How much do weather/illumination conditions affect when you go fishing?

[bp_fowler]

I ask because my bar is set pretty low, as long as it’s above 50 degrees and it’s not thundering and lightning out, I’ll be out there. 
 

I know some folks will only go if the barometric pressure, temperature, prevailing winds, and/or phase of the moon indicate the fish will be biting.
 

What about you? Do you only fish when conditions are favorable? Or do you ever go fishing even when the conditions are not optimal for catching bass?

[Jig Man]

No storms, 32°+ I’m going.

[Woody B]

No lightening I'm going.   I won't go to a strange lake at night with no moon though.   

 

 

Added: Our lakes don't freeze over.  I've launched by boat, and caught bass with the (air) temperature as low as 22 degrees.   I've also fished when it was 36 degrees and raining.  I caught bass both times.  You've just got to have the right clothes and equipment.   

[T-Billy]

Lightning, 20mph+ wind and ice are the only things that keep me off the water.

[Skunkmaster-k]

I go fishing when I can, cause it’s good fer me. 

[the reel ess]

I work and have other family responsibilities and now have a gym membership. So if I take time off to go or I find a free 3-4 hours on the weekend, I go barring foul weather. And I don't consult the so-lunar table. I will pay attention to wind speed and direction. I also don't love bluebird skies, especially following a front.

 

But if you don't go when you can you are missing some good days. It only takes one good fish to make the trip worthwhile.

Just now, Skunkmaster-k said:

I go fishing when I can, cause it’s good fer me. 

I like your YT channel. ?

[GRiver]

44 minutes ago, bp_fowler said:

it’s not thundering and lightning out, I’ll be out there. 

Getting started in the rain can be rough for me, and getting going in the cold, once I’m out and get accustomed to the environment I’m pretty good. 

[JMac603]

No big wind, no lightning, and I'm hard pressed to leave the house if it's pouring. Little bit of snow is awesome, though. Love sitting on the water with a hot coffee and getting some flurries. 

[padlin]

Being able to fish whenever I feel like it I prefer weekdays, overcast sky’s, wind under 10, early in the am, and temps above 50. Light rains fine too.

 

Of course that’s just my ideal.

[BigAngus752]

1.  Water not solid.

2.  I can (probably) survive. 

[Bird]

Wind is the biggest consideration by far.

I'm a feeler and line watcher and lose my senses in high wind, plus the chance of deep hooking fish increases in wind.

 

Doesn't matter quite as much in colder water temps when I'm throwing line stretching baits.....swim jigs and square bills etc.

 

But But I don't like wind.

[PhishLI]

2 hours ago, bp_fowler said:

Do you only fish when conditions are favorable?

No, but I'll avoid awful conditions like right now at 8:30pm with a big moon hanging directly over the lake with barely any wind, and what wind there is, is coming from the east. My wife just asked if I was going. Nope, said I. Guaranteed the bite absolutely sux for at least the next 5 hours, so I'll pass. Moonset is at 1:30 am. The bite will turn on shortly thereafter and ramp up over the next few hours before it shuts down at sun-up when the Ospreys and Cormorants scare the bass back to wherever they hide. I might try to catch part of that window at 4:00am ifin I can wrest my weary bones out da bed.

[Susky River Rat]

I used to use the rule if my reels aren’t freezing no lightening and no super crazy rain. 
 

Now it needs to be a high of 45, very little chance of rain. If it’s going to be 85 plus I tend to sneak out early. As far as probability of catching fish? Well it always goes up when I’m out on the water vs at home.

 

wind can be a factor for me but, it’s just just more pain then a danger factor where I am at. If it’s going to be really windy I will abandon the river and go to a lake. It’s near impossible to read the water to not hit rocks.

[GreenPig]

I really prefer fishing in the wind with rain. The only thing that'll keep me off the water is lightning.

[papajoe222]

I am lucky enough to be retired AND live 15min. from my favorite lake. I can hook up the trailer drive there and launch in less than a half hour.  Because I can basically go whenever I want I tend to avoid those times when I think catching will be tough. The days I tend to avoid are those bluebird sky and little to no breeze ones. Those happen most often when the barometer is high. As for moon phase, projected feeding windows, wind from the east, etc.  I don't give them anywhere near as much influence on my decision to go. 

