Barometric pressure and fishing?

[bacon238]

Beercap and I were chatting today, and the topic of barometric pressure and the "bite" came up. The question is how much does barometric pressure really effect fishing? It was pretty slow today...

[stripernut]

I have given this a great deal of thought, I believe it is more about cloud cover and light levels than the Barometric pressure. A fish only has to move a few inches up or down in the water column to "offset" any change in the air pressure... We all have experienced the difference light levels can make in fish behaviour.
I am still trying to find a situation where there is a drop in the Barometric pressure and no change in light level to give it a real test. Until we can give it a real test, no one can be sure...

[FISHN NIK]

I'm quite sure that a drop in pressure shuts the fishing down,had the worst day Sunday at Simcoe and we weren't the only ones.There were fish present (perch) but were widely scattered,most that were near hole definitly had lockjaw.A friend of my fishing partners also had a poor day on Honeyoe and he knows the lake well.


              FN

[stripernut]

But, I can point out countless times when a drop in pressure turned on the bite (that is when the clouds would roll in)...

[bacon238]

So in doing some more research... There's at lot of theory out there that a falling barometer is the time to fish. I guess that remains to be seen...

[bigredonice]

Really depends on the fish, these are some observations I've made over the years on ice fishing and baro pressure.

fish like lake trout, walleyes, yellow perch tend to bite better during rising or high pressure

fish like crappies, northern pike, bluegills tend to bite better during dropping or low pressure

Not a hard/fast rule though, had great high and low pressure days for each also

[NatefishNY]

I've noticed that walleye and pike fishing seems to better by a low pressure overcast day but laker fishing I've had the most success on sunny high pressure days... I don't know if there is any correlation but thats just been my experience

[Captain1978]

Last year i really paid attention to the pressure. Fishing a small lake but mostly the river. Rising pressure was usually better. But cloudy sunny rainy windy rising or falling pressure... Good and bad days. I think there is a science to a point and sometimes science goes out with the garbage. I go fishing when I can.

[trapper2000]

naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  fish live under the water ,weather plays no role in how they bite

[beachwoods 16]

You Are 100% right Captain 1978. The best time to fish is whenever you can. 

[bucketbass]

I bite when I'm hungry....sun up or down ...but if there is only one chocolate chip cookie left and  I see the old lady heading to it I will grab it just to prove where I am on the food chain

[deadsmelthead]

Ive caught fish in all sorts of weather,IMO its really how long the current weather pattern is, when you have 2 3 maybe 4 days in a row of the same wind patterns etc etc etc, high or low , the fish adjust/move after a day or 2 ..

[trapper2000]

we  always  say  if  the  BP  is  over 30  and  it's  sunny  out  don't travel  north  (lake  of the  isles)  and  it  held true  we  never did well  there  under those  conditions

[stripernut]

we  always  say  if  the  BP  is  over 30  and  it's  sunny  out  don't travel  north  (lake  of the  isles)  and  it  held true  we  never did well  there  under those  conditions

I wish there was a way to see if it was the "Sunny" part of the equation or the BP... I have also fished days with a high BP, sunny and not doing well. Then as the sun casted a shadow (like a big sundial) across the ice from some tall White Pines, I would get a flag as as the shadow passed over the tip-up... Not conclusive, but it does make one think...

[jiggly wiggly]

I wish there was a way to see if it was the "Sunny" part of the equation or the BP... I have also fished days with a high BP, sunny and not doing well. Then as the sun casted a shadow (like a big sundial) across the ice from some tall White Pines, I would get a flag as as the shadow passed over the tip-up... Not conclusive, but it does make one think...

whats funny is that ive also seen it too where its partly cloudy, and when the sun pops out for those 10-15 min the bite happens, then dies when it goes back behind clouds. be a good paper for a college student.

[bacon238]

Agreed... Can we get some federal grant money and a couple cute co-eds to do some research?

[trapper2000]

another thing and  this  is  proven the  way a  human mind  works we are  always looking  for patterns  so  we  if  given a number  you  will  remember that number  coming up  but  not how  many times  it  didn't ,  this  pattern  seeking is  instilled  in our  brain   nurses and  cops  swear things  are  crazy  during a  full moon  yet  statistics   prove   no more  crime  of  accidents  on full moon  nights  then any other  night ....i  do  believe  BP  can at times  and  does  effect wild life   but other  times  i  don't ......maybe  that' the  mystery of  fishing and  hunting

[beercap]

If you guys really believe that pressure has an effect on fish then it must really be a lake thing. I can say with certainty that there is not a single day in the year where trout stop feeding due to weather. They definitely adjust what they feed on and where they feed, whether it be in riffles or pools, but never shut down really.

Changes in weather make one style of fishing less effective(like dry fly fishing) but then also make another style equally more effective (like switching to streamer fishing).

I have practically no experience fishing lakes methodically, so I cannot comment on that.

[trapper2000]

weather   again  does  come  into play  cold fronts   rain  run off  light  and  the  list  goes  on and  one  ....  fish  do  as  we all know  fed at times  and   stop  feeding at others  ....as  fisherman  we  try to understand  what triggers  this behavor

[Jig on This]

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing-Barometer/
You could buy this gauge or just save a picture to your phone and check a weather page for the current reading. I believe this is pretty accurate for the bite.

