In the fall, pike becomes the main target of the spinning fisher's catch. Indeed, during this period, the high activity of the predator makes the bite stable and fishing productive. A variety of spinning fishing techniques and methods are used, and almost all of their options can bring results. Autumn pike fishing with a spinning rod is distinguished not only by its catchability, but also by its comfort. Now the most secluded parking areas of the toothy predator have become accessible, which, due to the high degree of overgrowth of the reservoir in the summer, it was not possible to catch with any type of spinning bait.
The following article will tell the angler about the secrets of catching pike with a spinning rod in the fall, after reading which the spinner can easily form his own individual strategy for catching this predator based on a specific autumn month, the conditions of the reservoir and the most effective baits for this time.
When is the best time to catch pike with a spinning rod in the fall?
Autumn pike fishing with a spinning rod is rightfully considered the best season; a stable bite and a powerful trophy fattened over the summer can bring incredible fishing pleasure not only to a beginner in spinning fishing, but also to pleasantly surprise an experienced pike fisher. Changes in the behavior of pike, its highest degree of activation, are associated with the preparation of the population for the winter season. Throughout the autumn months, the fish feed intensively, reaching the glutton level on certain days. In addition, the predator does not stand still, but moves scatteredly, combing places that are promising for attacks throughout the water area of the entire reservoir, often gathering in large groups near points where there are concentrations of fish suitable for food.
Finding himself in just such conditions, the spinning angler will be able to experience in practice the aggressive habits of pike, which do not give mercy to any type of bait, which fully characterizes pike biting in the fall. The beginning of a long autumn zhor is given by a significant cooling of the water, which in practice happens closer to the second ten days of September. Pike begins actively hunting, gaining fat reserves, in October. Therefore, the arrival of calendar autumn does not yet indicate the automatic onset of pike bite; this event directly depends on weather factors.
November fishing for passive pike
As cold weather approaches, the hunting process for pike becomes easier. This is due to the fact that basically all small fish move to deeper places in the reservoir for wintering.
Predatory fish tries to stay close to the habitat of its prey.
Searching for pike habitat in the last month of autumn has its own characteristics depending on the type of reservoir:
- As for large bodies of water, in the last month of autumn the predator is more often found in shallow water.
It is here that underwater vegetation is found to a greater extent at this time. Therefore, such places are the main habitat of smaller fish. And where there are small fish, there is a predator.In calm, windless weather, pike spend more time in ambush, which is reed thickets. It will be quite difficult to catch it using a spinning rod. But in windy weather, the swaying reeds frighten the predator and the pike prefers to be near the edge of the thickets. Such conditions are favorable for spinning fishing.
- In medium-sized reservoirs, the main habitat for pike is where snags have fallen.
- The easiest way to find a predator is in a lake or swamp, where the water level drops and there are fewer hiding places for fish. In such enclosed reservoirs there is not much food for pike, which makes it hungrier and, accordingly, more inattentive. Cold weather conditions also contribute to a good pike bite.
Where to look for pike in autumn
Fishing for pike in the fall using spinning rods continues in the places where the predator lives in summer. Areas near the aquatic thickets of the coastal strip and reed walls adjacent to areas of clean water are fished.
From the moment the intensive death of aquatic vegetation begins, the fish moves behind schools of small fish, which in warm weather come to the shores in the shallows, and on cool and cloudy days they move to the deep-water areas of the reservoir. Under such weather conditions, the predator stands on slopes and edges, waiting for migrating fish. You can catch pike with a spinning rod from the shore in the fall, as in the summer months, focusing on a steep bank, with the current slowing down underneath it. The predator stands at such points all year round. The toothy fish does not leave the snags and bottom bases with driftwood, where it continues to replenish its diet at a more aggressive pace using the ambush method of hunting.
Important! Spinners do not avoid areas near bridges and overpasses. In such structures, areas of underwater areas near the very supports in most cases become a haven for hunting pike.
From boats they fish the edges of the pits, where they manage to catch trophy pike in the fall using a spinning rod, closer to the freeze-up season.
Selection of baits
Pike baits for spinning in the fall are very diverse, it all depends on the weather conditions and the reservoir. But fishermen do not advise worrying too much about this; when a pike fattens, it will attack almost everything that is offered to it.
