Young Carp growth rates ?

[Saul]

What size should you expect young carp to be at the end of their second summer ?

These fish have not been fed trout pellets etc and just rely on naturals ,the pond is very rich and full of tiny snails ! also there are no other fish in the pond and the stock level is low.

 

Cheers

Saul.

 

[ 22. July 2003, 11:04 PM: Message edited by: Saul ]

[Bill Dingley]

Hi Saul,

I would think that the answer to your question

would depend very much on the quality of the

natural food in the water plus the lineage of the carp concerned.

You say the water is rich and not densley stocked

so I would guess maybe up to 3lb.

If Dr Bruno reads this I am sure he will be able to give you a more accurate answer.

 

Cheers

 

Bill

[Saul]

Hi Bill

 

The carp are Dinks X Leney's ,I also forgot to mention they are in Scotland so there will be a shorter growing season but the pond is exposed to full sun and is about 4ft deep on average.

Also spring fed so it should be a little warmer in winter.

 

3lb would be very nice though will need to wait another year before they are cormorant proof and safe to move on to their new home.

 

Thanks

Saul

[ayjay]

I think that 3lb in two years is a bit optimistic,particularly in Scotland.

 

They could make that, or even quite a bit more by the end of their third year but not after two.

[Steve Burke]

I've asked Ken Crow, the fish farmer who supplied many of my carp at Wingham, about this. He tells me that the average 2 year old carp is typically 12ozs to 1lb, with a very small percentage of "shooters" being up to about 4lbs.

 

From the 3rd year onwards growth can be expected to be much more rapid. At 3¾ years old I was offered the "pick of the crop", which were between 3 and 13lbs. I took the top 10% of these which, bar a handful of 7lbers, were all 8lbs+.

 

This doesn't automatically mean that these fish will continue to be very fast growers. It depends, amongst other things, on the water they're stocked in and what food is available. In particular, fish of different ages may eat different food.

 

However, as many Forum members know the Wingham carp have grown exceptionally well and we had our first 30lber at just 7¾ years of age. More recently, we've had a fish born in the Coarse Lake at Wingham, and unlikely to be more than 5¾ years old, at 25-12!

 

Like your lake, the stock density is very low and, apart from a recent stocking of pike, no other fish are present in the Carp Lake at Wingham other than the odd eel. It would be helpful if the water your carp are going to end up in has a similar stocking policy.

 

Also, I'm totally convinced that it's important to minimise angling pressure whilst the fish are growing, otherwise they won't reach their full potential.

 

Good luck with your plans!

 

[ 23. July 2003, 10:24 PM: Message edited by: Steve Burke ]

[Saul]

Thanks for the info Guys.

 

The fish will be left totally unfished for as the pond's are for growing on only.

I've not even seen the fish since they went in but I'm sure they are just getting on with eating and growing " I hope " ,they have plenty of weed to hide in so they should be safe from predators.

 

Is it worth feeding them with trout pellets or simmilar ?

 

Cheers

saul