Autumn approach ?

[dead peg]

Hello Gents. As keen novice I'd be grateful to hear how you adapt your stillwater fishing as Autumn approaches and the more unsettled weather starts.
Things like -
Do you use the same tackle set-ups as Summer or scale down to a finer set-up , like you'd do in Winter ? Or something inbetween ?
Does your feeding pattern, amount or baits change from Summer ?
How active do the fish feed ? Is it sometimes more because they know Winters approaching ?
Does how you locate the fish change (margins or further out)?
I realise a lot of these answers will come with more experience and watercraft , things will change depending on weather conditions also, but whats your Autumn approach ? Cheers

 

[chefster]

The fish on the stillwaters i fish are feeding exactly the same,autumn is a great time,until the frosts start,then its time to start fining things down.As you say with winter approaching the fish seem to stock up.Personally i would,nt start to fine down yet as the fish are still full of energy,once the mercury drops right down ,they will become very lethargic.Even in winter on some venues with big fish ,i wouldnt fish that light as you,ve still got to get them out...Baitwise is where you have to tread very careful,once it gets very cold,tiny amounts of feed are required,once the water starts to go clear,due to frost and lack of feeding fish activity,bright and even flouro baits seem to work ,i hope this makes sense to you,cheers Chef

 

[captainbarnacles]

Think w'ed all need to write a book to answer all that , I tend to hit more rivers in winter as i do most anyway, Finer tackle in some cases , when i,m fishing for roach mainly, but as with any fish in winter they have more time to study bait and hooks , so fining down is realy a must , I do a lot of chub fishing and target also perch. I dont tend to feed as much as they are slower in winter , worms bread , maggots mainly . I tend to look at deep holes and back eddies ,under overhanging trees and such. As i,m getting older i find the winter sessions become shorter and i carry less gear , plenty of tea and something nice to eat, nothing worse than being hungry and cold. But mainly i think just keep asking questions and learning as the years go on , i have been fishing for around 57 years and still learning , but most of all i enjoy it , every single moment blank or not , you have a great time this winter and enjoy , tight lines my friend. Chubber.

 

[john step]

You will find that the water will eventually get clearer. I find this is the time to fish into darkness. If you cant do that find the deeper holes where the fish will feel safer. I am constantly surprised how a piece of bread flake of punched bread will lure roach that will not look at anything else in winter.

 

[dead peg]

Thanks Gents, some great tips to help give me a better understanding. I try to feel my way into every session and take something away from it...catching or not. As chubberbob said, he's still learning after 57 years .. thats whats I thinks great about fishing ,theres always something new to learn. Like an apprenticeship were your never truly time served

 

[chub_on_the_block]

As the water gets colder i would focus more and more on the deepest parts of a stillwater. In general though i give the stillwaters a rest now until next spring - rivers are more fruitful i think and if you can locate where they shoal up at different times you can be fishing on top of a concentration of fish. Unlike stillwater, they also need to feed well through the winter to get the energy to hold their position against the current. In stillwaters they can be very inactive for long periods.

 

[Dave Slater]

Hello Dead Peg.
I fish exactly the same until the weather starts to get colder, which it is starting to do now.
Rather than adapt my tactics I then tend to switch to different species. Whatever the type of venue you are fishing there will be something worthwhile to catch in the colder months. If you are fishing for the right species then it is not always necessary to scale things down.

 

[Tee-Cee]

Around now I tend to use the water temperature gauge every time I go out (checking at differing depths) just to check the rate of change in water temperature. Gives me some idea of how the fish might respond (as the ambient temp falls as well) and if I need to make tackle changes...

NOT saying water and ambient temps are unconnected and both don't affect how fish will feed but water temps can still be quite high even with frost on the ground in my experience.

Late unseasonal warm spells (say) end Sept might also hold water temps up for a while ? That's a question!

 

[Royffey]

number one autumn tip...

What ever you are fishing for (non predatory) get on the pellet and don't be afraid to fill it in...

The fish will be building up reserves of body fat this time of year ready for winter and will readily accept any good quality Halibut pellet.

Good luck, and get hauling