# Barometric Pressure -Bass



## wright1587 (May 5, 2013)

I am fairly new to this site and have read a ton. I have been reading about atmospheric pressure and the results of bass fishing. I do have a couple of questions. I know fishing is always better when the pressure is falling. What is a good reading for Ohio..I read somewhere that fishing is good below a 30.00 reading..I am not sure if that is the same factor as in Ohio compared to say Florida. If fishing is good below 30 then what if pressure falls to 29.10 then rises up to 29.70, will the fishing still be good as compared to when the pressure was falling?


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

I really don't know. I go by time available to fish, time of year, and time of day. Any other factor, like lunar cycle, doesn't factor in much for me...

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## nitefisher (Jul 8, 2009)

The best way to understand it is to realize the similarity of barometric pressure pushing on a fishes stomach against his air bladder and the pressure of a belt around your waist. Suppose you get up on thanksgiving morning and get dressed to go eat your big dinner... you put on your pants and cinch your belt. You sit down and start eating and you start feeling the pressure against your belt fairly soon so you decide to loosen your belt a notch cause it relieves pressure on your stomach and you feel like eating some more. That is what falling barometric pressure does to the fish and he starts eating more too. Loosen the belt more... eat more. Unbutton your pants and really go for it. Then you want to get up from the table and go watch some football so you button up your pants and the pressure increases and you think you might have over done it a little. Start cinching your belt and you start thinking you may have really overdone it... hook it back up where it was when you got up that am and you are like OMG I really over did it! Then your sitting around not wanting to move and not hungry again for quite a while... exactly what happens to the fish as the barometer rises. That is why falling pressure is better fishing than rising pressure.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

nitefisher said:


> The best way to understand it is to realize the similarity of barometric pressure pushing on a fishes stomach against his air bladder and the pressure of a belt around your waist. Suppose you get up on thanksgiving morning and get dressed to go eat your big dinner... you put on your pants and cinch your belt. You sit down and start eating and you start feeling the pressure against your belt fairly soon so you decide to loosen your belt a notch cause it relieves pressure on your stomach and you feel like eating some more. That is what falling barometric pressure does to the fish and he starts eating more too. Loosen the belt more... eat more. Unbutton your pants and really go for it. Then you want to get up from the table and go watch some football so you button up your pants and the pressure increases and you think you might have over done it a little. Start cinching your belt and you start thinking you may have really overdone it... hook it back up where it was when you got up that am and you are like OMG I really over did it! Then your sitting around not wanting to move and not hungry again for quite a while... exactly what happens to the fish as the barometer rises. That is why falling pressure is better fishing than rising pressure.


This may be the best description of barometric pressure affecting fish that I've ever read! Lol!!!

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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

So when the pressure is rising I'm gonna start baiting my hooks with pumpkin pie since I always have room for more pumpkin pie no matter how many pounds of turkey and mashed potatoes I've eaten...

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## wright1587 (May 5, 2013)

Good analogy nitefisher....so then I assume if the pressure stays low and doesnt move for a day or two the bass will keep eating more and more? For example tomorrow looks like rain in the morning and then overcast throughout the day tomorrow. I assume the pressure will either stay the same as now or will move just slightly higher, but won't skyrocket higher to really disrupt the fishing. Is my thinking correct, or after a couple of days of low pressure the fish will get full anyways?


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## Boostedawdfun (Sep 15, 2012)

Deazl666 said:


> So when the pressure is rising I'm gonna start baiting my hooks with pumpkin pie since I always have room for more pumpkin pie no matter how many pounds of turkey and mashed potatoes I've eaten...
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Win! Me too hahaha


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## Northern1 (May 9, 2012)

wright1587 said:


> Good analogy nitefisher....so then I assume if the pressure stays low and doesnt move for a day or two the bass will keep eating more and more? For example tomorrow looks like rain in the morning and then overcast throughout the day tomorrow. I assume the pressure will either stay the same as now or will move just slightly higher, but won't skyrocket higher to really disrupt the fishing. Is my thinking correct, or after a couple of days of low pressure the fish will get full anyways?


I like this thought. How does the pressure change with temperature changes? Good first thread, wright.


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## wright1587 (May 5, 2013)

Northern1 said:


> I like this thought. How does the pressure change with temperature changes? Good first thread, wright.


I have been fishing for a few years, but was just casually going and not really target any certain type of fish. I just recently decided to try and focus and get an understanding of bass and based on reading, I came to an understanding the atmostpheric pressure really affects bass feeding, but ofcourse I had questions. 

I also heard mix reviews about lunar phases and the affects on bass..some say it definitely effects bass spawn..some say barometric pressure affects them more. Just really interesting stuff to trying to understand them.


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

Northern1 said:


> I like this thought. How does the pressure change with temperature changes? Good first thread, wright.


A drop in pressure on a hot day might be followed by a period of storms and then cool weather and building pressure, right? That immediate period right before the storm hits is always good fishing, if one can time it right; but the period after can be tough. Of course, one also needs to consider the type water being fished - smaller water is more predictable and rivers patterns can get really weird. I've caught bass in horrible conditions in lakes and ponds that are well stocked. There are other variables besides baro pressure, like numbers of fish, that need to also be considered and water temp has to be right at the top...

