Early Spring Tench Tactics
The last time I filmed a tench video for Korum, I was sat behind the rods on a big pit, hoping for a proper lump. This time around, things couldn’t have been more different. We wanted to create a video that covered early spring tench tactics and it was still really cold in the mornings, and instead of chasing monsters on a windswept gravel pit, I was tucked away on a small, intimate pond, just trying to get a few bites and share some ideas for early-season fishing.
Checking the tench fishing rigs
That was the theme of the video really – not just how to find and catch tench in spring, but also how to deal with the little problems you often run into, like nuisance fish. Because if you’ve ever spent time on these kinds of waters, you’ll know what I mean – tiny roach, perch, even small skimmers, all getting there first and driving you mad.
Cold Spring Mornings and Early Starts
I’d set the alarm silly early and pulled into the car park with the thermometer showing just five degrees. It was coming up to six o’clock when I got the gear round the lake. The sun was only just starting to break the horizon, and the air still had that bite to it that makes your fingers sting. Not exactly perfect fishing conditions, but spring is always like that – warm sunshine one minute, frost on the ground the next.
Early mornings for Tench
The lake I’d chosen wasn’t big, but that was the point. Smaller, shallower waters tend to wake up quicker in spring. They hold a few more fish, the water warms faster, and you can usually nick a bite or two before the bigger pits really get going. I always think it’s a good way to ease into the season – sharpen up the casting, remember the little details, build a bit of confidence before tackling those big, moody waters.
Looking for Signs
The plan was simple enough: cast around, see if I could find a few signs of fish, and then adjust from there. Sure enough, within minutes I noticed a few bubbles fizzing up mid-lake. That’s always a good giveaway with tench – those little patches of pin-prick bubbles that betray them grubbing around on the bottom.
Small Tench Ponds
I swung a feeder out towards them and settled in. I didn’t want to pile in bait or commit to one spot too early. At this time of year, it’s more about dotting feeders around and building a picture. You’re not trying to create a big bed of feed when adopting spring tench tactics, you’re just looking to drop a little trap in the right area and tempt one or two fish.
First Signs of Life
It took a while, but eventually the tip pulled round and I connected with the first tench of the morning. A proper cold-water fish – sluggish, a bit tentative – but exactly what I was hoping for. It came from tight to a reed bed, which instantly told me something useful: the fish weren’t really in the middle, they were nosing around the margins.
That’s something I’ve found a lot in early spring. While it feels logical to fish the deeper areas, often the shallows and the reed fringes get the first bit of warmth from the sun and draw the fish in. It pays to move about, watch the water, and be prepared to drop a feeder into those little edge spots.
The Move That Paid Off
After another quiet spell, I decided to up sticks and shift three pegs down to where I’d seen the odd reed knocking. That move paid off straight away. Within ten minutes of settling in, I was into a better fish. Nothing huge, but certainly an upgrade, and the fight was much more spirited.
Spring tench tactics paying off
That’s the thing with tench – location really is everything. You can sit all day in the wrong swim, feeding carefully and fishing neatly, but if the fish aren’t there, you’re wasting your time. A short move, even just a few yards along the bank, can completely change the session.
The Gear I Used
For this trip I kept things really simple. The rods were Korum Allrounders in 12ft, 1.5lb test curve – soft enough for a nice playing action, but with just enough backbone to steer fish away from the reeds and the weed beds that were already starting to push through. I matched them with Inferno reels loaded with 10lb feeder line. Normally I might drop to 8lb, but with snags and thick weed about, it made sense to step things up a bit.
The business end was a flatbed feeder rig. I used a 30g feeder with a camo quick-change bead, running it as a semi-bolt setup for good hook-holds. For hookbaits, I swapped between 10mm wafters and pellets, tied up on ready-tied Korum rigs to save time.
Sonubaits Wafters for Tench Fishing
Beating the Small Fish
One of the biggest challenges with spring tench tactics is avoiding the plague of tiny fish which have started to wake up. Maggots, worms, even small pellets just wouldn’t last long enough for a tench to find them. The solution I settled on was scalded 8mm pellets.
It’s a simple trick: pour boiling water over the pellets, leave them for about 30 seconds, then drain them off and leave them overnight. By morning, they’ve softened right through and stick together perfectly on the feeder. Once moulded in, they create a dense, congealed block of bait that small fish can’t whittle away, but a tench can happily dig through. It’s not pretty, but it works.
Step 1 – Get some 8mm Pellets
Step 2 – Pour on boiling water
Step 3 – Drain after only 1 minute
Step 4 – Leave overnight and next day they’re perfect
Step 5 – Press into a Korum Method Feeder
That little tweak made all the difference. Instead of winding in empty feeders or waiting ages with nothing happening, I had confidence that some bait was still around my hook when a tench came nosing in.
Dotting the Feeders Around
Something else I did was move the feeders about rather than hammering one spot. I liken it to spring carp fishing with solid bags. You’re not putting loads of bait in – just dropping little traps in likely areas until you bump into a fish.
Another lovely tench
Later in the year, once the nights are warmer and the fish are feeding harder, then I’ll happily spod out bait and build a swim. But in April, less is more. Little traps, dotted around, worked a treat.
More Action as the Sun Rose
As the sun crept up and warmed the far bank, the bites came a bit more steadily. I lost a couple – early-season tench are notorious for those half-hearted takes – but I managed a handful more fish, including some smaller ones that were still fun to catch. By late morning, though, things started to tail off.
More bites kept coming – this time a small tench.
That’s another classic tench trait: the best action often comes in the first few hours of daylight. Once the sun’s high and the light’s harsh, they seem to melt away into the weedbeds.
Wrapping Up Spring Tench Tactics
By midday, I called it a day. The conditions had been tough – cold overnight temperatures and bright sun later on – but the my spring tench tactics had worked. A few nice tench had made an appearance, and more importantly, I’d shown how little adjustments can make all the difference in early spring.