I need a class on Low barometric preassure & high pressu

[bassmeout]

I don't have a clue how this work and how it relates to bass. Please educate me...

[bassmeout]

Ohh one more thing!!! Does this apply only in the summer, fall and Spring or is it year round ?

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Great question, I am looking forward to reading the responses..

mac

[MrSkeeter]

I don't fully understand it myself. But here's what I believe ...

I recall reading/hearing somewhere that when a high pressure builds in after a cold front, it's like your ears get stuffed when an airplane decends. The fish are much more sensitive to these environmental changes than us humans and they tend to feel that pressure more than us. So ... it puts them off till it 'pops' ... then they're back to normal !?!

[RogerB]

My experience over the last fifty years of bass fishing is that low pressure and a falling barometer can yield an excellent bite, really turning the fish on, while high pressure following a cold front, with the accompanying bluebird skies, can produce a tough bite.
Fastest fishing with the most aggressive bites I've encountered has been as the cold front is passing through and the rain is pouring down.
I don't know why it occurs that way, but that's been my experience.

[kopper_bass]

Barometric pressure is the pressure that the atmosphere is pushing down on earth. That pressure is constantly changing due to the earths weather, but also changes due to elevation. In the air, that pressure change is minimally felt by humans because air is less dense. If you have a drastic change, then we do feel it. just like your ears popping as you climb over Truckee to head into Tahoe. Well, water is much more dense than air and as such, that slight pressure change due to weather really pushes on the water and makes a difference.

When we have High pressure, there is in effect more weight pushing down on you (your wife will weigh a little more that day). This also means that there is more weight pushing down on the surface of the water and collapsing the water column. You may not notice it, but this can keep the water table lower during high pressure days vs. low pressure days.

This effect keeps micro-organizms from rising and floating around as well as puts physical pressure on all the fish in the water. The water is more dense and thus harder to move around in. This makes it harder for baitfish to find food because the plankton and microbes are pushed onto the bottom of the lake and makes them too a little sluggish. All this in turn has the same effect on Bass, who feed on the baitfish. Its a big chain reaction. No microbes, no baitfish. no baitfish, no bass.

As the pressure reduces, then all this activity starts moving and agitating. Plankton and microbes have less pressure on the water, so it is lighter and they can move around again. They start floating around, getting all happy. When this happens, the baitfish say YUM and start eating all this new found food floating around all active like. Alas, the baitfish are getting fat and happy, so the Bass just natually join in on the fun. This is when we say the "bite is on!"

Hope this can help.

Kopper_Bass

[Mike]

Ahhhh Dence water! Thats why my crankbaits wouln't dive very deep! Makes sence. Thanks.

[bassmeout]

Ok, great now I understand High pressure works but what about low pressure - Does the pressure ever stabilized ? Meaning if the pressure is normal how do you know when it goes lower than normal ? Does it affect all water dephts ? Does the current have any affect on Barometic pressure ?
SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!!

[fishnfool]

Just some FYI. Our normal barometric pressure for our area is 29.92. This is the reference point for an increase or decrease in pressure for us.

[Steve]

Heres my experience with barometric pressure and how it relates to fishing.

falling barometer: get on the lake now
rising barometer: go get a six pack (ok, 12 pack)
steady barometer (meaning steady for at least 2 days, 3 are better): get back on the water and hope the barometer starts falling while Im fishing.

This is just standard stuff. But Ive found that fish in each lake seem to respond differently, and it differs seasonally, and it differs among different species of black bass (yes, there are at least 7 species of black bass, 4 of which occur in Cali).

The one thing that seems to definitely hold true is that after a storm system passes, fishing gets better with each day of stable weather. For me, this especially holds true with night fishing in the summer.

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

That first of all colder air is denser due to contraction and therefore heavier, and therefor is one of the things that creates a higher barometric pressure. Wind can also create higher pressure.
Zooplankton have swim bladders just like fish except that theirs are not as readily adjustable for the varing depths like a fishes is. Therefore in a low pressure system the zooplankton float up off of the bottom, and the bait fish move in on them to feed, the bass follow to feed on the bait fish. When the high pressure system moves thru, such as in a cold front with dense heavier air the zoo plankton settle down into the muck of the bottom and the feeding cycle ends.
This is just one theory among many but its the one that seems the most logical to me. Regardless of the whys and wherefors it does seem to be a fact that fishing is always better during low barometric periods than during the highs.