[Arctic Addict]

This is a topic of great interest and I think that correlation does not equal causation.  I question, especially under the ice, if barometric pressure by it's self means anything.  Here's why, the first 33' from surface down, has one atmosphere of pressure.  From 33' to 66' has two atmospheres of pressure.  Imagine a ball with one cubic foot of air submerged just under the surface.  At 35' below the surface, the ball would be compressed to half it's size.  Fish are able to survive traveling throughout the water column because they are comprised of mostly water, tissue and bone.  These are not affected by pressure.  Seemingly small changes in barometric pressure are minute compared to the pressure change a fish undergoes when swimming from 40' into 20'.  I believe light penetration and water temp have more do do with the bite than barometric pressure.  Just my 2 cents.

[foulhooked]

This is a topic of great interest and I think that correlation does not equal causation.  I question, especially under the ice, if barometric pressure by it's self means anything.  Here's why, the first 33' from surface down, has one atmosphere of pressure.  From 33' to 66' has two atmospheres of pressure.  Imagine a ball with one cubic foot of air submerged just under the surface.  At 35' below the surface, the ball would be compressed to half it's size.  Fish are able to survive traveling throughout the water column because they are comprised of mostly water, tissue and bone.  These are not affected by pressure.  Seemingly small changes in barometric pressure are minute compared to the pressure change a fish undergoes when swimming from 40' into 20'.  I believe light penetration and water temp have more do do with the bite than barometric pressure.  Just my 2 cents.

yes and no. fish are incredibly sensitive to pressure, through both lateral lines and swim bladders, and maybe other ways as well. you're right that the changes in atmospheric pressure are overall small compared to any significant depth of water, but a typical system/front might change the pressure equal to up to 2-3 feet of water in a few hours. there are any number of ways this might affect fish behavior, including how it might affect their forage. but unless anyone knows of concrete studies that have been published, i think we're all really just guessing here and going off of experience...and perceived patterns, as was mentioned earlier.

[Arctic Addict]

True on the speculation.  I just believe that oxygen levels, light penetration and temp is a larger factor.  These two factors typically are where the bait fish are.  In soft water, often we look to the thermocline to troll for trout.  This area holds fish because it is a comfortable temp with plenty of oxygen and bait fish.  With ice fishing it is very similar.  If you find the food source you will mark fish.  This is just my experience, others may have different experiences.

[Rather-B-Fishin]

Ive caught fish in all sorts of weather,IMO its really how long the current weather pattern is, when you have 2 3 maybe 4 days in a row of the same wind patterns etc etc etc, high or low , the fish adjust/move after a day or 2 ..

from the reading i have done and with my experience the drop of BP produces the best while ice fishing. I hope I get this right: the theory is as the pressure lowers, feeding frenzy because the swim bladders start to increase in size and fish want to gorge. prolonged periods of high or low are then met with a good bight when the pressure changes in the opposite direction. same as what deadsmelt said.
I spent the better part of last winter observing the weather-underground BP chart and my success fishing just to see if there was a correlation.
2 most distinct days:
1. Small trout lake- fished from dawn to 11 am , with electronics and jigging only. Landed 3 rainbows and had 3 other hooks ups with in that time period, fish were very aggressive on  an otherwise highly pressured body of water where they are usually shy..weather pattern storm front moving in and bp was crashing...left at 11 because the snow kicked up and the bp flat lined , fishing slowed
2. lake george- fished dawn til 1, with electronics in 110 fow, active morning with lakers aggressively chasing and taking baits. high pressure moved in, lake started freaking cracking and making all sorts of crazy freaking noises....fishing stopped
just food for thought, I am sure there are plenty of stories to the contrary....best advice we all agree on...fish when can!

[Bambino0657]

When the lake is covered with 2 feet of snow it's night all of the time. My favorite gill lake has it's best bite in a snow storm but not lake effect. It's got to be the low pressure.

[RIVERRAT2]

barometric pressure DOES effect fishing and so does a lot of other things,like
water temperature,light,water clarity,solunar effects,fishing presure,boats,water
levels,P.H. LEVELS,tides,wind,noise,and may be more
with 30in being "normal" it has hit 32in and 25.7in both are the far ends
stormy[low] not so good for fishing
clear[high] it slows down
clearing[rising] a little more active
fair[normal] normal fishing
droping[falling] best fishing
now this just a general rule but it may help
the fish type also fits into this
 
RAT   

[mono_mono]

Anyone who owns a fishing pole should agree that sunny days suck.......

[bigredonice]

Anyone who owns a fishing pole should agree that sunny days suck.......

spend a winter jigging lake trout and you will disagree

[mono_mono]

spend a winter jigging lake trout and you will disagree

Funny you say that! I have watched a lot of Youtube vids of guy pulling up Lakers on crystal clear days. I am going Friday and there is Lakers where I will be. But I do not think the sun will be peaking out

[JAGER61]

Ive caught fish in all sorts of weather,IMO its really how long the current weather pattern is, when you have 2 3 maybe 4 days in a row of the same wind patterns etc etc etc, high or low , the fish adjust/move after a day or 2 ..

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