The most effective are considered to be:
- oscillating spinners such as Atom, Pike, Perch, Lady from Spinex, acoustic spinners of the same type work well;
- large pinwheels, No. 4 and larger with acidic blooms;
- large wobblers from 7 cm or more, with a depth of 1.5 m or more;
- lures for catching pike on a jig head, both acidic and natural colors are suitable;
- foam rubber fish on a jig or on offset machines with Cheburashka.
During this period, trolling will bring trophies; for this type of fishing from a boat, only wobblers with sufficient depth are used; the colors can be very diverse.
Lures for pike fishing
Lures for catching pike with a spinning rod: when and what does it bite on?
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Seasonal features of pike fishing in autumn by month
Features of pike fishing in the fall include changing fishing spots depending on changes in weather conditions. If, with the beginning of the calendar autumn, fishing is carried out on shallows and shallow waters with underwater vegetation, then October fishing shifts to the middle depth levels to the boundaries of dying algae, and November fishing moves to deep-water areas. This dependence is associated with the cooling of water and, as a result, a shift in the food supply of the predator, small carp species of fish, to the zones of underwater pits and its winter moorings. Next, we will take a closer look at the autumn months for fishing conditions for the toothy beauty, tracing the algorithm of the predator’s actions under the influence of external weather factors and its feeding activity.
September
The first half of the month still keeps the predator in underwater thickets, where the grown small fish continue to feed. With cold snaps in the second half of the month, the daily migration of fry begins. Spinning fishing on the river in September moves to the edges, where a predator waits for a passing school of fish and drives it to the shore, the so-called phenomenon among fishermen - washing away small things. In overgrown reservoirs, they continue to fish with poppers and unhooked baits, carried out in the surface layers of the reservoir. In open areas of water they fish with spoons and shallow wobblers. The bite is clearly divided into morning and evening periods, occasionally manifesting itself in short-term fish outings during the daytime.
Important! September fishing is more successful in sunny and clear weather with little wind.
October
Fishing for pike in October with a spinning rod is especially productive. The pike fattens, entering backwaters, oxbow lakes and rivers, staying close to the fading water banks of dying vegetation, which provided places for its victims to hide. Now the toothy one is characterized by increased aggressiveness and reacts to any active movements that provoke the fish into an immediate attack. Bait placement is carried out at depth differences and slopes from the shallows to the main channels. They are caught using wobblers, spinners of various designs and silicone baits. They don’t skimp on the size of fishing tools; the larger the bait, the higher the likelihood of catching a large fish. They fish bottom and middle water horizons.
Important! The fish bite throughout the daylight hours, and cloudy weather with a south or southwest wind, raising small wave ripples across the surface of the reservoir, is considered the best.
November
Autumn pike fishing with spinning rods shifts to deep waters in November. The established cold weather cooled the water to parameters close to winter conditions and forced all the fish to go deeper into wintering pits. The predator now spins on the edges of such pits, not stopping feeding throughout the day. They continue to fish with wobblers, silicone and oscillating spoons. The bites begin in the late morning and end at dusk.
Important! For hunting, choose days with stable weather, without pressure changes and precipitation. Sunny days are characterized by a large number of bites.
The presence of wind no longer affects the intensity of the bite so much, because fishing is carried out at depths, where the predator is not particularly picky about camouflaging the angler or swimming device, which had an effect when fishing in shallow waters.
Fishing technique
Pike fishing in September
This month is considered one of the best for fishing for pike with a spinning rod.
This is due to two main reasons:
- Pike prefer cooler water environments. During the hot summer period, she hides more. With the arrival of September coolness, the predator becomes more active.
Due to the increase in appetite in order to increase the fat layer, she is less attentive and picky about food, it is easier to outwit her and catch her on a spinning rod.All this only benefits lovers of autumn, and in particular September, fishing. After all, in September their chances of catching a trophy specimen increase.
- September fishing is notable for the presence of a huge amount of lush underwater vegetation, which will persist until the first significant frost. Due to such conditions, it is more difficult for pike to hunt other fish, and it will quickly attack the bait thrown by the fisherman. The larger the bait, the sooner the predator will notice it and bite the bait.
