07-05-2005, 05:31 PM
[cool][#0000ff]It could be a carp-specific illness, but I suspect it is post spawn stress syndrome. Many species of fish have a percentage of dieoffs after spawning. The more delayed the spawn and the more physically draining, the greater the physical stress and the greater the mortality rate.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is a similar accumulation of dead carp in some areas around Utah Lake. I have observed that some carp are still completing their spawn, after the spawn began about mid April. Some carp I arrowed last week were in their spawning rituals and still had roe and milt in their perforated (by me) bodies. I had a cooler full of ugly green eggs when I took some home for bait preparation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I further observed that the carp I kept were about the skinniest and most unhealthy looking specimens I have ever seen. They have not been eating well and have been continually interrupted in their spawning cycle by the ups and downs of weather and the cooler waters. I caught and filleted another carp over the weekend, to replace my bait stash, and it was also slack sided, although it had spawned out. There was no vegetative matter or any other food in its digestive tract, in spite of being in an area with lots of flooded vegetation and newly grown natural water weeds.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just some observations. Without CSI doing some postmortem work, we can only speculate. I doubt that we have to worry about the population crashing. However, the remnants will add nutrients to the food chain, for crawdads and catfish. I once noticed a commotion going on in the shallows at the northeast corner of Willard and kicked my float tube in to investigate. It turned out to be a dead carp (very dead) with a couple of big cats working it over like sharks do to a dead whale. Retch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is a similar accumulation of dead carp in some areas around Utah Lake. I have observed that some carp are still completing their spawn, after the spawn began about mid April. Some carp I arrowed last week were in their spawning rituals and still had roe and milt in their perforated (by me) bodies. I had a cooler full of ugly green eggs when I took some home for bait preparation.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I further observed that the carp I kept were about the skinniest and most unhealthy looking specimens I have ever seen. They have not been eating well and have been continually interrupted in their spawning cycle by the ups and downs of weather and the cooler waters. I caught and filleted another carp over the weekend, to replace my bait stash, and it was also slack sided, although it had spawned out. There was no vegetative matter or any other food in its digestive tract, in spite of being in an area with lots of flooded vegetation and newly grown natural water weeds.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Just some observations. Without CSI doing some postmortem work, we can only speculate. I doubt that we have to worry about the population crashing. However, the remnants will add nutrients to the food chain, for crawdads and catfish. I once noticed a commotion going on in the shallows at the northeast corner of Willard and kicked my float tube in to investigate. It turned out to be a dead carp (very dead) with a couple of big cats working it over like sharks do to a dead whale. Retch.[/#0000ff]
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