Pike in October - fishing features, where and what to catch

Pike fishing gear

There is still a long time until December, two whole months. Autumn is in full swing, it rains almost every day, there is a cold wind, and by the end of October, frost and the first frosts are already noticeable in some regions and regions. Of course, the peak of autumn delights will be in November, but even in October the weather is already such that many fishermen, who are used to sitting with a fishing rod for crucian carp or catching roach, have already put away their gear until spring. But it was at this time that the pike began to bite better and better, fattening up for the winter. We have already noted that somewhere from the end of August to September, the pike, in some sense of the word, comes out of a sleepy-amorphous state (if the summer was hot) and begins to fatten (read about pike fishing in September) . And October is precisely in this regard very tempting for spinning anglers and pike fishing enthusiasts.

It is clear that in October pike is caught both with a spinning rod and from a boat with various tackles, poles and circles . But it is spinning that has come out on top today , since it is a very affordable tackle, it is not difficult to purchase quite good tackle for reasonable money, and there are so many baits that it’s scary to even imagine. But the most interesting thing is that spinning, in a sense, is a universal tackle . So, a spinning rod can also be used for a spinner (wobbler, jig), as bottom tackle, install a pike float and fish for live bait. Naturally, a zherlitsa can be made from a spinning rod, but this is not so effective, since you can only fish in one place with one zherlitsa, and the autumn day is short, although...

Where to catch pike in October: how to find parking spots

Pike lives where there is food suitable for it. Small fish, which are the prey of predators, move away from the shores and shallows to deeper areas of reservoirs with the autumn cooling. As a rule, it is located above schools of fish.

It can be found at shallow depths of 2-3 meters and in deep holes reaching 7-9 meters. When fishing, you should focus on the middle layers of water, and not on the bottom. Algae are one of the markers of the potential presence of pike in the warm season.

In October they fall off, becoming unsuitable for small fish, so the pike follows its prey to deep areas away from the shores. In good weather, the coastal zone can bring several young pike, but the result will decrease with each autumn day.

The main places to check when fishing:

Holes and depressions on the topography of the reservoir
Areas near the riverbed
Deep eyebrows
Whirlpools
Areas with a current opposite to the main one.
Corroded areas at medium depths
Reaches with an uneven bottom

When fishing from the shore, you should first check those areas that have shelter for fish. For example, a pile or bridge support is often a place where pikes set up their ambushes and, as a result, readily bite.

It is best to use a boat for fishing in October in order to fish from the middle of the reservoir without fear of snags in hard-to-reach areas into which predators move after their prey.

Fishing from the shore on rivers and ponds

For effective October pike fishing, you should not focus on spinning equipment and combine it with bottom tackle, which allows you to make accurate long-distance casts. First, you can cast with live bait, if possible, and then start fishing the area with spinning equipment.

List of spinning fishing methods using bottom equipment:

Mobile method. Required: Feeder tackle with live bait.

Cast the bottom tackle
Start fishing with a spinning rod
If there are no bites, collect the feeder and move to another place

Sedentary way. Required: Homemade bottom gear with live bait:

Place fishing rods with bottom tackle and bite alarms at a distance of up to 10 meters from each other
Start fishing within one kilometer, gradually approaching the donks
When the alarm goes off, start fishing for pike

It is recommended to use sbirulino tackle. It makes it possible to cast long distances with lightweight bait.

Fishing from a boat using lures, wobblers and rubber

Fishing from a boat has tangible advantages over shore fishing in the autumn. October is a cold month and being able to move from one deep spot to another while maintaining casting availability is important. Reducing the risk of leaving a spoon or an expensive wobbler in snags is also one of the advantages of fishing from a boat.

When fishing from a boat:

The chance of catching a large specimen is much higher
There is access to gnarled and other difficult areas
Fishing out large specimens is greatly simplified

The main nuances when fishing using a boat in October:

The first step is to check the deep areas of the reservoir. Starting from 2 meters and deeper. As a rule, they are located next to reed thickets. Such places are rich in small fish preparing for the winter, and predatory pikes ambush them. You need to pay attention to such terrain as creeks among reeds, channels overgrown with plants and toes near reeds.
Then you need to pay attention to snags in areas with a depth of 4 meters. Such areas require fan casts: not only into the snags themselves, but also 10 meters around them. You can use a winter fishing rod for vertical fishing. This will allow you to take a big trophy. It is recommended to use silicone baits, for example, vibrotails. A “vibration” wobbler or large oscillating spoons are also suitable.
You need to find a channel or edge that has large differences in depth. An echo sounder works well for this task. Such places have good catchability and are worth paying attention to. There is no need to leave if there is no bite in the first thirty minutes, try changing the equipment, size, shape, color - in that order.