Pike fishing in October
The process of catching a toothy predator in the second month of autumn will not be as easy as in the first. By this time, she had undergone the process of adaptation to cold weather conditions, and her appetite had decreased slightly.
Consequently, the pike has become more vigilant, and it is more difficult to catch it.
October fishing requires the use of a wide variety of baits. Moreover, change them more often. It is recommended to give preference to small-sized options so as not to scare away the fish.
In the middle of the day, pike are most active. There is a greater chance of catching a predator in cloudy weather, when there is light rain, or after heavy rain.
Preparing spinning tackle for pike in the fall
Spinning fishing is characterized by the presence of a variety of styles and technologies, depending on the type and weight of the bait used. A general criterion for a spinning rod in pike fishing is its lightness. After all, spinning fishing is a rather dynamic method and heavy tackle will not allow you to fish comfortably even during a couple of hours of fishing. Therefore, it is initially recommended to purchase a fishing rod with a graphite or carbon fiber blank, so as not to complain about rapid hand fatigue later.
Pike on a spinning rod in the fall are caught from the shore with fishing rods no longer than three meters; from boats, forms in the parameters of 1.5-2.1 meters are considered ideal. The test characteristics of gear for pike are quite wide and vary in ultralight fishing, starting from 2–3 grams, and when trolling they can correspond to 50–60 grams. The structure depends on the fishing method. Twitching and lure fishing differ significantly in the degree of control over the animation of the bait.
Important! As a rule, pike tackle is taken in a parabolic or semi-fast action.
The spinning rod is equipped with a spinning reel with a finely adjustable friction clutch, selecting the product for the fishing rod based on the type of fishing. To a greater extent, braids are used as a cord, which allows you to more clearly track bites and the play of the bait.
Important! It is mandatory to use a leash made of Kevlar or fluorocarbon in the equipment.
These types of material, in addition to reliability and strength, have plasticity, affecting the game of the bait to the least extent.
What to use to catch pike in the fall
Lures for pike in the autumn are distinguished not only by their diversity, but also by their size, which you definitely shouldn’t skimp on. From the second half of September, surface baits begin to lose their relevance, and the leading positions are occupied by those species that have characteristics for fishing in the middle and bottom water horizons. This definition includes the silicone range of baits, most types of wobblers and all spinners. We will characterize these most catchy lures for pike separately, focusing on the main design features of the structure and operating parameters of each type of fishing tool.
Spoon
Spinners are the best bait for catching pike using a spinning rod in areas of the reservoir free of vegetation. They are divided into two main directions - oscillating and rotating. Rotating spoons are used at depths of up to three meters. Fluctuating options can be used at depth values many times higher.
Important! Spinners are caught on regular movements, sometimes alternating the stroke with slowing down or increasing the pace.
These tools come with factory game settings and in most cases do not require animation. A classic hunting tool, the technique of which does not require special training.
Wobblers
Wobblers are a huge family of artificial baits, differing from each other in all sorts of performance characteristics and game patterns. For pike spinning fishing, the following types are suitable: minnow, crank, shad and fat, which have a working blade, as well as jerkbaits and rattlins, which do not have this structural element. Wobblers have a body shape that resembles a fish, causing wave vibrations and noise effects through their play that lure pike to the fishing site.
Important! Jerkbaits and some fat-type models are considered bait for catching large pike in the fall.
To a greater extent, all wobblers require certain skills in their wiring and preliminary training, during which the spinning angler can become familiar with the playing capabilities of the simulator. Of the total mass, only cranks stand out that have factory game settings and to reach operating parameters they only need a certain speed of guidance.
Silicone baits
Silicone fish in the fall are especially effective at luring toothy ones. The similarity of the silicone game with the behavior of a live fish, the simple technique of jig casting and the low cost of the tool make the bait one of the most popular in spinning fishing, by the way, not only for pike. Vibrating tails and twisters differ in the shape of the working element, the tail, which in a twister looks like a ribbon, and in a vibrating tail like hooves. The bait is fished with loads in the form of jig heads and cheburashkas, stringing the silicone body onto a hook selected according to its correspondence with the size of the nozzle, or, depending on the fishing requirements, it is used without weights. The color of the bait is chosen based on the fishing depth.