Jim

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

*NM*

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

I was watching one of the fishing shows yesterday and the were talking about how high and low pressure systems affect the fishing..It seems that the system either way may not affect all fish..But generally speaking the bite is reduced during periods of high pressure..They also said that high or low pressure seems to have a lot less effect when fishing in river systems with good current than a reservoir or lake with minimal current..

I have caught fish when the pressure has been high as well as when it is low, but generally speaking fishing tends to be better during low pressure systems in my experience..

mac

[MikeD]

was wondering about this today too, searched and found this thread, very timely info.

in digging around the web for info on the effects of barometric pressure on bass I ran across this at http://www.nhbasser.com/articles/index. ... ICLE_ID=59

Barometric Pressure And Fishing
By: Stu Valentine

Most of us are not scientific anglers. In fact, the majority of us probably go fishing when we can, not necessarily when we should. For example, many fishermen choose to go fishing on warm, sunny days when there is no chance of rain. On the surface this strategy sounds very reasonable. But is it?

There is a body of evidence which indicates that this may, indeed, be the worst time to try to catch fish. This is because the high (barometric) pressure conditions which give rise to these beautiful days are not the times when fish are stimulated to aggressively feed. They still feed, but they can be difficult to locate and to entice.

What is barometric pressure?

Barometric pressure is the pressure of the air that's pressing in all directions. The air's pressure is caused by the weight of all the air above the ground pressing down - gravity pulls air toward the earth just as it pulls everything else. Its called barometric pressure because the air pressure is measured by an instrument called a barometer. On the average, at sea level, the air has a pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch. Instead of using pounds per square inch, barometers in the U.S. measure the pressure in inches of mercury. This is how high the pressure can force mercury into a tube that has the top sealed of from the air, a reading of 29.92 inches is the same as 14.7 pounds per square inch.

When are fish most active?

Our experience has shown that fish feed more actively as the barometric pressure is steady or rising steadily (between 29.90 and 30.40 inches), or fluctuating rapidly. Falling barometric pressure means that clouds & precipitation are likely. Rising air pressure (especially above 30.10 inches) signals that clear sunny weather is to be expected. Often, right before a storm the barometric pressure will slightly rise, and then steadily drop, only to rise again once the storm passes.

When a weather front is approaching (falling barometer) , such as the rain and wind we've had recently, it's more than likely the fish aren't going to bite. The same thing is true when a weather front is clearing, but it's not as drastic. But immediately following the passing of the front, as the barometer rises, the fish feed very aggressively and will continue to feed until the barometer begins to fall.

It is not known why fish feed more during these time of changing barometric pressure. But our experience verifies this fact. We always check the barometric pressure trends after a fishing trip to see how the pressure related to our catch. Invariably, we catch more fish when the barometric pressure is steady (but not above 30.40 inches or so), rising steadily, or fluctuating rapidly (such as when rain storms come and go).

When should I go fishing?

First, avoid going fishing when a high pressure system is lingering. Instead, plan to go swimming or for a drive on those sunny, cloudless days. Second, pay attention to the weather and try to anticipate when the barometric pressure will be rising. Visit our Weather Center to check the barometric pressure trends for your fishing areas.

Lately, Dale and I have changed our fishing strategy. We are now purposely planning our trips when the forecast calls for rain. The result is that our catches have increased dramatically.

Ironically, we are also increasing the risk of being struck by lightning. So we must be sure to get off the water quickly if conditions are too threatening.

Sources:

1. Barometric Pressure and Bass by Bill Dance; Bass Champs; http://www.basschamps.com/

2. Casting A Weather Eye by Vernon Summerlin; Fishing Tennessee; http://www.fishingtennessee.com

3. Use Weather Fronts To Gauge Fishin' Times by Drew Hawthorne; Mr. Outdoors.com; http://www.thesunlink.com

4. Sun, Moon, and Weather Tips Dr. Mike's Fishing Tips; http://mike_esq.tripod.com

barometric pressure info can be found online, or by calling the weather info phone number at a local airport neaerby your fishing hole, in the aviation community weather info is referred to as "ATIS" or "AWOS". you can find the numbers at www.airnav.com, search out by city or airport code if you know it.

[OREGON SMALLIES]

pretty good short piece on fishing factors and what things pressure changes

http://www.humminbird.com/generic.asp?ID=404