Most cyprinid fish are sometimes known as carp, and the cyprinid group is known as the carp family. The freshwater carp in Asia are known as Cyprinidae.
The carp, the largest minnows and a close family member of the goldfish, was the first fish whose numbers were managed to increase productivity. The common carp, which has been around for millennia and is widely spread, is adored and hated.
What Are the Different Types of Carp?
Carp are incredible fish, and each one is a one-of-a-kind catch. It’s possible to get misled with the varieties of carp since there are so many kinds and subtypes. Every carp fish has different features.
Common Carp
The skin of common carp is coated in gorgeous, repeating patterns. It appears that they are carrying body armor. They don’t have similar individual characteristics as other carp species, but they’re nevertheless quite popular among fishermen. Given the fact that several venues have more mirror fish than common carp, this can happen.
Because they were formerly endemic to streams and fast-flowing water, their bodies are frequently slender and torpedo-shaped, whereas carp have a broader and wider body.
Because common carp have managed to retain their natural and uncontrolled character, they are formidable competitors on the pole and will not give up easily. Another cause the common carp, specifically the larger kind, is a favorite targeted fish is.
Mirror Carp
Mirror carp vary from other carps in that their scales are uneven and spotty. The scale designs of all mirror fishes are unique, providing them a distinct personality. Mirror carp get a more rounded shape than carp. Mirror fish have huge jaws and 2 barbells on either side of their lips, very much like common carp. Single scales can be seen on many areas of the mirror’s skin and vary substantially in size.
Grass Carp
The grass cap is very dark, ranging from yellow to brownish. These carps are leaner and lengthier, with a “torpedo” body type and no barbels below their mouths. The rectal fin is nearer to the tail than the dorsal fin. Grass carp exhibit similar selling characteristics to common carp.
The lateral fins of grass carps are narrower and shorter than those of commons or mirrors, making them easier to distinguish. The heads are small and thin, and the lips are much shorter than those of mirrors or commons.
Fully-Scaled Mirror Carps
These carps are a variety of the mirrored fish, with scales that can be completely or nearly completely covered. This characteristic makes it simple to mistake the fully scaled carp for an ordinary carp. The arrangement and thickness of the scales are the main distinctions between the various kinds.
The full-scaled carp, like the normal, has bigger scales that are not aligned or reproduced. Fully scaled carp occasionally have scales that aren’t covered by the plates, which is anything that would never happen on a regular carp. It has a head style and texture that is quite similar to that of a mirrored fish.
F1 Carp
F1 carps are a unique species of carp that has gained a lot of popularity but a lot of controversy in the angling world. The F1 fish is a hybrid between a Crucian with a Common carp. They are ideal for competition and casual fishing lakes since they don’t get very large, eat prolifically throughout the year, and are resistant to illnesses like KHV.
Fishermen will get a catch-all year with the F1 carp, which has proved highly appealing to industrial fishery operators. Due to reports of the presence of defects and concerns with the mixed breed, many fishery operators are less interested in the particular breed of fish and have chosen to preserve the original type of carp in the waterways.
Carp Koi
Koi carp come in around 100 different varieties, and they were first developed in Japan for the various colors. The koi is a Japanese sign of love and companionship, and they are bred to be preserved in small ponds in the United Kingdom as a decorative species. These fishes have barbules similar to mirror carp, and they are available in a multitude of colors, including the popular white, crimson, and black shades.
They are maintained in several lakes; however, some fishermen do not appreciate hunting for them since they consider them to be a decorative species of carp that should not be captured. Many lakes are specifically built for fishermen to hunt for Koi carp, and visitors come just for that reason. Because of their brilliant color, they are vulnerable to attackers and can be identified, which is another cause not to maintain them in major fishing ponds.
Ghost Carp
Because they are the result of mirror carps mating with metallic Ogon Kois, this fish is known as a Ghost koi. The name ghost carp comes from the nature of the coloration and patterns, which give them a ghostly look when swimming through the river. Several ghost carp have a deeper coloration and metallic patterns on their heads, which help to identify them when they move beneath the surface of ponds. They frequently float with other fish and can reveal bigger shoals of fish that you may not notice.
Because of the ghost carp’s biological profile, they mature much larger than ordinary koi carp, with some reaching weights of over 40 pounds. Mirror ghost carps and common ghost carps are two types of ghost carp that come in a variety of colors including white, golden, and charcoal grey. These colors may alter somewhat as the carp age.
Leather Carp
These carps have very few scales, usually a handful of big scales near the fin and a band of scales running across the dorsal side. Because of its absence of scales, its skin seems to be leathery, earning them the moniker leather carp. It is also its most obvious visual feature, which makes it close to impossible to confuse this carp type with any other.
It’s the most distinguishing trait, making it nearly hard to mix this fish with others. It has a body form that is similar to the mirror carp. , its color is deeper or grey.
Crucian Carp
They can survive in settings that so many fish can’t, from the tiniest of weedy, filthy ponds to very frigid water. Rather than gulping down bait, crucian carps touch it and lick it carefully to look for the hooks. Carp fishermen who are pursuing these fish may become quite frustrated as a result of this.
However, if you want to catch these species, you should look for them in underwater drop-offs. Crucian carp, as previously noted, is the tiniest of the carp group, rarely exceeding 6 pounds. Crucian carp possess golden or orangeish tails and are golden in appearance, darkening with age. Crucian carp grow to be quite large as they develop. There are no barbells on Crucian carp.
Linear carp
It is not a distinct carp species, but instead a variety of mirror carp. It can, nonetheless, be regarded as the most beautiful kind of carp.
The linear carp gets its great title from the strip of scales that runs along its horizontal line, which is generally quite noticeable. This line may be the carp’s primary scale, although it usually has much more spots across its body. These serve as a helpful reminder that the linear fish is a subclass of the mirror. It is termed zip carp. It has a body form and colors that are similar to those of a traditional mirror carp. In reality, the linear is perhaps the most comparable to the mirror in terms of the overall look.
Advice for Fishing Carp
Select the Ideal Location
Carp prefer dark water, and if the water is clean, they are more likely to startle. Warmer waters are preferred by such fish, so seek murky water with rich vegetation around the shoreline, wastelands, and small channels. Carp spends the majority of its time among water vegetation, grazing on bugs.
Select the Proper Bait
They are omnivorous, eating plankton, bugs, larvae, and also delicate plant stems, which makes baiting them quite simply. For many carp fishermen, boilies are the hook of choice. Carp go crazy when they smell the stuff in the boilies. Carp in heavily fished locations, on the other hand, may link boilies with risk and shun it.
Prepare the Fishing Rods
Short-distance throwing is typical in reel water fishing, thus the appropriate rod length is roughly 4-6 feet. The length is ideal for angling in confined areas such as along coastlines and vegetation. For optimal long-distance fishing, choose an 8-10 ft pole for large rivers.
Avoid Hooks with a Gleaming Surface
Because carp have exceptional eyesight, the brightness from a flashy hook can dissuade them from attacking the bait. Use carp-specific hooks that are disguised or dark.
Bowfishing is a fun way to mix up the fishing practice and bring a new degree of challenge to the trip. Carp are common fish for fishers since they prefer to stay at mid-level ranges near the riverside or lakeshore, where bow fishers may shoot precisely. The fishing spots are often the most difficult to reach by kayak, so you’ll have to walk in through the bank.
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