Autumn magic

Autumn to me can be some of the best times throughout the year to wet a line, not least due to less angling pressure but the fact the rewards can make your entire season when you get it right.

Long gone are the summer anglers and the usually once rammed venues seem to take on a completely different feel throughout this period.

For me, this is a time where that elusive previous capture of you target fish takes on a  whole  new appeal and invariably you can target accordingly knowing that there is a good chance of finally ‘the one’ gracing your net!

Mild temperatures even give you an added bonus of still introducing bait whilst the carp are still active and as the colder months draw in your chances increase due to a recognised food source being readily available!

For me, during this period I don’t change any of my approach other than to frequent my chosen venue more often, whether this be just for a day session or doing an overnighter, for me the continuation of baiting the areas stands me more and more in with a chance  of succeeding when others may struggle.

Admittedly you need to be thinking ahead, and perhaps you need to be targeting areas of the lake that provide warmth on the back of cold winds, sun traps and even known holding areas as the temperatures begin to dip.

As I said earlier the carp can still be very active, albeit they may not give themselves away as easily as earlier in the year, so you may have to tune your instincts accordingly , this is where watercraft, knowledge and previous catches come into there own..

I treat autumn as the period of opportunity in many ways, as expressed previously, less pressure opens opportunity, but only if your prepared to seize it.

You need to think carefully about the amount of gear you are taking, Easily said i know particularly when you require all the home comforts to to stay warm and comfy on the banks!! Just think carefully and ask yourself the question! How quick could you move if required to showing fish elsewhere on the lake, if in any doubt, leave it at home!!  Just make sure that you can stay warm and dry and this will ensure for a more enjoyable session!

The nights can prove long and hard, feeding times may change and activity may seem on occasions as near on non existent, therefore it’s important that you are both comfortable and targeting the right areas of the lake to maximise opportunities when they arise.

I tend to dispense with the marker rod this time of the year, preferring to lead around and ensure I ‘feel the lead down’ once happy  with the spots, clip up and with the use of distance sticks make a careful note of the number of wraps for each rod and swim accordingly, keep this information in a notebook and it will become a valuable bible of information that allows you to repeat successes going forward, additionally if you have to up sticks and move to showing fish the bible can also aid you in placing rigs straight into the spots thus avoiding spooking fish!

Bait wise, I using Mainlines essential B1, and still placing a typical 4-6 kilos into the swim over a 24-48 hour session. I tend to use whole, chops, crumb and also pellet preferring to spomb out, again keeping disturbances to a minimum, as darkness begins to fall I’ll also stick baits out over a wider spread with the throwing stick to give me a greater source of attraction and scent trails within the general area.

Rigs for me this time of the year tend to focus on the baits being just off bottom, favouring either hinge stiff, 360’s or my third Choice if distance is paramount the famous  Chod!! Each of my pop ups are soaked accordingly in the matching hook bait soaks and allowed to dry and the process repeated to ensure maximum food signals  in the swim    !

One little trick I have learnt over the years is to ‘steam the hook-bait’ over a boiling kettle just prior to casting out the rig!! Now whether  this provides additional attraction or alters the make up I haven’t a clue, but prior success over a standard soaked pop up fills me with confidence, and confidence is key!