Experts’ carp fishing tips for autumn

Have self-belief, says Julian Cundiff

Looking for autumn carp fishing tips? The key to catching carp at this time of year is not just going but having the self-belief to keep at it even when it looks less than favourable.

I gave up believing that this time of year was ‘the big feed up’ years ago and for me that happens late Oct/Nov and this time of year can be hard work…

The nights are clear and the rain really can drop the water temperature down a lot. Water clarity makes the carp a lot more spooky and for me the period mid September to mid October is about toughing it out and keeping the drive going.

Julian Cundiff

A lot of anglers fall by the wayside but I won’t and I know that keeping the bait going in, keeping an eye on any developing patterns will stand me in good stead for the future.

I am fishing single hookbaits on my favourite Multi-Rig over my ‘slop’ of crumb/hemp/liquidised corn but when I do go I will spread bait all round areas the carp have been showing.

The trick is not to falter and fall off the radar as once you lose touch with a water its hard to get back on it.

Everything is right for a bite, the baits are in position and its time for another coffee. Believe me this is as live a blog as you will get. I am here doing my bit…are you? You can’t catch them sat at home!

Think about your bait, says Nigel Sharp

Nigel Sharp, seen here with the stunning Burghfield Common.

As the water temperatures start to fall I tend to stop using oily products such as high oil pellets and boilie dips. My reasoning behind this is so that my baits don’t start fatting up like candle wax in the carps digestive systems. In the main I’ll be sticking to the boilie approach from now on.

As the leaves start to fall and litter the bottom, I’ll also start to favour pop-up rigs over bottom bait presentations so that I can guarantee that my hook points are clear of any debris.

If I am intent on staying on the same water in to the colder winter months I’ll start introducing my favoured winter baits by mixing them in with the bait that I’m currently using.

Focus on your watercraft, says Keith Jones

The weed is fast disappearing, some hot spots of natural food have also disappeared or been eaten out by fish. This seems to have had the effect of encouraging the carp to move into new comfort zones, their daily routines and patrol routes have changed slightly too.

The normally productive swims have mainly failed to produce for the anglers that are just doing the same old thing but those with a more open mind who are making the effort to find the fish and fine tune their tactics slightly have done better.

One question we are regularly asked at the moment is ‘should I be changing my baits ready for the months ahead’. The answer to that is for the time being no, if it’s working then stick with it and instead focus on the watercraft.

But if I had to pick just bait at the moment it would be Nash Bait ready-made Boilie Paste, this stuff just oozes water born food signals, even the most lethargic disinterested fish can’t resist it – it works for me and I recommend you give it a try.

Time to get on the paste reckons Nash blog co-ordinator Keith Jones!

Stick to one water, suggests Adam Garland

I’m really looking forward to autumn and early winter. Due to having limited time to spend on the bank, I’ve been changing from one water to another all year in an effort to make the most of the time available, and although I’ve caught well, I’ve lost consistency and that’s something I’m really keen to re establish.

Adam Garland with an impressive autumn catch.

I’ve made the decision to see the rest of the year out on just one syndicate water in an attempt to regain the consistency within my angling. The fish in this water are very old, and like most old fish they are creatures of habit, and regularly get caught from their favoured spots time and time again, so making sure I’m in the swim and on that spot is the main approach I plan to employ in the coming months.

I had a fantastic end to last years campaign on the same water banking no less than five of the big girls over 35lb, but there were times when I knew a fish was due out from a certain swim, but opted to follow the larger pack of fish instead, and on more than one occasion the fish showed up true to form.

This is the first year since joining Nash  I’ve played around with alternative baits to the Scopex Squid, but with big fish time on the horizon, I’ll be going straight back to the best carp bait of all time, to make bait something I need not worry about.

My rigs for the spring and summer have been my ever faithful fluoro carbon – Armour braid combi rig fished at 12 inches, to keep it on top of any bottom debris and light weed. During the later months the weed dies back and most of the spots I’ll be fishing will be crystal clear, and it’s for this reason I’ve switched over to 10 inches of the excellent Nash Missing Link coated braid.

I fish it blow back style with a Fang Twister and a snowman rig, small subtle changes can make a big difference at the moment, but with big changes going in the carp’s under water world you need to go fishing with an open mind, location is key, if you are not on fish you won’t catch them! That’s it from me – good luck!

Venue with a track record for Mike Jones

I’m starting on a new water this autumn, I’m actually here today having a look around and discretely baiting a few spots, its a gravel pit and around ten acres in size and its quite deep too.

Mike Jones

The lake has a very good winter track record which is very important to me as their is no point in sticking it out all winter on a water where only one or two fish comes out. The blanks can get you down and your motivation will soon go.

I think bait will be the key this winter on this lake because the fish I have seen are quite short and fat with big mouths and look like real boilie eating machines.

My boilie choice is the dark red Monster Squid mixed with White Amber Strawberry mixed 80% 20% – all Nash baits have a really high food value which makes them particularly effective during the colder months, the bright coloured Amber is also proven to produce quick bites which makes it an unbeatable combination.

I’ll fish different options for hook baits but if the fish show a preference for one I’ll simply switch all rods to that one – it looks good for a bite today and I can’t wait to get the rods out and have a go!

Stay closer to home, says Joe Jaggar

Joe Jaggar doesn’t live in an area blessed with biggies, but knows how to catch autumn carp.

Living up north, I clock up a fair few miles during the year fishing target waters in the pursuit of big carp.  But with the colder months looming I’m going to be fishing closer to home. But as a result of that the carp will be a little bit smaller.

I’ve been baiting the lake heaily for the last four weeks and as I write this now, I’ve just got back from my first night on the lake without any action but there was plenty of carp activity so I feel that my bait is getting polished off.

The campaign is going to be by no means a stroll in the park as the lake is low stock and sees a great deal of angling pressure. But I love fishing during the colder months and one thing is for sure though, when the going gets tough, the Nash Bait gets going and I’m sure it wont let me down!

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