barometer question

[the captain]

do the fish bite better when the pressure is falling or when it is stable before a low pressure system comes through?

[Gatorbassman]

Bass like stability. The more the better.

[Wayne P.]

Check out this article----

http://www.quickoneplus.com/fish/articles/page.asp?page=barometric

Here is another----

http://home.comcast.net/~rkrz/infoarch/fyibarometer.htm

[BassinBoy]

Stability is best.  Normal pressure is 30.00, and anywhere close to that is when bass bite best.  Between 29.90 and 30.10 is a good rule of thumb to go by.  Sometimes when pressure drops significantly and quickly it can trigger a feeding frenzy also.

[Ellesar]

Bass like stability. The more the better.

I've always heard that a steady barometer with high pressure is the worst for fishing. I thought bluebird skies aren't a good thing, and that a falling barometer was better.

[Matt Fly]

Bass like stability. The more the better.

I've always heard that a steady barometer with high pressure is the worst for fishing. I thought bluebird skies aren't a good thing, and that a falling barometer was better.  

I can tell you that high pressure, bluebird days don't stop the bass from feeding.     What the summer high pressure days do for us is allow you to set your watch on most days as to when the bass move up to feed every day in certain areas.

   The key to weather in the summer is the consistency of it.   Its hot in Texas, and winds are generally out of the southern directions for about 3 months, that  a steady weather pattern unlike fall when its hot one day and cold, when fronts are moving through every other day.   One day winds are northern, the next southern, the next day east.

Fall and winter and spring throw changing conditions, summer weather is stable generally.

Alls a blueblue sky does normally, is hold bass tighter to cover.    Whcih means the strikezone is shorter and casts need to be more precise to the target.   They still eat.

[Ellesar]

Bass like stability. The more the better.

I've always heard that a steady barometer with high pressure is the worst for fishing. I thought bluebird skies aren't a good thing, and that a falling barometer was better.

I can tell you that high pressure, bluebird days don't stop the bass from feeding. What the summer high pressure days do for us is allow you to set your watch on most days as to when the bass move up to feed every day in certain areas.

The key to weather in the summer is the consistency of it. Its hot in Texas, and winds are generally out of the southern directions for about 3 months, that a steady weather pattern unlike fall when its hot one day and cold, when fronts are moving through every other day. One day winds are northern, the next southern, the next day east.

Fall and winter and spring throw changing conditions, summer weather is stable generally.

Alls a blueblue sky does normally, is hold bass tighter to cover. Whcih means the strikezone is shorter and casts need to be more precise to the target. They still eat.

Gotcha. I didn't think they stopped eating, but that it made them less aggressive and tended to require more finesse than a falling barometer. I had always heard that a falling barometer made them more aggressive and therefore more likely to hit a wider variety of baits and not hold as tight to cover.

[Paul Roberts]

Some people consider barometric pressure effects on fishing to be a myth. I haven't looked into it really. I've always called the barometer, "the afterthought"; By the time the fish respond, the weather has changed and it looks like they are simply responding to associated sky and water conditions. But, again, I haven't given it a fair shake.

Here are some articles on the skeptical side of the issue:

http://www../bassfish/articles/T199.htm

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/science/ross_pressure_myth.aspx

[George Welcome]

Simply put: discard any concern for the barometer. It is something that affects those creatures above the surface such as us. However, even we have to make a drastic change in elevation to be affected by it. The day to day fluctuations of the barometer are miniscule. Water has its own pressure system and fish have a built in system to deal with it.

[JShrock07]

I'm with George on this!!!  Don't even worry about the pressure, some days are better then other days you will always have to change the way you fish on a daily basis, so worrying about the pressure is only one more headache making you second guess yourself even more.

[Raul]

You only have to mind about the barometer when it 's associated to a weather pattern, if not then it doesn 't care what the barometer reads.

[Ellesar]

http://www.fishingmessageboards.com/showthread.php?t=5957

This is intersting article on how barometric pressure effects fish. Basically, it changes objects ability to float and that effects fish. The article does a pretty good job explaining how it effects fish.

Its a piece of the puzzle, but not the whole puzzle itself. I think an additional piece of information you get from barometric pressure is a hint at the weather to come. If the barometer is dropping you can often bet that clouds are coming with it as the low pressure system moves in and that may change where and how you look for the fish.

