Fall Fishing.....So Inconsistent

If you asked me which season was the toughest to fish as far as consistency, I would have to tell you  it's the fall.  At the end of September I was on a hot streak for big fish as I landed quite a few big mirrors over 20 lbs.  I was getting 2 or 3 fish every outing.  In the last week, things have gone downhill.  In the last three outings, I fished some high percentage spots,  but only came away with one small mirror.  Welcome to fall fishing.

Carp fishing in the fall runs similar to the weather.  It's changing all the time, hot one day, cold the next.  It's hard to get in a groove when fishing is so inconsistent.  To combat this, I try to stay on the move, looking at different places, hoping to find some spot that's hot.  When I do, it is usually a streak of good fishing for three or four days. And, I usually try different bait and scents, but once again. the carp will go on and off baits. Still other fishermen swear that this is a great time to fish at night.  One of our CAG guys has  landed quite a few hefty fish to 27 lbs. while fishing late at night in the last couple of weeks.

While this is not a good time of the year to bank a lot of fish, it is a great time of the year to catch a real big one.  Carp are fattening up for winter and if you can find them in a feeding mood, you have a shot at your biggest fish of the year.  It was last year in November that I landed that 36 lb. common, the biggest freshwater fish ever taken in RI.  I am looking for a forty this fall.  Hey, I've learned you have to think big in this sport!