The weather can affect fishing in a number of ways. Key elements that influence the way we fish are water temperature, rain, wind, and barometric pressure.
Water temperature
Most fish species are cold-blooded, therefore they can’t regulate their body temperature. This means that they must adjust their metabolisms to the temperature of the water around them. Fish tend to slow down, and generally require less food, in colder waters. In warmer waters, they are considerably more active and need much more food for sustenance.
In order to breathe, fish utilize their gills to extract dissolved oxygen from the water. The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water correlates to the surrounding temperature. Generally, colder waters have more dissolved oxygen, and warmer waters have less. Each fish species has a minimum water temperature under which it won’t feed and a maximum water temperature over which it can’t breathe. Researching the optimum temperature range for the type of fish you are targeting will be most beneficial.
Rain
Rain, pouring into a body of water, changes its temperature. This change can happen quickly, especially in a small one. Also, rainfall changes the turbidity (clarity) of the water, as well as the salinity of saltwater. Last, but not least, rain can wash large amounts of nutrients into the water. When these various changes occur at the same time, they can significantly impact fish behavior.
Wind
In North America, winds typically blow in a northeasterly direction. This happens due to the Earth’s rotation and the jet stream. During the summer, the jet stream shifts to the north, pulling warm low-pressure air from the southwest with it. This is the reason for warm summer winds. During fall and winter, the jet stream shifts to the south, bringing cold fronts and high-pressure air masses from the north, along with cold North winds.
Winds can impact inhabitants of bodies of water in a number of ways. The most evident is by making waves. As the wind blows along the surface of the water, it creates friction. As wind speed increases, friction increases, and so do the waves. Waves can increase the turbidity of the water, pulling currents and nutrients along with them. Winds also cause changes in barometric pressure.
Barometric Pressure
Sudden weather changes produce rapid shifts in barometric pressure and quite often trigger a feeding frenzy.
Why does barometric pressure affect fish?
To survive in water, fish have evolved through a series of physical adaptations. Two of these adaptations are essential: the lateral line and the swim bladder.
The lateral line is an organ fish use to sense the presence of predators or food and for navigation. It senses minute vibrations in the water and is therefore very sensitive to pressure changes.
The swim bladder is an organ similar to the stomach, which can inflate with air and allows the fish to remain buoyant. Changes in atmospheric pressure change the pressure in a fish’s swim bladder. You might say it is a natural barometer.
Fishing before and after a storm
As a storm approaches, warm, low-pressure air amasses above cold, high-pressure air. When the two air masses collide, condensation occurs in the form of clouds. During this time, the barometric pressure slowly drops and continues to drop until the very end of the storm.
Depending on the magnitude of the storm, this can take place quickly, or over an extended period of time. For anglers, the latter is a much better scenario, since it allows you more time to fish while the pressure is dropping.
What usually follows the storm is a cold front, bringing winds, and a mass of cold, high-pressure air. The cold front often brings with it clear skies, and more importantly, a rapid rise in barometric pressure, which typically means that fish are no longer biting. Once the air pressure reaches a high point, it finally stabilizes. Fish are mainly inactive after the atmospheric pressure levels out. However, approximately 72 hours later, the fish will start feeding again. There are a plethora of fishing apps that you can use to track barometric pressure changes and to plan your fishing excursions.
Timing is important, remember the following info about air pressure:
Rapid drops in pressure of more than 0.18 inches Hg in 3 hours result in fish biting, a rapid rise in pressure means the fish retreat and are not biting, and a steady pressure after 3 days of pressure not changing by more than 0.3 inches Hg means the fish are once again biting.
Temperature and Turbidity
Turbidity can drastically limit visibility underwater, and correspondingly, change fish behavior. Primarily, fish are visual hunters. When they can’t see, they have to rely on their lateral line to find prey. In this case, fast action lures can work best. The fluttering of these lures will grab the attention of the fish.
However, if you’re fishing in cold waters, the fish might not be as easily attracted. In this situation, you should use brightly colored lures. Reds, yellows, and greens can all produce results. In muddy waters, however, red-colored lures tend to lose their visibility. In this scenario, you should stay with bright yellow and green lures.
Also, in colder waters, your presentation should be slower, and the opposite is true in warmer waters.
If the water is choppy, the fish have most likely retreated to deeper waters.
So, instead of complaining about the weather use the weather to your advantage to catch more fish.
