SPORT HOTS UP AS TEMPERATURES RISE
Huge match nets nationwide as carp get their heads down
THE nation’s fisheries have sprung into action this week with a string of 200lb-plus nets in matches that have seen a mere ‘ton’ not enough to make the top three!
The rise in temperatures has seen carp get stuck in to produce the sort of results you’d more normally associate with sport in June or July.
Leading the way was Leicestershire’s Glebe Fishery with a huge 272-15-0 net for Mark Griffiths. Down South, notable waters were Tylers Common with 292-8-0, Puddledock Farm with 228-14-0 and Bait-Tech Viaduct Fishery with 201-4-0. And at Heronbrook Fisheries in Staffordshire, the latest round of the Spring League saw a dozen 100lb-plus weights taken across the complex.
But why the drastic upturn in weights? Is this just a flash in the pan, or can we expect this standard of sport to be maintained in the coming weeks?
Fisheries scientist and Angling Times columnist Paul Garner believes so, but he points to a few other factors that could possibly put the brakes on anglers enjoying a veritable red-letter day.
“The trigger for carp to feed well at this time of year is simply water temperature,” Paul said.
“Longer days and sunshine that feels warms to us don’t play that much of a part. But when the water temperature hits double figures I can expect to catch well.
“Ideally, you want to be measuring the water temperature over the course of a few days and try to time your fishing when there’s a noticeable rise.
“Carp also get their heads down because their fat reserves will have been depleted over winter and they need to replenish these ahead of spawning by feeding hard,” Paul continued.
“However, there are a couple of things that can knock the fishing back – spawning and oxygen levels. Spawning activity, as we all know, means reduced interest in feeding and the warmer the water gets, the lower the levels of dissolved oxygen, which in turn makes the fish more sluggish.”