As the dropping temperatures begin to bite, and the leaves begin to slowly fall from the trees, it can only mean that our normally 'short' summer is rapidly melting away. This year, to be fair has been pretty good, although the grim thought of winter only round the corner is enough to send a shiver down the spine. Not all is lost though, as we enter one of the best times of year to be fishing for carp, with a realistic chance of a 'PB'.
Just like the Spring, the start of autumn is always an exciting time for me. Lakes all round the country begin to quieten off, and more importantly, the carp have got the munchies! It can be so frustrating sometimes from the end of July and through August when, for whatever reason, it seems almost impossible to catch a carp. They seem more interested in soaking up the sun and just sitting in weedbeds or snags for hours on end. Then when you do catch one, they're often down in weight and not looking they're best. One thing's for sure though, when the autumn wind and rain arrives, so does the carp's appetite, and without doubt, it's one of the best times to give them a bit of food and do a spot of carp fishing.
It's easy at this time of year to look out the window at the gloomy weather and think, 'I'll give it a miss this week', but with a little bit of effort and careful preparation, you could still catch plenty of carp for a long while yet. I have to admit that I'm a big fan of pre-baiting at any time of the year, but especially so through the Autumn. What with a full-time job and a girlfriend to keep happy, it's often the only way really I can give myself the best chance of catching the fish I'm after. As well as pre-baiting, it's also a good time to be baiting quite heavy whilst you're actually fishing. Carp will soon be getting ready to hold up in certain areas where they feel comfortable, and if you can find these and regularly supply them with a bit of bait, then you could still turn a slow season into a very good one. The very nature of a carp won't allow them to turn down an easy meal, especially at this time of year when it's vital for them to store away a bit of fat for the winter. It basically comes down to them being quite lazy, and if they can find a meal (or a regular supply of food), whilst using the least amount of energy, then they'll take it every time.
As much as I want to say it's all about the boilies for the next few months, the harsh reality is that many of us haven't got the funds to get the freezing brimming with the little round balls, especially in the current climate. Don't get me wrong, if it was a case of a couple of extra pints in the pub or an extra kilo or two of boilies, then I'd say take the boilies. I know for some it may be a hard choice, but I'd much rather be holding up a chunk in front of the camera, than sat in the pub talking about the bloke in carp-talk! Over the years, I've found it easier to spread the cost of baiting up with particles, matching pellets and even groundbaits. Most carp bait companies will sell a full range of products matching the boilies they sell, so it's a bit of a cheaper alternative whilst still giving the carp a food source they will recognise. Also, by the very nature of pellets, groundbaits and particles, it will keep the fish grazing for longer periods of time, so again getting them used to feeding in a certain area.
When it comes to finding an area to bait, it really isn't a case of choose a spot and fill it in. A kilo of bait in the right area is worth much more than a mass of bait in an area that the carp just don't want to go. You'll need to do a bit of homework, and more importantly use your eyes. Carp very often give their presence away, whether it be by leaping out, fizzing or even just clouding up the water as they feed. It pays to investigate an area when you see signs of fish, as often a smooth silt bottom or a hard gravel area close to where fish have shown could be the dinner plate you were looking for. Carp are very much creatures of habit, and a spot or an area that has a history of producing a few fish, or even a particular fish you are targeting, could be all the information you need.
The first time I really gave the pre-baiting a go was quite a few years ago now whilst fishing a lovely, small, mature pit in the
Colne Valley. It had a pretty good head of fish, with a big, deep old carp often well over the 40lb mark. I can remember being sat up a tree watching the fish carefully drifting up and down the channel below me without a care in the world. I'd watched the biggun itself drift in deep on a few occasions, but the biggest giveaway that he was frequenting the area was his best mate, another mirror in the low-thirty bracket, which was always close by the bigguns side. He was far more active and visible, and to be honest, he was the real reason that I chose that particular area to bait. At the time I couldn't really afford to bait heavily with the boilies, so just used particles and pellets. I'd go weeks without being able to wet a line, but was relentless with the baiting up, often driving down in the early hours before work to trickle bait in. One morning not long after baiting, I spotted the biggun itself lump out close by, then followed the stream of bubbles towards the baited spot before a huge explosion of fizzing hit the surface. He did this a few times before I eventually dragged myself away already late for work. The whole day all I could think about was that carp lumping over in the half-light and made sure that after work I was flying down the motorway - lake bound. When I arrived, the carp were still very much in the area and I could hear them turning over in the dark not 10 yards in front of me. As you can imagine, I was a nervous wreck, unable to hold my hands steady as I tied a rig in the dark, carefully threading a single grain of maize on for a hookbait. Eventually, I ended up just fishing one rod on my 'banker' spot. After a few smaller carp, I had one savage take and from the moment I picked up the rod I knew exactly what was on the end. The long, powerful, determined runs gradually got shorter and shorter until a great big carps head popped up spluttering water as I lifted the net up around him. It sounds silly, but it was a joy for those brief few minutes, to be sat in the drizzling rain by my net just taking it in, knowing that those countless trips backwards and forwards to the lake had finally paid off. Ever since then, whenever the Autumn comes round, I look back at that capture and use it as my 'inspiration' to keep the baiting-up going, and I've been extremely lucky to have had some good results off the back of it.
One thing that can become a nightmare over the next few months is the birds. As the number of anglers decrease, it seems like the bird population begins to boom, and it won't take them long to suss a regular baited spot. Although they can become incredibly frustrating, try not to let them bother you too much. They certainly don't bother the fish, and I even think on some lakes it draws the carp in to investigate. Just quickly thinking about it now, I can think of four different lakes where I've had birds diving down on my baits, only for the rod to rip off with a carp on the end. So next time you jump up clapping and 'shooing' the birds, bear in mind that they won't be putting the fish off too much.
Obviously with the weather turning for the worse, if you're not comfortable then you won't want to stay, and the next time you get the opportunity to go you'll probably make an excuse to stay at home. I've fished in some terrible conditions with totally inadequate gear. I can still remember fishing up in Oxford in those bitter January winds, in a pair of tracky bottoms, t-shirt and jumper, under my brolly in a 3 season bag. Trust me; it isn't the way to go and I spent most of the time wishing I was sat at home in front of the telly. Apart from the odd freaky day, it's pretty safe to say that the weather is only going to deteriorate over the next few months, so you need to get yourself some warm clothes, a decent shelter and most definitely a good sleeping bag.
Looking forward to my fishing over the next few months, I'm actually rubbing my hands together at the prospect of it all. For a change, I'm actually fishing a lake that a few friends have got a ticket for. More importantly though, we're all using the same bait, so the fish should see a regular supply of it and hopefully we'll get amongst them.
Keep at it over the next few months, even when the goings tough. Just think ...the next fish could be your biggest!
Until next time, be lucky.