Autumn/Winter Fishing

[Alan D]

Chaps, still being relatively new to the sport I`m wondering if the onset of Autumn and Winter sees fishing for anything but Pike much more difficult or not. I went fishing yesterday to a lake in Milton Keynes then after 2 hours of nothing moved to another one near Olney. In 6 hours of fishing I caught 3 small perch and 3 small roach. Is it just a simple fact that the colder more unsettled weather makes fish less likely to feed or is it the case that tactics have to be changed and that the fishing can still be good even in the colder months? I dont fish much and probably wont get the chance to fish again for at least 3 more weeks but dont know if I`m wasting my time or not. I dont know if I should fish on the grand union canal and hope to fare better.

 

Whats everyone`s opinion on it all? I think I have much to learn so am grateful for any views/advice.

 

Cheers

Alan

[DavyR]

Winter fishing can certainly be very good, but the quality varies so much from water to water. Some species in rivers are happy to feed in very cold conditions (chub, roach and grayling come to mind as well as pike).

 

Stillwaters are a bit more of a lottery, but scaled-down float tackle (1.5lb hooklengths and 18-20 hooks with maggot, caster or breadpunch for bait) will still usually score for roach and perch. It certainly hasn't got cold enough on my local waters yet for the carp to go off the feed - in fact, they often feed better when they're setting themselves up for the colder weather to come.

[Neil G]

Winter not even that good for pike on some waters, now is good as it's mild and the spring also but when it gets really cold not much moves!

[old buzzer]

Last year was my first years fishing for a long time, and all those years ago when I first started fishing I never even thought about going to the lake or river in winter. But last year full of renewed passion for angling I carried on into the dark winter months and boy was it hard work for little reward, scratching about for the odd fish. Now that could be attributed to the fact that anybody can catch fish in the warmer months but it takes someone who knows what they are doing to catch when the weather's cold? But for whatever reason I only had a couple of descent sessions during the winter and that was on days when the temperature was unseasonably mild. I did however start piking and found it to be more enjoyable and rewarding than sitting waiting for a few silver fish to show up. So this year when the weather turns really cold I'll be in search of that big old girl again.

[Chris Plumb]

Whats everyone`s opinion on it all? I think I have much to learn so am grateful for any views/advice.

 

Cheers

Alan

 

I look forward to Oct 1st almost as much as 16th June. Autumn/winter is the time to get on the rivers. I will hardly ever fish a still water after 1st Nov. All coarse species are in their prime around now - having recovered from spawning and with fewer anglers on the bank face a bit less pressure. You do sometimes have to let conditions dictate where you go and what you fish for. For example a period of iron hard frosts would see me target grayling or chub and give the perch on the canal a miss until it was milder. A high flooded river might see me target chub/barbel with a big smelly bait in a slack - or head for a chalk stream less prone to flooding. My favourite style of fishing (trotting) suits winter fishing. Travel light - just a net and rod - with pockets stuffed with any tackle and a bait smock full of maggots and you can cover a lot of water and search out the fish. In winter fish can shoal up quite tightly - there may be 100's of metres of river with few if any fish and then suddenly you'll find a pool/feature/whatever stuffed with them!

 

 

C.

[Emma two]

Winter not even that good for pike on some waters,

 

I'm glad that you said that! and thinks, 'hooray it's not just me then'!. At this time of year I hear people getting gleeful at the prospect of a 'pikefest', while I am thinking, only a few more weeks and I will be putting away the pike gear until spring. I find it ok at this time of year, but find December, January and February awful, my diaries show only one decent day during those months, 3 pike to lures in a mild late February. It's not for want of trying either, I have put the hours in, tried all the methods I know, fished deep water, shallow bays, bank and boat. They just seem to evaporate on the waters I fish until it warms up again.

[norfolkfisher]

Its perch and chub time of year with a nice big lobworm, always works when the going gets hard.

[lutra]

Its perch and chub time of year with a nice big lobworm, always works when the going gets hard.

I tried that lobworm thing today.

 

No chub or perch, but i got a barbel and this thing.

[dapper64]

Grayling,I think they must have antifreeze in there blood.

[lutra]

Bleedin' heck!

Is that a large sea trout... or am I in the wrong tree? It does seem to be missing some spots. Confused.

 

MC

Yep it is missing some spots.

 

Its a salmon.