Barometric Pressure - Fact Or Fiction?

[ccmtcanada]

Since blyght and I caught our Walleye back in October.....and the 5 week spell of not even a hit....we started tracking a bunch of things to see if we could predict when conditions would be ideal. Because we fish from shore, we dont have the luxury of heading to deeper waters to fish.

 

Some websites say that when the pressure is high...the fish generally are not feeding and they head to deep waters. As the pressure falls and is normal or slightly below normal, they begin to feed. When the pressure is low, but hasn't bottomed out, they are active and will move to shallower waters. As coincidence has it, the pressure was at the low end for all the Walleye that we have caught....and they were very close to shore.

 

Does anyone else use barometric pressure, or moon phase, wind direction etc.....or is it all just a sham? Please leave me your thoughts....thanks!

Edited November 21, 2006 by ccmtcanada

[lunkerbasshunter]

I voted for wind speed and direction. mainly cause i fish the east end of nipissing and the west wind makes the walleye bite turn on. I also watch the wind speed becasue anything over 25km an hour makes me stay in the back bays and pike and bass fish cause the main lake rocks when wind is west at 25km +++

 

Cheers!

[snag]

I chose all 3.

 

Calm days are easier. Moon and cold fronts make a big difference.

 

But just go if you can!

[setomonkey]

I think this stuff might matter, but I don't get a lot of opportunities to fish so I go when I can, even if it's bluebird skies, no wind, etc.

 

But if I do have a choice, I like cloudy days when the pressure is dropping, i.e., rain or a storm is coming in. Little bit of wind for the chop, but not so much that it's a hassle to move around or limits where you can go.

 

Mike

[jason27fish]

i fisnd wind speed and direction crucial because i like to drift when im fishing its an easy way to sneak up on fish when they are easily spooked

[Fisherman]

When it's any wind between north and east, or high barometer, it's lure shining time.

[kemper]

I dont fish near as much as I want to, so whenever I get the chance im there come hell or high water!

[The Urban Fisherman]

I dont fish near as much as I want to, so whenever I get the chance im there come hell or high water!

 

Took the words right out of my mouth! and I get out twice a week in the summer! haha

 

Good Fishin'

UF

[Greencoachdog]

I've found that the weather is far more important than that danged ol' solunar chart! Normal or slowly falling barometer, a warming trend in the cooler months, and winds from North to South on the West side of the scale... partly to mostly cloudy usually helps too. I'm sure the moon phases add or subtract from it as well. "IF" you can ever catch the right moon phase AND weather at the same time, you'll prolly load the boat. Wrong moon phase and right weather, you're still gonna catch fish. Right moon phase and wrong weather... you can try, but don't expect much. Wrong moon phase and weather... ya better hope it's a nice day for getting a tan!

[Bernie]

What I have found over the years of fishing is that they are usually biting somewhere at any time in any weather. What is important is being in those places at that particular time. What determines where they are is weather. On hot calm sunny days in the middle of the afternoon there are places I can go and have a ball catching fish. But you wont find them there with a stiff west wind and a dropping baro. I have spots to go in those conditions as well. I haven't fished a lot of other lakes in my life but it seems to hold true where I fish. A dropping baro does seem to make them more active though.

[GbayGiant]

Wind is what I pay attention to the most, when night fishing I like the brighter moon, storms coming in have accounted for some of my best days ever like 1-2 hours before a huge thunder storm.

[Bernie]

Just thought I should say to Cliff that this is a well thought out poll. Real good questions.

[trapshooter]

What I have found over the years of fishing is that they are usually biting somewhere at any time in any weather.

 

I agree there Bernie. Different populations of fish do different things at different times on different parts of the lake. While some fish might be on a feeding frenzy another group of fish in a different area or on different structure might be just chillin out.

 

Cliff, I'd be interested to know if you remember the wind direction on the days/nights you experienced your AMAZING walleye fishing.... I'd be willing to guess it was blowing in towards shore, at least to some degree.

 

Wind is the most important factor for me while planning a day of walleye fishing, hands down. Even 'off wind' bites I find usually have some wrap arround effect from the wind/water action on an island or point. Anything that gets the water moving and stirring up the bottom is a good thing, be it current or wind/wave action.

[ccmtcanada]

Just thought I should say to Cliff that this is a well thought out poll. Real good questions.

 

Thanks Bernie...the funny thing is, this thread was started back on Nov 21st...someone must have participated in the poll to bring it back...

 

We kept track of all the conditions of the big Walleye we caught...so we have noticed some definite trends for our area.

 

Cliff

[ccmtcanada]

Cliff, I'd be interested to know if you remember the wind direction on the days/nights you experienced your AMAZING walleye fishing.... I'd be willing to guess it was blowing in towards shore, at least to some degree.

 

We dont need to remember cause we've logged the conditions on those nights...hehe. Pressure is one indicator, but wind also was key. Even though we've caught them with no on-shore wind, we definitely like to see at least a chop on the water...that seems to be key for us as well. Thanks for your reply...very interesting responses from everyone.

[Bernie]

Ha..I didnt even notice the date. That poll was before I joined in here. Interesting someone brought it up.

[Eddyk]

Of coarse these things factor in to the sucess of a fishing trip but personally I dont give it a second thought.I just enjoy being on the water.

[caper]

Whenever I get some free time is when I determine when and where to fish.....

[charlesn]

I chose all three.

 

It doesn't dictate when I fish, but it could impact how I fish.

 

I figure fishing is all about information collection and processing so it's never a disadvantage to have more information. You just choose what to do with the information you have.

 

But one rule above all others in fishing is that to every rule there are exceptions, so fish whenever you can, however you can, because somewhere at sometime a fish is biting.

 

Charles

[mattyk]

i pay attention to the wind, but usually any chance i get to go fishin, I will.

[Northhunter]

I believe all 3 have some influence, but the only obvious correlation I've noticed is with wind direction. I can think of a number of times I've made a mental note of it being a full moon phase or dropping barometric pressure and going out and getting skunked or close to it.

I know for myself an east wind seems to kill the bite 95% of the time. The only exception I noticed was last year when the 'eyes turned on after the spawn with the warm spring. They had the feed bags on and it didn't seem to matter.

 

The absolute best fishing I've ever experienced was in a pike lake with an approaching storm that never hit us, but passed close by. Pretty well every cast resulted in a fish. Even if you missed the first couple strikes, on a long cast you'd hook up on the 3rd or 4th before the bait reached the boat.

Edited March 27, 2007 by Northhunter

[Bernie]

Just a note that an approaching storm signifies a dropping barometer.

[Northhunter]

Or is that a dropping barometer signifies an approaching storm

 

I've gone out when the forecast showed dropping pressure and nada. The latest was the last winter storm to hit the Toronto area. Around the same time one hit the Sudbury / Parry Sound area and I was on the ice when it blew through... never lost a minnow. Conditions were prime, except for an east wind... hmm.

[Bernie]

lol Northhunter. Maybe that was a somewhat dyslexic statement I made. If the wind comes out of the east there are places to go where they are biting. Its just that the prevailing west winds is what we mostly fish. When winds are coming from a direction that is less common we get less of a chance to fish those conditions. Fishing on the same waters you get to find where the bite is on under different circumstances. Thats why my experiences have led me to wind and barometer.

[trapshooter]

If the wind comes out of the east there are places to go where they are biting.

 

 

Bingo. I don't buy for a second the 'wind from the east the fish bite the least' thing. Just find some good East wind spots!! In walleye fishing you have to follow the wind. Some of my fav spots on Lac Seul are only good in an East wind.