Catching chub in the fall is no less exciting than catching this cautious and strong fish in the summer. The autumn months are abundant in catches of trophy chub, fattened during the previous months of warm water, and it is worth mastering the hunting technology in this period of the year, even based on this feature. Fishing for chub in the autumn requires special approaches to tactics, because the fish almost no longer feeds on insects, which became much smaller in September, and in the following months they completely disappear from the fish’s diet, and switches to a different diet, which is caught in the depths water and at the bottom.
Consequently, spectacular fly fishing and an ordinary float will not bring significant catches, and the fisherman has to use ingenuity and knowledge that contribute to the successful outcome of chub fishing. But if ingenuity is a purely individual matter, inherent in each angler individually, then knowledge can be obtained from the article presented below, which will help you understand the formation of equipment for chub in the fall and the development of the fishing strategy itself.
How does the autumn chub behave?
From the end of August, the behavior of chubs begins to change radically, and these changes are associated with the cooling of the water and a change in diet. Of course, you can still catch chub in the upper layers of water in September, but much less often than on summer days. Now the fish moves to deep-water sections of rivers, where it descends to levels of 4–6 meters and looks for fry and other small aquatic inhabitants for prey. The insects that departed with the advent of cold weather no longer satisfy the predator’s appetite, which is beginning to grow in winter, and it has to hunt for small fish, rising to the surface only on rare warm and sunny days. In late autumn, the chub finally moves to the edges of the wintering pits and loses its former activity and is now very rarely caught until significant warming occurs after the ice melts.
Subtleties of autumn fishing
Only those fishermen who either have a well-developed instinct or have a wealth of practical experience can boast of a solid catch at the beginning of autumn.
Fish are actively preparing for winter, the water in reservoirs is becoming colder and clearer every day. The inhabitants of lakes and rivers are now more careful than in summer. To catch a chub, a cautious and timid fish, you will have to show skill and be patient.
In September, the chub, like other aquatic inhabitants, feeds with particular zeal. This fish is classified as a conditional predator because in the summer it gets by with algae, but with the onset of cold weather it switches to a more substantial diet, swallowing insects and small animals. The fish has a large head and strong pharyngeal teeth, so it is able to eat not only midges or maggots, but also molted crayfish, frogs, and small gudgeons.
When fishing for chub from the shore on small rivers, you should do so so that no human shadow falls on the surface of the water. The chub is timid and any sudden change in the environment will force it to hide in the depths.
When casting a rod, it would be wiser to hide, for example, behind a tree. In this case, you need to aim closer to the bottom, because this is where the fish prefer to swim in the fall and from there rise higher in search of food. Considering the seasonal change in the taste preferences of a potential trophy, you should think in advance about a suitable bait.
Choosing a fishing spot
With the transition to deep feeding, chubs leave areas with moderate and fast currents, looking for calmer places to stop at the contacts of the main channel jets with the slower flows of backwaters and areas slowed down by the rubble of fallen trees, hydrological and reclamation objects. Even on small rivers, the fish stay near the cool water in quiet pools and in places shaded by the crowns of trees and bushes hanging over the water. To feed, chubs go to the boundaries of mixing water flows of different speeds, tracking down juvenile fish caught in the stream, frogs and leeches and water beetles picked from algae. It is precisely this kind of crossings in rivers that are considered promising for chub hunting . The fisherman can only provide his camouflage and choose a convenient point on the river bank for casting gear and landing the caught fish.
Important! Chub are sensitive to the fall of shadows on the surface of the water and show wariness from such actions of the fisherman, even at considerable depth, moving away from the fishing grounds.
Therefore, casting equipment from behind natural shelters, ensuring the fisherman’s invisibility and accuracy in moving along the coastline in the fishing area, helps to increase the effectiveness of each chub fishing.
Fishing for chub in late autumn
Experienced fishermen divide the fishing season into 3 periods, which correspond to the autumn months. In late autumn, water transparency increases and the chub becomes more cautious.
