Fishing for carp in a pond in September: tackle, bait and groundbait

Autumn is one of the best times of the year for fishing. As the water temperature decreases, the activity of the fish increases, and it begins to bite better due to several components:

• a decrease in water temperature and destruction of the thermocline;
• increasing levels of dissolved oxygen;
• gradual death of aquatic vegetation.

Everyone has heard about the autumn meal of a predator, but peaceful fish also begin to eat up before the long winter, storing up nutrients. Carp fishing in September brings fishermen good catches not only in quantitative but also in qualitative terms; the fish that have eaten are now much larger than what was caught in the spring and summer.

Attention! The article examines September as it happens in the central zone of our country: the beginning - end of summer, from the middle of the month - obvious autumn.

What to catch: the best baits and lures

Before winter, fish require large amounts of nutrients, in particular protein. Therefore, there is a gradual replacement of plant food with animal food in the carp diet.

At the beginning of September you can fish with the usual summer baits:

1. barley;
2. peas;
3. corn;
4. potatoes;
5. nipple mixtures;
6. boilies of fruity and sweet tastes;
7. mastyrka from pea porridge with semolina;
8. hominy made from wheat and corn flour.

In cold water, fish prefer animal baits. Popular baits for carp at this time include:

• dung and earthworms;
• bunches of maggots;
• bloodworm tassels;
• shellfish, in particular pearl barley;
• sandwiches in different combinations.

They also use boilies in the fall, only now they have a distinct meat or fish flavor. You can try a combination in the form of “snowmen” made from balls with different flavors, including spicy ones.

Advice! To attract fish to the point and activate its bite, do not forget to add small particles of your bait or bait to the bait.

Peculiarities of carp behavior in October

Remember that the carp bite is inconsistent at this time of year. In the morning and before lunch, mostly small individuals are caught. Whereas large carp in October try to feed in the afternoon. Usually from 3-4 o'clock until complete darkness. Often he is actively interested in bait at night.

In autumn, carp shows great interest in food not only in warm but also in calm weather. Whereas fishing in the rain and even in light winds is unlikely to yield results. Under such weather conditions, the fish go to the pits and stop feeding.

The most favorable time for fishing is the first half of October. These days the weather is often still good, but the food supply in any body of water is reduced significantly. There are almost no algae anymore, insect larvae or various plant seeds do not get into the water. As a result, the carp begins to actively peck at various baits.

To ensure yourself a good catch in the autumn season, you need to fish different places without stopping at one

However, the colder it is, the worse the carp are at biting. Therefore, at the end of October and November, carp in many regions prepare for winter. It stops moving throughout the entire water area and behaves passively. Sub-zero air temperatures and the carp completely move to wintering pits, where it is difficult to catch them.

The fact that fish almost no longer “walk” in the reservoir makes life difficult for fishermen. They have to constantly look for its parking places, change selected points, etc. After all, at this time they can get at least some catch only if the bait and bait are thrown not far from the hole where the carp is standing. And even then you need to hope that the fish will come out to feed, and will not have to wait for a more opportune moment.

Fishing on a pond or platform

Carps inhabit both natural reservoirs and various artificial structures: dams on rivers, ponds specially dug for breeding. Some people prefer to fish in a “wild” body of water, trying to be closer to nature. Others love the comfort provided by the owners of paid fishing grounds, where the catch seems to be guaranteed. In any case, it is useful for both to know about the habits of fish and their behavior in the fall.

How to choose a cool place

If you still decide to catch carp on a regular pond or lake, know that usually domestic carp feels better on large flowing reservoirs with a muddy bottom. Our hero's frequent neighbor is crucian carp; its presence can indirectly confirm the presence of carp in the pond.

On a paysite you don’t need to worry about this, the presence of fish there is natural, guaranteed by the farm itself. In addition to “piglets”, other representatives of the family are also bred: silver carp, grass carp.

As for choosing a fishing point, you need to understand the factors of autumn. First of all, it is water becoming clear. She unmasks the fish, the carp gets scared and goes into the depths. There you should already look for various uneven terrain:

• pits;
• navels;
• eyebrows;
• driftwood;
• boulders.

You should also pay attention to quiet creeks with thickets of higher aquatic vegetation:

• reeds;
• reed;
• cattail.

Carps often live here in the summer, and they don’t mind staying here in the fall. Especially when at the border with clean water there is a sharp drop to more than two meters. Be prepared for a long wait for a bite, and cherish each of them. Remember, in the fall you can catch truly trophy fish. They say that it was in September that a specimen weighing 42 kilograms was caught.

Weather conditions and their impact on fishing

Despite the increased activity in cool water, carp still clearly like it when the weather is warmer. Therefore, the best conditions for it are: Warm weather with light wind. For Central Russia it is better when it blows from the south or southwest.

A light drizzle not only brings oxygen into the reservoir, but the ripples from it camouflage the fish and they bite more fearlessly. The weather can be either clear or cloudy, the main thing is that it remains stable for several days. Any sudden changes lead to a decrease in activity.

