Carp typical growth rates in the first few years

[Julian]

Just wondered if anyone knows what typical early years growth rates might be in an 'average' water, and how old before they first spawn.

The carp stocked into the Farm Pool I fish were about 8ozs when stocked in early 2006.
The largest currently I would guess is about 15lbs ( based on some low doubles being caught regularly). I believe the smallest of the initial stocking are about 7lbs now.

They have spawned successfully in three different years since stocking as there are currently carp in the 8oz to 12 oz range being caught , plus a few around the 3lb mark, and a few others that are now in the 4 to 5 lb range.

Would those currently being caught in the 8 to 12 oz range be from spring 2014 spawning , or the previous year?

Also based on the spawnings I would guess that the first successful spawning was probably 2009, three years after being stocked. Would the fish be mature enough to spawn at that age?

[Shaun Harrison]

Males usually mature enough to be able to spawn around 3 to 4 years whilst females are generally a year longer.

Growth rates vary incredibly being dependent upon food available and temperature.

[Gary Bills]

I wonder about this sort of stuff too, Julian - and I think it's hard to come to firm conclusions. I still believe - just thinking about growth rates I've seen in carp - that the average growth rate for a carp in our waters is between 1lb and 2lb a year, and the average carp will only grow its skeleton for 12 years or so. Leney's, I understand, stop skeletal growth at 14 years or 15 years.
Therefore, it stands to reason that, in any water where anglers are not "artificially" feeding up carp, on boilies and pellets etc, the largest carp we can expect to catch will be between 12lbs and 24lbs - nice carp, but not likely to attract the attention of Carp World.
But then there are the "freak growers", aren't there? - I've just been searching in vain for a Walker article; but I shall now attempt to give the gist from memory, which may not be totally accurate. However..
Walker and Fred J put a load of carp (Leney's?) into a canal. They all went in at between 1lb and 2lb - and a few years later, just three years I think - the canal section was drained/netted and Walker and Fred went to take a look at the fish being saved...
Remember, these were the fish they put in - no carp were there beforehand. Most were between 3lb and 7lb - exactly what you'd expect as an average, but a few - 3 per cent, I think, were making 14lbs...
From such stock, I suggest, come the unexpected giants and, if we are to believe the implications, it is possible for almost any carp water to throw up outsized fish with time, and perhaps in hardly any time at all...
Three per cent of the fish had grown by 12lbs in three years - 4lbs a year in a canal! - and if you allow, say another 1O years or so at 4lbs... that's a possible max of 54lbs, in a canal! As I say, I suspect they were fish from Redmire...

[Julian]

Males usually mature enough to be able to spawn around 3 to 4 years whilst females are generally a year longer.

Growth rates vary incredibly being dependent upon food available and temperature.

Thanks Shaun. That seems to equate with the first successful spawning in the farm pool - ie the carp would have been 4 or 5 years old.

[Julian]

I wonder about this sort of stuff too, Julian - and I think it's hard to come to firm conclusions. I still believe - just thinking about growth rates I've seen in carp - that the average growth rate for a carp in our waters is between 1lb and 2lb a year, and the average carp will only grow its skeleton for 12 years or so. Leney's, I understand, stop skeletal growth at 14 years or 15 years.
Therefore, it stands to reason that, in any water where anglers are not "artificially" feeding up carp, on boilies and pellets etc, the largest carp we can expect to catch will be between 12lbs and 24lbs - nice carp, but not likely to attract the attention of Carp World.
But then there are the "freak growers", aren't there? - I've just been searching in vain for a Walker article; but I shall now attempt to give the gist from memory, which may not be totally accurate. However..
Walker and Fred J put a load of carp (Leney's?) into a canal. They all went in at between 1lb and 2lb - and a few years later, just three years I think - the canal section was drained/netted and Walker and Fred went to take a look at the fish being saved...
Remember, these were the fish they put in - no carp were there beforehand. Most were between 3lb and 7lb - exactly what you'd expect as an average, but a few - 3 per cent, I think, were making 14lbs...
From such stock, I suggest, come the unexpected giants and, if we are to believe the implications, it is possible for almost any carp water to throw up outsized fish with time, and perhaps in hardly any time at all...
Three per cent of the fish had grown by 12lbs in three years - 4lbs a year in a canal! - and if you allow, say another 1O years or so at 4lbs... that's a possible max of 54lbs, in a canal! As I say, I suspect they were fish from Redmire...