For all you working stiffs, my wish for you is to make it not only to retirement age, but well past it so that you will be able to also go whenever you dang well feel like it.

[scaleface]

I dont go if its over 90 or if its to windy . The boats I fish out of do not handle strong winds. I dont handle high heat . Today is suppose to get up to 82 with 3 to 5 mph winds. I'm going fishing.

[Captain Phil]

When I was younger, I would go fishing no matter what the conditions.  More than once, I have sat in Okeechobee canals waiting for tornadoes to move over the lake.  My wife and I have made the trip back and forth from the Bahamas to Miami in seas so big a 60' sportfish would disappear in the waves. Nothing would keep us from wetting a line.  These days, everything has to be right.  It can't be too hot or too cold.  A little wind is good.  Clouds are good. No rain.  What's good about getting old is you have time for the memories even if you can't make new ones.

[Zcoker]

There’s definitely blocks of time in a 24hr period that have the least weather drama. I’m a night guy here in Florida with hardly any issues with bad weather effecting my trips. Sometimes the weather can be downright nasty when loading up to leave but once I get to my spot it settles down, like with afternoon storms that start off dark and menacing but eventually calm and move away as evening nears. I’ve called off trips many times at the onset of a big nasty storm only to curse myself later on when it’s beautiful out! The early mornings are nice as well, getting on the water at 3am with nothing but a sleepy world to contend with and fishing through a spectacular sunrise into the cooler morning hour and then getting out while the gettin is good! 

[Pat Brown]

@Captain Phil twice this summer I got stuck in canals and under bridges waiting for huge storms to pass.  It's actually a pleasant experience if you have a good bridge!  NC summer weather is down right unpredictable though and racing storms back is not my thing.  Had much worse experiences doing that.

[A-Jay]

How much do weather/illumination conditions affect when you go fishing ?

 

Won't even mention hard water.

 

"The Weather" IS the driving force as to

where I go fishing,

when I go fishing,

and If I go fishing.

Just the way it is. 

 

Prefer low light, wind & waves need to be safe, and

I need to be able to present whatever I plan on fishing effectively in the areas I want to fish.

So frozen line & guides are less than ideal. 

Weather/illumination conditions also effect boating traffic which I almost always do better without. 

Finally bigger water can get pretty big during certain deals.

Always keep an eye out for surprises,

especially early & late season.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

 

[Will Ketchum]

If the weather is decent and I'm in the mood, I go.

[TnRiver46]

If I didn’t go in lightning I would never go. Not recommending it but it’s everyday 

 

I don’t go in the dark

[MIbassyaker]

Wind+Kayak = bad.  Over 15mph, I stay home. Over 10mph, I may go if there are fishable places leeward, or at least away from open water where I can stay out of the worst of it.  

 

Otherwise, safety, comfort and free time are my only considerations.

[Bankbeater]

Most weeks I only get out on the weekends.  If it's too windy for a boat then I fish off the bank.  Thunderstorms don't tend to stick around more than 1 to 1-1/2 hours so I will wait them out.  The only thing that keeps me home is hard water.

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

 

Great question!

 

My response is anytime it is safe. Gotta have a sound exit strategy if needed. Serious weather issue here in AZ is the lightning, you always want access to safe harbor quick. Winds at 15 mph or under are good for kayaking, aka yak attack. I want more catching than paddling. If the winds sustained winds are higher then it land based angling adventures.

 

I have been angling 15 F - 118 F so as long as equipment and exit are good, I can be out there. AZ has elevations ranging from just over 800 feet above sea level all the way to 12k feet. So there is plenty of temperature variation involved.

 

Goof off time is precious so I go when I'm able to. Due to my geographic location I do have some planing and travel involved. Generally there is at least an hour travel involved just to get somewhere where I can fish. So given that, I check the weather service along with aviation forecasts to provide wind analysis at the intended destinations. I do prefer being on-line catching fish!

 

Key points are preparation with a plan, use good gear, be willing to adjust if needed. Tough conditions shouldn't be too challenging if you're setup for the elements, so let's be careful out there. The same goes for the angling too. Be well and cheers!