The weather and fishing.

[PandA698]

With summer seeming to have done one I am now starting to think about Autumn and Winter having never really done it I wondered what adjustments people make to their set ups, baits etc for the coming months to keep the bites coming in.

Also what effects does the weather have on fishing? I hear about high/low pressure, wind direction, rain etc which benefit/hinder catching?

Cheers

[dayvid]

I tend to consider our Winters as an extended Autumn , so nothing really changes . maybe less bait , but my decisions to alter things are made at the time and venue.

[The Compleat Angler]

September is my favourite time for carp fishing, the fish seem to feed more readily and are usually in superb condition, and very nice colours. Some are saying the heat is going to return but, if not, I think September will be very rewarding for many. If the fish start going on the feed, you can start upping the loose feed, and take it from there. I have had many red letter days from September onwards.

[yonny]

16 hours ago, PandA698 said:

I am now starting to think about Autumn and Winter having never really done it I wondered what adjustments people make to their set ups, baits etc for the coming months to keep the bites coming in.

Autumn and winter are worlds apart imo.

For autumn my baiting levels go through the roof.

For winter they drop to almost nothing.

Regards tactics stick to what you know/what you're confident in.

11 hours ago, The Compleat Angler said:

I have had many red letter days from September onwards.

Likewise. Every target fish I've ever caught bar 2 have been in Autumn. My fave time of year by far. Big fish time.

[harpz_31]

im with yonny, autumn should be called awesome

with the nights drawing in it makes it easier to get down after dark and do plenty of prebaiting

and with the fish getting their heads down to put on some winter weight prebaiting builds confident feeding in the bigger fish

 

[harpz_31]

weather patterns have changed so much in the last few years were that magic period of September into October has extended well into November for me

not sure if its the same for you southerners

let hope global warming keeps the winters mild  

[yonny]

I agree mate, November is still prime carp time nowadays. It's normally well into December before I finally admit to myself that it's over for another year.

[yonny]

23 hours ago, PandA698 said:

what effects does the weather have on fishing? I hear about high/low pressure, wind direction, rain etc which benefit/hinder catching?

I think there's three separate threads right there buddy but to summarise each water will respond differently to varying conditions.

If we're talking very, very generally:

- The end of the wind is good, particularly a new wind, possibly due to oxygenation of water at the windward bank.

- Low pressure is good - because it brings with it cool conditions and nice winds (see above), feeding conditions if you will.

- Rain is ok, as it comes with low pressure weather systems (see above lol). I have noticed waters kicking right off after periods of rain, but that's just a personal observation.

However, for every water that responds as you'd expect there is a water that breaks the rules. I have seen waters change in the way they respond to conditions from year to year too. There are no hard and fast rules imo. Carp are carp and they'll do what they want to at a given time.

 

 

[salokcinnodrog]

4 hours ago, yonny said:

I agree mate, November is still prime carp time nowadays. It's normally well into December before I finally admit to myself that it's over for another year.

It is often November through to the February I do best. Maybe it is down to lower levels of natural food, maybe I can be more selective, less anglers, so able to get a better swim or on the fish. I have caught well in December, personal best fish as well.

 

I have noticed that smaller or sheltered or  tree lined waters do not respond to wind as big lakes do. Even big lakes, angler pressure can change the way the fish respond.

 

I don't get to choose the weather I fish, so I have to take what is offered by the weather god, so I try as hard even in less perfect conditions.

[harpz_31]

37 minutes ago, yonny said:

Rain is ok, as it comes with low pressure weather systems (see above lol). I have noticed waters kicking right off after periods of rain, but that's just a personal observation.

Yea I've noticed during and after a good rain they move about n feed abit more

I always put it down to the rain adding oxygen to the water

[yonny]

9 minutes ago, salokcinnodrog said:

I have noticed that smaller or sheltered or  tree lined waters do not respond to wind as big lakes do. Even big lakes, angler pressure can change the way the fish respond.

