With the heat of summer subsiding and the air temperature starting to drop as we move into Autumn, many fair weather anglers will be looking to get a few more carp fishing sessions in before packing away their tackle for winter.
The weather and seasons greatly impact how carp react below the water’s surface and can be used as a basic indication of how well your carp fishing session will go.
Carp will tend not to feed in certain weather conditions but feed heavily in others; with some knowledge on this, you can greatly increase your efficiency.
With each month of the year providing varying weather conditions, everyone want’s to know which month (usually) provides the best conditions for targeting carp.
With September just around the corner, this post will answer your question, “Is September a good month for carp fishing?”.
Is September a Good Month for Carp Fishing?
Autumn, September through to November, is known to be a lot of successful anglers’ favourite season to catch carp. As the air temperature slowly drops from the summer’s highs, the water temperature will also start to drop slowly but not as quickly as the air temperature.
This slowly dropping water temperature indicates to the carp that winter is not far away. During winter, the fish will enter a period of extremely low activity as natural food sources become scarce.
They enter this state to save as much energy as possible and tend not to feed actively very often.
Since the fish can sense that winter is coming and natural foodstuffs have nearly disappeared, they will often be on the feed heavily to stock up on fat reserves and energy to weather the winter.
September also provides a great opportunity to catch carp in their best yearly condition and weight as they have most likely been feeding well from late March through to September with the increased water temperatures and an abundance of natural foodstuffs (and also plenty of angler bait over the summer season).
A small downside of fishing in September for carp is to do with the angling pressure. All through the summer day ,ticket lakes and venues in the UK and Europe will be extremely busy with everyone looking to make the most of the improved weather and get a few carp in the net.
Once September comes around, the fish are more than used to seeing baited areas, rigs and hookbaits and some become wise to their presence.
They will often avoid commonly baited swims and retreat to snags, features or other hard-to-reach areas of the venue that anglers don’t often frequent.
Due to this, it can pay off fishing underfished swims or hard-to-reach areas of the venue to target the fish where they feel the safest and most likely to feed.
So yes, September is a great month for carp fishing.
Best Rigs for September Carp Fishing
Suggesting the most effective can be a little tricky at the best of times and will differ depending on the conditions present in front of you and will also change massively from venue to venue.
As we enter September, the fish should be feeding heavily in all depths, so rig selection may not be as important as in, say, winter.
One thing that is 100% necessary is to make sure your hook points are razor-sharp. The sharper the hook, the better chance you have of getting a good hook hold in the first place.
Although most rigs will work effectively when fished in the correct conditions in September, there are two that are thought to be favourites amongst experienced anglers for catching carp in September.
These are the:
- Spinner Rig
- Chod Rig
Spinner Rig
Spinner rigs or the “Ronnie Rig” are fast becoming one of the most popular and most used carp rigs used today. In the Autumn, this is no different.
As long as the bottom you are fishing over is fairly clean and free of a lot of debris, the spinner rig is great for subtly presenting a popup slightly above the bottom.
Spinner rigs provide a versatile rig that can be modified to the parameters you are presented with. The hook can be changed easy, and if you tie the “helicopter” variant of the rig, you can easily slide the stopped so your rig can sit slightly higher if the water is weedy or silty.
This rig can be fished effectively over a small compact bed of loose feed or even with a PVA bag.
Chod Rig
The chod rig is another effective presentation for (usually) late September and Autumn when the water can be full of weed and debris.
This rig allows you to fish over weeds and debris-covered bottoms without your hook bait getting buried or hidden. Your hook bait can freely slide on the mainline and sit above any debris or weed.
This rig can even be great fished as a single hook bait or a good spread of boiles
Baiting in Autumn
Boilies are a favourite amongst anglers (and carp) as we move into September and Autumn.
They provide the fish with an easy meal full of proteins and substances that aid them in packing on the weight for the winter without too much effort consuming them.
After being heavily pressured by anglers over the summer months, it can be a good idea to do something to spice up and differentiate your boiles from the hundreds they have seen and become wary of over the summer.
Washing out your boilies or soaking them in liquids, or adding some powder to coat them can help a lot. You’re not going to know what the carp swimming below you prefer unless you test and try it.
If you are baiting your swim before fishing. Generally, a wider spread of boiles works best in September. This keeps the fish moving and on the hunt for the next free offering.
This is where your pop-up will stand out amongst the free offerings and, hopefully, result in plenty of carp in the net.
Best Weather for Autumn Carp
As you should all be very aware.
The weather can have a massive effect on how the carp behaviour and, therefore, the likelihood that you will catch them.
When fishing in September and through Autumn, you want to be targetting the carp when they are most likely going through big feed-up periods to sustain themselves for a long winter of low energy expenditure and not a lot of feeding.
The weather can be a good indication of when this can be.
Low-pressure fronts are thought to be optimal with cloud cover, and even a bit of drizzly rain is known to get the carp feeding.
High-pressure, sunny and clear days are generally not the greatest for catching carp, and this is no different in September.
Where to Find Carp in Autumn
As Autumn rolls around, carp seem to be more active in the early mornings and late into the afternoon towards dusk. The cooler temperatures of the morning and evening and the changing in light conditions spur the carp into a feeding window.
As Autumn draws into winter, the water has had time to cool significantly. Chances are the carp will be heading for deeper water which will generally be slightly warmer than the shallow water.
During this late autumn period, you may find that carp are most likely to feed in the afternoon when temperatures are at their highest and the water very, very slightly warmed.
That’s All
September carp fishing can be one of the best months for putting carp in the net all year. As the weather starts to cool significantly, the carp will go through periods of feeding heavily before the water temperature cools significantly with the air temperature, and the carp become far less active.
If you can get on these banks during these feeding windows in September and through Autumn, you could be in for some great sport.
If you have any more questions on anything you’d like to add, don’t hesitate to drop a comment below, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
