Carp in October: fishing with a feeder, donka, making bait, what to catch

Catching carp in October on a pond or on rivers with a current can bring a lot of fun and become a real game of chance, because with the onset of cold weather, carp increasingly begin to go closer to the bottom, which means catching a trophy individual will be a real rarity and success. But you won’t need luck after reading our material, everything will be in your hands!

Where and when does carp live in October?

With the onset of cold weather, carp migrate from shallow places to deeper ones, which is due to the low concentration of oxygen on the surface of the water and higher concentrations in the lowlands. At temperatures of -2, -4 degrees, carp completely stop appearing in the upper layers of water, which makes fishing with a donk or feeder more relevant. They catch carp from the early morning , but the bite of large carp in October is activated in the afternoon, between 15:00 and 17:00 .
Our detailed article on carp fishing in all seasons. On the cold days of October, carp (carp) can only be caught on a feeder if the depth of the reservoir is 4 meters or more. If the reservoir is deep, but the weather is warm, then there is a chance to catch a fat fish using a float rod (this is still more suitable for September) or a donk. In particularly hungry conditions, carp can swim to the surface and at this time you can try your luck with a float and necessarily a combined bait - animal bait + fragrant vegetable bait (for example, peas + corn + maggots), however this requires a particularly large amount of bait (11-14 kg). But about bait and lures a little later.

Favorite places for carp:

Snags, fallen, flooded trees, stumps;
Vegetation: cattail (not to be confused with reeds), algae;
Deep depressions, sharp cliffs, edges;
Sandy, muddy bottom;
If you are going to fish on a pond, then the carp are more likely to be at the deepest point. (More information on how to find it below.);
Places where sunlight is currently falling.

Muddy bottom

Snags

Greens and cattails
Remember, all information related to specific dates may vary depending on the location of your region, and, accordingly, weather conditions. So the weather at the end of October in the southern regions (Kuban, Donetsk region, Rostov-on-Don, etc.) can reach 10 degrees during the day, while in central Russia and the Republic of Belarus (Volga, Minsk region, Kama river, etc. .) can reach -4 and below.

How to feel the bottom and find out the depth of a reservoir

The first, obvious way is an echo sounder. But what about those who don’t have it? A series of casts will help, which will determine:

Maximum depth of the reservoir;
Its relief (sharp depressions, tubercles, pits);
Bottom texture.

The easiest way to make such measurements is from a boat or dam, but we will look at the example of shore casting. Measurement operations are carried out using special equipment with a marker float. Scheme:

Where 1 is a deliberately measured section of fishing line. 2 – sinker. 3 – fastening (sliding load or shock leader), 4 – float with a stop bead.

To create such equipment you will need:

Marker float (which can be easily made from scrap materials, for example a 2 ml syringe);
Sinker weighing from 60 grams;
Durable monofilament line (to avoid breaks when hooked);
Stop bead;
Cambrics, swivels, and other elements for the sliding option
Almost any rod (except for very short ones, from which you cannot make long casts).
Reel (optional, spinning is preferred).

The first cast is made to the maximum distance, or as close as possible to the center of the reservoir. Then gradual, slow wiring occurs in order to identify edges and sharp depressions. Feel free to make several casts, this way you can find hidden holes where carp are most likely to live.

Advice! Identification casts can spook the fish, so they can be done at the same time or before feeding these areas. This will prevent you from wasting time. For example, you can cast and feed the carp at 6pm as bait, and then return exactly 24 hours later, the carp will very likely be there.

Habits and habitats

To catch carp in October-November, you will have to tinker with choosing a place; it is not caught everywhere and the usual summer sites no longer work. At this time, you need to look for it in depth. As the water cools and aquatic vegetation dies, carp leaves their summer habitats and moves to the deepest parts of the reservoir, where the oxygen regime is more favorable for it. As a rule, it stands in the lower horizons of the water and is best caught using a donk or a feeder. Fishing with a float rod becomes ineffective. Although, if we talk about the southern regions, where the air temperature is an order of magnitude higher and the autumn is warmer than in the central regions, then carp can be caught there using float gear.

“On ponds and lakes, carp most often stay at a depth of 3 to 6 meters.”

The biting schedule also changes. Small specimens are caught in the morning, while large ones prefer to feed in the afternoon or at night. The effectiveness of fishing in mid-autumn directly depends on the weather. The first half of October is most favorable for fishing; the weather at this time is more stable and, as a rule, without prolonged rains. The air temperature stays around 10 degrees and in dry weather it is still possible to catch carp.

At the end of October - beginning of November, stable weather changes to rainy and the bite may be completely absent.

The choice of fishing location must be approached very responsibly; passive autumn carp is concentrated in certain points of the reservoir. At this time of year you need to look for it in places such as:

Deep sections of the reservoir - on pay zones, as a rule, this is the dam area.
Edges are areas with a sharp drop in the bottom.
Wintering pits.

