Tench Fishing: Spring Venues and Tackle

Why Spring Is the Best Time for Tench

As water temperatures climb above 12°C, tench shake off their winter torpor and begin feeding with real enthusiasm. Spring, particularly from late April through June, is widely regarded as the prime window for targeting these beautiful, olive-green fish.

31 big tench net — Early spring - try shallow lakes

Finding the Right Venue

Tench favour shallow, weedy lakes and estate ponds with soft, silty bottoms. Look for venues that have:

Beds of lily pads or cabbage weed
Reed-lined margins with overhanging trees
A depth of 3–6 feet in the areas you intend to fish

If you are starting your tench campaign in early spring then consider fishing shallow lakes, as they often wake up first!

Arrive at dawn and watch for the telltale signs: tiny bubbles fizzing up through the surface as tench nose through the silt.

Tench Worm Kebab — Naturals mixed with Krill & Squid Groundbait

Tackle Setup

You don't need complicated gear for tench fishing. A well-balanced float setup is hard to beat:

Rod: A 12ft float rod with a 1.5lb test curve — sensitive enough to spot shy bites but with enough backbone to bully fish away from weed
Reel: A centrepin or small fixed-spool loaded with 6lb mainline

04 Korum Axis Reel — Tackle up some fresh spools

Float: A waggler or lift-method float, set to fish just off the bottom
Feeders: Get a selection of flatbed feeders, maggot feeders and open ended feeders.
Hooklinks and hooks: Get some fluorocarbon hooklinks in a range of breaking strains (6 - 8lb). Hooks get size 14 for maggot fishing, size 10 or 12 for pellets.

Tench FlatBed Thumb — Switch to Flatbed Feeders as it gets warm

Bait and Feeding

Tench are not fussy eaters, but presenting the right bait at the right time makes a huge difference. Here are the classics:

Sweetcorn: Visible, smelly, and irresistible. Two grains on a size 12 hook is a deadly combination
Maggots: A handful of red maggots on a size 14 hook works brilliantly, especially when loose-fed little and often
Pellet & Wafters: Small 2mm pellets in the feed are a game changer. Also Pellet-Os to use on the hook. Bandum Wafters a most too.
Worm: Mixed into groundbait and fed via a feeder or cupping, worm is arguably the ultimate spring tench attractor.

17 Sonu Tench — On the feeder- 2mm pellets mixed with Krill & Squid

07 Sonu Tench — Classic Bandum Wafters in 8mm

Timing Your Sessions

The first two hours of daylight are golden. Tench feed most actively at dawn — arrive before sunrise, set up quietly, and be ready to cast as the first light hits the water. Bites often come in flurries, with quiet spells in between. Late evening sessions can also be productive, particularly on warm, overcast days.

Tench 1 Apr2025 — Not really into the warm weather but starting to catch tench

Final Tips

Fish on the bottom or just above it
Use a light scattering of bait rather than a heavy bed — you want to attract, not overfeed
Stay quiet and still at the waterside — tench are easily spooked in shallow water
Keep a landing mat ready for unhooking

Tench Brace1 Thumb — When things are going well

Spring tench fishing is one of the most rewarding disciplines in coarse angling. There's nothing quite like watching your float lift and slide away in the early morning mist. Tight lines!

How to Prepare for Tench Fishing in the Spring