The Fine Art Of Stalking the Wild Carp

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The one time carp are extravagantly inefficient is in spawning, when each mature female will lay one to two million eggs. This event occurs as soon as the temperature of the shallows reaches 70° to 80° F . . . usually mid-June here in Washington State.

Carp don't engage in any nest preparation or courting. Males simply recognize a ripe female by her smell, and begin to follow her closely. If more than one are attracted, they'll push and shove at each other for position and the female will often make a short run to lose most of her suitors. Then she'll scoot along on her side in 6 to 12 inches of water and spew out eggs while a male or two follows alongside spreading milt over them. All else is left to chance.

Like most other animals, carp become relatively oblivious of all else when involved in an orgy . . . and you can make a great deal of noise in the water during a riotous spawn without stampeding these otherwise cautious creatures. It's even possible to bag a pickup load of carp in one day during the height of the action . . . but please don't do so. Remember that thousands of eggs need to be laid to ensure one future adult, and take care not to decimate the breeders. Besides, how many of those fish would you have time to process before they spoiled?

Some years, the carp here on my favorite lake seem to spawn in less than a week. As a rule, though, the breeding takes place during a month of intermittent activity (depending on the warmth of the weather and the resulting temperature of the shallows). We put away our year's supply of fish during a period that stretches between the start of spawning and three weeks after the mating season's end.

Carp have a huge appetite after they've mated and the fish can be stalked as they feed with their heads buried in the weeds. Sometimes their rooting will have the water so muddy that only their tails can be seen. When that happens, you can stalk to within eight feet of one of the fish and hold your bow at the ready until you can see the carp clearly.

Don't be surprised, incidentally, if one of your prey suddenly turns and swims straight up to you. Fish have a real sense of curiosity. You'd better freeze during this inspection . . . and even so, 60 percent of the time, the inspector will sound the alarm. If he doesn't, you may be able to draw a bead on the inquisitive fellow after he's taken his eyes off you.

ORDER OF ATTACK

Except when carp are in the midst of spawning, it pays to scout the area you plan to hunt. The most accessible quarry will be found in little coves and inlets . . . and there's a science to harvesting such waters.

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