Fishing at this time requires the use of thin fishing line and baits that accurately copy the behavior of the fish. Also, in cold weather, individuals stay close to underwater shelters.
Features of fishing in September
This is the most successful month for fishing, since the lack of food and the increased appetite of the chub force it to rush to any bait. At the same time, there is a decrease in the activity of individuals.
The best time for fishing is from morning to lunch. After 9 o'clock in the morning, the highest chub activity begins due to the fact that the sun warms up the water, and individuals rise to the top. You can catch fish at the beginning of the month with a regular float rod, and at the end - with the help of bottom tackle.
Fishing in October
This month, the chub lives both in depressions at the bottom and in places where trees and bushes hang over the water. Peak activity in October is midday. The best bait is spinning spoons. Their size should not be more than 2, most often it is 00, 0 or 1. Another option is a wobbler with greater depth. Baiting should be done in a coastal area.
Chub fishing in November
This month, the chub is constantly in the depths or in cluttered areas. The fish are actively looking for shelter for the winter. Activity occurs in the afternoon. In coastal areas it becomes more difficult to catch chub; jig baits are used for fishing. A number of requirements are put forward to them:
- Size no more than 4 cm in length.
- The choice of vibrating tail or twister does not matter.
- You need to start fishing with dark colors, if there is no bite, switch to bright baits. Also, bright colors can be taken for fishing in troubled waters or at night.
In November, the chub lives along steep banks with lush vegetation; individuals are attracted by quiet currents. Experienced fishermen also note that before the first ice appears, the chub’s fear of a hungry winter intensifies, it becomes accessible and actively devours any bait.
The chub is a strong and semi-predatory, cunning and cautious fish. The specifics of autumn fishing are determined by seasonal changes in the behavior of individuals. Due to lack of food, the chub goes into the depths in search of fry, larvae, and crustaceans.
The choice of gear and bait is influenced by the knowledge of the fisherman, the characteristics of the chosen reservoir, the air temperature and the specific autumn month.
Chub fishing in September
September is famous for its excellent chub bite. The fish fatten, actively feeding, collecting food in the surface layers of the reservoir. Chub fishing continues with fly fishing and float rods both from the surface and in the water column. The fish still hang on to the currents near trees hanging over the water and steep banks. The main component of its diet remains insects that fall on the water. A reduced amount of food causes increased competition between populations of chubs starting to flock together, which further stimulates biting. The fish is aggressive and any movement on the water where the predator is staying is accompanied by an instant attack from the depths.
Important! The best time for fishing is sunrise and before 10 am. In the evening hours, chubs bite until sunset.
Sunny and calm weather with high atmospheric pressure activates the bite. Rain and cold weather reduce the feeding activity of the predator.
Working autumn baits for chub
Although the chub is usually omnivorous, the most effective autumn baits are steamed wheat, large dragonfly larva (cuttlefish), clepsin, black leech, frog, cherry, bark beetle larva, fry, caddis fly, maggot, worm (earthworm or subleaf), crawler, sometimes pellet or crust of bread
Large live bait, typical for a given river or a given area, is good because it cuts off small things. In September, the chub is still actively feeding and, given its huge mouth, a voluminous bait may be a priority.
Cuttlefish. Unlike the small goosefish, this larva of large dragonflies can reach a length of 4–5 cm. It is the most delicious bait for many large fish of carp species, such as bream, roach, silver bream, ide, podust, sopa. Of course, even the chub will not miss it. Cuttlefish is collected from special areas of the bottom, removing it with a special scoop along with the mud. You will need a hook number 5–6.
The black leech is quite unusual as a bait, but its advantage is that it is clearly visible to fish in clear water. This bait is familiar to large chub that come out to feed in the currents on the riffles, and he will not miss the opportunity to profit from it. The black leech is baited by piercing it once in the middle with a hook No. 1–4 with a long shank.
You can still fish with cherry in September. After collection, this bait is stored in the refrigerator and placed on a hook No. 6–8. It is also permissible to use thawed berries.
