05-27-2014, 02:42 PM
[#0000FF]Both "common" and "mirror" carp are the same species...just different scale patterns. A genetic kickback thing...like red hair vs blonde or brunette.
I have cut up a lot of carp meat over the years. Some of it even for bait. I too have noticed a difference in flesh color. My observation is that the lighter flesh is more common in females getting ready to spawn. As with salmon and other species the development of large masses of eggs extracts lots of nutrition from the flesh of the female. Males during spawning time do not seem to suffer this condition as much. And during non-spawn times the males still seem to have darker flesh.
I process and use both light and dark meat for bait. I have not noticed any difference in catfish preference. I suspect that the basic carp odor is all they are interested in...not the color.
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I have cut up a lot of carp meat over the years. Some of it even for bait. I too have noticed a difference in flesh color. My observation is that the lighter flesh is more common in females getting ready to spawn. As with salmon and other species the development of large masses of eggs extracts lots of nutrition from the flesh of the female. Males during spawning time do not seem to suffer this condition as much. And during non-spawn times the males still seem to have darker flesh.
I process and use both light and dark meat for bait. I have not noticed any difference in catfish preference. I suspect that the basic carp odor is all they are interested in...not the color.
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