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22/11/23
The Awful Autumn – Whats Changed?
Close Season
Looking back to 2000
Like many, this used to be a very productive period in the carp
catching calendar. I can think back to when the Autumn feed had many
angler treading the banks waiting for the fish to slip up before the
cold winter onset. Well, what’s happened, where’s the bounty of fish
captures that used to fill our albums?
I have a few opinions as to why this period is not the mecca it used
to be and in the sprint of writing something a little different from
the standard ‘hints and tips’ I thought I would share my thoughts as
to why this period can be bloody awful!!
The removal of the old close season in the year 2000 has had a massive effect on our fish in terms of average weight and in particular their frequency to the bank. Regarding captures. If we think of our carp as getting caught 2-3 times per year, there will be some fish that get caught more than this and there will be some fish that come out much less frequently but as an average 2 or 3 captures I would say is the norm.
When the old close season was in place mid March-mid June, a
lot of fish coming out of the winter (Feb-mid March) would simply not be caught. Some fish slip up in Feb-March but a small percentage of the stock, most are not starting to consume large amounts of bait at that time of the year and as a result do not visit the bank.
Irresistible Food Source
Bigger Windows
When the close season was in place these fish then enjoyed a further four months of prime weather without being fished for. June the 16th would then roll around and invariably the fish could have spawned or were
just about too. We are getting to a situation where the carp’s first
capture is at the end of June or July as opposed to early spring
(April/May). You can start to see that there is now a bigger window for
captures at the backend simply because the carp is only on its first
capture. It could do another couple of captures before the winter
draws in. The other big factor that is linked is the bait.
There is no doubt that carp love to consume boilies, with today’s
ingredients we are providing an irresistible food source that triggers olfaction and gustation (taste and smell). Too much to resist when a big fish swims over 2 kgs of prime fishmeal! As a bait maker I am ticking their dietary requirements in terms of protein, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals etc and also adding in pre-digested, fermented, soluble signals that scream food and ‘eat me’ in their turbulent, aquatic environment. These baits are very calorific and it’s no surprise that the carp absolutely love them. I’ve built my business on that very fact. Since the close season was abolished we have seen vast quantities of boilies being applied as soon as the water warms up, generally Late April through to spawning (May-June).
The amount of quality food being applied through the calendar year has increased considerably. This is reflective in fish weight as the UK now boasts a huge number of 40lb, 50lb and even 60lb+ carp. Especially compared to when the old close season was in place pre 2000 when there were a tiny amount of UK 40lb carp in comparison. From the 2000’s to present day, carp fishing has boomed for both better and worse. This again has signalled the increase of both anglers and in turn, more quantities of bait going into our fisheries.
Autumn Fishing
Carp's Summer Cycle
The carp’s summer cycle is pretty straight forward. As soon as the
water starts to warm the carp are looking to increase their body
temperature to around 18 degrees which in turn, will induce spawning.
Food will be consumed up to this point but the main focus is that once-a-year event for them to spread their seeds. The point is that they are still getting regular quality bait up till and beyond this point. After spawning the aim to replace damaged tissue, scales, essential fats, minerals and vitamins etc from the rigours of frolicking. The bait that we provide them with is the perfect profile to achieve this quickly……and here lies the problem.
If our fish are getting back to full health fairly quickly during the summer then there is a reduced need to fill that void in the Autumn. In fact from running my own bait business for nearly 20 years I can see the pattern from the catch reports we receive. It would appear that on most lakes the Autumn feed up is now happening in late Aug – early Sept. Catch reports echo this also. When we get into late Oct and Nov the fish are already at top weight and in essence are just on tick over. Of course, we see captures through the Oct-Nov period but not as many as I used to remember in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
Autumn Fishing
Mix it up...
So where does this leave us now with Autumn fishing?
With the changing climate, we are starting to see milder conditions all the way through the Autumn and winter. Although the carp do not need to consume as much because of the reasons outlined above, there are still opportunities to catch fish consistently through the Autumn and the more cooler months. Looking back over various years where I have had some fantastic results that have usually coincided with applying bait on a little and often basis.
I appreciate that not all of us can fish venues where there is the opportunity to introduce some food regularly as the increased footfall on our banks is probably at the highest I have ever known. Looking back I have used a variety of different types of baits during the Autumn\winter months, all to good effect and can
be tailored to specific venues. Boilies have always been a favourite
of mine (no surprise there!!) and continue to produce all through the calendar year. I usually mix these with other baits and have found them very effective.
Baiting Strategies
Include Particles
The humble particle baits should always be part of bait application in my opinion as the water temp decreases.
Sweetcorn, hemp, maize and wheat are just a few baits that have found there way into my baiting strategy as these pass through the carp very quickly and have the ability to stay on the bottom of the lake for long periods and not fester or go rancid before being consumed, the ideal candidates for little and often feeding. I remember introducing hemp to a park lake in November and the carp were visiting this right up until the new year! It was a silty area and the grains just kept the fish searching for weeks. Wheat has found its way into my Autumn strategy on more than one occasion also, it has the ability to absorb all manner of liquids, a great vehicle for delivering some soluble food signals with a controlled release. All of these are cheap products that do not break the bank and can be boosted up with various additives.
So there we have it, The Awful Autumn!! Rewards are still there but
don’t expect to empty the lakes like we used to!
Be lucky
Mark Bryant