The frog is a good bait for catching chub on grassy reaches, especially during the rainy season. They fish with a half-bottom casting into a calm stream. When Bolognese fishing, fishing is done near the bottom. Hook No. 1–6.
Bleak or gudgeon are best suited as live bait. Minnows are caught from the bottom or by fishing near the ground; The bleak is more designed for wiring in the water column or on top. Hook No. 1–6.
As for the caddisfly, it is advisable to take the large species. These caddisflies live in some ponds and lakes and build houses from sunken sticks. These houses are large in size (5–6 cm). You will need a hook No. 5–6 for attaching the larva.
The Russian cockroach is another original bait: oddly enough, a large chub takes it. On sunny days, the Prussian is allowed to float near the surface of the water. The half-bottom fish is caught using a long, up to 80 cm, leash. Hook No. 5–6.
Also, on clear days in September, fishing for grasshoppers from the bottom, in mid-water or near the surface can be successful. Large chub rarely take from the surface of the water. In the surface version, it is necessary to slightly submerge the bait using a pad.
Chub fishing in October
With the arrival of October, and sometimes already in September when weather conditions worsen and the air temperature drops below 10–12 degrees, chubs go into the water column and switch to feeding on fry. There are no easily accessible mayflies anymore and the fish are forced to gain calories by hunting for small bleak in the middle water horizons and for minnows at the bottom. Float fishing and fly fishing become ineffective with this behavior of fish and anglers switch to bottom fishing and fishing in promising places with spinning baits.
Important! They no longer look for fish on currents, but rather look for water areas where fast and slow water mixes, fishing the areas of the reservoir bordering these territories.
Feed is increasingly being used to attract fish to bottom fishing spots. The chub bites on the donka throughout the daylight hours. October days for fishing are best selected in clear sunny weather with low wind force.
Features of fishing by month
At the beginning and end of autumn, the behavior of the chub changes as the temperature drops. Fishing for it in September is different from fishing in November. Fish, depending on the weather, choose different places to feed. If the river is covered with ice too early in November, then it is already useless to catch chub.
September
On warm September days, chub can bite well throughout the day, but the best bite will be observed in the morning and evening . But even in warm September, the nights are already cold and the water is cooling, so you should go fishing when it warms up, i.e. no earlier than 10 o’clock in the morning.
When it is a warm and sunny day, chub can be found in sections of the river with protruding relief (spits, ridges). In such weather, it will also swim to the shore under trees and bushes or be in snags. During this period, this fish can go to shallow water and to places with variable currents: to the mouths of streams, to riffles and backwaters. These fish can also search for food at different depths at the boundaries of fast and quiet water. On small rivers, a good fishing option is to cast a fishing rod from cliffs overgrown with bushes. It wouldn't hurt to pay attention to snags and holes.
October
From October the cold weather becomes more stable and chub can be found mainly on the bottom. Bottom gear is usually used this month. Often fish swim to shores with overhanging vegetation in order to make money. In October, you should go out to catch chub closer to noon, since the river should already have warmed up by this time. On a warm sunny day, this species can still be found in the middle waters of the river, but in cloudy weather the fish will sink to the bottom. At this time, the chub prefers to be only in a calm current. It is good to use a small-sized spoon (no more than number 2) as bait.
You will be interested to learn about the features of chub fishing in winter.
November
At the end of autumn, the chub goes deeper, but in the afternoon it can still be active. Fishermen noticed that before the first ice appears on the river, this fish begins to consume food especially actively before the hungry winter and begins to actively peck. At this time, it can be easily caught, and it is important not to miss this period.
You should go fishing in the afternoon, when the water is warmest. Chub are rarely found off the coast, so when fishing offshore, the fish are first fed. During this period, the chub reacts well to jig baits. Their size should be no more than 4 cm. In autumn, the water acquires extraordinary transparency and purity, so it is better to take baits of natural colors, but if your area has muddy water, then it is better to choose a brighter color so that the fish will definitely notice it.
Important! Don't forget to take a landing net with you when fishing. It will be a shame if at the last moment a large fish falls off the hook. And the chub is known for its desperate resistance.
