when do carp start running?

[Ryan_V]

I jog by the creek I shot carp in. Have not seen any activity yet. When will you normally see them at various locations...lakes, then rivers, then creeks...? What triggers the run, water temp, daylight, etc? Can't wait for the 26th!

[Stick500]

picture hosting

"Who wants to know?"

hopefully someone smarter than me can give you a better answer

I imagine it's a combination of water temp and day length that gets them going, but it's hard to predict ahead of time

hopefully we'll see some reports from others in this forum when they see some action in the various waters

one thing I do know is that you'll see the buffalo spawning before common carp

another thing I've noticed when the spawn hits full swing is that a marsh by a river can be totally on fire one day and the next day it'll be empty! weird....

I can't wait for the 26th too!!

[jentz]

Different types of winters play a large part of the carp run.The last 2 winters were cold and the run in my area was starting around the end of April.The winters of 2008-09 were warmer and the run was ending just as archery was opening May 1st.

[Neighbor_guy]

Common carp spawn at 65deg water temp. Because many parts if a body of water may hit that magic number at different times you could have a spawn in one area but not another and then have the opposite another day. Middle of a weedy patch of curly tail that gets warmed by the sun in a calm day can trigger them, or the north shoreline along a cattail bank, you never really know.

The same with river flood water. Once it starts to warm up you will find fish pushing wakes through the shallow areas looking for warmer water. That's why you see the big females being pushed by smaller males, they are trying to herd her toward warmer calmer waters.

That's also why you will see fish in the flood one day and gone the next. If it rains and the water temps drop, boom gone, if the temps get wicked cold over night, gone. But if it's calm/ sunny and the water is still moving current sending warm water to the river they will be back.

Long story short as we inch closer to the 59,60,..... Temps the fish will start to move.

The waiting is the hardest part. But the garden always gets fed.

[hillbilly...]

Nice leather back you gota picture of ive only shot one