Barometric Pressure and Fishing
A High Pressure system is sitting over your lake. Fish will head to deeper water, or they will tuck away in very thick cover, and it is a little more challenging to coax them to bite. Typically the high pressure system is going to bring blue bird skies and slower fishing. Your best bet is to take the opportunity to go for a little larger fish. Don’t fish for quantity of fish, it’s time to go for the hawg. Slow down your lures and presentation. Get out in a little deeper water using your favorite slow plastics, worms, jigs, and finesse baits. Slow down that deep diving crank bait or grab a jerk bait and pause it a little longer.
The clouds are subsiding and the weather is clearing. Fish will tend to become a little more active while the pressure is actively climbing after a long term low pressure system. They will start feeding a little more actively, but will be a little more difficult to locate a solid pattern if a storm system has been around for some time. It’s time to experiment to see if you can lock in a location they are moving from or to.
A low pressure system is coming up on the lake. The Clouds are coming and the winds are picking up. Short version explanation, it’s time to whack ‘em. This is the most fun type of fishing, in my opinion. Crank up the trolling motor and throw and reel as many time as you can while the pressure is active. Fish are typically at their most aggressive in falling pressure. The bait fish become more active, wildlife gets more active, and I am personally convinced humans can feel this change on our bodies as well. I always feel more active on a summer day when a storm is coming, even when I am not on the water. That’s especially true if I am on the lake. I know the fishing is going to be Awesome if I can find a solid pattern and the perfect color they are looking for, also the butterflies set in because I know it’s probably going to be a rough wet ride back to the truck. I am not getting off the water until the first lighting strike starts getting too close for comfort. As always, be careful out there, know your boat and your water.
Many fish will head to a little shallower water and feed aggressive enough the fishing will be good. After the front is over the lake and the baro stabilizes slow down the same lures you were using when the pressure was dropping. Use top water baits a little slower, crank medium sized lures a little slower. Don’t hesitate to cast open water, no need to only concentrate on structure, but definitely don’t forget the structure.
After the pressure has stabilized, the longer it sits there the slower the fishing becomes. Fish will slow down head to deeper water or tuck away into cover again until the pressure starts to change again. Like the high pressure system, your best bet may be to take the opportunity to go for a little larger fish. Don’t fish for quantity of fish, it’s time to go for the hawg. Slow down your lures and presentation. Get out in a little deeper water using your favorite slow plastics, worms, jigs, and finesse baits. Slow down that deep diving crank bait or grab a jerk bait and pause it a little longer.
Mostly normal fishing conditions. It’s time to really practice on some new lure techniques. Don’t get set on one type or specific bait. Experiment different retrieves, speeds, depths. The fishing may not be excellent but in situations like this, really concentrate on what you were doing when you catch fish. Try to match that exact circumstance again and again to see if it’s a pattern. When you find something that works when the weather is normal, you should be able to duplicate it to an excellent day of fishing. Many fisherman feel that the best time for fishing is when the barometric pressure is active. And that the action slows down when the baro is steady for any amount of time. But we all know that the best time for fishing is when you can get on the water.