Autumn is quite suitable for chub fishing. For this, you should choose fine days and go fishing after the water warms up.
Chub fishing in November
In November, the intensity of the bite subsides. Cold water finally places the fish in winter resting places in the depths of holes, underwater ditches and ravines. The migration of flocks gathered for wintering stops and only a few individuals come out to feed on the edges of the depressions, eating the gape fry. The most effective tackle for catching chub in the fall in November is a donka mounted on a feeder or spinning rod.
Important! You can count on a stable bite only as a result of sharp November warming, accompanied by an increase in temperature over 10 degrees, stabilization of atmospheric pressure and clear sunny weather.
On such days, chubs begin to become active around lunchtime and until dusk.
About the chub
The chub is a fish of the carp family, quite large, its dimensions reach about 80 cm in length and weight 8 kg, but usually fishermen come across a chub no larger than 1 kg. The lifespan of this fish is on average 15-18 years. It lives mainly in small, clean rivers with cold water and fast currents, where there are riffles and a rocky and pebble bottom. A very cautious and timid fish. It lives mainly in the rivers of central Russia.
Some people catch chub with a spinning rod, while others prefer to catch them with a float tackle. Catching chub with a float is in no way inferior to catching it with a spinning rod. There are fishermen who only like float tackle, so this article will discuss exactly how to catch chub with a float rod.
What to use to catch chub in the fall
Bait for chub in the fall can be of artificial or animal origin. Plant baits can only work in early September, when weather conditions are similar to summer and the water temperature is 16 degrees or higher. At the beginning of autumn, chubs are caught from the surface and upper horizons of the water using artificial flies of dry and wet types. Spinning fishing involves the use of rotating spinners and small crank-type wobblers, with a factory low-frequency action. Fishing with float tackle is carried out for maggots, bloodworms and small dung worms. Good results are obtained by combining these attachments in various variations. Among the animal baits used in bottom fishing, bleak, verkhovka and gudgeon fry are used.
Important! Large specimens are effectively attracted by a frog mounted on a hook.
Also, the bottom fishing rod can be equipped with a leech attachment, crayfish meat and grape snail. Recently, fishermen have widely used pieces of boiled sausage as inert bait. The cutting is done in the form of a cube with sides up to 1 cm, mounted on large hooks 4–6 numbers. The smell and color of this bait attracts chubs and brings significant results in fishing.
Fishing gear – donka, spinning rod and float rod
You can catch chub in the fall using a float rod, donka and spinning rod. A float rod for chub fishing must be equipped with a high-quality reel and must have a certain power reserve. We remember that the chub is a serious fighter, and when fishing, a one-kilogram bighead behaves better than a pike perch twice its weight. In the middle zone, only adult grass carp and river carp can compare with it in terms of resistance to fishing.
Chub and ide differences
Chub on a fishing rod
Fishing for chub with a fishing rod is carried out exclusively with retrieval. As we mentioned above, the fishing rod should be powerful, and it is advisable to wind at least fifty meters of strong monofilament fishing line onto the reel. Braid is not used in this case.
The fishing rod is equipped with a dim float with a fairly large carrying capacity. The bluefin does not like bright colors, and in clear water conditions, a brightly colored float can cause a lack of bite . The carrying capacity of the float is selected according to the bait, which is a bunch of worms, whitebait or a small frog.
The float is loaded with an olive weight and several pellets. In this case, the olive can be placed half a meter from the float, and the pellets can be placed closer to the leash. This way the bait will have a greater degree of freedom, which means its behavior will be more realistic.
Catching chub on a donk
Donka for chub is usually used in the second half of autumn, when the desired predator lies at depth . The donka is equipped with either a lead sinker or a heavy feeder. A feeder is needed only if the angler plans to catch bigheaded fish with a worm. When fishing with live bait or frogfish, a feeder is not needed.
An important feature: only one leash with a hook is mounted on the bottom . When fishing, the bighead describes wide circles, so the second hook can cause the fish to get caught and escape. The chub bite from the bottom is confident, so you can’t miss a bite. Catching with a doublet also happens infrequently, so there is no point in a second hook.
