What to catch pike with in the fall: how to choose bait
The main tool for autumn pike fishing is spinning. This is the time for the predator to feed, circling over schools of fish a couple of meters away and willingly going after any worthy prey. The choice of baits is extremely large, but there are three main players:
- Silicone baits such as vibrotail or twister
- Wobblers. Presented in a huge assortment, imitating live fish in their appearance
- Spoons. There are two types: oscillators and turntables. The choice of spinners in any fishing store is very large.
To select any specific bait, you need to take into account the season, the test of your spinning rod and the intended catch. You should not take a heavy spoon if the spinning test is intended for light baits. The size of the bait is important, but during autumn fishing you can catch a trophy specimen using a small spoon. Conversely, a small pike can go after a large bait, but the chance of such an outcome is much less. If the fishing condition is a body of water with a current, then you should give preference to large options. By concentrating on areas with holes and backwaters, a fisherman can get really impressive specimens, but in such cases a 10-centimeter bait, for example a wobbler, is needed.
A jig weighing eighteen grams or more will also work. You can use large oscillating spoons. The choice of color is determined by the current season and conditions of the reservoir. September fishing requires bright, often acidic baits, while in October it is necessary to take bait in more natural tones.
This striking difference comes from the degree of cooling of the reservoir and, as a result, an increase in the level of transparency. In clear October water, a bright red bait is more likely to scare away the fish than to attract it; a spinner, wobbler or silicone should be more consistent with the natural colors of the reservoir.
Silver and gold spoons are more suitable for fishing in early autumn. The red element on the bait always interests the pike. Even if you are fishing in the late autumn season, try using a wobbler that is partially red in color and the results will not be long in coming.
When fishing with a spinner, you can attach a brush of the desired color to the bait. October and November mean for most small fish gradual preparation for wintering and searching for wintering holes. A decrease in temperature drives them deeper and deeper, therefore, pike also need to be looked for at a depth, just above the habitats of its prey.
Secrets and features of fishing
The best option for fishing in the fall is to use a watercraft. Onboard fishing is good because it is possible to cast into snags and hard-to-reach places with minimal risk of leaving caught gear. Easy redeployment after unsuccessful catches is also a significant advantage.
In autumn, all the fish move away from the banks and shallow waters, which makes coastal fishing difficult, although not impossible. The silicone fish, which is fixed on the jig head, is good at casting over long distances, which makes it possible to fish from the shore on medium-sized rivers. The ideal way to survey a reservoir is an echo sounder. The main habitats for pike in the fall are edges, holes and snags. Often it can be found near reed thickets, where it sets up ambushes. Speed fishing is a good technique for autumn.
Dynamic wiring irritates and attracts pike in a hunting frenzy. Don’t stand in one place, conduct fishing in all potentially promising places. Alternatively, you can make a series of quick retrieves, then slow down and fish each selected area in more detail.
Using slow retrieves, lure with good animation of the bait. This method is suitable for early and late autumn. Spinning pike fishing in the autumn is suitable even for novice anglers. It is not necessary to be fluent in all approaches and spinning in general. The predator is active and ready to follow your bait.
When does pike bite and what is the best time to fish?
The autumn pike season starts in September. However, the current number is not as important as the weather conditions. You should start at about 20 degrees Celsius outside the window. Remember that the toothy one does not like sudden changes in weather and especially pressure.
Stable mercury and temperature parameters will give greater confidence in successful fishing. Despite the fact that the predator is caught in the summer, the real fishing begins in the fall. Like everyone else, she tries to fatten up for the winter and attacks any potential prey.
Don’t forget about the leash on the main line, because during a fight, a predator can easily gnaw the cord and leave with the lure. Pay attention to the fishing line itself, because a large specimen can go far beyond the extent of the break, trying to escape.
Autumn is perhaps the only time of year when pike are so active that they splash during the hunt, giving away their location. She hunts loners emerging from their holes in search of food and waits, being directly above the flocks of small fish. The recommended time to start fishing is morning after sunrise and evening. However, during this season she can peck at any other time.
Tips for beginner fishermen
Despite the fact that the fish are active and the catchability of spinning fishing is high, it is necessary to take into account a number of factors and conditions that require certain tactics of the fisherman’s behavior. Be sure to study the reservoir and its depth, examine the bottom.
Use a fish finder to get the most information. Choose bait based on the characteristics of the intended casting location. Do not use a low-depth wobbler if you are casting into a hole; the surface bait will give weak or even zero results in such conditions.
If the fishing area is rich in vegetation that has not yet fallen off from the cold, then give preference to minnows, crankbaits or spinners. Use light or ultralight tackle. If the bottom is hard and the area is deep, then try fishing with a jig using a silicone bait.
