Why Cloudy Days Are Better Than Clear Days....?

[Crow Horse]

Like the title says, why are cloudy days better than days with clear skies?

[gim]

Depends on the species targeted and the time of year.  Also depends on what part of the country we're specifically referring to here.

 

I generally think sunny, warm days are better in the early spring and late fall.  Clouds are a godsend in the summertime.  They provide relief from the searing sun and higher temps.  I try to target these types of days in the summertime with a noticeable improvement in success.

 

I think smallmouth fishing can often be better when the sun is out though.

[Swamp Girl]

Where I fish, when the Sun is up and the sky is clear, I look down and see the bottom. Conversely, I look up and see eagles and ospreys. The raptors see even better than me, so they can see the bottom and the bass too.

 

I've seen the raptors dive on bass and I've seen bass in their talons. I once parked beneath a tree to watch an eagle eat its bass. Anything that lowers the light, like clouds, relaxes the bass and gives them the confidence to be predator rather than prey. 

 

So, my three best fishing partners are night, clouds, and rain.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I've personally never seen a correlation between cloud conditions and Bass feeding activity.  

I had some of my best days when it's sunny, and also when it's cloudy.   

 

The only conclusion I can make is go fishing when you can, cloudy or sunny......you never know when you're going to catch your white whale.  

[Dwight Hottle]

It goes both ways for me. Sunny & cloudy/rain. 

 

 

 

[Jar11591]

I haven’t found this to be the case. 

[Craig P]

I don’t think one way or the other is “better” but it does affect the baits I start with.  If it’s bright and clear, like you, fish don’t want to stare up at the sun so I start with deeper baits.  Cloudy days, not so bright, I’ll start with top water baits.

 

It’s not a golden rule, fish will always surprise you but it helps set a plan to finding a bite.  FWIW, shade lines on bright days are usually good to me.

[Pat Brown]

I have some of my best fishing memories on cloudy and sunny days and I think that the trick is learning to kind of target fish in both scenarios. On sunny days I'm looking for shade.  On cloudy days, I'm looking for flat expanses of hard bottom areas near deep water where they can be feeding etc.

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, Crow Horse said:

Like the title says, why are cloudy days better than days with clear skies?

 I am also baffled by this question.

Then again . . . 

A-Jay

[gim]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Then again

 

Such a valid point, especially in the summer months.  Its astonishing how devoid the lakes are of recreational watercraft when the clouds are out instead of the sun.

[jbmaine]

I love fishing cloudy overcast days. I think the fish feel safer with less visibility from above. I certainly catch more when it's overcast.

[crypt]

it don't matter to me...I like em both.....have had great and bad days on sunny days and the same with cloudy days......both are great....

[Columbia Craw]

Light penetration and barometric pressure changes. 

[12poundbass]

Fish don’t have eyelids and can’t wear sunglasses.

 

[WRB]

Cloudy rainy days occur about 2 months out of 12 in SoCal but they occur during pre spawn seasonal period prime time for big bass. Lower light, falling barometer and lighter boat traffic when it’s cloudy with light rain. 
Storms are another story unsafe to fish in high wind and heavy rain.

For catching numbers of bass sunny days,

Catching numbers of big bass cloudy w/light rain.

Tom

 

[casts_by_fly]

Because I don’t have to wear sunscreen on the really cloudy days. 

[papajoe222]

Any condition that breaks up light penetration is a plus when it comes to bass fishing. Clouds, rain, dusk, dawn, wind,etc. is a bonus. That's when horizontal presentations seem to rule. Cloudless skies and little or no breeze is when vertical presentations seem to work better for me, especially around cover. Pitching soft plastics, or jigs tight to or into cover are the best producers. The sun also aids in finding location patterns as shade plays a big role then.

[GreenPig]

Cause I'm a big man that runs hot.

[Pat Brown]

2 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Cause I'm a big man that runs hot.

 

ALSO this 😂😂😂

 

I been thinking back on my 4 years seriously targeting LMB and I go back to all the scenarios:

 

Cold water

Windy

Slick calm

Hot water 

Full Moon

New Moon

Waning crescent 

Waxing crescent

High noon

Sunset 

Sunrise

Pre-spawn

Spawn

Post spawn

Bank

Boat 

Small water

Big water 

Raining

Drizzling 

Hurricaning

Floods

Drought

High water

Low water

 

 

Etc etc etc

 

And the only REAL wisdom about ANY of these scenarios that I can absolutely take to the bank is : GO FISHING AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN.

 

The best scenario for me to catch a bass is with a wet line in some water that has bass.  The rest of it I don't worry about anymore.

[GaryH]

@Pat Brown 👏👏  The difference between a person who goes fishing and a fisherman or fisherwoman who learns to adapt to their surroundings and weather conditions. 

[Pat Brown]

5 minutes ago, GaryH said:

@Pat Brown 👏👏  The difference between a person who goes fishing and a fisherman or fisherwoman who learns to adapt to their surroundings and weather conditions. 

 

 

There's a bass eating something somewhere every second of the day on every lake that has bass.  That's my confidence.

[Swamp Girl]

On 11/5/2024 at 7:09 AM, GaryH said:

@Pat Brown 👏👏  The difference between a person who goes fishing and a fisherman or fisherwoman who learns to adapt to their surroundings and weather conditions. 

 

I believe Pat's assertion that bass can be caught under any conditions, but I still pick my spots because I'm mostly retired and because I want to cast more than I paddle, which a windy day won't allow me to do. When I fished from bigger boats with motors and anchors, I've had some incredible fishing on windy days. I miss fishing the wind, but I'm too old to carry anything heavier than my 32-pound canoe.

 

I have had recent success catching bass on sunny mid-days, but whereas I might average a bass every five or six minutes at dawn, I'm more likely to average a bass every fifteen minutes when the Sun is high.

[Mobasser]

I've always heard that clouds are a form of cover for bass. I like cloudy days for lipless, spinnerbaits and other moving baits. A little chop on the surface can be good also.

[Bankbeater]

Some of my best fishing in the fall has come on cloudy days, but I don't think the cloudy days by itself was a factor.  Wind, water clarity and water temps also play a part, IMO.

[TnRiver46]

On 11/4/2024 at 6:01 PM, 12poundbass said:

Fish don’t have eyelids and can’t wear sunglasses.

 

Its pitch black dark and terrifying 6-7 feet underwater in this half of the county, they don’t need shades or eyelids 🤣