There is an interesting feature when catching chub on a donk. The bite can be so sharp that rods jump off the rod racks. You can remove the first meters of line by loosening the reel clutch, but this is not entirely convenient.
You need to operate heavy loads with the clutch tightened. If the clutch is not tightened before casting, the cord that is wound up during the swing can cut through your finger. It is more convenient to use carp reels with a baitrunner. Now you can buy an inexpensive reel with a baitrunner size 3000 from Shimano. For carp, such reels may be too small, but for catching bigheaded fish with a donkey, they are just right. You can catch chub on several donks at the same time - it all depends on the fishing and fishing conditions. If fishing is carried out from a spit, you can put five rods, on a concave bank - no more than two or three.
How to catch chub with a spinning rod
Paradoxically, with the onset of autumn, fishing for chub with a spinning rod loses its relevance. If at the beginning of autumn you can very successfully catch chub with spinning tackle near steep banks and floating a wobbler downstream to a hole under a riffle, then with the onset of cold weather, throwing a medium-sized bait to the chub’s feeding area becomes problematic.
But there is a way out! Fishing with a bombard can bring success. Although the bombarda is an Italian invention, our grandfathers used a transparent float for catching chub.
In the old days, a clear plastic float was used that was filled with water. Why not a bombard with zero or weak positive buoyancy. You need to go deeper - a small lead olive, and the issue is resolved.
But, we will keep up with the times and use modern bombards. They fly better and are more stable in the water. In most cases, a slow-sinking or sinking bombard will be required - it all depends on the depth in the fishing area. A small chub wobbler or spinner is attached to the bombard's leash. Theoretically, you can attach live bait or a frog. Bombarda will cope with the task perfectly. The weight of the bombard is selected solely from the fishing range and the depth at the fishing point.
The length of the leash is preferably at least a meter, although when fishing in thin water it is permissible to use leashes of shorter length. Here it is worth getting attached to the biting activity. If a chub bites confidently on a half-meter leash, then they are worth working on. If the big-nosed dog is picky, then you should lengthen the leash. Even if it is inconvenient to catch with a long leash, it is a chance to get away from zero and catch a cautious predator.
Lure
Especially often when feeder fishing, bait is used to stimulate the fish to approach the casting points of the rigs. Chub baits do not differ in the specificity of their recipes and often consist of adding one animal component to the feeders. For these types of baits, closed feeders with a small mesh are used, which prevents the simultaneous release of food out, and supplies it to the fishing zone gradually and in small quantities. The food used is maggots and bloodworms.
Important! The bait must move, and only this feature can arouse the interest of the chub.
Some fishermen load feeders with mashed black bread soaked in fish oil, adding to it small dung worms torn into pieces, which will continue to move for some time, bloodworms and maggots. For such compositions, feeders with a larger cell are used, allowing the bread to be washed out more intensively and create cloudy, odorous oil stains, collecting predators from large areas of nearby water areas.
How to catch chub in autumn
The autumn season is divided into two periods, in one of which chubs are caught purely in surface waters and the second, when they switch to catching predators at the bottom. The first period is short-term and, as a rule, lasts only until the third ten days of September. The second half of autumn fishing is carried out using bottom gear, which helps catch fish that have descended to the depths from the bottom. Continuing the article, we will consider the three most popular ways of catching chub in the fall - spinning, fly fishing and using bottom gear.
Donka
In chub hunting, several methods of bottom rigs are used, which are mounted on rods using reels. The simplest way is to make a zakidushka. The cast is formed on a rigid spinning rod using an inertia-free reel equipped with a braided cord with a diameter of 0.12 mm. The installation of the casting itself consists of a flat sliding sinker, the stroke of which, no more than 50–70 cm, is limited by silicone stoppers, and the mass is selected based on the current forces at the place where the equipment is cast. A leash made of monofilament fishing line 0.12-0.15 mm long, 25–40 cm long, equipped with a single hook for fishing with live bait with an elongated fore-end, is mounted behind the sinker.
