Bowfishing the Carp Spawn
The beginning of April marks the start of the carp spawning season. As one of the most highly effective fish at reproducing, the bowfishing sport is helping to minimize the impact these invasive fish have on ponds, lakes, rivers, and other water bodies. You’ll find spawning carp in many places but some of the most common include weedy, grassy, and shallow areas at depths of 2 to 3 feet deep.
While pre-spawn carp are less interested in eating, post-spawn carp are the complete opposite - they’ll even eat their own eggs and larvae!
Carp Spawn - How Does it Happen?
A single female carp is capable of producing up to 1,000,000 eggs and 90% of these eggs may be fertilized while an additional 80% may hatch. That means one single female carp is capable of successfully producing 720,000 offspring! This gives you an idea of why they are some of the most invasive creatures in the world.
A female carp has up to 7 male carp fertilizing her eggs at any one time, although 3 to 4 males are average. The female carp will release her eggs into the water (number of eggs depends on age, size, and health of carp), and the male carp sperm will fertilize the egg. Once fertilized, the egg absorbs water and enlarges and then becomes sticky. Depending on the water temperature, eggs can hatch in as little as 3 to 8 days! The eggs will typically attach to weeds, grasses and other substrate.
Get ready for the Carp Spawn Season with our new Bow Mounted Light!
Outrigger Outdoors is a manufacturer and designer of bowfishing lights, namely the Swamp Eye brand of bowfishing lighting. We pioneered the concept of color temperature adjustability, making it easy to adjust your lights in clear or muddy water to increase visibility. It's time to take your bowfishing game up a notch, and put more fish in the boat. Shop our selection of Bowfishing Lights today.