Fishing in snags in late autumn is unpromising. Usually, leaves that have fallen into the water accumulate there; over time, they begin to rot, worsening the already poor oxygen conditions.

This is interesting: Carp fishing in September: where to catch carp in September, what bait and tackle to use

Catching carp in October on a feeder

Packing density
We will start feeder carp fishing with choosing a feeder . This should be an open (Flat method, spring, open cage) feeder feeder pre-loaded with a weight of 60-100 grams for fishing on a pond or reservoir with minimal current. If carp fishing takes place on a river with a medium or fast current, then feeders with the same weight are used, but closed (most often a closed cage is used), so that the bait is not washed away so quickly. What to fill the feeders with is written below.

The rod should be chosen with medium or slow action, moderate or heavy class. For larger bodies of water and trophy specimens, you should take a heavy-class spinning rod with a weight of 3.25lb or more. Rod length from 3.6m and above. For smaller carp, 3lb and 3.4m, respectively (3lb = 1.36~kg). Do not forget about the weight of the gear itself, where one feeder will weigh 200-350 grams.

The reel must be inertialess, no matter what kind of clutch. Spool size from 5100. Our rating of the best cheap reels .

The fishing line is thick monofilament (0.3 mm) with a color close to the color of the bottom. The leash used is fluorocarbon, which has been increasingly gaining popularity in recent years.

How to choose feeder equipment? Our table is optional depending on the type of reservoir. The most effective way to catch carp is with a paternoster, but there are also 4 types of it (open the link to the exact guide in a new page). Also, the “carp killer” tackle is becoming increasingly popular. Its diagram is presented below.

Sliding paternoster diagram. Fastening the feeder with a carbine can be replaced with a cambric.

An asymmetrical loop is also often used, watch the installation video:

Fishing process and technique

The first 3-8 casts are made with bait

Casting from behind
Try to cast to approximately the same place, or to different ones if you have more than one rod. Point casting with variable, different baits guarantees attracting the attention of the carp. You can throw the bait with a slingshot, catapults, or even with your hands if you have formed a sufficiently strong ball. The first baits are made one after another, then they are made at intervals of 20-30 minutes.

Rods can be equipped with bite alarms

This is done with electronic or regular bells or bells. Try to hang the bells on the very end of the rod, this will be the most effective in terms of sensitivity. You can also hang it on a fishing line, but this will slightly stretch it, be careful.

Catching

Cast to one place at intervals of 20 minutes. If at this time there was not a single bite, return the feeder, fill it again and throw it in a place 0.5-1 m from the previous place.

Features of fishing

When biting, do not rush to pull the carp ashore, do not make sharp hooks, it has delicate lips that can easily tear. He will resist strongly, but when he reaches the surface, inhaling air will weaken him and then you can calmly attract him. However, the higher the carp gets to the surface of the water, the harder it will fight, and accordingly there is a chance that it will jump off. Some people advise, on the contrary, to point the rod towards the bottom so as to tire it, but we are for the first method of fishing.

If there is no bite for more than an hour and a half, then change the place of fishing.

Catching carp with donka (bottom tackle)

There are different types of donks, we will describe three main ones: dummy-tacks , tucks in which there is no rod as such, and donts with a rod and reel .

Zakidushka, its components and features:

Fishing with carp gear

Specialized carp rods and equipment allow you to fish at the most remote points, where, as a rule, passive autumn fish are located.

The best results are obtained with a classic hair rig on a 4-meter rod. The main feeding of fish is done using a rocket, slingshot or boat. Then, as needed, the bait is delivered to the fishing point using a PVA mesh, which quickly dissolves in the water. It is important that the main feed component is also present in the bait.

A rig with a sliding sinker is the best for October fishing. Carp behaves very carefully, and when biting, blind-mounted equipment can alert it. This does not happen with sliding equipment. Having grabbed the bait, the carp does not feel the weight of the sinker and swallows the treat more boldly. There may not be any self-hooking, but the number of bites becomes noticeably higher. Therefore, the hooking in this case should be tough.

“The size of the hook should be made smaller than usual, the best option is 8-12 numbers according to the international classification. With a small hook, the bait lies more naturally on the bottom and does not arouse suspicion among the carp. In addition, autumn fishing does not involve the use of bulky baits.”

It is better to use boilies or corn as bait.

Lures and Lures

“Sandwich”
What do you use to catch and bite carp in October? Use aromatic vegetable baits at the beginning of the month, and more protein-rich animals by the middle and end of October. If in August-September you can catch carp with boilies, then by the beginning of October fishing with them becomes completely hopeless. A good option in any autumn weather are “sandwiches” made from alternating peas, corn and protein bait - maggots, worms.

Total of plant baits:

Peas;
Corn;
Boiled pearl barley;
Cereal grains (2-3 kernels per 4-5 hooks with a sharp shank).

