04-22-2009, 11:35 PM
Does anyone know when the cats are going to start their spawn? I believe they start around mid may, but am not sure. And does it go along with the carp spawn or has that already happened?
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04-22-2009, 11:35 PM
04-23-2009, 12:51 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Cats and carp both seem to favor water around 65 degrees to get them to do the "spring fling thing". But, Mama Nature...in her infinite wisdom...does not have all members of the species spawn at the same time. Some will start early. Most come together during a short "optimum" time, for a group thing. And, some stretch it out over a month or more beyond when all the others are gettin' jiggy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In plain terms, carp will start cruising the shorelines and rolling in the shallows about the end of April (usually), but they will have daily orgies whenever the weather is calm and the inshore waters warm above 65. I have seen female carp still full of eggs clear into July...and visible spawning activity to go along with it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Catfish start searching out nest sites usually by the first or second week of May. The males find pockets in reeds, rocks or even inside wrecked boats and cars. They persuade a series of females to each lay a few eggs in the nest hole...to spread the genes and to forestall disaster if any individual nest is lost or destroyed. The male then guards the eggs and the newly hatched baby catfish for a time. I have seen catfish spawning extend a similar time to carp...from May into July...with the heaviest spawning activity usually around the end of May into June.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Carp are now "rafting" in calm water early in the morning. That seems to be a kind of "dating service" ritual for the fish to meet up with others in the same area. Some morning soon, about 10 or 11, whole shorelines around the lake will be filled with splashing and thrashing carp. They seem to have some kind of signaling system to alert each other when it's party time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In plain terms, carp will start cruising the shorelines and rolling in the shallows about the end of April (usually), but they will have daily orgies whenever the weather is calm and the inshore waters warm above 65. I have seen female carp still full of eggs clear into July...and visible spawning activity to go along with it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Catfish start searching out nest sites usually by the first or second week of May. The males find pockets in reeds, rocks or even inside wrecked boats and cars. They persuade a series of females to each lay a few eggs in the nest hole...to spread the genes and to forestall disaster if any individual nest is lost or destroyed. The male then guards the eggs and the newly hatched baby catfish for a time. I have seen catfish spawning extend a similar time to carp...from May into July...with the heaviest spawning activity usually around the end of May into June.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Carp are now "rafting" in calm water early in the morning. That seems to be a kind of "dating service" ritual for the fish to meet up with others in the same area. Some morning soon, about 10 or 11, whole shorelines around the lake will be filled with splashing and thrashing carp. They seem to have some kind of signaling system to alert each other when it's party time.[/#0000ff]
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04-23-2009, 01:11 AM
sounds like I'll have to get out the bat to get some good carpie cutbait here soon! Thanks for the info!
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