Barometric Pressure

[OuttKastt]

I have been reading a lot of posts about fishing and "barometric pressure" tends to come up often. Does anyone want to enlighten me, and other people on this forum, how barometric pressure affects fishing success? I would love to know.

Thanks

[skidderman]

My dad swears that a falling pressure is bad and rising good. Personally I've never paid attention to actual numbers. My experience though is that if we are in bad weather conditions, i.e. falling pressure the bite is off. I recall fishing a lake for walleye north of Slave Lake. One morning the fish were biting until 10 am then a storm moved in. Could't buy a fish the rest of the day. Had same thing happen a Blackett as well. Don't know the science behind it though.

[The Reel Deal]

My best pike action has been at falling or pressure less than 102.5 kpa

[Mackinaw]

I have been reading a lot of posts about fishing and "barometric pressure" tends to come up often. Does anyone want to enlighten me, and other people on this forum, how barometric pressure affects fishing success? I would love to know.

Thanks

The fish feel the effect of the change in barometric pressure on their air bladders thelarger the fish the greater they are effected. When the pressure drops it lessens the pressure on the bladder which allow the bladder to swell this is uncomfortable for the fish so they go deeper to releave this at this time they are less likely to feed. But because they feel this change long before it actually happens they prepare for this by feeding before hand this is why fish feed more aggressive before and after a storm front. A higher pressure does the opposite if you have an extended period of high pressure the fishing is fantaztic.. this is a very simple explanation of what happens maybe someone can elaborate more.

Mack

[tight line]

The fish feel the effect of the change in barometric pressure on their air bladders thelarger the fish the greater they are effected. When the pressure drops it lessens the pressure on the bladder which allow the bladder to swell this is uncomfortable for the fish so they go deeper to releave this at this time they are less likely to feed. But because they feel this change long before it actually happens they prepare for this by feeding before hand this is why fish feed more aggressive before and after a storm front. A higher pressure does the opposite if you have an extended period of high pressure the fishing is fantaztic.. this is a very simple explanation of what happens maybe someone can elaborate more.

Mack

Great explanation!

[Mackinaw]

My best pike action has been at falling or pressure less than 102.5 kpa

That is great time to fish the pressure is still up but at 102.5 but is falling so fish are feeding before the drop

Mack

[Rafter1]

There is a good article in the Jan Feb Western Sportsman magazine (can I say that on here) regarding the effect of weather and barometric pressure on how fish feed.

[-JR-]

Steady pressure is what you want. 101 is the norm for Alberta for a good fishing day. Moon phase is another story.
Saying all this....any day fishing is a good day.

[Mackinaw]

There is a good article in the Jan Feb Western Sportsman magazine (can I say that on here) regarding the effect of weather and barometric pressure on how fish feed.

Steady pressure is what you want. 101 is the norm for Alberta for a good fishing day. Moon phase is another story.
Saying all this....any day fishing is a good day.

Actually steady pressure is only good if it is moderate to high a steady low pressue is not good lucky for us a low pressure never stays that long a descending high to low is the best....but I will agree any day fishing is a good day.

Mack

[Wild&Free]

I never quite get that reasoning. 30 ft water = 1 atmosphere of pressure.
With the slow rate of change of barometric pressure and the ability to adjust their swim bladders to equalize, as well as their frequently movements up and down the water column...

When you look at the extreme possible range of barometric pressure, that is around 8% of 1 atm, so you're talking 2.5 ft difference in water pressure to a fish over a number of hours. In reality this is closer to 1 ft, because we don't see weather that extreme. They regularly swim up and down more than that.

Maybe they can sense it through other means, but pressure on their swim bladders, I wouldn't think so.

Imagine your testes swelling 5% regardless of where you are compared to normal
:thinking-006:

[Mackinaw]

Imagine your testes swelling 5% regardless of where you are compared to normal
:thinking-006:

Lol great analogy painful to think about but great :scared:

Mack

[Kim473]

The fish feel the effect of the change in barometric pressure on their air bladders thelarger the fish the greater they are effected. When the pressure drops it lessens the pressure on the bladder which allow the bladder to swell this is uncomfortable for the fish so they go deeper to releave this at this time they are less likely to feed. But because they feel this change long before it actually happens they prepare for this by feeding before hand this is why fish feed more aggressive before and after a storm front. A higher pressure does the opposite if you have an extended period of high pressure the fishing is fantaztic.. this is a very simple explanation of what happens maybe someone can elaborate more.

Mack

X2, was out one summer day and about 5 very small storms went through. Just before each storm hit the perch bite was great. Durring the storm the bite was completely off.

[cube]

Who said 5%? Water Density != Air Density. Put your testes down to 30ft below the surface and you'll find out why they are different.

This explains it well:
http://midcurrent.com/science/the-pressure-myth/

There's a lot of folklore in fishing, with so many ways to explain why you didn't catch a fish a particular day, you can always figure out an excuse for it being another reason than you.

There are many factors that do effect fish that may be related to barometric pressure, i.e. light, wind etc, but the air pressure effecting the swim bladder and swelling in your testes ain't one of them, see a doctor about that :-)

X2 Thanks Jet.