Fishing after heavy FALL rain

[BigAngus752]

I'm getting to be a good summer fisherman because I can always find fish when the water is warm and the sun is shining.  Fall is my most difficult season.  

 

By calendar it is "mid-fall" here (leaves are just starting to turn, days are shorter).  The weather took it's first down turn about 3 weeks ago and temps have been reasonably steady.  Water temps have dropped to the low 60's or high 50's.  My only day for fishing for the next couple weeks is going to be the day after about an inch of rain falls.  The barometer isn't making huge changes and the skies are supposed to remain cloudy with steady temps.  

 

I've done the searches and read all the "after the rain" articles and threads but I'm still not completely clear on rain in the fall season.  Normally after heavy rains have muddied and/or raised the water I would pull up really shallow.  Does that still apply after a fall rain which is most certainly going to be cold rain?  I plan be ready to search from shallow to deep for the fish but I'd like to hedge my bet if possible.  Thanks in advance.  

[papajoe222]

Fall rain can do one of two things to the water up here. A cold rain can drastically drop the water temp. causing the forage and the bass to move more and making it more difficult to locate them. A warm rain will also affect the water temp. but the only area where you may consider it a drastic change, is in the shallows. Check the air temp the day of and prior to the rainfall and then check the shallows when you get on the water. If you aren't sure if the water temp has been affected enough to cause a significant change, the shallow water will give you a good indication. If you see, or suspect the bait fish are still shallow and that is where they were before the rain. Things, likely haven't changed enough that the rain fall had much affect on the fishing. Just because it's cold on the day it rains, doesn't mean that the rain itself is cold. The air temp where the rain forms determines its temp. It can snow on a 45 degree day.

[BigAngus752]

1 hour ago, papajoe222 said:

The air temp where the rain forms determines its temp.

I wouldn't have thought of that.  The front coming through is a warming trend.  The rain could be above water temps since they have dropped so fast.  Thank you. 

[jakkbauer]

so for me usually immediately following or even during a nice rain fishing is rather good however the next day after a heavy rain and post frontal conditions i usually find the fishing to be not so great but if you have a day to fish its a day to fish which is better than no day to fish

[Catt]

Unless you're fishing a small body of water an inch of rain aint gonna effect much.

 

[BigAngus752]

On 10/25/2019 at 9:30 AM, Catt said:

Unless you're fishing a small body of water an inch of rain aint gonna effect much.

 

They're all small up here.  The lake I'm going to tomorrow is 846 acres and has a watershed of 9900 acres.  It's all farmland runoff.  Typically all the lakes turn to chocolate milk with zero visibility.  But it's better than not fishing.  

[Catt]

6 hours ago, BigAngus752 said:

But it's better than not fishing.  

 

Yeah it is ?

 

There's a portion of the fish population that live shallow year round & there's a portion that live deep.

 

[geo g]

I seldom like fishing after real heavy rains.  Real heavy rain often affect the PH levels in the water, and if the water levels are real hot in the 90's, can cause an inversion in our shallow waters.  Poor O2 levels deeper can rush to the top and cause a fish kill, or at least poor quality water where bass go into a funk.  Here in south Florida, water is still close to 87*.  By this I'm talking about sudden downpours which we often have in the tropics.  Rain is one thing, monsoon rains are another.  My only hope after a monsoon downpour is to find current and fish the slack water close to a stiff current. Here bass may position to ambush bait.   Good luck, I'd rather stay home, and have a beer.

[BigAngus752]

@papajoe222 @jakkbauer @Catt @geo g

 

I accept your advice and raise you 5lbs 2oz.  

 

[papajoe222]

[Catt]

Kicking Bass ?

[scbassin]

I agree with Catt's statement that some fish live shallow & some live deeper year around. I have caught Bass from 1 to 5 feet in January & February in & around tree roots mid day where the sun has been shining. 

 

[jakkbauer]

well done!