nutritional forage for Bass (and other minnow eating fish)

[MoCarp]

Rainbow trout LONG known if bass or other fish feed on trout... grow to enormous size because of high lipid and caloric levels compared to most minnow forage species

However Common Carp have FAR more lipid and caloric levels than Rainbow Trout

Kansas State Record Channel Catfish was taken in a strip pit stocked with Trout- the Missouri record flat head catfish was taken in Montrose Lake, carp are the food of choice for mammoth catfish where available...high lipid levels are one key to better fish growth

[MoCarp]

Lake Biawa holds the world record LMB and also produce MASSIVE Common Carp

[MoCarp]

As does Castaic lake that produces record bass and huge common carp

[MoCarp]

As does Lake Fork

[MoCarp]

Where ever common carp occur they are a highly nutritious prey item

[MoCarp]

UPDATE recent TR sampling shows malnourished bass!

 

 

[MoCarp]

Studies show that common carp recruitment is poor because they are fed upon at all levels of growth until they reach a size too large for most fish to eat, however its documented large catfish (blue and fathead) take common carp at very large sizes..common carp in aquaculture environments reach 5 pounds in 3 years in a mild climate (unlikely in a wild or colder environment )

events that allow better YOY reciting for commons, usually are flood event years or in the north, in areas that experience winter kill in carp spawning wetlands (removes egg, larva, and fry feeders)

 

 

[Chief Grey Bear]

Very interesting. 

[MOPanfisher]

Any species that has a large number of its pooulation consumable size is gonna be a major food source for a predator fish.  I am not sure if bass have the mental acuity to actively pursue carp or trout as a higher energy food source or if that simply goes back to having a lot of carp or trout in the food chain.  I gotta admit that I like the carp nutrition label, I may save and print it out.

[MoCarp]

In carp angling they debate the value of HNV boilies (High Nutritional Value) to catch the largest specimen in a lake, the theory is that fish that can "sense" that certain foods are worth the effort to eat get bigger than fish that expend energy to eat anything...big brown trout and pike in some waters will cruse around and eat dead stocker trout laying on the bottom and get huge