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## freshwater_newb (May 16, 2013)

nitefisher is spot on about low and falling pressure= feeding and high pressure=not feeding. i've never thought about the belt tightening analogy, i have to admit, but the feeding related to high and low pressure is absolutely correct.

i'd also like to add that sustained periods of steady pressure, even when high, will restart feeding behavior in the fishies. they get hungry after a while and level out their behavior as the high pressure becomes their new norm. late second or third day after a rise in barometric pressure and sustaining at that level will restart feeding activity.

though i may be a newb, its only of the freshwater sort. 

it's one of the major variables regarding fish's feeding activity. 

lunar cycle in my experience is, meh. Unless we're talking about tidal responses to the moon. I have zero experience whether this affects fish in small bodies of freshwater, perhaps only the great lakes experience any influence of lunar cycles (and that is merely speculation on my part), but it is one of the other major variables in feeding behavior in the oceans one must consider.

just my two cents

Edit: temperature is another major factor on feeding. it's not directly related to barometric pressure though. it's just one of several major influences on a fishes feeding cycle. all of these pieces must be analyzed separately but considered as a whole as it affects the feeding behavior. 

each are pieces to the puzzle as to why they are biting or not. there are also minor factors, but pressure, temp and tidal (in saltwater at least) are three of the big ones. I'd write more the the wife has been waiting for me to finish this so we can watch some tv.

bye

edit2- don't forget weather in general; sunny, cloudy or rainy


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## freshwater_newb (May 16, 2013)

wright1587 said:


> after a couple of days of low pressure the fish will get full anyways?


yes, they will get full and then begin a normal feeding schedule, until one of the other environmental factors affect their schedule.

fish don't eat set meals, they always react to their environment and eat accordingly


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

I believe the barometer is your best friend as a fisherman. I try to fish(when timing permits) only in the periods of sharp decline. Another tool to use is is a US barometric pressure map... most of the systems move from W to E so just looking over to the West a ways, you can see what type of pressure will be coming in the next few days. heres a link.
http://www.weatherforyou.com/report...urrent_map&hwvWxType=pressure&hwvMapRegion=us


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## Fishin Finatic (Oct 22, 2010)

I think wind and clouds are better predictors of fish (and animal) activity. Of course they are related to barometric pressure too. When dad and I would go hunting or fishing he would look and see what the cattle were doing. If they were up and eating would be a good day if they were lying down it would be a tougher day. He was almost always right.

I love to fish right before a front (low pressure) when it's overcast and a west wind of 10+ mph puts a nice chop on the water. I like to fish at all other times!


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

Fishin Finatic said:


> I think wind and clouds are better predictors of fish (and animal) activity. Of course they are related to barometric pressure too. When dad and I would go hunting or fishing he would look and see what the cattle were doing. If they were up and eating would be a good day if they were lying down it would be a tougher day. He was almost always right.
> 
> I love to fish right before a front (low pressure) when it's overcast and a west wind of 10+ mph puts a nice chop on the water. I like to fish at all other times!


My dad always looked at the cattle too! He also tended to consider the with direction. 

Wind from the:
East, fish bite the least
West, fish bite the best
South, blows it in the fish's mouth
North, is a guessing game

Dad would not fish if the wind was coming from the East, or the north if the cattle were not grazing.

I still consider these things seriously and adjust my expectations accordingly. The only thing I won't do is miss a chance to fish!

Mr. A


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

It's been cloudy all day today. After reading nitefishers analogy, now I feel bloated and have gas! Thanks.


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## wright1587 (May 5, 2013)

buckzye11 said:


> I believe the barometer is your best friend as a fisherman. I try to fish(when timing permits) only in the periods of sharp decline. Another tool to use is is a US barometric pressure map... most of the systems move from W to E so just looking over to the West a ways, you can see what type of pressure will be coming in the next few days. heres a link.
> http://www.weatherforyou.com/report...urrent_map&hwvWxType=pressure&hwvMapRegion=us


Most of the items I read has done the barometric pressure reading as 30.02, 29.86, etc; with 30 being the 'normal'. That looks like a great reference webpage; but what is the normal pressure with reading of 1010? In other words what reading would be considered lower than normal?


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

My fishing guru at work looks out the window of our building at the Scioto to see if the carp are moving and rooting around the weeds. If they're active, he fishes...

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## nitefisher (Jul 8, 2009)

polebender said:


> It's been cloudy all day today. After reading nitefishers analogy, now I feel bloated and have gas! Thanks.


You're welcome... but you know how it is. We are all our own worst enemy! Go for some pie LOL


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

I've been doing more thinking about this thread, and after rereading some of the posts in this thread, some of the posts in other fishing message boards, and some articles on the subject, I've come to this conclusion, and it's something that doesn't come as a surprise ... there's really no definitive answer on the affects of barometric pressure on bass fishing. I'm not talking about a rapidly moving barometer. It's clear that rapidly changing air pressure affects fishing. After thinking back on past experience, I can even admit that I've had better success on a rapidly falling barometer than I have on a rapidly rising barometer. But I was truly amazed at the number of articles I read, and the number of blogs and posts to message boards that I read that basically said that fishing on a high barometer was an exercise in futility. I certainly don't agree with that. As equally amazing were some of the reasoning used to come to their conclusions.

