Perch in October: what to catch, where to look, tips for spinning anglers

Where to look for striped fish on small rivers and other bodies of water

The first step is to visually examine the surface of the water. If seething and splashing is noticeable at the surface, then it is clear: the perch is actively attacking a school of fry. Such places are called boilers - the most delicious spots for the fisherman.

Boilers appear in various places, depending on the sites of white fish. Experienced spinning fishermen know that all predatory fish travel with schools of whitefish - their main diet. Throw baits directly into bustling areas, increasing your chances of catching a catch.

Having an echo sounder, look for spots of fish, catching them. With a high degree of probability there is a large and small predator standing there. If you can’t visually determine the location (there is no echo sounder), use the standard:

• snags
• edges (slopes)
• bridge supports
• boundaries of water and vegetation
• water lilies

Fishing hours and weather conditions

October is characterized by a decrease in temperature and an increase in oxygen in the water. The latter has a positive effect on the behavior of the fish, giving it the opportunity to roam. There are several natural factors by which the proposed fishing locations are determined.

The fry, having grown over the summer, moves closer to the pits, preparing for the winter season. The perch follows him, so dumps and holes, in other words, the bottom layer, are the number one places. Sometimes October days bring joy with the sun, warming you with the last rays. Once heated, the upper layers of water attract whitewash. Using spinners in shallow water brings good results.

Keep in mind that a sudden change in weather (pressure) has a negative effect on any bite. Going out on days when the temperature and pressure were stable, the chances of a good bite increase. The second reason why searches should start from the bottom is the typical weather, characterized by clouds, gloom, gloominess. If the weather is like this when you arrive at the river, you should look for perch at depth.

Continuing to fatten up, his time passes in hunting. That’s what’s good about autumn: you can fish all day, and if the fish are not crushed by the weather, then the bites will be pleasing. There is a conditional time limit: biting from 7 am to 5 pm. This is such a convention that it might not even be mentioned. At this time it is light and there are no problems with visibility. After 5 pm it gets dark, creating understandable difficulties. Otherwise everything depends on the weather.

Tackle for catching perch in autumn

When fishing with a float rod, the tactics are as follows: the angler constantly moves along the shore of the reservoir, periodically casting to places where fish are likely to be found - these can be trees, snags, or cliffs submerged in the water. You need to carefully observe the water surface - the location of a feeding predator is revealed by schools of small fish rushing in different directions.

Float rod

In the fall, perch is caught with a float rod mainly on small rivers, choosing deep places or areas with a difference in depth.

On large rivers and lakes it is possible to catch perch with a fishing rod from a boat. The float rod is equipped in the usual way.

1. Rod – plug, match, Bolognese. If you are only catching small perch, a fly rod will also work. The length of the rod is from 4 to 5 meters, depending on fishing conditions.
2. The reel is small, inertia-free, and is often needed only to store a supply of fishing line.
3. The fishing line is 0.18-0.2 mm in diameter. You can use a leash that should be slightly thinner than the main line.
4. A float in still water is preferable with one attachment point - it clings less to the grass. In currents, use a float with two attachment points. The float can be painted in bright colors - this does not scare the perch. The carrying capacity is determined by the weight of the sinker and bait. When fishing for whitebait, fairly large models are used. A sliding float is installed only if long-casting gear is used.
5. The sinker is a classic chain of pellets, the weight of which decreases from top to bottom.
6. Hook - No. 4-5 on the international scale.
7. Instead of a hook, a jig is often used. In this case, the sinker is not used.

Spinning

Spinning is the most common gear for catching perch. Autumn is no exception. As a rule, for catching perch they use a light-class spinning rod, less often an ultra-light one.

1. Rod 2.0 – 2.4 m long with 5-20 grams of dough. Considering that when fishing for perch, thin fishing line is used, special attention should be paid to the quality of the guide rings.
2. Reel class 1000–2000, depending on the diameter of the line or cord. The spool must accommodate at least 100 meters of line used.
3. The fishing line is high quality monofilament 0.18-0.25 mm. In September, you can use a braided cord with half the diameter
4. Some fishermen put a leash - tungsten, steel, etc., explaining that “a pike can take the bait.” You shouldn't do this. Pike do come across when fishing for perch, but this does not happen very often. But it is a fact that a leash significantly worsens the performance of light baits.

What to fish for and which method to choose

Perch, depending on the weather, can be in any layer of water. To catch him, use all available methods:

1. spinning (classic, microjig, ultralight)
2. float rod

Each method is catchy and no worse than the other. Depending on the conditions or personal preferences, a choice is made in favor of one of them. In turn, each has its own list of baits used.

