Your fishing success

[Bass Junke]

Which of the factors, conditions, events, below do you feel have the most affect on your fishing success?

 

Light 

Barometer 

Water Clarity

Wind direction

Fronts

Moon Phase

 

I guess that is the order I would put them in. I believe the barometer is the factor with regards to wind direction and fronts. As far as moon phases go, it's hard to rule them out when a couple of the best anglers on this site say they matter. 

[T-Billy]

Barometer and fronts go hand in hand and generally have the biggest influence on my success, of the factors listed. The others effect how I fish, but sometimes a front can shut 'em down to a point where it doesn't matter what I do. It ain't gonna happen.

 

Alternatively, a front can get 'em biting like there's no tomorrow too. Generally, front side good, back side bad.

[roadwarrior]

None of the above...

Current trumps everything where I fish.

 

[ironbjorn]

None of those. It's locating fish, especially active fish; and putting the bait in the right spot. Notice how I didn't say the right bait in the right spot; this is because a bait in the right spot is bound to be eaten no matter what it is. Not even color matters. Find the bass and put it on them. That's the key above all else. All the other stuff is just stuff.

 

[A-Jay]

 On a trip to trip basis.

Wind speed, direction and duration drive the train.

After that it's all about seasonal timing and location.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[scaleface]

Unless fishing nights I dont pay any attention to the moon . I never look at the barometer , I just dont see how that little of pressure change affects fish . It just happens to change when the fronts move in and out .

Light , wind direction and speed , fronts and water clarity are all factors that I pay attention to .

[WRB]

High wind is a trip killer.

Tom

[DitchPanda]

Wind makes current, drives bait and the fish follow said bait. Wind is also is more common with low pressure which is also usually synonymous with better fishing. So for wind and barometric pressure are the 2 most important. I will also say that where I fish low light periods meaning early, late or cloudy rainy days are also more productive. All the things you listed are important but as eluded to above nothing is more important than fishing where fish are. You can have the absolute best conditions, best rod and reel and best bait ever made and if the bass are all in brush but your targeting rock guess what will happen?

[gim]

Wind is an issue if I am on a sizable lake.

 

Fronts and pressure seem commingled.  Low pressure often produces my best fishing days of the season. We have had very few of those this season and coincidentally, my fishing success has not been as good.

[Big Hands]

Recent time on the water for me. Staying in tune as things gradually shift. 

8 minutes ago, WRB said:

High wind is a trip killer.

Tom

High wind is a non-starter for me too.

[NoShoes]

If I think fish will bite, I’ll fish in anything but high wind. And in South Georgia, that’s anything above 7-8 mph. 
 

yes, I know that’s wimpy compared to most areas. 

[papajoe222]

The OP's question was which condition contributes to your success.

Negatively, without a doubt, it's a high barometer/post front conditions.

Positively, it's low light and wind. Both of which reduce light penetration and will expand the strike zone of the bass.

[Team9nine]

All depends on where you are and the waters you fish on (and the species you fish for - spots, largies or smallies, IMO). Of the 6 you listed, and since you specified 'wind direction' and not wind "speed," I'd say water clarity might play strongest for my waters, especially on a seasonal basis, and the rest I don't care much about. I've made enough great catches under all the listed conditions to know that you 'don't know' unless you go 

[WRB]

4 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Wind makes current, drives bait and the fish follow said bait. Wind is also is more common with low pressure which is also usually synonymous with better fishing. So for wind and barometric pressure are the 2 most important. I will also say that where I fish low light periods meaning early, late or cloudy rainy days are also more productive. All the things you listed are important but as eluded to above nothing is more important than fishing where fish are. You can have the absolute best conditions, best rod and reel and best bait ever made and if the bass are all in brush but your targeting rock guess what will happen?

High wind is associated with high pressure not low pressure fronts. Extreme low pressure is the exception and called hurricanes.

Generally what occurs is a low pressure front brings clouds and rain followed by a cold front  that is cleared out by high pressure filling in the space with wind.

High wind is sustained wind over 30 mph with gust to 70 mph whereI live and fish. 

Tom

[CrankFate]

For me, water clarity is the biggest factor. Low visibility water usually = easier to catch fish and more fish per day.

[DitchPanda]

19 minutes ago, WRB said:

High wind is associated with high pressure not low pressure fronts. Extreme low pressure is the exception and called hurricanes.