Spinner spinners give good results during early October fishing. At the very end of October and beginning of November, a heavy oscillating spoon is required. The spoon bait has a heavy weight and imitates large prey well, which can attract a large pike, however, a young individual can willingly go after such a bait.

Other fishing methods

The colder the temperature in the reservoir, the more vigorously the fish begin to eat. In this regard, October is a consistently productive month. For a good result, you should use live bait gear:

Zherlitsa
Circle
Float rods
Postavushi

However, due to the disappearance of algae and changing conditions inside the reservoir, spinning is most effective in catching pike in October. Fishing through still-standing thickets with fishing through cuttings of reeds or areas with water lilies gives stable bites, since there are still small fish there that the predator preys on.

Pike activity in October

Actually, in October, the water in lakes and rivers becomes almost transparent, i.e., various kinds of algae and other microorganisms, which also use oxygen dissolved in water, stop or reduce their activity until warmer times, therefore, in addition to the fact that the temperature The water level is already quite low (which is good for pike), and the water is also saturated with oxygen. Of course, in such conditions, the pike feels like a master, attacking in a fit of instinct almost everything that can be food and interest for it. She does not stand in one place, as in summer, but actively explores the reservoir, chases prey, but unlike the warm season, she already prefers deeper areas .

The choice of bait depends on the fishing location and time (autumn month, time of day)

Early autumn

At the beginning of autumn, pike just begins active hunting. At this time, she can bite on any bait, which is worth choosing based on the fishing location:

Shallow water.

In shallow water there is a lot of vegetation and debris of various origins. For fishing in such reservoirs, it is better to choose wobblers, which (unlike spinners) cling very little to grass and shells, since they go mainly on the surface of the water.

Important!
At this time, pikes bite very well on bright yellow composite wobblers in shallow shallow reservoirs with a lot of grass.

It is best to come to such places early in the morning or late in the evening. During the day, the chance of “meeting” a predator will be very small.

Flowing ponds.

In flowing reservoirs there is less vegetation, which means you can use lures. The difficulty is that during the day the fish are quite far from the shore (with the exception of holes). Therefore, in the daytime you can try to catch pike from a boat using live bait.

For this fishing method, it is best to use a float. In this case, the bait should not touch the bottom so that the leash does not get tangled. Don’t forget that the predator is very careful, so you don’t need to touch the fishing rod immediately after the first bite. You should wait until the predator swallows the bait, and only then drag it.

Also at depth at this time you can catch pike with a jig. Lures for this type of fishing should be chosen from 10 to 15 cm. Even a small bee-eater will respond well to imitation of a larger bait. The shape must be chosen depending on the nature of the fish’s bite. If the predator is active, you need to choose a bait that will play well in the water.

In the evening, pike come to the shore to hunt for fry. At this time, the predator can be caught using a spoon or wobbler. If the bottom is clean, you can use a spoon (preferably a spoon) of copper or gold color. Otherwise, use a wobbler (it is advisable that the color of the bait also include yellow).

Important!
In the dark or when it is cloudy outside, it is desirable that the spinner be bright or have some kind of reflective element (for example, a bead).

Mid autumn

The predator hunts in full force. The largest pike are caught at this time. There is much less vegetation in reservoirs, so you don’t have to be afraid of “losing” your favorite spoon or wobbler (although this can happen at any time). At this time, the fish pays attention to a variety of baits.

But the fisherman will have to find out which one he likes right during the fishing process. Despite certain preferences, pike can be very surprising during this period.

Late fall

The pike has already eaten enough and is in no hurry to rush to the first bait that comes along. In larger bodies of water, it goes deeper following the rest of the river inhabitants.

At this time, heavy spoons (in small rivers and near the shore) and well-deepening wobblers (in small bodies of water and near the shore), as well as a variety of jig options (pits, fishing from a boat and all kinds of structures) are suitable for successful fishing. The predator is not as active as in mid-autumn, but the most patient fishermen can be very pleased with the catch.

What baits are used in October?

Again, the weather in October can vary, with cold weather often followed by warm days. But the beauty is that the water has already cooled down so much in September that even a sunny short October day will no longer be an obstacle to catching pike. Hence the simple conclusion: in October, pike can actively feed almost all day, and what’s great is both in cloudy weather and on clear days. The only difference is what kind of bait you give to the fish, bright or dull, light colors or darker. But there is an important point here: since October pike is most often searched for in holes, in deeper areas with a calm current (if fishing is on a river, or even better if there is no current) areas, then the color of the bait, for example rubber or wobbler, is almost does not matter. As they say, for the sake of complacency, you can try different baits, but at depths of 3-5 meters, in our opinion, this parameter is no longer so important. Perhaps we are wrong.

In October, pike mainly take from the bottom. And in this sense, foam rubber and vibrating tails with twisters are beyond competition. Please note that you can make such baits yourself, fortunately, purchasing foam rubber of different porosities these days is not a problem.

