Hi All, In the interest of contributing to the

[EugeneC]

Hi All,

In the interest of contributing to the site I did a little search and didn't find anything on this subject. When searching for waters that hold potentially very big carp, what do you look for in a lake? This would possibly not be as relevant to northern anglers as the Cape guys, but I think it'd be interesting to hear everyone's point of view.

Here's my list (in no particular order):

Size - 1 - 3 hectares minimum, I like fishing big waters, but it is a lot more intimidating.

Water quality - must be good. This is an interesting one though, I'm sure most Cape carpers have seen the lunkers in Liesbeek River for example, where the water quality is most definitely not what I would call good!

Depth - varying depth is good, but average of 6 - 8m gets me excited

Structure - different bottom compositions, reeds, etc. This is not an easy one to determine always, sometimes the best structure is invisible under water.

Access - It's nice to have a friendly farmer who understand the compulsions of a speci carper, although unfriendly farmer's dams are often very tempting, calling for a spot of night fishing lol!

Environment - Not such an easy one to describe really, but farm dams with run off from surrounding irrigation systems for example are usually worth investigating a little more.

I feel like I'm forgetting a point or two, so I might add to this when I recall. These are strictly my own opinions, based on my humble experiences, so please feel free to add, subtract or blast my unscientific thoughts to pieces!

 

[Craftycarper]

Hi EugeneC,

I see your from George, how's the fishing been there? I'm from Mosselbay but working in Saudi at the moment. Will be back for a month and want to try get a few fatties on the bank.

 

[axle]

EugeneC wrote:

Hi All,

In the interest of contributing to the site I did a little search and didn't find anything on this subject. When searching for waters that hold potentially very big carp, what do you look for in a lake? This would possibly not be as relevant to northern anglers as the Cape guys, but I think it'd be interesting to hear everyone's point of view.

Here's my list (in no particular order):

Size - 1 - 3 hectares minimum, I like fishing big waters, but it is a lot more intimidating.

Water quality - must be good. This is an interesting one though, I'm sure most Cape carpers have seen the lunkers in Liesbeek River for example, where the water quality is most definitely not what I would call good!

Depth - varying depth is good, but average of 6 - 8m gets me excited

Structure - different bottom compositions, reeds, etc. This is not an easy one to determine always, sometimes the best structure is invisible under water.

Access - It's nice to have a friendly farmer who understand the compulsions of a speci carper, although unfriendly farmer's dams are often very tempting, calling for a spot of night fishing lol!

Environment - Not such an easy one to describe really, but farm dams with run off from surrounding irrigation systems for example are usually worth investigating a little more.

I feel like I'm forgetting a point or two, so I might add to this when I recall. These are strictly my own opinions, based on my humble experiences, so please feel free to add, subtract or blast my unscientific thoughts to pieces!

Carp are highly adaptable in a variety of water conditions, hence why they've thrived so well in SA.
In terms of run-off from surrounding areas ... this is not always a good thing. Debris could run-off and land up in the water, which could decrease the water quality. Also, if fertilizers are used around irrigation systems, then that also runs off into the water, which could lead to increased nutrients in the water, which could lead to algae blooms and aquatic weed growth, which could eventually cover your whole body of water and starve it of oxygen.
As long as carp have a food source they can survive in many different conditions of water.
There is a dam up this side called Donaldson's. It was an old mine dam which has a lot of minerals in it. Carp in the 50lb range have been caught here. They have recently discovered high amounts of uranium in the water! So that just shows you how adaptable carp are.
BFC will almost always be present in dams, depending on its age of course. They get big because they are clever. And they're clever because they dont pick up hook baits they've seen before or a food source that is not familiar.
The stocking rate will also be a factor. If there is a good predator to prey ratio then carp in particular will be kept under control. They spawn roughly 100 000 eggs per kg of body weight! Having a smaller population of carp will result in more natural food being available and therefore the carp eating more and gaining more weight.
Then there's also the strain of carp. There are many different strains of carp (think of dogs - there are many breeds but they're all still dogs). Some grow bigger than others and at different rates of growth. You'll never really know what strain is in a water without catching one - and then again you'll not really know either unless you get it tested. Some are more visible than others. The Aishgrund is one of the more noticeable with a high arched back.

 

[EugeneC]

@Axle, that's some very interesting points there, especially regarding uranium in DD! Wow! Do you by any chance know how many strains of carp are found in SA? And which strains are more conducive to good growth? This is a topic I know very little about but find very interesting indeed.

@Craftycarper, fishing here is as good as the amount of work you're willing to put in, same as everywhere I guess. Give me a buzz when you get down here, maybe we can do a session together?

 

[axle]

EugeneC wrote:

@Axle, that's some very interesting points there, especially regarding uranium in DD! Wow! Do you by any chance know how many strains of carp are found in SA? And which strains are more conducive to good growth? This is a topic I know very little about but find very interesting indeed.

@Craftycarper, fishing here is as good as the amount of work you're willing to put in, same as everywhere I guess. Give me a buzz when you get down here, maybe we can do a session together?

I'm not sure mate ... there's loads of info on the net. There were 2 fisheries and research stations in SA many years ago but they were closed down. They were in Marble Hall and Bhisho. Its been said that the German strain shows good growth rates but the best is apparently the Dor 70 strain, which is a hybrid, grows the best?

 

[EugeneC]

I will definitely read up on this a little more, I wonder how many strains are really present in SA waters, after all it's not like Europe where there are breeders.