Snared areas will require an offset hook on which the silicone is fixed, otherwise there is a high probability of snagging. When fishing pits and their adjacent surfaces, you should use a spinner or a deep-sea wobbler. Suitable types of wobblers: jerkbait, fat and shad.
Don’t get hung up on any one wiring tactic, experiment. Sometimes the fish are actively baited with fast and aggressive retrieves, and sometimes with slow and steady retrieves. Do not forget to change baits if the effectiveness does not meet expectations.
Use even those that are not suitable for the season. Sometimes a bright September bait works well in October. As a rule, fish behave similarly in the same areas. Memorize or write down locations, behaviors, and techniques used that produced positive results. Returning to the same area, use the same techniques and with a high degree of probability you will be able to repeat the success.
Where to fish
In October, the water begins to get colder, and all the fish begin to move into the holes, preparing for winter.
It is almost impossible to get it from the shore, and if you don’t know the bottom topography, then it’s a total disaster. Until the freeze-up, small fish are forced to go out into shallow water; here there is an opportunity to find food. The pike also comes out after the fry, and this is where you need to fish. In warm winters you can fish all winter long if the reservoir does not freeze.
Pike is an ambush predator, so you need to look in places where there is shelter, it can be stones or a flooded tree; many shelters appear at the confluence of rivers.
Pike bite well when the pressure is below average, this is especially noticeable in the fall; on a sunny day, you can sit at home, but in cloudy weather with a breeze, the bite is normal.
In the fall, you need to look for pike in deep holes and snags; during the day, it often goes out to fetch the fry in shallow water. The colder the water, the less active the predator.
Tackle for big catch
Don't underestimate predatory fish. Unlike small whitefish, pike can make sharp throws, go to the “candles” and shake their heads and leave with the spinner, breaking off the tackle while fishing. This is especially true in autumn. An aggressive attitude and high activity are factors worth considering. Also, a really large individual can bite on the bait, which will offer enormous resistance.
Wobblers that catch 100%:
Shimano FX
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Shimano FX
More details
Shimano FX
More details
Shimano FX
More details
Here is a list of conditions that must be met when fishing for pike in the fall:
- Range. An important parameter, because in the fall the pike follows its prey away from the shores, which means coastal fishing is carried out mainly by long casts.
- Sharpness. Without the required sharpness, you will not be able to make good and confident cuts.
- Margin of safety. Reliable tackle is necessary when catching predatory and aggressive fish, especially given that most of the bait is attacked by large individuals.
- Sensitivity. If you use jig fishing or spaced rigs, then you need sensitivity of the gear.
When choosing fishing line, one of the most recommended options is braided line. Strong and reliable, the braid holds the tension exerted by the pike well with a relatively small cross-section compared to other varieties. However, if fishing is done using a spinner, then a braided line is not advisable to use. It will constantly twist, so you should take a monofilament line instead, or use a swivel that will prevent the braid from twisting.
Be sure to check the quality of the reel. A poorly functioning spinning clutch will make it difficult to catch a predator. The reel itself must lay the line evenly, otherwise during complex wiring with accelerations and jerks, a beard may form or a loop may be thrown off.
Fishing methods or what methods exist
There are many ways to catch pike. Here is a list of the most common methods:
- Zherlitsa. Mainly summer and winter gear. The only difference is in the mounting locations. In summer it is attached to bushes and snags, and in winter it is placed directly on the holes.
- Circle. The gear requires a watercraft, fishing is done with live bait.
- Sheer glitter. There are many options for vertical fishing lures, jigs, balancers and much more. Widely used in side and ice fishing.
- Spinning. The main method of catching pike. Tackle equipped with a spinner, wobbler, popper, silicone and other baits.
- Float tackle. When fishing for pike with a float, it is recommended to use live bait.
- Fly fishing. Good tackle for fishing in areas rich in vegetation.
- Feeder tackle. Used with live bait. It is better to use in reservoirs with strong currents.
- Bottom tackle. Just like the feeder, it requires live bait. The casting is done at night, and the gear is checked early in the morning.
Techniques for autumn fishing for trophy pike
If your experience suggests that there are no longer pike in a certain place, it is better not to waste time, but to continue searching. But you really need to try hard with the search. And here we face big problems.
The fact is that in the fall large pike stubbornly do not want to stay in places that were famous for their catchability throughout the summer and early autumn. No, it happens that exactly one of these places will “shoot”, but, unfortunately, this happens infrequently. You have to fight with yourself. Fishing is always an event. Most fishermen do not have the opportunity to travel several times a week, so each trip is a kind of holiday. And, naturally, you want to catch something to complete the experience. “Thanks to” this, fishing turns into a thorough fishing of “known” places. This is what lets you down, and the result is a completely undignified catch or a complete lack thereof.
You literally need to force yourself to look for new places, or to fish for already known ones that look promising, but where for some reason there have never been trophy pike.
