish were carp.

[ww2farmer]

Carp flopping around in the shallows = Bass in the boat............I like them up there splashing around and making the water dirty. What is highly undesirable is just cruising carp in ultra shallow, ultra clear water, they are scared of their own shadow, and take off like rockets alerting every fish within miles of you. A highly trained set of senses like I have LOL...........can actually smell carp in the area before I see them.............I'm not kidding either.

[bigbill]

Carp isn't my problem it's snapping turtles. When they come around the bass bite is done.

[Adleyfishes]

Something like that happens where I fish what is the science behind this?

[Ginosocalbass]

If you understand what a carp is... You'll understand the impact on the fishery itself.... A carp is a fish that grows to massive sizes in relatively short time... They have an incredibly high motabulism, they feed on anything and everything. Carp are never "not feeding". It's a giant pucker mouth vacuum cleaner with fins and goofy eyes.

Like a lot of guys here, carp being around has made fishing interesting... I have done well in areas were big carp are spawning, or were they are hanging out. But the effect they have on the health of a small lake or pond can be devastating.

That being said. Don't kill every carp you see... Carp Babies are great bass food. Treat the fish with respect and let the biologist and experts handle the management.

[Scorchx1245]

Hate carp.....I love seeing them swim under the boat with down scan.....one or I snag one with 6lbs test throwing a super light rapala balsa.......snap.