Feeder gear is assembled using a similar algorithm, only instead of weights, a feeder with a cell for the type of complementary food used is used. The length of the feeder gear rarely exceeds 3 meters. Donks are equipped with bite alarms, and since fishing is carried out exclusively during daylight hours, the simplest and most practical is a bell or bell, mounted using a clamp on a quivertip rod.
Important! Bottom tackle is thrown onto the edges of holes near the predator’s parking areas, selecting water areas of the reservoir at a mixture of currents of different strengths.
As a rule, fishing is carried out at considerable distances as far as possible from the shore.
Catching chub in the fall with a spinning rod
Chub fishing in the fall using spinning rods is carried out in September and October, when the fish comes out to feed in the surface and middle water horizons. The most effective type of tackle is ultralight, which allows the use of light, low numbers according to the Meps classification of spinner spoons and miniature wobblers.
Important! For spinning hunting, crank-type wobblers are used, which have a bright and distinct play of their own with a narrow stroke.
Inertia-free reels are charged with nylon fishing line up to 0.2 mm in diameter, capable of dampening the jerks of powerful fish when playing. Spinning rods are used to fish currents and areas of calm water adjacent to riverbeds. Using baits with positive buoyancy, the rafting technique is used to fish sections of rivers under tree crowns hanging over the water. To catch chubs, uniform movements against the currents are used without any kind of pauses or accelerations.
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is practical at the very beginning of the fall season, when fish feed on mayflies. Lightweight fly fishing rods 2.5 meters long are suitable for fishing, which are equipped with inertial reels and special cords with floating or sinking end sections of fishing line. Fly fishing flies are used as baits, imitating various types of insects. The fly is placed on the surface of the water in a promising fishing spot and twitched, creating movements similar to the movements of a floundering insect that has fallen into the water. Fishing techniques require special training and practicing fishing techniques. As a rule, chubs are caught with fly fishing in wads in shallow areas of reservoirs with moderate currents over riffles and rocky rapids.
Selection of spinning baits for chub
The most effective are rotating spoons , which attract the attention of active chub with the noise they create.
When using a spoon on small rivers, use a smaller spoon than on large rivers. In addition, various spinners make it possible to make long casts and work at various, including great depths.
The presence of a wide variety of wobblers makes it possible to optimally select baits that are effectively used when catching chub. In terms of size, the most successful are wobblers with a length of 35 to 65 mm, weighing 3–7 g. In this case, surface and sinking wobblers give good results. However, you need to remember that in each specific situation it is best to choose a successful wobbler through experimentation.
As practice shows, chub prefer dark-colored bait - black or brown. If you don’t have such baits in your arsenal, a black permanent marker can help.
Jig baits (twisters, vibrotails) are also used when catching autumn chub, mainly in late October and November, when the fish goes deeper. Wiring, in this case, must be stepped, and you need to experiment with the length and speed of wiring. The more passive the fish, the slower and calmer the retrieve should be.
The best wobblers for chub - editor's rating and features of popular surface and medium-depth models.
Which line to choose for spinning fishing? Fluorocarbon, braided or monofilament - a detailed description of the advantages of each type of fishing line.
Tying lures with a knotless clasp is a very convenient method.
Chub biting and fishing
Chubs are distinguished by their special fighting spirit and sharpness. Chub biting and fishing require constant monitoring and concentration on the part of the angler. The fish almost never flirts with the bait, immediately taking the prey and going into the depths towards the current towards the middle of the reservoir. Serifs are not required in most cases. The trophy is detected independently. The crucial stage is fishing, which is best assisted with a reel, after carefully adjusting the clutch.
Drastically forcing the fishing action with the rod will lead to the leader breaking during one of the next fish throws. Feeling strong resistance, the trophy is allowed to move back to the length of the fishing line released as a result of the clutch, and when the speed slows down, they again begin energetically winding the cord with the reel, bringing the predator to the zone where it can be conveniently taken into a pre-prepared landing net.