[WRB]

do the fish bite better when the pressure is falling or when it is stable before a low pressure system comes through?

Depends on the seasonal period; fall & winter stable weather, light breeze, avoid cold fronts.

Pre-spawn though summer; low pressure with cloudy, light wind and rain is very good as it stimulates the entire ecosystem. Low pressure with approaching thunder storms and heavy rain can be good fishing for a short time period, very dangerous to be out on the water.

High pressure following the low pressure system creates high winds and generally tough fishing conditions in shallow zones, move out to deeper water structure less affected by the conditions.

Stable weather is generally the rule during the summer period and the bass become more nocturnal feeders. The low pressure brings in clouds and light rain that can turn on feeding activity during the summer day light periods.

WRB

[fishfordollars]

I cannot plan my trips around any weather related issue. I just go to the lake and start putting together a pattern for the time I am on the water. You have to be on the water to do that so just hit the water and git after it.

[J-Boogie]

I pay no attn to anything other than moon phase.But thats just me. Adjust for what u have at hand!

[Matt Fly]

The earths atmosphere exerts pressure upon the surface of the water.  We as humans don't really feel the effect like a bass does, but when you fly for example and change altittudes, you feel it drastically.

Just like when you dive deep, you now feel the pressure under water.

  Ever see a salt water fish caught in 200 feet of water when its reeled up fast.    Its airbladder expands due to the pressure change, so what appears to be mild (pressure) to us, is big issue for fish to deal  with.   They make adjustments to pressure, so why wouldn't we want to know what fish do to adjust to the ever changing pressures during frontal months?

 A bass that lives shallow year around is effected more than deep living fish.

   A shallow bass normally relates to the bottom, that bass can't adjust in the water column, by moving down, thus that bass normally just hunkers down into cover.   Most say you must drop a bait on his head to get bit.

    A bass that suspends out deep in the winter can move a foot or two to adjust to the front moving through the area.

  Also remember the species in your lake.   we find in Texas, that Florida strains don't like 3-5 days of cold weather in the 30's.

Florida's don't like cold water period.

    So consider what a cold front does to your lake and the species of bass within.

      A cold front in Florida is mild compared to Texas winters.

[Paul Roberts]

Matt, that is all supposition. I can't offer much more, but...

Again, here are some articles on the skeptical side of the issue (worth reading):

http://www../bassfish/articles/T199.htm

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/science/ross_pressure_myth.aspx

[Ellesar]

I don't think its all supposition. We know that atmospheric pressure exerts force on all things. We know that the shallower the water, the more impact it can have because of the reduce volume of area that the pressure is being exerted upon. We know that atmospheric pressure can impact things bouancy in the water column.

What we aren't sure of is if those effects really impact a bass or is it "all in the noise". I can't find much in the way of research that tackles this issue.

[Catt]

Barometric pressure changes only occur with weather changes, with stable weather you have stable barometric pressure, with approaching frontal conditions you have falling barometric pressure, with high blue bird skies you have high barometric pressure.

So to keep it simple if I know what the weather is doing I'll know what the barometric pressure is doing. Barometric pressure, moon phases, weather conditions, ect all effect bass but I'll just adjust locations and techniques.  

[WRB]

It is not my intent to get into applied physics too deeply. Objects under water are compressed equally on all surfaces. If you blow up a ballon and submerge it about 35 feet, the ballon will shrink about 50% of it's diameter as the internal air is compressed by the pressure of close to 1 atmosphere or approximately 15 pounds per square inch. The ballon submerged 17 feet would have about 7 psi compressing it and will be about 75% of it's diameter. At 8 feet down, about 3 psi, the ballon is about 90% of it diameter. Bass feel the same pressure compressing thier airblader. Bass living at 35 foot depth, with neutral buoyancy in the airbladder at that depth, will experience 1 atmospher, 15 psi, pressure change, if it swims up to the surface. The basses airbladder expands and compresses exactly like the ballon. 1 atmosphere or 35 foot depth raise is about the limit a bass can tolerate without it's airbladder doubling in size.

How does 100 millibars (1 bar is about 1 atmosphere) or about 1.5 psi or 2 feet of water pressure, adversely affect a bass? 100 millibars is equal to a big low pressure depression the size of a hurricane.