In addition to foam rubber, baits made of polyurethane and other materials are very effective. What is characteristic of the October pike is that with adequate fishing, it will grab everything. But, once we fell in love with foam fish, in the fall we catch more pike using them. Look in the bathroom how cool the foam rubber stands in the water at the bottom. And even a slight movement with a spinning rod can give this bait a movement that a hungry pike notices. Well, one more thing, because the foam rubber can also be made in a non-hooking version , so that it becomes possible to make casts into difficult places.

Spinning rod for catching pike in autumn

The choice of rod and reel largely depends on the fishing method. For example, for jigging it is advisable to choose a good, ringing rod that allows you to perform stepwise retrieving. For fishing with spinners and spoons, a deeper one is suitable.

They will also be able to cast long distances, which can be important for shore fishing and something that fast action rods are not always capable of. The rod test must be matched to the weight of the bait to make fishing comfortable.

It’s definitely worth saying that you shouldn’t rely on the large size of the fish and choose durable gear where you can catch the largest predator. The greatest resistance is provided by seasoned pike weighing 3-5 kg.

The pike is already 8-12 kilograms overgrown. When playing, it behaves like a log, almost never makes sharp jerks, so you need to focus on three to five kilogram predators where they can be. In other places, you can safely catch pike using ultralight gear.

The main obstacle to using ultralight is its delicacy. For example, with a coarser spinning rod you can pull the spoon out of the grass. Ultralight with a thin fishing line will not allow this. The same can be said about errors when casting. If the bait gets caught on a coastal bush, you can not only tear it off when throwing, but also break the delicate rod.

It can also be broken by awkwardly touching it or falling when walking along a slippery bank. In autumn, when visibility is worse than in summer, such cases can be frequent. Therefore, it is better to choose something rougher than an ultralight spinning rod for autumn pike.

The rod test will largely depend on how pike is caught and with what. For example, for fishing at a depth of 5 meters, when there is a current, you will need bait weighing up to twenty grams. For fishing in shallow water where there is no current, you can fish with five to ten gram baits. A priori, small spinners are not produced weighing more than ten grams, and when choosing a place for fishing, you should start from whether it will be possible to carry such a spinner there.

Large vibrators, on the contrary, usually do not weigh less than ten grams. It is best to choose a rod where, for a fast action, the bait will be somewhere in the middle of the test range, and for a more flexible, medium action, where the bait will be in the upper part of the test. Such conditions allow you to cast the farthest without the risk of damaging the rod.

It’s worth saying a few words about the color of the rod. It is desirable that it be white. This will be clearly visible in the darkness of the night, at dusk. Fish on a white rod are almost never afraid.

Unfortunately, most inexpensive suitable rods are black, and white has to be chosen from the more expensive segment. A fishing rod for autumn fishing should have frequently spaced rings, since during rain the cord and fishing line will stick to the blank, preventing you from retrieving and feeling the bite.

The reel must have at least basic protection from water, rubber seals, washers or other elements that protect bearings and other rotating parts. The fact is that in the cold autumn rain, sooner or later water will begin to get inside the coil. Protection will significantly delay this moment.

For long-term fishing in such conditions, it is advisable to always have a spare reel with you, equipped with a suitable fishing line or cord.

The influence of weather on pike biting in October

By the way, we already talked about the weather, but the rule works here: if the weather in October is stable over time, there will be a bite, but if it is constantly changing, both in terms of temperature and atmospheric pressure, then you will have to work hard to see the bite . But since many of us go to the pond only on weekends, we have to put up with some nuances.

The colder it gets, the deeper the pike goes, following schools of other fish species that go in schools to wintering holes. By the end of October, some reservoirs may already have ice, which will most likely melt. In our region, the first stable ice sets in around December, and for about a week pike can still be actively caught, near the grass, where it goes out to catch perch, and in holes. As long as the oxygen regime is normal, the pike is active.

Fished depths

In shallow places up to 1.5 meters you will almost never see the spotted predator. Yes, there, in the absence of small fish that have moved to deeper places, there is nothing to do.

The minimum depths where the predator stays at this time start from 1.5 meters or more. However, the pike also does not go to too great a depth of 5 meters. It is most likely to be in the range from 1.5 to 3.5 meters.

In lakes and reservoirs, depth variations can be more severe. Here, first of all, you need to know where small fish are kept in a given reservoir at this time. Usually these are the depths that were indicated above, but there are exceptions.

In aquatic vegetation

There is practically no opportunity to determine this experimentally in the fall due to the weak bite of small fish. Therefore, the only option is to look for edges or areas with an uneven bottom at these depths, as well as areas with snags, but not continuous, but more sparse.

