Why Do Carp Jump Out of the Water?

Although carp don’t have the best taste, they are definitely exciting and difficult to target. If you’ve tried carp fishing in the past, you may have noticed some fish jumping out of the water. Do carp jump out of the water and is it normal? Yes, most definitely! If you’re in the water full of carp, it’s very likely that you’ll see carp jumping. So, why do carp jump out of the water and what is it called when a fish jumps out of the water? That’s exactly what we’ll discuss here.

So, Why Do Carp Jump Out of the Water?

You’ll see carp jumping from the water for any of these reasons:

Pressure Equalization

This is primarily the reason why carp jump out of the water. Carp like visiting different depths, traveling deep water and then coming up to the surface.

If you don’t know already, fish use their swim bladder to control their buoyancy and the ability to change depths.

As carp swim from the deep towards the surface, pressure on their swim bladder increases significantly. For this reason, carp jump to expel the air that’s in their swim bladder. Jumping forces out the air that’s in their esophagus.

If you don’t see carp jumping from the water, it’s most likely because the water is shallow and not deep enough to require this action.

Hygiene

There are many reasons as to why carp jump out of the water and that includes personal hygiene purposes. Carp are known to be bottom-feeder species.

They eat food that is at the bottom of a river or lake. It’s, therefore, very common for carp to get dirt, parasites, debris, and other objects sticking in their gills.

The entire point of carp jumping from the water is ridding the fish of the various contaminants in their gills as they re-enter the water.

In other words, carp jumping from and into water is similar to a power wash, particularly for their gills where parasites can be found.

Sustenance

Another reason why carp jump out of the water is because they simply want to eat. If they see a frog or insect swimming on the water surface or right above the water, they’ll jump for a tasty snack.

Carp can also jump and readjust their swim bladder to be able to travel to a deeper depth where food may be located.

Evasion/Response to Attacks

Carp and other species of fish may also jump to avoid a predator. Sometimes, jumping is nothing more than evading a predator and becoming a quick snack.

For Pleasure

Fish, including carp, may jump as it’s absolutely fun! However, jumping makes for an incredible defense mechanism as fish being hunted will temporarily escape the one that’s doing the hunting. This is more likely than carp having fun and enjoyment.

Why Do Carp Leap into Boats?

It’s not known a hundred percent why carp jump or leap into boats. Carp jump for various reasons as mentioned earlier and they jump to avoid predators.

When they jump and land in another area, this can cause confusion to a predator. When you see carp jumping into your boat, it may be because you or your boat are seen by carp as the predator.

Carp landing on your boat may just be pure coincidence. But, make no mistake. Fish won’t intentionally jump into a boat.

Although they aren’t the smartest animals in the world, they don’t have a death wish. Simply put, carp jumping to a boat with trolling motor batteries is, in general, just a coincidence.

Why Do Carp Make Splashes in Shallow Water?

Have you witnessed the great wonder of carp splashing in shallow waters? There’s only one reason for this: mating.

Carp dance and splash as they are crucial parts of their mating ritual. This occurs when several male carp spawn with one female.

There’s lots of commotion and competition and the splashing is the males competing with each other in order to mate with the female.

Are Carp Dangerous?

There are species of carp e.g. the silver carp which are easily disturbed. In such a case, they jump as high as 10 ft into the air.

Their triggers include passing trains, rocks that are thrown on water, and geese flying from the water. They also jump when they find themselves unexpectedly in a tight situation. When they hear the sound of an outboard motor, they often land in boats, striking the passengers.

When the speed of the boat is over 20 mph, this can be very dangerous and disastrous when fish weigh over 20 lbs. Jumping fish can seriously injure boaters.

They can even damage boats. In the Missouri River, water skiing has become exceedingly dangerous as most fish jump from the back of a pontoon boat.

What is a Peekaboo and Rolling Jump?

Sometimes, you may see carp sticking their heads out of the water. This can be a sign of them feeding on insects.

But, this can also be because they want to come to the surface in order to clean their gills. When you see fish doing the peekaboo action, it’s a strong sign there’s feeding that’s going on. Fetch the area right away!

There’s also a different kind of jump which is the rolling jump. This is when carp do a barrel roll as they make splashing motions.

You’ll see this happening in small groups with carp doing it simultaneously. It’s a sign carp are migrating and there’s no point in fishing for them.

Conclusion

Although carp aren’t the tastiest fish to target, they’re very fun to catch. Seeing carp jumping can be quite a sight and it’s very entertaining.

Remember that whenever you see them jump, that means there’s some great angling to be done! Chances are there are lots of carp and other fish nearby.

Carp may be feeding and they will most definitely go for your lures and baits, given they are placed strategically.