Thanks Gary
The carp in the farm pool will be 10 years old this spring and with largest likely to be somewhere around mid- double that ties in with the typical growth rate you suggest for an 'average' water.

The Walker carp in the canal you are referring to are when he leased the stretch of the Upper Ouse ( still called Walkers) . Runing parallel to that just a hundred yards away there was a disused section of the Buckingham arm of the Grand Union Canal ( long since dried out) that he also leased, where he put in 50 small carp from Redmire. As you state , they were grown on, and 48 survived and were eventually stocked into Snowberry Lake which he and FJT then managed.
Sadly those Leneys died in the mid/ late 90's from an algae outbreak in the lake.

[Gary Bills]

I wonder about this sort of stuff too, Julian - and I think it's hard to come to firm conclusions. I still believe - just thinking about growth rates I've seen in carp - that the average growth rate for a carp in our waters is between 1lb and 2lb a year, and the average carp will only grow its skeleton for 12 years or so. Leney's, I understand, stop skeletal growth at 14 years or 15 years.
Therefore, it stands to reason that, in any water where anglers are not "artificially" feeding up carp, on boilies and pellets etc, the largest carp we can expect to catch will be between 12lbs and 24lbs - nice carp, but not likely to attract the attention of Carp World.
But then there are the "freak growers", aren't there? - I've just been searching in vain for a Walker article; but I shall now attempt to give the gist from memory, which may not be totally accurate. However..
Walker and Fred J put a load of carp (Leney's?) into a canal. They all went in at between 1lb and 2lb - and a few years later, just three years I think - the canal section was drained/netted and Walker and Fred went to take a look at the fish being saved...
Remember, these were the fish they put in - no carp were there beforehand. Most were between 3lb and 7lb - exactly what you'd expect as an average, but a few - 3 per cent, I think, were making 14lbs...
From such stock, I suggest, come the unexpected giants and, if we are to believe the implications, it is possible for almost any carp water to throw up outsized fish with time, and perhaps in hardly any time at all...
Three per cent of the fish had grown by 12lbs in three years - 4lbs a year in a canal! - and if you allow, say another 1O years or so at 4lbs... that's a possible max of 54lbs, in a canal! As I say, I suspect they were fish from Redmire...

Thanks Gary
The carp in the farm pool will be 10 years old this spring and with largest likely to be somewhere around mid- double that ties in with the typical growth rate you suggest for an 'average' water.

The Walker carp in the canal you are referring to are when he leased the stretch of the Upper Ouse ( still called Walkers) . Runing parallel to that just a hundred yards away there was a disused section of the Buckingham arm of the Grand Union Canal ( long since dried out) that he also leased, where he put in 50 small carp from Redmire. As you state , they were grown on, and 48 survived and were eventually stocked into Snowberry Lake which he and FJT then managed.
Sadly those Leneys died in the mid/ late 90's from an algae outbreak in the lake.

That's interesting information, Julian - many thanks - did they go large in Snowberry?

[Julian]

Gary
Regarding after they were stocked in Snowberry , They did grow large but nothing like some of the Redmire monsters. I dont think any were caught above 30's .

[Catfish.017]

I would think those 8 to 12 ounce fish are probably 2013 spawned. Observations on a water local to me showed fish of around 2 to 3 ounce in the autumn after spawning and these were 8 to 12 ounce the following year. A year on again they were 1 1/4 lb to 1 3/4lb.

[Julian]

I would think those 8 to 12 ounce fish are probably 2013 spawned. Observations on a water local to me showed fish of around 2 to 3 ounce in the autumn after spawning and these were 8 to 12 ounce the following year. A year on again they were 1 1/4 lb to 1 3/4lb.

Thanks Catfish
Based on the various sizes of carp that are now present in the pool it, and from the info posted here,
it appears therefore that each year has had some successful spawning. The first year the initial stock were mature
enough to spawn was probably 2009/10 as they were stocked at around 8ozs in early 2006, making
them 5 years old by either 2009 or 2010.

[Gary Bills]

Gary
Regarding after they were stocked in Snowberry , They did grow large but nothing like some of the Redmire monsters. I dont think any were caught above 30's .

Many thanks - Gary