Barometirc Pressure? Fishing? WHAT!

[scottyswing]

So, a friend and I have been trying to research how barometric pressure effects bass fishing. Seems everyone has their own opinion and none of it is scientifically backed up. We looked for scientific journals to see if any real research has been done in the area and have very little.

 

Some say rising and moderately high pressure seems to be the best, where as others think degrading pressure right before a storm insights a feeding frenzy.

 

Where do you stand on the subject? Any research you can find or personal experiences? And no, answering dawn or dusk won't satisfy the question

Edited August 25, 2011 by scottyswing

[mercman]

Good thread.I always heard that high pressure makes fish feel uncomfortable, and may force them into shallower water. Winds are usually associated with high pressure systems also, so for walleye at least, a bit of chop on the water is a good thing.

 

 

 

 

[ccmtcanada]

I kept a log that was updated with frequency for big walleye that I catch in the fall. It was found that low pressure was best...or low trending pressure, but other factors were important too. Water conditions, wind direction etc...

[craigdritchie]

There was an article about this in Field & Stream back in the early 80s. Some researchers in Texas kept a bunch of bass in a huge tank, and observed how changing barometric pressure affected their feeding behaviour.

 

In a nutshell, the researchers found that barometric pressure didn't have any affect at all - their fish fed the same way regardless of whether the pressure was up or down. But what they did notice was that barometric pressure had a major impact on how close the fish sat to cover. Rapid changes in pressure (either up or down) drew the fish way out of the cover, where they would theoretically be more likely to see a lure and therefore be easier to catch.

 

This totally agrees with Sinclair's observation, and with my own personal experiences as well.

[mike rousseau]

"i think"

 

that barometric pressure does effect fish behavior... just like moon phases...

 

 

however

 

local weather and time off day can trump these factors...

 

its nice to pay attention to these factors... but i have had amazing days on the water when the moon phase and pressure systems should have shut down the fishing...

[daryl0815]

I think people just need excuses as to why they didn't catch anything!

 

I know I do!!!!

 

 

 

 

[singingdog]

If I can head out as a storm or big weather change is approaching, I will do everything I can to get out there. I have had some epic fishing moments on the leading edge of approaching storm, but it doesn't usually last for long.

[TennesseeGuy]

Changes in barometric pressure causes weather change. Weather change often triggers a bite. Keep a couple of extra fish for the couple of days after the front moves through.

[Roy]

What Connie said. Connie and Thorpe are two people who know of what they speak when it comes to barometric pressure and lunar phases.

[irishfield]

Absolutely dead day and then Andy and I hooked both our Muskie's (a week back) within 20 minutes of each other during the moon major.. then dead again. It's all a confidence game.. but you have to use the resources available to you.

[danc]

It depends on the species. At least that has been my findings over the decades. I find that walleye are most affected by barometric pressure changes. Trout, not so much. Solunar tables I find are extremely valuable for Trout fishing. I don't fish Walleye enough to have an opinion on them. Probably because I fish for Trout almost exclusively. On my last trip out I was lucky enough to be on the water on the day of a new moon, which was one of the best days to be fishing according to my GPS. I made sure that I was on the water for the two hour time period that my GPS said was the best time for the day. Of the 8 Brook Trout that I caught that 3 day outing, 6 of them were caught in that 2 hour period. And the ones that I caught were puking up minnows and smelts boatside. Lots of them. In other words they were gorging themselves in that small time frame. Conditions otherwise (water temps, barometric pressure) were not good at all on this day. I'm a very firm believer of solunar tables for my species of choice. It's proven itself many times over for me even as far back as the mid 70's when I'd miss high school when the tables told me to do so. The bite times would change roughly an hour or two later each day and I'd follow the bite. And it worked back then, and it's still working now. I remember reading an In Fisherman article that stated that something like 80% of world record fish were caught within a day or 2 of a new or full moon. HELLOOOO???? That says a lot right there. You can't always plan your fishing around the weather, but you can plan it around where the moon happens to be on any given date, even if that date is 10 years away. I've got one more outing planned for this year. Where the moon happens to hang in the sky was the #1 reason why I planned this trip. September 12 2011, 7:28 am to 8:19 am. I 'll be out there. Can't wait.

[TennesseeGuy]

September 12, full moon. Moon phase calendar is beside my computer.

 

Dan, no wonder I couldn't recruit you as a basketball player out of high school. You were wading streams rather than playing hoops.

 

I'm looking hard at the September 24, 2011 week. Should be a great one up your way.

 

Got my 2012 calendar this week. Lots of good (full) weeks in 2012. New moons and full moons are mid week. Three great days, two good days and maybe two days to eat Whopper's pasta sauce or yesterday's fish.

[Jigger]

Totally agree with DanC. I feel that a new moon period is a can't miss opportunity. Especially the two days prior to, and after the full moon. The bite around the August14th new moon was really good as the moonrise and set times coincided with sunrise and sunset. Big fish days! The approaching weather changes also affect the bite but whether or not barometric pressure specifically has anything to do with it, is always going to be an interesting conversation. Whether or not it has more to do with fish simply being pulled off structure and more susceptible to lures makes alot of sense. Once the weather moves in it can be anyones guess what the fish are doing. I've had days where it seems like you could drain the lake and not see a fish and days where weather has moved in and the fishing is off the charts! Often, immediately following a big storm fish can be hot as well.

