Does fog effect the bite ?

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lil nitro
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Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by lil nitro »

I know the fog means low light conditions and keeps it alittle warmer but do the fish care ? Does it make for a tough bite ? Does it effect the delta same as the lakes ?
Oldschool
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by Oldschool »

Fog doesn't affect the bass, it does affect your ability to go where the bass are located.
Tom
mark poulson
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by mark poulson »

For me, I find it brings bass up to eat topwater baits in the warmer months.
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elfish16
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by elfish16 »

mixed feelings and experiences here... in the winter months(with no trout plants) I tend to see it hurting the bite for sure and then other times of year it makes them be even better. For me it all depends on what type of fishing I'm looking to do. Fog will make the fish wander and high sun suck into the structure around. I personally love the HIGH sun. :mrgreen:
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Larry Hemphill
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I think so!

Post by Larry Hemphill »

I do have an opinion about fog! First of all - fog is cold, very moist air, sinking to the water or ground. High fog is not so bad for the bite, but low fog is. I have many years dealing with this issue on many lakes. That is where I have formed my opinions - not on the delta as I don't fish there very often. My experience with low level fog comes from Collins, Bullards Bar, Folsom, Clear Lake, Berryessa, and Amador. My best example to back my ideas comes from Collins Lake - east of Marysville. I fish there often during winter days - usually from 10am to 4 or 5 pm. On sunny days, it is quite pleasant. Although Collins is located at 1200 foot elevation, heavy tulle fog can form in the valley during late afternoon and come over the hill and descend on the lake. It is creepy to watch those fog fingers move silently over the water. I have NEVER got a bite after the cold, moist air settles on the lake. NEVER! I can feel the air temp drop about 15 to 20 degrees as this happens, along with the breeze that moves the fog. Same experience at all the lakes I have mentioned, especially at Clear Lake when the fog settles on the water about 1 or 2 in the morning. I have photos of tulle fog on Lake Amador at the same time there is overhead fog from the coast. Those photos do not include bass caught - they don't bite until the morning fog clears. As I mentioned, the delta is a different animal and gets a lot of winter fog in the morning. I have heard that boating in that stuff is really the big issue!
GKramer
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by GKramer »

As Gary Klein would say, fog is just another excuse to fail.
scott h
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by scott h »

Fog on the delta, isn't bad. It is when it is clear on the delta and the marine layer from the coast is sitting on diablo, usually means clear and breezy to windy on the delta and for me, makes the top water bite tough to non existent but blades and cranks pick up the slack on those days.
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george
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by george »

I think George Kramer says it best with the Gary Klein quote; "Fog is another excuse to fail"! When it gets foggy it takes us out of our comfort zone. When we get cold, damp and wet, when we have limited visibility, when we cant run to areas that we have confidence in; these factors all weigh in on anglers not catching fish in the fog.
I truly believe that bass fishing is sixty percent preparation/practice, thirty percent mental readiness/ability to deal with the day; wind/rain/fog/heat; etc. and ten percent luck!

George
trevorvandam
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by trevorvandam »

I love foggy mornings! Especially in the fall with topwater
Cooch

Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by Cooch »

lil nitro wrote:I know the fog means low light conditions and keeps it a little warmer but do the fish care ? Does it make for a tough bite ? Does it effect the delta same as the lakes ?
Here on the Delta, we experience two types of "fog", both of which are referred to as "radiation fog", marine coastal fog and ground or "tule" fog. Basically, both are created by cool air temps that hit warmer ground or water temps. Tule Fog, is a unique phenomenon that occurs in the California Central Valley and we see it here on the Delta from November thru sometimes as late as April. The coastal marine fog comes thru the Golden Gate off the Pacific coast. This marine layer rarely reaches and covers the Delta, yet will creep over the Cordelia, Mt Diablo, Altamont mountain range and is common in the late spring through summer months.

Both indeed affect the bass fishing here, especially in the mornings due to they bring a drastic temperature drop to the shallow waters of the Delta. Bass are cold blooded creatures, and the Florida strain in particular, is more susceptible to temperature drops versus the Northerns, Spots and Smallies. The biggest effect in the summer with that marine layer, is that it will cool down the air temps by 10-20 degrees, hence cooling the shallow surface temps. As Scott H mentions, this will indeed destroy a strong morning topwater bite during the summer. Your window to catch topwater fish during this period, is that first 15-20 minutes before the sun peaks from the East. After that, the topwater bite won't come back strong again until later in the day. You can catch em purty good with other sub-surface tactics, they just aren't willing to come to the surface with the sudden temp drops with the induction of the marine layer fog bringing in that cooler temps.

Tule fog, on the other hand has slightly a different effect, in the late fall and winter months here. Since it occurs when the water temps in the shallow Delta system are at it's coolest, these Florida strain bass are already hunkered down and their metabolism is very low, they reside deeper in the water column and are hence far less affected by cooling air temps that cool the shallows, simply because they are below that thermocline up shallow that is cooled by the fog. As you mention Lil Nitro, that tule fog does bring low light conditions, and in the earlier parts of the day during this time, the bass will roam and move around more during feeding periods. The potential to catch reaction fish, indeed is greater in the winter during the early part of the day, versus later in the day when the sun peaks out and begins to warm the shallows. As that sun peaks through, them Floridas go back to their suspending habits, and move around far less, hence become more difficult to catch. The sooner that fog burns off and the sun comes out, it now begins to warm the shallows quicker, especially along the vast rock levee banks we have here and I'll move to those types of bank as the day wears on.

None of this is a perfect science, yet my experiences over the years, follow along these conditions, so much so, that it gives me options that increase my potential to catch a few more fish by making the proper adjustments in my fishing when the conditions in that bass' world changes. This is what rings true in Klien's thoughts, so many of us, will look at the fog as an excuse why we aren't catching fish, versus understanding the change that occurs in a bass' world, and making some sort of adjustment in our tactics to try and resolve the fact we aren't catching fish with the tactics we are currently using.
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ScottyJ
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by ScottyJ »

Dang Cooch I love your knowledge on all the delta stuff. You should write a book. Each chapter can be a different topic.
"Jig fish are big fish"
lil nitro
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Re: Does fog effect the bite ?

Post by lil nitro »

Well it looks like I am going to have to find another excuse. Thanks for all the great reply's everybody. Pretty awesome having two local guides with years of experience offering some great advice.
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