Spinning:

1. spinner
2. oscillating spoon
3. silicone baits
4. wobblers

Float rod:

1. worm
2. whitebait
3. jig

Let's take a closer look at each of these bait methods. Beginners may be wondering which is the best. In this case, everyone decides for themselves, choosing the best option based on the information below.

Classic spinning

The most versatile option, the undoubted leader. Allows you to fish large areas and all layers of water. In the case of using a boat with no competitors at all. Spinner spinners are used, with petals from 3 sizes, silver and copper colors.

Wobblers no more than 7 cm, as large models are more likely to attract pike. When using silicone baits, you can enlarge and use from 2.5 to 3.5 inches (5-8 cm) in natural colors: blue, transparent, white. The emphasis is on making the bait as suitable as possible for a real fry or insect.

Microjig

Microjig is a subtype of spinning fishing. Recently it has been actively gaining momentum. To get maximum pleasure, you need to be picky about your rod. A thin, sensitive blank with a light spool and thin cord is required.

According to the principles of fishing, it is no different from the classic jig, except for micro baits and sinkers. Not a very good choice for October; in windy weather it is difficult to cast light tackle. But with a perch bite you will get a lot of pleasure, the sensations will be like from a serious pike.

Ultralight

Similar to the previous method, the difference is in the baits used:

1. microoscillators
2. micro turntables
3. small wobblers

The idea is simple: use an Ultra Light rod with a weight of up to 5-7 grams. It will be comfortable in sunny and windless weather. Once the October wind picks up, it will be very difficult to make an accurate and long cast. The conclusion is that it is extremely dependent on conditions.

Fishing with a float rod

Significantly inferior to spinning. Firstly, if a school of perch is located far from the shore, then it will be impossible to cast to them. Secondly, in search of a fish site, you will have to go through more of the coastal zone; due to restrictions on the casting range, a smaller water area is fished.

Float fishing is a fundamentally different fishing method. There are a lot of his connoisseurs and admirers, and this is not surprising. Sometimes you want to sit quietly in one place (having found a cool place), observing the behavior of the float or the tip of the rod.

On the worm

An accessible and catchy method. Perch is not averse to eating animal food. The hardest part is finding a parking spot. To attract attention to the fishing point, use bait with the addition of a worm, maggot or bloodworm.

Make casts:

1. to the grass
2. driftwood
3. fallen trees
4. bridge supports
5. into the pits

For fry

You need a small fish (screen) - a square net for catching live bait. Having tied it to a fishing rod or stick, you throw it into the water. Crumble bread or bread crumbs on top. Small things float onto the dregs and when you lift the screen out, they all remain in the mesh.

Place the bait under the top fin and throw it into the water. Be sure to use a float to adjust the fishing depth. Live fry are active, excellent at attracting minke whales. Occasionally twitch the rod to move the bait. Read more about catching perch with fry.

On the jig

A special side nod is mounted on the last knee of the rod. A fishing line is passed through it and a jig is tied. In this method, the length of the fishing rod is important, allowing you to deliver the bait as far as possible from the shore.

After throwing, start playing with the blank a little, creating small vibrations. At the same time, lift the rod, passing through all water layers: from the bottom to the surface. The next time you cast, try casting in the reverse order: from the surface to the bottom.

Perch fishing in September

In September, the perch has not yet departed from the summer regime. It is inactive, prefers to be away from the shore and hunts without much enthusiasm. If the weather is hot, you can only catch it in the morning and evening.

During the day, the perch moves further from the shore into cooler water. During this period you can catch him at:

• float rod;
• feeder tackle;
• spinning;
• summer jig;
• donku;
• an elastic band.

Gear for perch fishing is selected based on fishing conditions and the characteristics of the reservoir. Worms, bloodworms, live bait, as well as various artificial baits for spinning rods are used as bait. By and large, perch fishing in September is not much different from spring or summer fishing. With the first cold snap, its behavior changes dramatically, but catching a striped predator during this period will not be difficult even for a novice fisherman.

Lures used for perch

Silicone baits will be the most catchy and versatile for October. Perch is more and more often in the bottom layers. The optimal size would be 4-6 cm.

Use dark and natural colors: machine oil, coca-cola, brown, purple. Don’t be afraid to experiment with natural shades: blue, blue, transparent.