[danc]

September 12, full moon. Moon phase calendar is beside my computer.

 

 

 

I'm looking hard at the September 24, 2011 week. Should be a great one up your way.

 

Got my 2012 calendar this week. Lots of good (full) weeks in 2012. New moons and full moons are mid week. Three great days, two good days and maybe two days to eat Whopper's pasta sauce or yesterday's fish.

 

Looks like we're on the same page Connie. As valuable as this information is, I'm surprised that it isn't dicussed much on here. Maybe we should just keep this moon nonsense our little secret?

 

I haven't sampled Whoppers pasta sauce yet but from the way you describe it, perhaps that's another secret to keep. With any luck I'll drag Whopper a little east of Red Lake for a weekend and spend some time with him.

 

Finally, guess where I'm heading in a few weeks for work? Yup. Red Lake. It's busy there as you can imagine. I turned down a job from another contracter today for a Red Lake job. Times are good. Pick and choose my jobs.

[TennesseeGuy]

Dan, will you be in Red Lake the September 24 week?

 

You could take a ride on Pine Ridge Road, walk about a mile or so, and I could pick you up for a little fishing. All I need is enough water to make it back up the rapids to the lake. I'm pretty good at finding little walleyes for a shore lunch.

 

Low water could give us problems with the rapids.

[danc]

Dan, will you be in Red Lake the September 24 week?

 

You could take a ride on Pine Ridge Road, walk about a mile or so, and I could pick you up for a little fishing. All I need is enough water to make it back up the rapids to the lake. I'm pretty good at finding little walleyes for a shore lunch.

 

Low water could give us problems with the rapids.

 

Don't know for sure yet Connie. I'll let you know. The only place that I know for sure where I'll be in the next few months is Kansas City, October 9th for the race. I'll be in touch Bud..

[limeyangler]

i think someone else already said this...but... i've had incredible days fishing despite conventional wisdom about optimal fishing conditions suggesting fishing should have been crap to awful and the opposite where optimal conditions = abysmal results.

 

I have had spookily accurate solunar predictions on numerous occasions, and do think there is something to it....however....on some lakes i fish the walleye bite is an evening bite almost exclusively...so when a solunar table says the 'the hot bite' is from 12pm to 2pm...lol...i dont pay it much attention.

[mike rousseau]

Not sure what the "pressure" was last night but according to moon phase... Yesterday should have sucked for fishing...

 

I boated 19 walleye and a big smallie in 5 hours...

 

So these moon and pressure patterns arnt written in stone.... But if I'm planning a trip... I follow moon phase... Cause really... What else can you time a fishing trip with...

[Gregoire]

I don't pay much attention the these issues as I can't just choose when I can get on the water. If I had the freedom to choose when I went out I would definitely pay more attention to this.

[Roy]

It doesn't have everything to do with which is a good or bad day. Get yourself a book or two by John Alden Knight. It's an interesting science how it all works together...Lunar phases, solar influence, weather, barometric pressure etc..

Mike, fishing was supposed tom "suck" yesterday. Take a look at the tables and look up yesterday's 2 major and 2 minor lunar activities.

[mike rousseau]

[scottyswing]

 

Just downloaded this app. Tmrw looks awesome!

[Oryx]

Just downloaded this app. Tmrw looks awesome!

 

 

Whats the App?

[TennesseeGuy]

Not sure what the "pressure" was last night but according to moon phase... Yesterday should have sucked for fishing...

 

I boated 19 walleye and a big smallie in 5 hours...

 

So these moon and pressure patterns arnt written in stone.... But if I'm planning a trip... I follow moon phase... Cause really... What else can you time a fishing trip with...

 

According to Rick Taylor's Prime Times Calendar, yesterday was a pretty strong day. Rick gave August 25 moon strength a 62, which is slightly below the full moon rating of 65 for August 13. Rick listed 8:49 pm - 12:11 am as a strong period of activity.

 

limeyangler, suggested periods of high activity don't indicate a shallow or deep bite, just that conditions are favorable for strong activity. It's up to you and me to find the fish and set their dinner table.

 

Note that days with strong moon phases have longer periods of major & minor activity periods. Weak moons show much shorter periods of activity. Marc Thorpe is a master at being where the fish are, just in time for the strong periods of activity. His job is more difficult during weak moon phases. But, he has to produce in order to be successful in his guiding operation. Marc fine tunes his ventures much more than the rest of us. When Marc talks, I listen.

 

I was fishing with 2 friends on LOTW August 8. We left the island at 6:15 a.m. and got into a really good walleye bite between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. It wasn't easy, but we were rewarded with lots of nice walleyes, several over 23". Rick gave the day a 31 rating (really low), but listed 8:18 a.m. - 9:14 a.m. as a minor period of activity. It worked for us. Of course we were fishing where the fish swam.

[mike rousseau]

Whats the App?

 

Fish calendar...

 

It's like 4-5 bucks but it's usually bang on for feeding windows...