CARP
Cyprinus carpio

Common Names: bugle mouth bass, sewer bass, and other various disparaging names

Preferred Habitat: warm water, either standing or with sluggish flow, with a mud bottoms and heavy vegetation. It often thrives in degraded habitat that doesn’t support native fish.

Range: Found in all drainage’s of North Carolina. They are least common in coldwater streams and farm ponds.

Approximate Maximum Size: in excess of 50 pounds

Food Habits: Carp are omnivorous, meaning the eat about any type of plant and animal mater. They suck up mouthfuls of mud and detritus, then expel it into the water and pick out dislodged insect, crustaceans, worms, plant seeds, and algae.

Spawning: Occurs from April to June with eggs scattered in shallow vegetated water. Fresh waters particularly associate with flood condition "trigger" a frenzied activity of wallowing creating a commotion that can be heard from some distance. Spawning by one female occurs over several days, with unattended eggs exceeding one million.

Miscellaneous: Carp have long been utilized throughout Europe and Asia as a prized source of protein. For this reason, carp were introduced into this country form Europe in 1931. However, carp have never attained the popularity they had in their native countries. Here, carp are considered a nuisance because their feeding activity roots out vegetation and increases the turbidity of the water, both of which are forms of habitat degradation. Carp angling is enjoyed by many Europeans who pursue the sport with highly specialized equipment. Carp can be angled with worms and sweet corn. Fishing sites are often baited with corn, prior to a fishing trip, to increase success. Large carp make exciting targets for archers during spring spawning and under spotlights at night.