I agree they can feel it, don't agree that barometric pressure alone has much impact on bass. The changing light with increasing cloud cover, increased flying insects associated with a low pressure system does increase bass activity. The passing cold front and increasing high pressure with bright sun and high winds, also can adversly affect bass living in water less than 5 feet deep. All the bass needs to do to reestablish it's airbladder nuetral bouyancy is; make a 1 1/2 foot depth change to compensate for 100 millibars of atmospheric pressure change.

The affects of cold water, more than 10 degrees can be fatal to a bass. If a big storm lowers the surface temperature by 10 degrees quickly, the water near the original thermocline will be about equal to its original tmeperature, so the deeper bass are not affect by fast surface water temperature changes.

Target the deeper bass and barometric changes have little affect.

WRB

[frogtog]

You guys are to smart for me. ;D I never take the weather into consideration unless it's life threaten. When I go fishing I catch fish!!!

It all boils down to one thing and thats Presentation. You put the bait where he is and he will bite.

[D.Cox]

I have been working at a location that keeps 1 minute records on Barometric pressure and after fishing I can go back and view what the BP was doing at the time I caught fish, not caught fish, ect.. The location where the BP is recorded  are within 2- 60 miles of all the lakes I fished. What WBR stated is correct on the scientific side. After 5 year of keeping logs, I can not say that the fish bite is better at any BP with water temps 60-85 degs. I have noticed that when the BP is falling, I seem to catch more fish on reaction baits: Spinner Baits, Buzz Baits, Rattle Traps, Ect. But, I have fished on a day that the BP fell through the day, clougy, windy and could not get a bite. On Post frontal conditions I usually do the best flipping jigs, worms, jerk baits- something slow. Most of these trips were spring to early fall. The only time of the year that I can predict a good bite, is in the Fall of the year on a cloudy day, steady BP or falling with the water temp 58-52 degrees- a little wind is also good. In this range the fish will be feeding up for winter and an aggressive bite, cloudy they bite better whether the BP is falling or steady. Sometimes when a strong front moves through and the BP starts rising, fish will slow even if cloudy. Not sure if it is the BP or that the fish are full.  In the winter, when water temps are 48-43 a cloudy day can be very productive on Small Mouth on a float and fly, the cloudiness seems to more of a factor that BP. Have fished mostly clear days that the BP fell and the bite was slow. I have over 300 trips that I have tracked this BP, water temp, weather, moon phase and lake levels. I fish in east Tenn. and fish Cherokee, Douglas, Boone, South Holston, Watauga and Patrick Henry. All of the lakes do not have any grass and fluctuate 20-60 foot between winter and summer. I think the moon phase has the most predictable bite, moon over head or under foot, best.

Hope this helps.

[Paul Roberts]

WRB, Excellent post.

All the bass needs to do to reestablish it's airbladder nuetral bouyancy is; make a 1 1/2 foot depth change to compensate for 100 millibars of atmospheric pressure change.

The one thought I've had concerning the kinds of pressures involved does make me wonder if such a change in buoyancy, however small, can affect a bass' ability to capture prey in any way. If you add up high visibility conditions with rising pressure (commonly associated), this might put bass off.

But, the same works conversely. Falling pressure would make a bass slightly more dense. What advantage or disadvantage might this bring?

LOL -Listen to us. All for an ol' green fish! Are we nuts??

[Raul]

The air bladder is not a simple ballon filled with gas, it 's a very complex organ which forms part of the bouyancy system of the fish, it 's designed to compensate for changes in pressure by the active displacement of gas in and out of the air bladder by two means, the pneumatic channel and by capilary blood vessels, changes in the air pressure do not affect the fish because the air bladder eliminates from within or incorporates gas as needed to compensate by any of those two means, gas can be eliminated or incorporated by burping or by gasping through the pneumatic channel or removed or incorporated through the circulatory system via the capilary blood vessels.

[Paul Roberts]

Raul, you're right, a swim bladder is not just a balloon. But, as you allude to, there are two basic types of swim bladder, those with a valve and those without. Trout possess the former and can adjust depth more easily. Bass and most other spiny finned fishes have the latter, and cannot adjust rapidly. I believe they have to diffuse the gas out through the blood -I'd have to look that one up. Bass truly are prisoners of pressure, but appear to be able to handle substantial pressure changes while feeding, or being pulled to the surface, over at least a 15 foot range, at least for a limited time. I've read that deep caught (not sure how deep) bass popped into a livewell can resist the pressure for a time, but will begin to bloat if not returned in time.