In reply to Post #44
I believe they are still just as important to the well being of the fish as any other time of year. The fish, even if they are 'on the feed', will still eat less in colder water and hence effectively 'self regulate' the total volume they consume.
To me the vitamins and minerals are all part of making a well rounded HNV bait and, lets be honest, takes almost zero effort (and cost) to add to a half way decent base mix
I do believe that at certain times of the year the carp can be attracted to some minerals, almost certainly due to a natural lack of that minerals in the naturally environment. Salt pre and post spawning seems to be one of them but then I very rarely fish around them at that time of year (and if I do its probably with floaters) so have never gone into salt in any serious way.
Further to my mineral comment about Carp will eat clay, one assumes for the mineral content. I am fishing two lakes this year. One is almost a pure clay base and the other is known to be over 450 years old and is a little silty after all this time
The clay lake was drained 18 months ago for various work to be done. The size of the 'holes' dug by the carp was huge and had to be seen to be believed. For years the carp have been seen to be digging around in these areas. One could say 'they are grubbing about to eat the bloodworm etc but with the water out it was clear these spots are just clay....no bloodworm or any other food source could be seen. The lake is now refilled and I spent time this year watching the carp grubbing about in these spots again. They seem to visit these spots several times a week to 'grub about' in them and I have caught from among them whilst they do this. Should we add montmorillonite clay to our baits for lakes like this? What do the carp eat in the 450 year old silty lake to get the same minerals?
I believe they are still just as important to the well being of the fish as any other time of year. The fish, even if they are 'on the feed', will still eat less in colder water and hence effectively 'self regulate' the total volume they consume.
To me the vitamins and minerals are all part of making a well rounded HNV bait and, lets be honest, takes almost zero effort (and cost) to add to a half way decent base mix
I do believe that at certain times of the year the carp can be attracted to some minerals, almost certainly due to a natural lack of that minerals in the naturally environment. Salt pre and post spawning seems to be one of them but then I very rarely fish around them at that time of year (and if I do its probably with floaters) so have never gone into salt in any serious way.
Further to my mineral comment about Carp will eat clay, one assumes for the mineral content. I am fishing two lakes this year. One is almost a pure clay base and the other is known to be over 450 years old and is a little silty after all this time
The clay lake was drained 18 months ago for various work to be done. The size of the 'holes' dug by the carp was huge and had to be seen to be believed. For years the carp have been seen to be digging around in these areas. One could say 'they are grubbing about to eat the bloodworm etc but with the water out it was clear these spots are just clay....no bloodworm or any other food source could be seen. The lake is now refilled and I spent time this year watching the carp grubbing about in these spots again. They seem to visit these spots several times a week to 'grub about' in them and I have caught from among them whilst they do this. Should we add montmorillonite clay to our baits for lakes like this? What do the carp eat in the 450 year old silty lake to get the same minerals?
In reply to Post #46
ive had a fixation with salt ever since I caught one of the biggest residents in the lake I fish. I used a solid bag with 1/3 rock salt and the rest just pellet.
was out 30mins before the rod bent round.
that fish wasn't caught again until the following year when I had it again on the same method at the same time of year. could just be coincidence but I get a feeling it wasn't.
I don't know nutritionally why carp crave salt but I imagine its only like a human needing it.
ive had a fixation with salt ever since I caught one of the biggest residents in the lake I fish. I used a solid bag with 1/3 rock salt and the rest just pellet.
was out 30mins before the rod bent round.
that fish wasn't caught again until the following year when I had it again on the same method at the same time of year. could just be coincidence but I get a feeling it wasn't.
I don't know nutritionally why carp crave salt but I imagine its only like a human needing it.
I agree some decent yeasts or Things like kelp must help at all time's of the year especially winter. Tumeric I think has a big edge in winter also for anti-oxidants and stress.
In reply to Post #46
I have often thought of adding koi clay / montmorillonite clay to my baits a few times after keeping small koi years ago.
Another hunch/bait idea, backed up by scientific koi research and nature, they do like clay.
Maybe excessive boiling could do some damage to the mineral/s within our baits, so best keep boiling times on the low side ?
I have often thought of adding koi clay / montmorillonite clay to my baits a few times after keeping small koi years ago.
Another hunch/bait idea, backed up by scientific koi research and nature, they do like clay.
Maybe excessive boiling could do some damage to the mineral/s within our baits, so best keep boiling times on the low side ?
In reply to Post #49
I use montmorillonite clay in my pond, once a week through the summer and down to once a month by mid-winter However the clay in my pond is added for the improvement it brings to the water quality not directly for the fish (who are all pigs anyway).
