Barometers and Fishing
I started a fishing log about 5 years ago. This log basically was all about the weather conditions, cloud cover, and water temperature. It didn't take long to notice an extremely obvious pattern. And that pattern was that all my great days were during a low barometer with very low sunlight. Now remember I am a smallmouth bass fanatic first, they are my primary target on most days. I will chase largemouth bass when I think the topwater bite will be on, and I will take a pike anytime one is in the mood to bite. So I plan most of my trips around the smallmouth. Time and time again, the great days of fishing when they were just hammering were always preceding a nasty storm front. This was also when the barometer had just fallen quite a bit below 30. Now when I say I hammer them on a low pressure, that doesn't mean I automatically catch them on a low pressure. You still have to understand fish movement, and know where they are and what they want. With my lack of boat fishing experience, I seem to struggle badly when the bite is tough. Its something I am working on. I try to avoid all high pressure days altogether when the pressure is above 30. So the last few years I pretty much watch the barometer forecast on weatherunderground (www.wunderground.com) and only fish when the pressure is below 30. This seems to have worked pretty well for me. With my work schedule I have a lot of days off to pick and choose prime weather patterns to fish. I guess pro anglers and guides and weekend anglers dont have this luxury all the time. They just go when they can. Now on a high pressure, fish CAN definately be caught. It isnt easy, you have to be on them, and USUALLY you have to finesse the crap out of them or hit them with reaction baits to irritate them. No matter what weather conditions, someone is ALWAYS on them. There is never a Bassmaster tournament that SOMEONE does not crush them. I have caught a few here and there in high pressure days but its usually a bite every few hours and very tough. I like easy fishing I guess.
As far as ice fishing, the barometer seems to be about 10x more important to me. On low pressure days there are times I catch 100-300 panfish, I mark them like crazy, and they RACE to my jig so the others can't get it. I have gone back on a high pressure day and mark several and watch them SCATTER and spook out immediately when my jig falls to them. Its crazy. We had a magic day once tip-up fishing for pike where we had 6 guys & 18 tip ups out on a New Years Day morning on a very low pressure. From 6 am to 9am, we landed 60+ pike on NINETY THREE flags!! Doesn't sound possible, but ask the 5 others that were there. The next year we came back on the high pressure day, never MARKED a fish all day, never had a bite, never even saw one on the Aqua Vu camera. I have seen this over and over in the last 10 years of fishing.
So in summary, I suggest choosing your fishing days when the barometer is below 30. Start out aggressive and expect them to bite. If they aren't hammering, slow down and change your locations based on seasonal patterns. Go deeper in summer especially in clear water. If you continue to struggle switch to finesse tactics like tube baits, finesse worms, drop shots, and some natural looking crankbaits that smash into logs, stumps, and rocks. If its a high pressure, try out some spinner baits and top waters at first, and if they don't work, slow down immediately and go finesse. High pressures seem to drive them deep and very tight to cover. Hit the boulders, grass mats, and wood cover and skip the big flats and fast baits if you are struggling. Any questions email me. But I am not your guy when it comes to tough fishing. Those experienced guys that dominate the tough club tournaments are the ones to talk to about that stuff.
Try keeping a fishing log and track the barometer as well. You will notice instantly the difference it makes to have a low barometer reading. Fish before the storms and catch some giants!!
Jesse
I started a fishing log about 5 years ago. This log basically was all about the weather conditions, cloud cover, and water temperature. It didn't take long to notice an extremely obvious pattern. And that pattern was that all my great days were during a low barometer with very low sunlight. Now remember I am a smallmouth bass fanatic first, they are my primary target on most days. I will chase largemouth bass when I think the topwater bite will be on, and I will take a pike anytime one is in the mood to bite. So I plan most of my trips around the smallmouth. Time and time again, the great days of fishing when they were just hammering were always preceding a nasty storm front. This was also when the barometer had just fallen quite a bit below 30. Now when I say I hammer them on a low pressure, that doesn't mean I automatically catch them on a low pressure. You still have to understand fish movement, and know where they are and what they want. With my lack of boat fishing experience, I seem to struggle badly when the bite is tough. Its something I am working on. I try to avoid all high pressure days altogether when the pressure is above 30. So the last few years I pretty much watch the barometer forecast on weatherunderground (www.wunderground.com) and only fish when the pressure is below 30. This seems to have worked pretty well for me. With my work schedule I have a lot of days off to pick and choose prime weather patterns to fish. I guess pro anglers and guides and weekend anglers dont have this luxury all the time. They just go when they can. Now on a high pressure, fish CAN definately be caught. It isnt easy, you have to be on them, and USUALLY you have to finesse the crap out of them or hit them with reaction baits to irritate them. No matter what weather conditions, someone is ALWAYS on them. There is never a Bassmaster tournament that SOMEONE does not crush them. I have caught a few here and there in high pressure days but its usually a bite every few hours and very tough. I like easy fishing I guess.
As far as ice fishing, the barometer seems to be about 10x more important to me. On low pressure days there are times I catch 100-300 panfish, I mark them like crazy, and they RACE to my jig so the others can't get it. I have gone back on a high pressure day and mark several and watch them SCATTER and spook out immediately when my jig falls to them. Its crazy. We had a magic day once tip-up fishing for pike where we had 6 guys & 18 tip ups out on a New Years Day morning on a very low pressure. From 6 am to 9am, we landed 60+ pike on NINETY THREE flags!! Doesn't sound possible, but ask the 5 others that were there. The next year we came back on the high pressure day, never MARKED a fish all day, never had a bite, never even saw one on the Aqua Vu camera. I have seen this over and over in the last 10 years of fishing.
So in summary, I suggest choosing your fishing days when the barometer is below 30. Start out aggressive and expect them to bite. If they aren't hammering, slow down and change your locations based on seasonal patterns. Go deeper in summer especially in clear water. If you continue to struggle switch to finesse tactics like tube baits, finesse worms, drop shots, and some natural looking crankbaits that smash into logs, stumps, and rocks. If its a high pressure, try out some spinner baits and top waters at first, and if they don't work, slow down immediately and go finesse. High pressures seem to drive them deep and very tight to cover. Hit the boulders, grass mats, and wood cover and skip the big flats and fast baits if you are struggling. Any questions email me. But I am not your guy when it comes to tough fishing. Those experienced guys that dominate the tough club tournaments are the ones to talk to about that stuff.
Try keeping a fishing log and track the barometer as well. You will notice instantly the difference it makes to have a low barometer reading. Fish before the storms and catch some giants!!
Jesse