For small fish that have left summer shallow places where algae and coastal aquatic vegetation grow, natural shelters (like snags or potholes on the bottom) become a permanent location in the fall. Here there is food and decent shelter, saving you from the voracious predator that is located nearby and is actively hunting. The main prey of pike at this time: bream, roach and silver bream.

From the author:

And finally, I would like to express hope: if the pike is actively biting, you should not take home a dozen tails, because fishing today is not about getting food. There will be much more respect for you (and you will begin to respect yourself) if the caught predator, after being photographed, is released into its native waters, grows up and enjoys this development of events.

Well, be prepared for the fact that fishing in October may turn out to be fruitless . There are many factors that influence the bite. Even though there are general patterns, there is always a case. As they say, if you get a bite, you’re lucky, otherwise you can walk for kilometers and still not see the exit of the fresh water predator.

Good luck to you and all the best.

Time of maximum pike bite in mid-autumn

In October, the pike no longer feeds by the hour; the instinct kicks in, according to which it is necessary to accumulate fat for the winter. The pike starts feeding throughout the day. Fishing becomes interesting. If you want to catch pike on small rivers in October, then first of all try to take into account the cloudiness and atmospheric pressure in this particular region. In cloudy weather, the river predator is better caught. When fishing, pay special attention to the strength of your gear. In October, big fish are caught, and the predator resistance is quite high. In this regard, it is better to play it safe. The spinning rod must be equipped with a special metal leash for catching pikes; be sure to have a hook and landing net with you.

When to catch pike in the fall

The autumn period is almost entirely favorable for pike fishing. The temperature begins to drop; on the one hand, the predator ceases to experience discomfort from the summer heat, on the other hand, it understands that it is time to prepare for winter. All this leads to the fact that the toothy one switches to an enhanced diet. This happens around the time when the air temperature drops to +20°C during the day. This occurs approximately in the first half of September, when most regions experience such a drop in temperature. But in some climatic zones, the period of the beginning of the autumn zhora may shift in one direction or another. You need to focus on temperature.

Regarding the fishing time, in the first half of autumn, starting from September and until about mid-October, pike will be most active in the morning and evening hours, at dawn. But with even greater cold snaps, which begin around the second half of October, the toothy one begins to actively hunt during the day, gradually becoming more and more active at lunchtime.

With the onset of September, you should go fishing before dark, without wasting precious time. After all, the predator’s active biting during this period usually begins at dawn and can last only 1-2 hours. After which the toothy one becomes less active, but still continues to be caught.

The activity of the predator may vary in each body of water, so it is very important to watch the pike. It is better to take the first few trips for autumn fishing for the whole day in order to understand the change in fish activity throughout it. If it has been noticed that the pike is actively biting from 7 to 9 in the morning, after which its biting subsides until the evening, you can safely go fishing next time for those few hours of active biting.

But the more the weather deteriorates, the cooler it gets and the faster it gets closer to winter, the more active the pike will be at lunchtime. Therefore, if there are no bites during the usual hours of morning activity of a predator, then most likely its activity has shifted and now you should expect bites closer to 12 noon. In general, autumn fishing allows you to catch pike from the very morning until late in the evening, and throughout this time an active bite can be observed.

You can continue catching pike with live bait on a float rod until the water bodies are covered with ice. The predator will actively feed to the last in order to survive the cold winter, when its survival mainly depends on how well it hunted in the fall and how much fat it has eaten. Although in winter it will continue to feed quite actively and its fishing can be effectively continued from the ice.

Fishing for pike with live bait

In the middle of autumn it is not easy to find suitable live bait. The size and weight of live bait depend on the final purpose of fishing - if there are no large pike in the reservoir, then there is no need to take large fish. What breeds are suitable?

Crucian carp. More suitable for fishing in closed reservoirs with standing water. It can be stored for a long time, but the consumption of this bait is high - on the hook, the fish quickly loses energy, becomes motionless and requires replacement.
Gudgeon. The best option for live bait is suitable for both still water and strong flows. It does not lose energy immediately, which reduces consumption.
Roach. A very suitable choice for rivers with strong flow. To keep the bait active longer, it is recommended to hook the hook through the gills.
Perch. The best option for low temperature water. The structural features of the fish - very hard scales and sharp fin feathers do not allow the pike to feel the hook and it is irrevocably pricked.

Experienced fishermen do not recommend using bleak as bait - the fish is sedentary, fragile, quickly stops moving and dies.

When retrieving with a fishing rod and float, no specific skills are required; the main thing is to bring the fish closer to the predator’s site. The smoothness of your actions will allow the pike to detect the presence of prey; the fish will do the rest itself. If you decide to fish with circles, then be patient and select a suitable promising area.

According to the fisherman’s calendar, the peak of active bite occurs in the first half of October; later, due to severe cold and freezing of water, the bite gradually fades away.