It's not water soluble so the carp will have little chance of detecting it unless they eat it (or in my pond drink it). But they must 'like' it in the clay lake I fish as they deliberately grub around/eat it every week. I suspect the clay in the lake contains a mineral or trace element the fish are really after and not just the clay itself which is just the carrier.
You can get the stuff for about £10/kg so who is going to try it
I use montmorillonite clay in my pond, once a week through the summer and down to once a month by mid-winter
However the clay in my pond is added for the improvement it brings to the water quality not directly for the fish (who are all pigs anyway).It's not water soluble so the carp will have little chance of detecting it unless they eat it (or in my pond drink it). But they must 'like' it in the clay lake I fish as they deliberately grub around/eat it every week. I suspect the clay in the lake contains a mineral or trace element the fish are really after and not just the clay itself which is just the carrier.
You can get the stuff for about £10/kg so who is going to try it
In reply to Post #49
Do carp actually eat clay though? I've seen lots of carp rubbing on clay spots but not seen them trying to eat it.
I'm not keen on large amounts of salt in baits/particles, and putting salt rocks on a spot has been counterproductive for me.
Do carp actually eat clay though? I've seen lots of carp rubbing on clay spots but not seen them trying to eat it.
I'm not keen on large amounts of salt in baits/particles, and putting salt rocks on a spot has been counterproductive for me.
In reply to Post #51
I don't think anyone can say 100% they eat clay deliberately but the lake I fish they go mad in the clay spots and when it was drained all that was found in the clay spots was errr clay
I don't think anyone can say 100% they eat clay deliberately but the lake I fish they go mad in the clay spots and when it was drained all that was found in the clay spots was errr clay
In reply to Post #51
They must ingest it somehow? Otherwise there is no benefit from it.
Wether that is internally by eating it,
or externally by flanking their sides / heads in it / rolling in it is probably up for debate/venue dependant. Everywhere is so different !
They must ingest it somehow? Otherwise there is no benefit from it.
Wether that is internally by eating it,
or externally by flanking their sides / heads in it / rolling in it is probably up for debate/venue dependant. Everywhere is so different !
In reply to Post #50
I tried it about 10 years ago after going down the same thought process....
Results....not a lot. In fact, a waste of time.
Both in a base mix, and as a soak.
I wouldn't bother.
I tried it about 10 years ago after going down the same thought process....
Results....not a lot. In fact, a waste of time.
Both in a base mix, and as a soak.
I wouldn't bother.
In reply to Post #53
Its in some of the Koi foods
Its in some of the Koi foods
In reply to Post #54
I am not surprised it didn't work. I think to 'turn them on' to clay you would need a big bed of it. A few % in a boilie mix will just give you a dense bait! I will cross that one off my list of ideas
It's different in a Koi pond which is a much more controlled environment with very little natural food. Also as I said before I add it for water quality as much as any direct affect it may have on the fish.
I am not surprised it didn't work. I think to 'turn them on' to clay you would need a big bed of it. A few % in a boilie mix will just give you a dense bait! I will cross that one off my list of ideas
It's different in a Koi pond which is a much more controlled environment with very little natural food. Also as I said before I add it for water quality as much as any direct affect it may have on the fish.
In reply to Post #56
coating baits in it would probably give you better effect if any, just guessing
coating baits in it would probably give you better effect if any, just guessing
In reply to Post #56
In reply to Post #58
Question for the pond lads, or carp in general. How often do carp actually need to feed, in general ? 2-3 times per 24hrs till full ? Little and often ca 5-6 times per 24hrs ? What´s the borderline temp, when winter mode kicks in ?
Question for the pond lads, or carp in general. How often do carp actually need to feed, in general ? 2-3 times per 24hrs till full ? Little and often ca 5-6 times per 24hrs ? What´s the borderline temp, when winter mode kicks in ?
In reply to Post #59
For my small pond (5500l) with 5 carp (plus a tench and a grassy) I feed 4-5 times a week now. This will go up to once a day around April and then 2-3 times a day by mid summer. A feed is as much as they eat in 5-10 minutes then any left gets netted out.
I use the same basic feed all year until the water temperature drops below about 10c then switch to a winter feed until the spring. I believe they would eat more through the winter if I feed them but the biological filter would not cope so well and the water quality would suffer.
They seem to like this pattern
For my small pond (5500l) with 5 carp (plus a tench and a grassy) I feed 4-5 times a week now. This will go up to once a day around April and then 2-3 times a day by mid summer. A feed is as much as they eat in 5-10 minutes then any left gets netted out.
I use the same basic feed all year until the water temperature drops below about 10c then switch to a winter feed until the spring. I believe they would eat more through the winter if I feed them but the biological filter would not cope so well and the water quality would suffer.
They seem to like this pattern