I have a saying that if the weather is good for the fishermen, then it is probably not the best for the fish. In return, if the weather is great for the fish, it probably is not the most comfortable for the fisherman.
Sometimes when the weather is at its worst, the fishing bite can be the best. Let’s explore what causes these contradictions and how do we use weather to our benefit to catch more fish.
Good Weather for Anglers
It’s 80 degrees outside, no wind and perfectly clear skies. You grab your lucky fishing shirt and your sunglasses and load up your truck with your fishing gear. This sounds like a perfect summer day to hit the water and catch some fish. But there are some drawbacks to this seemingly perfect weather.
No wind means that your boat or kayak will not be drifting all over the place and that you won’t have to cast into the wind. No wind will also mean that there is completely still water on the surface. This weather will effect the baitfish and food sources first but also the lack of noise or disturbances on the surface without the wind can cause fish to be much more alert to sound or vibrations that will spook them.
Adjust to the Conditions
One important fact I learned many years ago was that if a fish has anything to make it feed differently, then it will make them act differently too. This means that normal fishing tactics will not be as effective and fishing becomes much tougher. Have you ever noticed that some of the most successful days on the water involved some wind, possibly some rain and at the least, cloud cover. Having no clouds gives the fish direct sunlight the entire day. This changes how they can see your bait in the water and also the water temps on the surface rise quicker.
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Lastly, the warmer air temps that seemed so great for the angler now cause the fish to move to deeper waters where it is not as affected by the hot sun beating on the surface all day. Deeper fish, more skiddish to baits and movement and not having baitfish in motion as much could end up having those stubborn bass be deep, still and cautious of everything. Those factors all add up to a tough day on the water but a great day to enjoy the outdoors.
My best advice in these conditions is to look for overhanging structures. Find the larger docks, overhanging trees and any solid structure under the surface to target. These areas will provide cooler water and ambush points for the bass to position themselves in. When weather gets good, the fisherman must get better.
Make the Most of Bad Weather
The grey skies and upcoming rainstorm looming overhead is not the nostalgic encouraging weather to go fishing. The wind is a little colder and the whole feel is gloomy. Before you head back inside and decide not to hit the water, let me share what excites me about this weather.
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The incoming rainstorm is bringing a change in pressure. The approaching rain will also provide some elevated oxygen levels that boost metabolism, reduced light makes fish feel safer feeding in shallow water, rainfall delivers abundant food sources, and stable low barometric pressure during rain maintains feeding behavior rather than slowing it down or causing a change in behavior. The slight wind will also be moving food sources around and mask the angler’s presence with water surface disturbances. All together making this situation a great day to be on the water.
Obviously you want to be weary of storms or dangerous conditions, but a light rainstorm or even a drizzle will turn the fishing on and make for a very fun day.
When the weather is a little less comfortable, be sure to give fishing a chance and get ready for an active day on the water.
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