Top 12 tench fishing tips to help you catch more!
It's that time of the year where tench are beginning to get on the feed again. So to help you get your tench fishing campaigns off to a flyer we have put together some of the most important tips that you must remember for the next time you go tench fishing.
1) Be vigilant
Tench are easy to locate. Watch the water and you’ll often see them rolling or fizzing at dawn or dusk.
2) Wind
The wind can play a big part in where the tench want to be. The north-east corner of a lake will receive the prevailing south-west wind, along with the warm surface water that’s blown there.
3) Weed
Fish as close to it as you can. It’s full of food, and tench love the cover it provides.
4) Get out early
Start your campaign as soon as possible. You’ll locate fish before other anglers, and the lack of weed will aid presentation and feature location. Due to a lack of natural food, your baits will also be highly attractive to any hungry tench.
5) Specimen style
Sitting behind buzzers isn’t everyone’s game, but early-season it’s the way to go. On many waters the tench haven’t yet come up the marginal shelf.
6) Little and often
Tench are only just waking up and so big beds of bait aren’t always best. Fish for a bite at a time with feeders, topping up your swim little and often.
7) Prebaiting
Slightly controversial, but prebaiting can go a long way. Start as soon as you can as it’ll only benefit your action down the line. Hemp, groundbait and boilies are great for this. Don’t pile it in though – feeding a small amount consistently is always better.
8) Maggots
I couldn’t go tench fishing without these in my armoury! I feed them dead so they don’t wriggle away from my spot, and present them using my favourite blockend maggot feeder approach over the top.
9) Boilies
On waters that see a lot of boilies, typically heavily-fished carp venues, a 10mm bait can be deadly for tench too.
10) Bright hookbaits
A bright bait can often be the first one mopped up in your swim, so artificial corn is great as a hookbait or on top of a boilie. On waters that respond to boilies, a small bright pop-up or wafter can be deadly.
11) Liquid attractors
Adding oils to your groundbait gives a massive edge. What I love most is that when a tench starts to feed on your spot, a ‘slick’ will appear on the lake’s surface, notifying you of its presence.
12) Pellets
Another bait I couldn’t do without – use two or three different sizes and types for maximum attraction. The oil content will also help create the slick when tench feed over your spot.