Generally what occurs is a low pressure front brings clouds and rain followed by a cold front  that is cleared out by high pressure filling in the space with wind.

High wind is sustained wind over 30 mph with gust to 70 mph whereI live and fish. 

Tom

I always thought that high bluebird skies are high pressure and usually flat calm.

[PressuredFishing]

6 hours ago, Bass Junke said:

Which of the factors, conditions, events, below do you feel have the most affect on your fishing success?

 

Light 

Barometer 

Water Clarity

Wind direction

Fronts

Moon Phase

 

I guess that is the order I would put them in. I believe the barometer is the factor with regards to wind direction and fronts. As far as moon phases go, it's hard to rule them out when a couple of the best anglers on this site say they matter. 

#1Weather by far, wether it be seasonal, or day to day.

#2 light+wind. Both are tied for which one is more important, but overcast and wind usually seems to favor power fishing methods and blue bird skies and sunny days seems to favor slow bottom bouncing methods.

#3 Fronts. fronts play a huge role in winter, early-mid spring, and mid to late fall, and can help you catch fish more effectivley. to put simply, during these times of year fish when water is the warmest and right before it drops.

#4 thermocline. If you are fishing below the thermocline, you CANNOT catch fish effectivley, its only

in effect  the summer  though, so its lower on my list.

#5 moon phase does play a role, and I use it EVERY year DURING and AROUND the pre spawn and spawn, for feeding and mating behaviors, I also use it in fall to target the feeding bass, but other than that I really dont use it much. (although when it comes to crappie thats a whole different ball game, and you will be surprised how many fish you can catch on a full moon at night or early mornings.

#5 barometer. To be honest this ties into fronts  and while im not much of a scientist, im not going to comment on the barometer and how it effects fish during fronts so all I will say is I dont check the air pressure and check the fronts instead, because they usually corrospond with each other.

#6 water clarity. Honestly water clarity plays no role in sucessfully catching fish or not catching any, I dont think of water clarity as a factor that changes how bass bite, I just change methods based on

the other conditions and fish lures that do well in clear water, (DS, jerkbait, poppers, finessey stuff, Large swimbaits)

[WRB]

2 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

I always thought that high bluebird skies are high pressure and usually flat calm.

Blue bird sky with no or low wind is normal neutral pressure usually following high wind/high pressure.

In SoCal we have mountain canyons and high pressure forces  wind down from the north/northeast through towards the cooler ocean air. We call the wind San Tanas or Santa Anna’s depending on your age. The high wind is dangerous making launching or recovering a boat extremely hazardous. Most lake close to prevent high wind boating issues like flipped over boats on the ramp.

Tom

[Bankbeater]

This time of year it's light, water clarity, and wind that will decide if the fish are moving around or buried in the vegetation.  I don't pay attention to the barometer or phase of the moon, and the only time I worry about a front is when there is lightning involved.

[Catt]

Ya forgot water temperatures ?

 

In my opinion your trying to divide what can't be divided. They each have an effect of varying degrees, some are dependent on others. All are constantly changing daily & even hourly.

 

They're all things that are beyond my control, so I deal with they as the arise.

[Ski]

Just my opinion but "Light" is the most important as 99% of anglers fish from Daylight till dark or just about.

[Jigfishn10]

3 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

 the only time I worry about a front is when there is lightning involved.

That certainly chases me off the water for sure. ?

[PhishLI]

11 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

Positively, it's low light and wind. Both of which reduce light penetration and will expand the strike zone of the bass.

Agree. This is the key in the super shallow places I fish. Last night I knew I was a dead duck by the time I made it out. It was humid, but there was zero wind and no clouds, and by midnight the waning full moon was just coming up over the tree line. Not a single flying insect to be seen, and none skittering across the water, so not a single bluegill popped on the surface. Everything was on lock down.

[the reel ess]

Light-Even when conditions are not ideal, I still get most bites early or late.

Barometer-High pressure/bluebird skies often = skunk

Moon-I just catch more big fish around full/no moon. It doesn't usually mean I'll catch a lot, just bigger.

[MGF]

I wish I could say. Unfortunately I don't think my predictions about the fishing based on weather have been very accurate. Maybe it's me but the longer I do this the more confused I seem to get.