More than a few of the things I read, sited the belt tightening analogy of bass under high barometric pressure that was iterated by the OP of this thread. The OP mentioned something he had read in a previous thread on this web site, and was asking if anyone felt the same way as some of those that posted in the earlier thread. Based on comparing the pressure differences between water depth and atmospheric pressure, I think it's pretty clear that, that analogy doesn't hold any water. If it did, why would some suggest that bass move to deeper water under high barometric pressure? Wouldn't moving deeper "tighten the belt" even further? 

A few of the articles that I read mentioned the food chain being affected by barometric pressure. They stated that under low pressure, phytoplankton and zoo-plankton floated up, thereby energizing the food chain which results in greater bass activity. That sounds really good, and based on research I did, it's a feasible explanation. While it is said that both phytoplankton and zoo-plankton are unable to move horizontally, both can regulate their buoyancy and migrate vertically. I'm certainly not going to discount actual scientific research, but I have to question whether or not the movement is related to a pressure change that causes them to float, as some speculate ... or is it related to available sunlight?

Phytoplankton are plants. They use sunlight as a form of energy, and migrate vertically in the water column to find optimum growing conditions. This migration occurs daily, With, or without a change in atmospheric pressure. We know it occurs, because we can see it on our depth finders through bait fish movements. Bait fish feed on zoo-plankton, zoo-plankton feed on phytoplankton, and phytoplankton follow available sunlight. Where one goes, the others follow. It could be a combination of both pressure and available sunlight, but personally I lean more towards the latter being more likely, rather than the former. At least in my book. 

I read a few other explanations about why fishing on a high barometer was bad, but they were comical at best. If the person had actually taken the time to think through what they were saying, I'm sure even they would have scoffed at themselves. 

The closest I could come to finding a study on this topic, was in an article that was in In-Fisherman magazine from August of 2012. http://www.in-fisherman.com/2012/08/24/barometric-pressure-and-bass/ The study referenced in the article was inconclusive, and IMO sorely lacked details that could have had a substantial impact on their findings. No matter what your feelings happen to be, it's still an interesting read for those that are less sure of their stance on the topic. It also raised some ideas that some of us (including me) may not have considered. 

Anyhow ... I've gone long again. It may seem like I'm fixated on this subject, but that's not really the case at all. Right or wrong, I already know how I feel on the topic. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you think bass fishing is bad on a high or steady barometer, and that you purposefully avoid fishing on those days, you're doing yourself a great disservice. Those days can be just as good, if not better. Stable weather produces much more consistent fishing than unstable weather. Also, if you're really interested in becoming a better bass fisherman, you need to fish all conditions and become versatile with a lot of different techniques and presentations. Let's face it ... We've all had days that we thought we should have killed them based on the weather, the barometer, or whatever and we've come up empty or at the very least, disappointed by our results. Don't avoid fishing the tough times, because learning to catch bass on those days, is going to help you in the long run. 

Plus, if you get out on the water during those prolonged high pressure and bright sunny days of summer, you may just spy a lovely lady in a skimpy bikini. Sometimes that can make a bad day of fishing all worth while. lol


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## Mr. A (Apr 23, 2012)

BBM, no! You're not fixated on this at all. Heck, there have been a dozen or so people post on this thread; nevermind that half of the content is in you final two posts!  jk

I have also been reading up on this. Though not to the degree you have apparently. My opinion on barometric pressure, which was never iron clad, is that barometric pressure is more of an over hyped escort than a dependable partner . The Heidy Flice (sp?) of indicators if you will.

Which way it moves means far less than what conditions those moves accompany. I think the weather conditions mean more than the barometric pressure moving. However, I am still looking to see how much of an "early warning system" a barometer can be.

Mr. A


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## GMR_Guy (Apr 10, 2004)

http://midcurrent.com/science/the-pressure-myth/

With all due respect to some of the posters on this board, I don't think that fish feel changes in pressure anymore than humans. Have you ever had the feeling of your stomach become more full, because the barometric pressure is rising? I highly doubt it. The change in pressure is just too small for animals or fish to notice. If you were to take the difference in pressure between the highest and lowest pressures ever recorded, approximately .1 atmosphere. Most pressure changes are far less extreme, about 1/10 or 1/20th of that. So a fish would only have to move a few inches up or down the water column to compensate for the changes in pressure. The fluctuations of water pressure due to waves on the surface, say 1 foot waves, produces far more of a pressure change than would ever be produced by a front. Simply put, I think it is what is associated with a pressure change is what causes the fish to alter their behavior such wind, sunlight, temperature, etc. Fish do not feel the change in pressure any more or less than we do. I've never noticed myself feel more full on days of higher pressure or feel less full on days of lower pressure. Pressure does not affect my appetite.


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