I took my kayak out to a local state park this morning, and hit the creeks I've known to hold bass over the last couple weeks. Instead of finding bass in those areas, I found rather large carp.

 

Now, I see a carp from time to time in this area, but I've never seen so many as I have today. Virtually every spot I checked, there were a pair of carp patrolling together. I haven't seen anything like it before.

 

My question for you is:

 

A ) Were the bass not there because the carp were there?

 

B ) Were the carp there because the bass weren't?

A consistent pattern I've seen on rivers is that the smallmouth will follow carp around. Carp dig up the bottom and the bass eat up what the carp disturb. So when I see carp, I look for smallies close by.

A consistent pattern I've seen on rivers is that the smallmouth will follow carp around. Carp dig up the bottom and the bass eat up what the carp disturb. So when I see carp, I look for smallies close by.

Now that is interesting! Do largemouth do the same thing? Or do they keep their distance?

Probably your Bass have finished spawning and carp are spawning. No direct relationship, although I have seen LM following carp as Scott F mentions.

In so Cal the carp spawn and bass spawn overlap. The carp come in shallow and thrash around making the water

dirty. The bass will avoid this area because the muddy water is bad for them to spawn in because the silt will cover their eggs. The carp themselves are bad for the bass spawn because they come through in large schools and will physically destroy the bass nest. They have also been known to eat the bass eggs. So usually the bass start spawning first but the carp move in shortly after and take over that area.

In so Cal the carp spawn and bass spawn overlap. The carp come in shallow and thrash around making the water

dirty. The bass will avoid this area because the muddy water is bad for them to spawn in because the silt will cover their eggs. The carp themselves are bad for the bass spawn because they come through in large schools and will physically destroy the bass nest. They have also been known to eat the bass eggs. So usually the bass start spawning first but the carp move in shortly after and take over that area.

Just witnessed this phenomenon here in Michigan. Found a great spawning area two weeks ago, catching bass like crazy. Then the carp showed up and took over for about a week. Things are starting to get back to normal now. 

Here in canada, Carp is way more realted to Largemouth than it is to smallmouth. The carps loves shallow, weedy areas. A carp is a good sign that there could be largemouth nearby!

Last Friday the carp were spawning like crazy in the water willows on the south end of the lake we were fishing. We'd been catching bass really well until we came across the spawning carp, the bite dried up completely then. We got away from the carp and the bite started back up again. 

 

I have seen smallmouth follow carp though, probably because they scare up crawdads out of the rocks and grass while they're feeding. 

A consistent pattern I've seen on rivers is that the smallmouth will follow carp around. Carp dig up the bottom and the bass eat up what the carp disturb. So when I see carp, I look for smallies close by.

I see this all the time on our Ct. River system here in MA. Whenever I see carp breaking the surface I toss my offering there right away. Usually results in a hook up with a fat smallie.

That's interesting re: smallies.  Re: largies here in NJ, carp = no bass in my experience, and I stay away.