Underwater Carp Video ~ Do Waterfowl Spook Carp?
~ I’ve Often Wondered What The Relationship Is With Waterfowl & Carp? ~
Many times I’ve had a screaming run while I’ve had a flock of birds dive-bombing the baiting area at the same time. Lifting into a fish at this moment comes as a bit of a surprise, as you half expect a bird getting tangled with your line to be the cause of the protesting buzzer… invariably its not! Fishing where duck feeders visit can pay dividends, as long as you’re not bivvied up and can move away when they arrive.
In 2004 a group of us while fishing the massive Lake Burley Griffen in Canberra, we experimented with this. It does work, attracting the ducks, coots and swans and getting them into a feeding frenzy is easy. Getting rid of them once you’ve hurled in some bread is the hard part. Being a bit gung-ho at the time I impatiently dropped my ledgered blob of bread in a gap amid the melee of bird-life. A small carp picked the bait up as soon as it hit the bottom and a manic battle ensued, with the entirety of it played out with the rod tip held underwater. I must have looked a right tit playing this fish beneath about 500 very excited black swans! Miraculously I did land it (a pastie of some 5lb or so), much to the amusement of my three fishing companions. Trying this method when the ducks/swans are not present is highly advisable… which is why I’ve not bothered trying it since!
Eating off the same plate!
I digress. I would like to introduce the first of a series of some awesome underwater carp video clips. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of this type of footage, and if I had some better camera gear I would shoot a lot more of myself. I particularly like what David Edwards has filmed here on his UnderWaterSecrets website, because a lot of it has been shot on lakes I know in my home county of Kent. Also I think you’ll agree as you look though his portfolio of videos, is that Dave has captured some very unusual, and previously un-filmed behaviour from our carpy friends.
These are not in any particular order, but this is a cracker to get you thinking the next time the duckies pay you a visit in your swim:
Happy hippo hunting 
Niblet
I always wondered what affect the diving ducks had on feeding carp. Thanks for sharing!
Tony
Yesterday saw a great catch by a mate who casted over an area that had a number of young ducks repeatadely diving over, she caught a nice 5lb mirrior in about two minutes from cast.