Questions involving Wind & Rain

[NJbassman]

How would the wind speed, direction, and duration affect bass in the area? or better yet, any fish?

Because of winds, it usually picks up the current a little more....how will the current of the water, being either rough or calm, affect bass or any other fish?

Rain varies from drizzle, heavy showers, etc. etc......how will the different "types" of rain affect bass or any other fish?

And if rain and wind are combined, how will that affect bass?

[Guest avid]

You bring up alot of situations and the answer to all of them is "it depends"

For example up untill two weeks ago Florida was having the worst drought in years.  It was hot, water levels were dropping, weeds were completley taking over some areas, and water temps were in the 90's.  a little drizzle, didn't do much, but a wholacious downpour, added oxygen, cooled off the water, raise the level, and washed out some of the weeds choking the channels.  In short.  Heavy wind/rain = great fishing.

Other years when the lakes are high, alot of rain can turn off the bite.

Wouldn't it nice if the bass knew the rules.  8-)

[CJ]

Very well put,Avid.

Wind and rain will affect fishing anytime.That doesn't mean it will always effect it in a negative way nor a positive way.Chances are it will effect the angler both mentally and physically more than it may the fish.Another factor would be how deep you are fishing.Deep fish are less likely to be affected than are shallow fish.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

Definitely depends. Like which season? Bass spawn out of wind, so are not affected then. They should be in creeks in fall, not much affected by wind out on the lake. But from post spawn through winter wind definitely changes their activity.

Right now a windy point is hot, while calm water in coves is not except at dawn when sahd leave their night sanctuary in shallow heavy cover. They don't want to be there come light. Wind pumping plankton into main lake pockets makes for hot bassing. Funnels between islands or mainland and an island concentrate wind, increasing current through a chute far greater than current formed out on the main lake. Bass wait along that current just like they do in river current.

In winter a wind with rain for some reason sends bass into a deep suspension. But if there's been a warmup lasting a week wind can be an asset. It'll blow warmer water into pockets and coves where bass often rise to feed in the afternoon, returning to deep water nearby.

Think about where bass ought to be according to their season, then follow to the end of wind wherever it hits a shoreline or pushes over a gap in a shallow ridge, a hump, over a shallow submerged point, or anything else that can funnel wind current.

Jim

[NJbassman]

Haha, sorry I wasn't being too specific. Just to make it a bit less complicated:

In a local 2 acre pond with depths of about 8-9 feet deep

In the summer

Air temperatures about 69-70 degrees

[fishingJ]

Well we all know that when the wind is from the east the fish bite the least. The advantage to having some wind is that it moves around the baitfish because of the current which then makes the bass more active.

[jtbassman]

NJbassman i'll try to keep it simple for you.  In the summer months, a low pressure system that brings wind and rain will make bass more active and will more readily strike your lure, IMO.  There are alot of variables that could go into it, but a good low pressure system will always help you catch fish in the summer months, (unless you're skipping docks). ;D

[Sam]

NJ Bassman,

Many articles say that the rain will wash food for the bait fish into the water thus allowing the bass to follow the baitfish into the area where the particles are washed into the water.

Many articles say that the wind will push the baitfish to the shore which it is blowing towards and the bass will follow.

This is true for all places but New Jersey.  Although many bodies are put into the ocean you need to follow the floating bodies in your pond to find the bass.

Only kidding, but I could not help myself.

Try fishing along the bank where the wind is blowing the water onto the shoreline and I just fish the banks after a rain knowing tha somewhere there is a 10 pound lady just waiting for me. So far she has not taken my bait but I know she is there.

Let us know how you do.

[Gatorbassman]

Off topic post deleted.

Fluke

[George Welcome]

Fish need dissolved oxygen to survive. Does a raindrop in and of itself have dissolved oxygen? What impact if any does rain have on the dissolved oxygen concentrations in a lake? Does rain carry elements that are harmful to the dissolved oxygen levels and the ph concentrations in a lake? If you answer some of these questions you can better understand what effect if any rain has on a body of water.

Next you might want to look at what a fish's existence medium is. Does a fish know that the wind (an above water atmospheric phenomenom) is blowing? There just might be an answer in the sky on a windy day.

[RANGERMAN]

See previous post regarding Fall Fishing....wind moves microscopic organisms around and tends to push these creatures into dense masses which in turn are fed upon by small fish such as shad, minnows, etc. Bass then move in to feed in these ares. ALWAYS fish windy banks except when the water is very cold.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

Any splashing will dissolve oxygen-containing air into splashed water. However, if it's acid rain, the acidity can cause bass not to be able to absorb DO.

Ever done scuba diving? On a windy day you can feel "puffs" of current obviously caused by wind where normally there is no flow current. Wind definitely causes a rolling current below the surface, enough to carry "clouds" of plankton. Maybe an engineer can explain how, but my theory is layer flushes over layer downwind until several layers stack up to cause a shear effect. Bass might never be aware of wind itself, but they sure do benefit from plankton stacked up against a downwind shoreline. It's just a matter of following the baitfish there, which swim along with their food supply. When the wind changes to a new steady direction, off it all goes again.

Jim