Why do Carp jump out of the water ?

Post by **Anton88** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:44 pm

Mr. T. wrote:I found this on a bass forum.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishin ... 0841912/10

"the following informatin was passed on to me by the Carp Anglers Group.

As carp are primarily bottom feeders and as you know all fish gather food by sucking in that which is in front of them.

along with the food particles are large quantities of bottom debris which is passed on through the gill rakers while the food items are swallowed to the stomach.

over time, some of the bottom sediment particles get stuck on the gill rakers and interfere with the flow of water for respiration. the carp sense this and the jumping is a method of back flushing the gills to remove the accumulated trash."

Do you think this could be true? I have a bottom feeding fish in my fish tank that does something similar where it darts straight up to the surface and then down again.

That does not explain why other bottom feeders dont 'clean their gills in the same way' - like Catfish, Sucker...etc I dont see them jump

Post by **uberfish** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:10 pm

Jumping is a common fish response to being startled.
Carp have really good hearing, which is unusual in fish. The bighead/asian carps jump like mad when they hear boat engines. Maybe a big splash is like one carp shouting at another carp.

Post by RJ » Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:25 pm

Noone knows for sure why they do it.....talk to a few Brits about it...they all have theories....but since noone is a carp...they don't know...

Flushing the gills makes the most sense to me though....

Though at times I think it's excitement too...over the big pile of sweet corn I just laid out for them...

Post by **Moosebunk** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 4:28 pm

Could it be that they're all fans of either the Pointer Sisters, Van Halen, Kriss Kross, or Everlast's House of Pain.

Post by **Brandon** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:27 pm

I think the most correct theory is that carp are huge fans of Pointer Sisters, Van Halen, Kriss Kross, AND Everlast's House of Pain.

But a really knowledgable carp fisherman told me, and from my own carp fishing trips, I am pretty sure the most likely reason is that the carp are clearing their gills from sediment. I trust the source who told me, he vertainly did more research than anyone i've ever known.

So like pappy and some others have said, i'm going to have to go with gill-clearing!

Post by **matcole** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:05 pm

to get to the other side?

Post by **FishingIsHealing** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:42 pm

Because carp are retarded overgrown mutant invader goldfish from HELL?