When do Tench switch off for the winter

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Shaun Harrison
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Re: When do Tench switch off for the winter

Post by Shaun Harrison »

I have caught tench whilst carp angling right through the winter months on waters that are fished regularly and waters where I have been the only angler there through the winter months, over bait and on single hook baits. I would suggest the cut off point for giving up trying would be 39 f (3.9c) the same as carp. Odd ones will still slip up but their metabolism is seriously reduced with them being cold blooded and also with the coldest water dropping to the bottom at that temperature the fish will sit higher in the water away from where you would traditionally fish your bait.

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Santiago
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Re: When do Tench switch off for the winter

Post by Santiago »

But what time of year do you chaps catch the most tench? One might catch the odd one in the midst of winter but I suspect nobody would suggest one has just as much chance of catching them in the winter as one does in the summertime, regardless of venue.

I use to fish a gravel pit for tench and I always caught more during the night and only a few during the middle of the day in comparison. And other's targeting tench at the gravel pit found the same.
But that was in the early eighties. However, with the advent of more high protein feed being used over the last few decades, tench in these heavily baited waters appear to less dormant during in the winter. And global warming might also be a factor. I suspect all of my angling books written during the fifties, sixties and seventies suggest that one doesn't catch tench during the winter either by design or by accident except during the warmest of spells because they are considered to be dormant. Nowadays, the winters are milder so the tench may well be more active!
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

Hemingway

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Shaun Harrison
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Re: When do Tench switch off for the winter

Post by Shaun Harrison »

The old books used to say carp hibernated too :laugh: :laugh1:

The first 3 carp I caught in 1977 were with a foot covering of snow and winter has remained my favourite time to carp fish since. During that time tench have been a bit of a nuisance on more than a few winter waters. Now I like catching tench like everyone else does but only when fishing tench type tackle. I find it a shame to catch them on carp tackle when they are usually unable to give a full account of themselves.

Up until a 56 lb common I was fortunate to land this summer, all of my previous best carp since 1984 have fallen during the cold winter months both at home and overseas.

I remember Jim Gibbinson successfully targeting Tench one winter.

One needs to try ones venue to see if one can find ways of catching them,for one thing that is 100% correct, they definitely feed through the winter months. Okay, they give themselves away more during the summer months making location rather easy but they definitely feed through the winter too. They would be rather suicidal and in a bit of a state during the spring if this wasn't the case.

Like carp, they also take on the most wonderful colour through the colder months.

So many times in history progression has been slowed right up by folklore and assumption rather than moving forward by questioning things and experimenting. Summer methods might be a bit slow but there are ways.

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