Peas and corn . Which ones should you choose? Boiled peas spread the aroma much longer - 2-3 hours, however, the aroma itself is not so pronounced and attractive to carp. Canned peas, in turn, quickly lose their flavor (about 30 minutes in a current and a little more in standing water), but the chance that a carp will attack it is much higher.

It's pretty much the same with corn. Canned fish is brighter and more appetizing for carp (especially towards the end of October), while boiled fish is dull but lasts longer.

In October, carp become increasingly attracted to animal bait . Of them:

Blow flies;
Maggot;
Bloodworm;
Muckworm;
Grasshopper;
Chafer;
Mayfly, caddisfly and other large insects.

The closer to the end of October, the more you use animal baits, and to a lesser extent plant baits.

Place and time

The way of life of carp on rivers and in standing reservoirs in the autumn has its own characteristics. So, on the river, fishing for this fish in early September is practically no different from summer fishing. Carp actively feeds at a depth of 4-6 m and stays in habitats traditional for the warm season:

areas close to coastal ramparts;
pits 5-7 m deep;
extensive plateaus near the main channel.

In deep waters, water cools much more slowly than in shallow waters and ponds. Therefore, even frosts at night do not change the behavior of this fish. Behavioral changes can be noticed only towards the end of the month, when the water temperature drops to 15 degrees.

At the end of September and the first half of October, this river fish begins to gather in large schools and move to wintering areas. During this period, fish can be found at a depth of 5-6 m. However, in October the predator is in no hurry to climb into the wintering pits: these days it begins to eat, allowing it to stock up on energy before the long winter. The carp is actively looking for food, so the fisherman has every chance of pulling out a trophy specimen. By mid-November, the fish begin to swim into their wintering holes. By the beginning of November, carp enter a state of hibernation, all metabolic processes slow down, the predator becomes passive and stops feeding.

Fish behave differently in lakes and ponds. Even a slight decrease in the average daily air temperature leads to a rapid cooling of the water. If on hot days in ponds and lakes carp usually occupied places at a depth of 2-3 m, then with the onset of autumn most of this fish lives in the lower layers at a depth of 4 m or more. And after a series of prolonged downpours, which further cool the water, it is no longer possible to fish for carp near the coastline.

However, on clear sunny days, this heat-loving representative of the ichthyofauna goes to the shallow waters of the reservoir to bask.

Knowing about this habit of the predator, experienced fishermen often look for it at a depth of 40-50 cm, using lightweight float gear. A lot of fish congregate in these areas, so the tactic can be quite successful.

Bait and making fillings for feeders

We have moved this into one topic, because the materials from which the mixtures will be made will be the same.

Lure

Recipe 1.

The basis of the mass of bait and filling of the feeder will be sunflower cake, about 40%.
In a proportion of 10% of the main final mass, add ground seeds, then another 10% of ground roasted peanuts.
10% milk powder, 10% breadcrumbs, 10% bran.
Mix thoroughly.
Add flavorings (you can do without them). Both sweet flavors are suitable - honey, caramel, etc., as well as garlic or hemp. The carp will be delighted.
At the fishing site, we dilute the dry mixture with a small amount of water from the reservoir to bind the mass and make it dense for convenient long-distance casts. Ready.

Recipe 2.

This recipe is good for late autumn, as it is rich in bait.

We will need:

Worm;
Maggot;
Pelets (can be bought at any fishing store, costs quite a bit);
Canned corn;
Canned peas;

You can also fill feeder feeders with this mixture
. Procedure:

We mix 30% lightly pressed pellets with 10% worms and 10% maggots;
Add equal parts of 10% corn and 10% peas;
Grind small hemp grains and add another 10% to the total mass (you can use hemp cake);
Add 5% chopped dill and 5% fennel;
The remaining 10% is, of course, sunflower cake;
Flavorings used: hemp, anise, honey, vanilla;

Just as in the first recipe, before throwing the bait, moisten the fraction with water from the reservoir in which you will fish.

For those who don’t want to bother making their own food, the market can always offer its own complementary food for comfortable carp fishing:

3000 sensas carp

Groundbait from Dunaev has long established itself in the market as a reliable assistant in attracting fish

Allvega Formula for carp

(This is not an offer or advertisement, attached as informational material.)

Filling the feeder

Pellets + sunflower + hemp cake. 1-2 worms and the same number of maggots, depending on the size of the feeder. Pellets make up 60% of the total mass. You can moisten with garlic juice or honey.

Results and tips

Feed the place a day, or even several days before fishing;
Feed at the same time;
Large carp are active in the second half of the day;
Use animal attachments;
Feel free to experiment with gear;
Do not skimp on bait; in autumn, carp are extremely voracious;
For timely hooking, install bite alarms;
If there are no bites for a long time, change the place;
Re-cast at least once every half hour.

Have a good mood and enjoy carp fishing!