If you target carp understanding behavior is part of being successful. You need to know why and where a fish goes in a waterway. What type of food do they prefer? All fish have behaviors they use for survival.
When you know where the fish will be in the waterways. It is easy to find the fish. Knowing what foods they prefer will help you get more bites. If you overlook fish behaviors, you will catch fewer fish.
Carp Behavior in the Spring
In the spring, carp will feed before they spawn. Once they begin spawning their bite is off. After the spawn, the fish will feed heavily to recover from the process of spawning.
Carp spawn when the water reaches 18-24 degrees Celsius or 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. When spawning fish do not feed. The sole focus is reproduction. The fish will be in shallow water. It is easy to notice spawning carp.
The fish are thrashing around and are easily visible. The behavior is to spread the eggs throughout the plants in the spawning grounds. It is common to see the behavior around plants in shallow water.
Another trigger for spawning is rising water levels. During spring most regions see more rain. This elevates water levels. plus helps warm up the water. In areas with a lack of rainfall. The fish may spawn later in the year.
It is common for carp to spawn in late April through May, but in some places, it can be as late as August. The farther north the waterway is located. The later the spawning time.
Summer Behavior
Carp behavior peaks in the summer. These fish like the warmer weather. They spend hours feeding and moving in search of food. As a result, an area with ample food holds more fish. There are a few things helping the areas have the food.
In streams and rivers flowing water helps move food into deeper spots. Plus the outside turns in the waterways. Tributaries send food into the mouth area where the waterways meet. Carp will be in these areas.
On lakes and ponds, the wind drives food into an area. The wind blows food in towards the shore. Carp are omnivores and feed on plant matter and insects also. The shore with wind blowing into it will have the food.
The amount of oxygen is higher in areas with the wind too. All fish like water with higher oxygen levels. In places with low oxygen levels, carp will surface to gulp air.
If you see the gulping behavior, fishing takes a different tactic. You will need to have the food on or near the surface. Fish that jump indicates different things. It depends on how the fish are jumping.
Fish leaping out and landing on their side are trying to reset their swim bladder. These fish do not bite. The fish diving back into the water is feeding at the bottom. The behavior is affecting the bladder differently. Pay attention to how the fish lands after leaving the water.
Fall Carp Behavior
People give up fishing too early in the fall. The water stays warm long into the season. Water temperatures matter to fish, not the air temperatures. The larger the waterway the longer it takes to lower the temperature.
Carp maintain the higher activity of summer until the water goes into the low 50s F or 11 degrees Celsius. You will find and catch fish in the shallower waters. As the temperature falls, the fish feed more often and longer.
All fish feed to prepare for winter. They are not different from any other creature. Animals put on extra weight for the lean winter months. As an angler, you need to target fish now. You will catch more and likely bigger fish at times.
Winter for Carp
If you live farther north, fishing often slows down in winter. Some people do go ice fishing. The cold water fish will hit. But the warm water species tend to be inactive. It is not hibernating but is close.
Carp gather in groups in deeper water during the winter. If the water stays warm enough you can catch a few. Yet the chances for most people are too low. The fish stay on the bottom in deep water.
Conclusions
Understanding carp behavior allows you to catch more fish. The fish show different behaviors throughout the year. Observe the fish and you will see if it is worth making a few casts.