How, When, & Where Tench feed

[Tyke]

Tench are bottom feeders, specifically, they feed by rooting in the mud on the bottom. They can and do, regularly, dig down several inches in pursuit of something to eat. However, it would be a mistake to assume that tench only live on the bottom. They can, certainly, be found in mid water but catching these fish can be problematical as they usually do not feed at this level.To coin a phrase used by the carping fraternity, these fish are 'cruising' and are not really in feeding mode. They do feed, however, on the underside of water plants on the surface, taking snails, larvae etc. How you can tempt these fish is another matter.Surface margin fishing can also produce tench, as many carp anglers can testify. The problems to solve are: When & How?
I would suggest that weather and by corollary temperature are two of the major factors in catching tench. Temperature is, particularly, critical, because being cold blooded, the tench takes it's body temperature from it's surroundings and as it's body temperature drops so does it's desire and need to feed. As a general guide line, tench tend to feed in the temperature range of 15 - 22C in still water. However, in rivers this alters, slightly, and my experience of fifty years suggests that in flowing water the tench will feed between 7 -22C.This is because in rivers the tench is having to work much harder and needs the food to replace lost energy. These figures are a guide line and should not be viewed as being carved in tablets of stone. In moving water, tench may feed at lower temperature than suggested, especially after a spate, in order to replace lost energy, caused by fighting against the increased flow. Therefore, in running water, just after a flood may well prove a profitable time to fish for tench. Similarly, any increase in temperature, however slight, may be sufficient to induce tench to feed. With river tench, fishing near a Power station outflow can find feeding tench, even in the depths of winter. This is because the river has been warmed by the water from the cooling towers.
Like many fish and, indeed, any animal, tench tend to feed vigorously, before the onset of bad weather. This implies that as the air pressure is falling with the approach of a Depression, it may well induce tench to feed. The period just before a thunderstorm is , also, very productive. ( see Catching Big tench, by Rickards & Webb).
The amount of oxygen in the water does not seem to have much effect on depressing the tench's appetite, unlike many fish. If this were not the case, they would not be able to survive in some of the stagnant pools that they occupy.
Tench do not like bright sunshine. This means that tench should be targeted in parts of the pond or lake that is not being subjected to the glare of the sun. In a morning this means fishing the east side of the water, deep water at mid-day, and the west side in an evening.Sunshine and it's effects, does not appear to be quite so critical on flowing water.
Where are we most likely to find feeding tench, or more probably tench that we can induce to feed? The vast majority of tench are caught by fishing a bait hard on the bottom. Yes! But, where on the bottom? To reiterate, a shaded area seems to take preference, so that is the starting point. Under- neath weed, in rushes, or under bushes growing in the water are good starting points. Tench can be caught on the bottom in as little as two feet of water, providing the shade and shelter is present. Fishing the shelf, where the sloping bank meets the bed of the pond is another productive area, even if this means fishing virtually under your rod tip. Hence, always plumb the depth before fishing. Features such as ridges, hollows, and islands are all worth fishing, as are the routes between these features.
Wind ruffles the surface and causes tench to seek the deepest areas. This is especially so when coupled with a drop in temperature. The effect of wind on large areas of water should not be overlooked. It is not necessary to understand the science involved in the movement of water by wind, providing we accept that on large areas of water the warmest water and hence the area most likely to harbour feeding fish is at the end of the lake furthest from the direction of the wind. In simple terms fish facing in to wind and tolerate the discomfort safe in the knowledge that the fish should be feeding in front of you, on the bottom. This is especially so as the water approaches freezing point. When the water reaches 2C or lower there is likely to be little feeding, anyway. They will be hell - bent on survival, instead!
What do tench feed on? Without a doubt, bloodworm feature high on the list, followed by muscles, small crustacean, larvae,worms, and occasionally very small fish! All fish tend to see Red & Green better than any other colour. Yellow is also a colour that fish see quite well. This has implications for any bait we use and, perhaps, explains why some baits such as bloodworm pellets, worms, and sweetcorn are very successful baits for tench. The important element in using them is that the tench accept them as naturally presented. Thus, the old fashioned 'laying - on ' rig still tends to catch a lot of tench. Bearing in mind that tench feed in mud, unless fishing over gravel, the use of a lift rig can be counter-productive, because it sinks in to the mud out of sight.
Finally, are bubbling tench feeding tench? There has been much discussion as to the causes of tench bubbles, but the best evidence available seems to point to the bubbles being caused by air released from the swim bladder being released through the gills. In themselves, the bubbles do not appear, on this basis to indicate a feeding tench, but they do indicate the presence of a tench that can be persuaded to feed.
I hope that these comments provide food for thought, they are only a starting point. If they help only one young angler catch more tench, then the article has served it's purpose.

[Ardon]

Summary:

Resilient Tench can also spend more time outta water or grubbing about on the bottom of a pond than other species as they are good at living in low oxygen waters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't ask me why but they have always been my favourite fish!!!