I would agree with that Nick. In my experience, the bigger the water, the more the wind will influence the carp (in fact on proper big pits (50 acres +) they almost always show up on winds). And I agree a plethora of lines in the water on the end of the wind can soon have them mooching about off the back of it!

12 minutes ago, salokcinnodrog said:

It is often November through to the February I do best. Maybe it is down to lower levels of natural food, maybe I can be more selective, less anglers, so able to get a better swim or on the fish. I have caught well in December, personal best fish as well.

It has to be swim availability/getting on fish Nick - there is something seriously wrong if you catch less in the warmer months otherwise. I too have experienced great sessions throughout winter but they are exceptions where they can be the norm during the warmer months when the fish are fully active.

19 minutes ago, salokcinnodrog said:

I don't get to choose the weather I fish, so I have to take what is offered by the weather god, so I try as hard even in less perfect conditions.

Likewise - my sessions are in the diary way before conditions are known. We take what we can get.

[PandA698]

57 minutes ago, yonny said:

I think there's three separate threads right there buddy but to summarise each water will respond differently to varying conditions.

If we're talking very, very generally:

- The end of the wind is good, particularly a new wind, possibly due to oxygenation of water at the windward bank.

- Low pressure is good - because it brings with it cool conditions and nice winds (see above), feeding conditions if you will.

- Rain is ok, as it comes with low pressure weather systems (see above lol). I have noticed waters kicking right off after periods of rain, but that's just a personal observation.

However, for every water that responds as you'd expect there is a water that breaks the rules. I have seen waters change in the way they respond to conditions from year to year too. There are no hard and fast rules imo. Carp are carp and they'll do what they want to at a given time.

 

 

Fair enough! Maybe over time I will start the threads. Cheers

[salokcinnodrog]

10 minutes ago, yonny said:

It has to be swim availability/getting on fish Nick - there is something seriously wrong if you catch less in the warmer months otherwise. I too have experienced great sessions throughout winter but they are exceptions where they can be the norm during the warmer months when the fish are fully active.

Nazeing fish can be a bit difficult, they will stay in the sluice area for months at a time, feeding almost solely on daphnia. As the natural food dies down, (bloodworm maybe being an exception), they come out into more of the lake. Nazeing carp don't necessarily follow wind, a southerly puts them into the sluice area, the area that gets the most angler pressure as the swims are car friendly. The sluice inflow is more oxygenated, so a (warm summer) northerly wind would not necessarily move them into the south end outflow area. 

The causeway between the Central and South may also break up the wind flow, even though there is a 15metre wide bridged channel between them. 

 

I've been thinking my way back through sessions, my largest fish was caught on 6th December, at the time of capture, my largest common, was caught in February. At Earith, two of the four blanks I had were when the lake froze over. One of the others was a session in June, and the other was when I was having a 'mare; a 5 day trip that involved a couple of hookpulls, me in an absolutely awful mood and just not able to get my head out of my bottom.

 

I have caught in some real blowy conditions, proper gale force winds, on occasion having to hold the bivvy down while playing a fish, Being in the right place before the wind started, and able to tie down and strap the bivvy with cup hooks into wooden staging and swim boards.

I'm not that keen on fishing small lakes in thunder and lightning in the summer, whereas autumn I am. On those smaller waters, Summer thunderstorms seem to lower fish response, maybe oxygen levels in the water, and they can switch off. Heavy thunderfree rainstorms though, love it!

[The Compleat Angler]

11 hours ago, yonny said:

Autumn and winter are worlds apart imo.

For autumn my baiting levels go through the roof.

For winter they drop to almost nothing.

Regards tactics stick to what you know/what you're confident in.

Likewise. Every target fish I've ever caught bar 2 have been in Autumn. My fave time of year by far. Big fish time.

Yes mate, when the temps are normal, September seems to throw up some perfect text book conditions, and I think after all the heat, the fish will finally get their heads down.

Here’s hoping! 👍🏻