On good days you should definitely go to the pond. After all, things are moving towards winter, and severe cold is coming there. It is no secret that in this situation, the carp bite will gradually fade, and then stop altogether, so you need to catch the moment when the conditions on the reservoir are most favorable for hunting domestic carp.

TOP 10 tips for catching carp in late autumn

As you know, the most active phase of carp fishing is summer. The fish is active, the metabolism is high, the weather is beautiful, God himself ordered to go to the reservoir and delight yourself with good catches. But with the onset of cold weather, the enthusiasm of most anglers wanes. And it’s not just the harsh weather conditions, but the decreasing activity of the fish. In fact, most carp will continue to feed, just in smaller quantities.

So, if carp are still fishable in cold weather, what strategies and tactics should we use to successfully catch carp well into the fall?

First, you should review your feeding program in terms of quantity. Of course, if you know for sure that a whole flock will feed in such and such an area at once, then you can leave more bait, but this happens extremely rarely.

Tip #1. Use stringers

In the summer, using PVA bags is a very effective tactic. But in late autumn we would recommend giving preference to stringers. With the onset of cold weather, it is better to strive to reduce the amount of bait you give to the fish. A stringer of 2-3 boilies on each cast is ideal. The fish are inactive, imagine how much bait you will throw in a day if you throw a bag each time you cast. Leave them for the summer.

Tip #2. Use a small fraction

It’s simple - the smaller the food, the faster it is digested, the more often the carp will feed. Cold water temperatures affect the digestive enzymes in the fish's intestines, so some fats and oils will be difficult to digest. The use of small boilies, pellets and cut boilies in general helps the fish digestion. Consequently, carp become more inclined to view your fishing point as adequate to their metabolism at a given time.

Tip #3. Use quick dissolving pellets

Despite the changed time of year, carp will still respond to food cues. At the same time, you should not create an overly nutritious swim for the reasons mentioned above. Using groundbait that breaks down quickly in the water is an excellent way to convey a food signal without adding too much nutrition to the fish. Pay attention to light-colored pellets, which contain less fat.

Tip #4. Don’t neglect method baits

The reasons are the same as in the previous advice. The use of bulk bait enhances the food signal. The advantage of the method mixture is that its fraction is so fine that it will settle to the bottom like aromatic dust. The carp will actually have nothing to eat, but will “siphon” throughout the entire area. You can also add a few liquid flavors, but don't use too many extracts! Your task is not to oversaturate the point, but to create a food signal that will attract fish. There is no need to feed her like in the summer.

Tip #5. Try using single pop-ups

By the way, this tactic is sometimes extremely successful. A bright, attractive pop-up with a strong aroma sometimes provokes fish to bite even without additional feeding. It is suitable for cold days, when the fish may completely reduce their activity. Moreover, on sports reservoirs with high pressure, fish sometimes become so accustomed to the danger posed by abundant bait tables that a single bait in contrast does not cause unpleasant associations in them.

Tip #6. We feed little and often (if there were bites)

If you manage to catch a fish, then don’t be afraid to feed it. To keep the fish. But don't feed too much. It’s better to throw a couple of rockets, and then more when the bite continues. Please note that you need to act carefully and not allow the fish to become overly saturated.

Tip #7. Scatter the bait wider

The tactic is controversial, which goes against the usual calls for precise feeding, but many fishermen note that in the cold season the fish picks up the bait piece by piece, as if tasting it. Just in case, keep a similar trick in mind in case the usual tactics of spot feeding do not give the desired result.

Tip #8. Animal component

If we are talking about amateur fishing, then it makes sense not to shy away from adding maggots, or even worms. This is, of course, prohibited in competitions. Often, maggots generally become one of the best baits for catching carp in the cold season. If you want to learn how to knit an effective leash for maggots, come here. Among the permitted components that can be used in accordance with the rules of sport carp fishing is bloodworm, our everything! CCMoore Natural Range also includes krill and belachan boilies. Pay attention to them!

Tip #9. Use scent combinations

For cold water there is such an irreplaceable thing as CCMoore essences. They will be an excellent addition to your light “diet” mixes, so to speak. They attract fish from afar, do not provide any nutritional value, and in general are ideal for the conditions described in this article. The coolest thing is that all liquids are excellent friends with each other and the addition of two flavors will only enhance the already powerful effect of these additives.

Tip #10. Helpful information

It would not be amiss to once again refresh your memory of the general principles of carp fishing in the autumn. We have a large article dedicated to this time of year. In it you will find general principles for catching carp when summer is already behind you. Adapt the information given in it to your conditions, and persevere. Autumn is both a difficult and trophy-rich time of year. We are sure that with due persistence you will succeed! We also recommend reading our competition report (part 1, part 2) at this time of year. We hope that you will learn a lot of interesting things there.

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What gear is best to use?

In September, carp are caught with several types of gear:

1. float rod;
2. carp;
3. feeder

Next, let's look at each of them in more detail.

Feeder and its characteristics

Those fishermen for whom fishing for this species is not the main fishing activity use a feeder as a donkey. It allows you to cast the equipment far and accurately, measure the depth of the fishing point, and explore the bottom topography.

