Barometric pressure

[bassindude]

Trying to remember what I heard about the barometric pressure and fishing influence.  I want to say steady and rising is BAD and low or falling is GOOD. Anyone out there know for sure?

[gatrboy53]

my philosophy is fish when i can .cant answer ur ? though

[Vyron]

I had better success when the pressure falls

[Guest avid]

Fishing a high barometer that is just beginning to fall is considered an excellent time to fish.  Another way of saying this is to fish just ahead of storm front.  I have done this and it has worked very well.

[hawghunter]

I'm a little confused with this as well...I've had it go both ways with falling pressure, I'd say 50/50 on being a productive day or not. I'm sure other vairiables factor in as well.

One thing is for sure....high pressure and rising pressure seems to lock'em up, you know, those high brite sky, bluebird days.....

HH

[basser89]

My best days are on a stable barometer for several days. But I can still catch when the barometer goes either way as long as it isn't an extreme! On a gradual rise, I've found my most productive water is deeper and tighter to the cover, and of course, when its gradually falling they seem to shallower. Hope this helps!

[Bass Hammer]

I look at it as the higher pressure on the water column exerts a greater pressure on anything in it.

So as the pressure drops it means less pressure on the fish and they should get more active.

I know I get more active when I have less pressure on me. ;D

Hammer

[abelfisher]

As a boy growing up, my grandpa used to tell me, if the cows are standing up, it's a good day to fish.  If the cows are laying around, it's a bad day to fish.

Moral of the story, check out the cows on your way to the lake.

[Rattlinrogue]

when the pressure is falling fishing picks up.

[Cujo]

Bass Hammer got it right.  When there is lee pressure the fish will move about and be more active.  When the pressure rise it causes the fish to move cover and hold real tight.  It also gives them the feeling of being full, which makes it even more difficult to catch.

[roadwarrior]

abelfisher,

Whenever we drive to the lake we all take note of the cows. When they are standing we get real excited and everyone on the trip takes notice. When they are lying down, we don't mention it. I have never really found that it actually made any difference anyhow.

Regarding barometric pressure, steady or falling pressure seems to be the ticket, but oddly enough I have had my very best days on the river when the pressure was rising. I'm not saying this is a good thing, but on a river the only really important factor is current and water release. Steady or rising water is good, falling water is always bad. High water is good, low water is almost always bad.

[Matt Fly]

The stable weather pattern usually occurs from late May to Aug.  Thats usually when a summer pattern hardly changes and you can usually set your watch every day in the same places as to when they feed, the only thing to tweek is your setup and colors ever so often.  Colors change because as spring set in,  The sun in relation to your region is farther away, as summer comes, sun gets closer to earth and light penetrations changes, thus, the color needs a little tweeking,  Rain that stains or muddy waters dictate change.  As summer nears an end, weather becomes unstable and so do the fish.  Patterns change.   Fronts pass, the sun gets further away from your region, and the light penatration changes.  

As BassHammer said on changing pressure.  If fish in the winter time are suspended in 21 ft, and high pressure sets in,  fish may drop 6 inches or maybe go as deep as another 2 ft to stablize in the pressure.  The deeper bass go, the less the pressure they feel.  This is were bass logs can help.  By tracking the actual pressures on the days out,  what worked, where fish were found.  Colors, areas and any tid bit that helps unlock future puzzles.

Different regions have different weather patterns year around.   In Texas, we will normally have 2-3 months in the summer, that the same pattern is going.  A color change, line change, different weight.  but the style doesn't change much.    

A rising barometer and blu-bird sky just means you have to put your cast on the money and deep in the cover on the first cast as not to spook the fish.  This is one of the times fish are spooky.   Max light penatration, and no surface chop to camoflouge  strange shadows like a boat or person standing up.

The best you can ask for on days like this is wind to brake up the light penatration and position the bait.

[kbj3579]

My grandfather also used to say "wind from the west fish bite the best, wind from the east fishing bite the least".

Just thought I would throw that in since the cows got brought up, which my grandfather use to also look at on our way fishing.

[stratoscaster]

Well, who's the resident meteorologist on this site?  When I see the big H coming across the weather map which is a high pressure system does this mean the barometric pressure will be rising?  I assume this is correct but you know what they say about assumptions.

[Raul]

The ideal time would be when the H and the L line meet on your local lake.

[justtrying]

The ideal time would be when the H and the L line meet on your local lake.

;D ;D ;D

[Matt Fly]

Those two wise tales are pretty good indicators.   Ever seen the cows go nuts before a storm passes?  The deer up moving early before a storm?    horses kicking it up?

Same as the winds.   When the winds from the east, they bite the least,  winds from the north, don't put no effort forth!!!  

Those winds have more effect on barometers than the the west and south.  

Winds from the west, they bite the best, but winds from the south, their as good as in your mouth.  These winds usually signal stability in the barometer,   whether its a rising high pressure or just steady.

[Chris]

http://bassresource.com/cgi-bin/bass_fish/YaBB.pl?board=gen_bass;action=display;num=1103228700;start=

[basswest1]

Barometric pressure is a pain in the bass.  I get so confused sometimes.  The last thing that I need when I am in a turnament is to get preocupied with barametric pressure.  However it does matter.  

To better understand why bass act like they do because of barametric pressure it is best to understand what BP does to a bass.

BP effects a bass' swim bladder.  The swim bladder is an organ in a bass which helps the bass maintain equilibrium in the water so the bass doesnt have to keep moving its fins and expending energy to stay at a certain depth.

The the BP is high it pushes on the SB and the fish sinks or uses alot of energy trying to stay at a depth.  This is why high pressure cold fronts often result in inactive bass which are wedged in cover or are on the bottom.  

When the BP is low the bass becomes more boyant.

They dont like the extreme on either end, but preffer it stable.

[abelfisher]

This is why high pressure cold fronts often result in inactive bass which are wedged in cover or are on the bottom.

If I am not mistaken, there is no such thing as a High pressure cold front.  If it is a cold front is due to low pressure.  

[blanked]

here is my guide

high- hot dry minimal clouds

rising- been raining, lots of clouds and starting to clear

falling- storm moving in looks like rain

low-cloudy and rain for a sustained period of time

[basswest1]

Ablefisher-  You are half right.  The actual front preceding the high blue skys is low pressure.  However when I say a cold front is high pressure I am refering to the blue bird skys after the stormy or cloudy leading edge.  These clear skies are known for there high pressure.  

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[gc]

I'm guessing some of you folks have a barometer on your depth/fish finder in your boat.  Do any of you have this feature on your watch? Do you use it? is it acurate?

I'm getting a new watch and trying to decide if I should spring for the one with the barometer, altimeter, thermometer, etc.

[Fisher of Men]

RW and abelfisher:

That's funny.  My grandmother (who was my fishing buddy other than my dad) always used to say the same thing about the cows.  We'd walk through the pasture and look at them on our way to the pond.  I don't know if it ever made a real difference.  My problem now is when I go I'll see cows on one side of the road standing and some on the other side of the road laying down.  What's up with that?   ;D

[abelfisher]

Fisher of Men, Raul has the answer to your question.

The ideal time would be when the H and the L line meet on your local lake.

;D