‘Spawning’ is the biological term given to the mating of fish, and, more specifically, the fertilisation of their eggs. In England and most of northern Europe, carp will spawn around the end of March or the beginning of April, depending on weather at this time of year. As winter breaks and the water temperature rises, carp will become active and begin to search for food. Once they restore the weight they lost during the inactive winter periods and have higher energy levels, they will immediately start to spawn.
The Process of Carp Spawning
The process of carp spawning is very aggressive and often involves the fish fearlessly thrashing up the water whilst you can stand close, observing them. In particularly difficult waters this maybe the only time of the year you can get up close to them whilst they are in the spawning process.
A lot of disturbance on the surface of the water, caused by many carp moving along side each other, is a good sign that the spawning process has begun; the female carp will be releasing eggs and the male carp will be along side the females releasing sperm directly into the eggs. This fluid is white in colour and is called ‘milt’. The normal place for the fertilisation to happen is in lily pads or other water typical vegetation often alongside the banks of lakes and rivers. The male sperm will only be ‘alive’ for maximum of 60 seconds, so if the released eggs aren’t fertilized in this time they are lost. This is why it’s common to see many carp aggressively swimming side by side to each female. Once the sperm enters the micropyle, the egg absorbs water, enlarges and then becomes sticky. It’s very tricky with carp to know who the biological father is.
At optimum water temperature, between 20-24°C, it takes around 4 days for the egg to enter the fry stage. From this time it takes, on average and in good temperature zones, 2 years for the carp to reach maturity, fighting its way through the elements and evading its predators, which can even include other, larger carp, in its environment.
Carp Spawning & The Closed Season in England
Important factors of the carp spawning process include light levels, water temperature, food sources and the oxygenation of the water. If the spring weather is unusually cold and wet then it’s common for carp and other species to spawn when the hot, sunny days finally arrive, which can be as late as May or June. In extreme weather cases carp can spawn more than once a year.
This is one of the main reasons why a lot of English waters operate a closed-season; so the fish can mate without danger of being caught by anglers during the its mating period. Serious carp anglers sometimes actively fish for ‘spawned up’ carp, as the female carp will be at their heaviest weights when they are carrying large amounts of eggs. These catches can often set the new season lake record.
The term ‘spawned out’ refers to a landed carp which has finished its mating process and has ejected all its eggs, resulting in a loss of relative weight. In fact, this ‘spawned out’ effect can be visible when handling the fish, just like after a woman has given birth.
When to Fish For Carp
Though it’s not advisable on some waters, it is possible to catch carp whilst they are spawning. But it’s hard. The odd one or two will be out of energy after all the effort and energy they’ve used, and they will be actively looking for food. The best times to fish are just before spawning. If you catch a carp during this period, try to use careful handling and return the caught carp to the water quickly. Never sack them up. Most serious carp anglers that are will only observe the carp when spawning, as it’s the simplest way of spotting the target fish for the season to come. Once the spawning process is finished it is prime time to haul in a lot of hungry fish without fear of causing any danger to them.