Break in the heat question?

[Crazybait]

With the heat we've had in the south, what will the break in the heat do to the fish?

[nwgabassmaster]

To start off with, nothing.  Humans feel the effects of the coming fall before the effects can be felt by the fish.  So, while we might have a week or two of cooler weather, that is, in the mid 80's to low 90's, the bass will still be in their summertime pattern.  It will take one good, strong cold front to cool the water down enough to where the bass will start moving shallow.

The only thing that might cause this to happen any quicker is if the days that come before that first cold front remain cloudy.  Then, the waters will slowly start to cool down, but still not enough to activate the bass.

Give it til the middle of September, and the fall bite should be going strong.  

[Muddpuppy]

What break?

[nwgabassmaster]

Believe it or not, a cool front has actually pushed through the Tennessee Valley, and is sitting on top of the NW GA area's head.   ;D

Where two days ago, the temps were close to 95* or higher, the coming days will have temps in the high 80's to low 90's.  May not seem like a lot, but I know that you will be able to feel it!   I know I do!  

[Raul]

Understand one thing, air and water are completely different things, air heats and cools faster than water, exactly 835 times faster, you can feel that but water being 835 times denser doesn 't cools, a drop in 10 degrees in the air temperature has little effect in the water temperature so fish will be behaving pretty much the same way unless there 's a another climathological event that changes their behaviour.

So Nwgabassmaster nailed it on the head, water is behaving like a heat trap, where I don 't agree on his comment is here: Give it til the middle of September, and the fall bite should be going strong., I agree on the part.- "Give it til the middle of September," where I don 't agree is that ( correct me if I 'm wrong Nwgabassmaster ) he is assuming that the fall bite is produced by a drop in water temperature, which in not quite true, it 's the dimishing light levels the ones that trigger the "fall" bite.

[roadwarrior]

Raul hit the nail on the head, as usual!  

We start smallmouth fishing on the Tennessee River in September when the bite picks up. The water temperature does not change at all until early October (usually). Right now we're at 89 degrees, by mid October we'll be either side of 85. It's all about light, current and bait activity...a complete circle. The fishing keeps getting better as the water cools, but that may be coincidental with light changes or probably a complimenting factor.

[nwgabassmaster]

Actually, Raul, I was thinking about the whole respective circle that happens.

I know that the water temperature has not changed that much, but I also know that in mid-September, I find a lot more fish that go shallower on Lake Weiss.

Of course, fishing the morning and the evenings still produce a lot of fish, but you will also be able to catch more fish during the day time hours at that time of year.  

[bassackwards]

now wouldn't the shallows get cooled off by a few cool days from a storm front?

I thought that was the purpose of nightfishing, instead of during the day? I know the water doesn't cool off alot, but I thought the shallows might a little bit. then again, like raul said, not enough for the fish to know the difference?

I guess fishing in the heat has to do more with us though.

[5bass]

unless there 's a another climathological event that changes their behaviour.

WORD OF THE DAY: climathological

Nice one Raul!  

[Kendammit]

low light levels will push bass into shallower water, too.  If a bass can't see to eat, it won't be a very long living bass.  Light can only penetrate so far into water, depending on the clarity, and if a bass isn't getting enough, it will move up until it does.  

[Raul]

Bass not only have eyes you know, they can hear very well, smell quite well too and posses one system that we don 't have, the lateral line system, so they can lock on a target with an accuracy that smart bombs would love to have.

[Chris]

"If a bass can't see to eat, it won't be a very long living bass.  Light can only penetrate so far into water, depending on the clarity, and if a bass isn't getting enough, it will move up until it does."

A blind bass can still see to eat. Bass move up because its easy pickings not because they can't see to feed deep. Baitfish will run the bank and other contours because they are almost blinded by low light or stained water. A bass is not.

[AceHigh]

Before Bill Dance started telling people about the thermocline (where the water temperature falls dramatically in deeper water) in the late '70s, he revealed that the first question he always asked someone comining in at the ramp was how deep were the fish.  His theory was that most of the fish that could be caught would most likely be between the water level that the light penetrated and the thermocline.

How deep does light penetrate?  Stick you rod in the water and if you can see the tip until its 3 feet deep then the light is getting a liitle more than twice that deep, say 7 feet.  Light penetration warms the water deeper and the thermocline will be deeper.

Most of the likes I fish the light penetration is less than 2 feet and the thermocline is usually about 10 feet.  The fish will be somewhere in between.

My rule on when fall fishing starts is when you want the jacket on in the mornings and evenings.