Important! Currently, bait options with an attractant and edible rubber are available, which additionally attract the predator with certain odors.
Fishing for pike in September with a spinning rod on the river
Catching pike in September with a spinning rod on the river is a more difficult process than in the lake. The fishing conditions are affected by the force of the current, which changes the requirements for gear. Considering the fact that pike loves places with minimal current, there are significantly fewer promising places and it is very difficult to find a toothy one.
Promising places on the river will be:
- sand spits in the form of rifts and places behind such spits;
- snags and fallen trees;
- eyebrows;
- pits.
Tackle for catching pike in September using a spinning rod from the shore should be much stronger than in quiet waters. The spinning rod test depends on the depth and strength of the river current. If the angler is dealing with a deep river and holes of 10-15 m, then the upper test limit of the rod should be about 50-60g.
For rivers with depths of up to 10 m, an upper test limit of up to 40 g is suitable, and if the depth on the river is less than 5 m, then a rod of the same type as for lakes, with a test of up to 25 g, will be optimal. For better sensitivity of jig wiring, the action of the rod must be fast.
Depending on the fishing method, from a boat or from the shore, the length of the spinning rod can vary from 2.1 to 2.7 m. A spinning rod with number 3000 and 0.15-0.18 mm braid is placed on the selected rod, which will balance the entire spinning rod. tackle Finally, the tackle will be completed by a leash against pike teeth.
When catching pike in September with a spinning rod on the river, it is necessary to take into account the fact that specimens of the predator up to 1-2 kg live in the inlets and bays of the river, and on the riverbed with holes, edges and sandy rifts there are specimens from 2 kg or more. Therefore, baits should be large in size from 10 cm.
On a river with a current, it is very convenient to fish all possible promising places with silicone jig baits. The main condition for fishing with this type of bait is the correctly selected weight of the jig head. When fishing on sandy rifts, the weight of the jig bait should be minimal and the retrieve should be uniform.
When fishing on holes and edges, the weight of the jig bait is selected in such a way as to ensure high-quality jig animation. Places near snags and fallen trees must be fished with non-snagging versions of silicone baits. Sometimes, in the absence of a bite, it is advisable to experiment with the size, color and shape of jig baits.
An excellent option for fishing river edges and sand bars are oscillating spoons. Moreover, a more practical method would be to bring the spoon from depth to shallows. An example of a universal spoon that is suitable for any body of water, including currents, is Mepps Cyclops.
Pike approach sand spits in search of food, find uneven bottoms there and wait for their prey. It is convenient to fish such places with wobblers, rotating and oscillating spoons.
A huge priority in catching pike with a spinning rod on the river is the use of a boat, especially when fishing holes using the jig method. In the case when the fisherman anchors the boat at the top of the hole and leads the bait against the current, the effects of the current are minimized and make it possible to perform a quality jig check.
With the arrival of September, most fishermen put aside all their gear and pick up a spinning rod to catch pike. And this choice is absolutely justified, because the September spinning rod is really capable of giving the angler a huge number of pike tails. And if the angler also has extensive experience in pike fishing or is simply lucky, then his chances of holding a toothy river monster in his hands increase several times.
How to properly catch pike with a spinning rod in the fall
Spinning in the fall requires a thorough analysis of the fishing conditions in the intended hunting location.
Important! The choice of bait and spinning fishing method depend on the depth of the reservoir, the presence of obstacles at the bottom and the size of the expected trophy.
It is more convenient to catch grass near the underwater walls of thickets with light and ultralight tackle using rotating spoons and wobblers such as crank and minnow as bait. In deep areas with a hard bottom, pike are caught using the jig technique using silicone baits. In snags, these baits are placed on offset hooks, thereby reducing their hookiness. The edges of underwater holes and the holes themselves are fished with oscillating spoons and deep-sea wobblers such as fat, shad and jerkbait. The rhythms of the fishing are selected based on the activity of the fish, constantly experimenting during the fishing process, determining its most effective pace.
Important! Active fish require aggressive play; a passive predator is irritated by long pauses and the imposing movement of baits.
When visiting reservoirs, remember the exact places where trophies were caught, fishing techniques and types of bait. When returning there next time, start fishing these places according to the previously developed algorithm. Often this tactic brings the expected positive results over many seasons.