Acid baits are practically not used, with rare exceptions, if there is no bite at all and everything else has been tried. Still, bright colors are suitable for spring, not autumn.

Rotating spoons should be chosen heavier. Such models will break through the possible wind and dive to greater depths, thereby increasing the chances of catching. Petal number 3, its shape does not matter.

As an alternative, wobblers up to 6 cm with greater depth can be used. The main thing is not to use too large sizes, 4-6 cm is enough. There are no recommendations for colors; you should start from a specific body of water.

Perch fishing in October

The cold activates the perch and pushes it to search for food. Increasingly, it is located near the shore, feeding on fry, as well as insects that have fallen into the water along with autumn leaves. Flocks of small “sailors” chase small change in the coastal zone around the clock. The “boiling water” created by the frightened fry will indicate the location of the predator.

You should not look for a large humpback whale near the shore. He rarely leaves his deep abode. Catching large perch involves luring it out of holes, snags, deep pools and creeks remote from the coastline using live bait, spinners or wobblers. You can also use feeder, float or donkey tackle, but their effectiveness, in comparison with spinning, will be much less. The whole point is that a stationary bait will not be able to attract a humpback salmon the way a spinner will do.

Fishing for perch in October will undoubtedly bring a good catch and pleasure from fishing if you choose the right tackle and bait.

Fishing techniques in October and types of fishing

There are no special postings for autumn. They are all the same for any time of year. Let's look at three main ones:

• Stepped (step). Cast and wait for the jig to fall to the bottom. Make a few turns of the reel and again wait for the bait to fall. Easy to learn and does not require special skills.
• Toss. In this option, expect the bait to be completely submerged. Make a small swing with the tip of the rod and reel in the freed line. Wait for the bait to sink to the bottom. Repeat. The technique is a little more complicated than steps, but is very easy to master.
• Stop and go. After falling to the bottom, make 2-3 revolutions with the coil, stop for 2-3 seconds and repeat the actions. The bait goes near the very bottom, when it comes off the ground, it additionally raises a cloud of turbidity, and when the load falls, it knocks on the bottom. This creates good conditions for attracting perch.

In most cases, a predator’s attack occurs at the moment of a pause or the beginning of the bait’s separation from the bottom. If there is no bite, you should change the wiring, speed it up, slow it down, increase the amplitude of the rod tosses.

Remember, retrieving is a creative process: randomly twitch the rod one, two or three times in a row. Do big tosses or go without them—there are no hard and fast rules. Your goal is to provoke the perch to attack, and find the key to its mood.

Techniques for catching perch using a spinning rod

When catching perch with spinning tackle, it is important to correctly perform such basic elements of fishing techniques as casting, retrieving, hooking and retrieving.

Casting

When catching perch, use light-weight lures, cast at short and medium distances using vertical or lateral casting methods. The latter is relevant in a limited space of banks overgrown with bushes and trees.

Wiring

When fishing for October perch, depending on the activity of the predator, the following fishing techniques are used:

• Uniform - winding a cord or fishing line with a bait thrown into the water by uniformly rotating the reel handle
• Stepped - after casting, the bait is allowed to sink to the bottom, then it is raised by winding the line with a reel, performing 3-4 turns of the handle, making a pause, during which the bait smoothly sinks to the bottom, and rewinding again. With this type of wiring, the bait moves in steps, either rising from the bottom into the water column, then falling or gliding back to the bottom soil.
• Jerk - used when fishing with floating and sinking wobblers. Its essence is to perform sharp and short jerks with the tip of the blank while guiding the bait through the water column.
• “Stop and go” - used when fishing with wobblers with neutral buoyancy “hovering” in the water column and consists of reelings (3-4 turns of the reel handle) and short pauses lasting 1-3 seconds, during which the bait freezes in a certain layer of water and is usually attacked by perch.

Uniform wiring

Stepped wiring Aggressive wiring, also known as stop and go
Hooking and landing

The bite of a perch on a spinning tackle - a short single or several strong frequent strikes on the bait - is quite sensitive and, most often, is not only clearly visible only at the tip of the rod blank, but is also felt by the hand holding the spinning rod (“gives it to the hand”). Hooking should be done with a sharp wrist movement of the hand.

When fishing for especially large specimens, the rod should be held at an angle of no more than 450, alternating winding the line with a reel and pulling the hooked fish to the shore with a blank. This fishing strategy will allow you to evenly “load” both the reel and the form itself, avoiding their breakage and the removal of hooked fish.

Video on catching large perch using a spinning rod in October and November