To catch domestic carp, the tackle is assembled from the following elements:

• The rod chosen is of the middle class, with a weight of up to 80 grams. On stagnant bodies of water, no more is required.
• A spinning reel is preferably large, with a spool size of 5000-6000 Shimano units. It is desirable that a baitrunner be present in the “meat grinder” mechanism.
• About 200 meters of monofilament fishing line with a cross-section of 0.25-0.30 millimeters is wound onto a reel. Some feeders use a system made of a main braid of 0.16-0.20 mm with a monofilament shock leader twice the length of the feeder.
• The simplest equipment used is a paternoster or a Gardner loop.
• A medium-sized feeder is used. For a standing pond, a weight of 30-40 grams is sufficient.
• I choose a hook from thick wire, the size of the chosen bait: from 4 to 10 numbers.

Attention! Novice fishermen often choose equipment with an anti-twist tube as a feeder rig.

Carp fishing: equipment

Adherents of carp fishing catch our hero with gear specially designed for this method. They include:

1. rod (carp) 12-14 feet long with a test load of 3.5 lb;
2. inertia-free “meat grinder” with a spool size of 5000-10000;
3. monofilament 0.30 mm thick;
4. leadcore leash – 20-30 centimeters;
5. sinker or feeder up to 60-70 grams;
6. carp hooks, numbers 4-6.

In addition to the fishing rod itself, this method uses additional equipment. In autumn it is also in demand:

• rod for mounting rods;
• set of signaling devices;
• supplements for feeding;
• landing net

Advice! Casting with a carp rod is forceful, so there is a high probability of injury to the hand from a cut by the fishing line. To avoid this, it is recommended to use a special glove.

Float rod

Many fishermen prefer float gear to bottom fishing gear. In autumn, it is very convenient to catch carp with a modern match or Bolognese fishing rod. It allows you to make long, and most importantly accurate casts. In addition, the float makes much less noise than the donkeys, and this is an important factor in the conditions of autumn fish caution.

The tackle is assembled on a match or Bolognese rod approximately 4-5 meters long. It is equipped with:

1. an inertia-free coil measuring 3000-4000 units;
2. monofilament with a diameter of 0.18-0.25 millimeters;
3. long-range float of the “Wagler” type;
4. leashes made of monofilament or fluorocarbon with a breaking load of up to 10 kilograms;
5. carp hooks 4-8 numbers.

What are carp rods

Carp rods are specially designed for this popular method. They are distinguished by great strength combined with sending power and long range.

In fact, there are three types of rods used in carp fishing:

• Marker. They serve to study the fishing area and throw a special float - a marker - into the feeding area.
• Spodaceae. With their help, feeding of the selected place is carried out. These are the most powerful forms.
• Workers. They are the ones who do the fishing.

Working rods can also be used for measuring depths and for pre-feeding. But still, serious fishermen prefer to have the whole set in their arsenal.

Fishing with carp gear

Specialized carp rods and equipment allow you to fish at the most remote points, where, as a rule, passive autumn fish are located.

The best results are obtained with a classic hair rig on a 4-meter rod. The main feeding of fish is done using a rocket, slingshot or boat. Then, as needed, the bait is delivered to the fishing point using a PVA mesh, which quickly dissolves in the water. It is important that the main feed component is also present in the bait.

A rig with a sliding sinker is the best for October fishing. Carp behaves very carefully, and when biting, blind-mounted equipment can alert it. This does not happen with sliding equipment. Having grabbed the bait, the carp does not feel the weight of the sinker and swallows the treat more boldly. There may not be any self-hooking, but the number of bites becomes noticeably higher. Therefore, the hooking in this case should be tough.

“The size of the hook should be made smaller than usual, the best option is 8-12 numbers according to the international classification. With a small hook, the bait lies more naturally on the bottom and does not arouse suspicion among the carp. In addition, autumn fishing does not involve the use of bulky baits.”

It is better to use boilies or corn as bait.

Groundbait: main composition and ingredients

In the conditions of modern fishing pressure, it is pointless to fish in reservoirs without bait. In the fall, they most often make a mixture of small fractions with large particles, which are:

• crumbled boilies;
• pellets;
• peas;
• corn.

Attention! You need a lot of bait, about five kilograms of mixture per tackle per day.

The flavoring of the bait should gradually change. If at the beginning of the month sweet and fruity smells are still acceptable, then over time meaty and spicy ones come to the fore.

It should also be noted that the saturation of attractants in cold water should decrease. Another important factor is the replacement of oil components that are poorly soluble in cold water with alcohol ones.

You don’t have to buy store-bought bait, but make it yourself. The base is a mixture of:

1. ground crackers;
2. milk powder;
3. corn grits;
4. canned corn;
5. chopped worms.

Soil is often added to autumn bait. A good alternative to a store-bought compound is soil from the banks of the reservoir where you are going to fish. The second option is to use a mixture from stores for gardeners and gardeners; summer residents usually grow their seedlings in it. If you prefer store-bought mixtures, pay attention to those that are designed specifically for cold water. It is guaranteed that the attractants are mixed with alcohol.