Foul Weather Fishing Tips That Will Get You in Your Boat
There are a lot of different factors to consider when you're planning a fishing trip: your location, the type of bait, your equipment and the type of fish that you plan to target. While you can control nearly everything (except whether or not the fish decide to bite!), you cannot control the weather! It may be disappointing to have planned a fishing trip only to learn that there's some challenging weather moving into the area, but don't despair. Here are some of the best foul weather fishing tips that will get you away from your television and back to the water!
Types of Weather Fronts
Avid fish-wranglers will tell you that fish are highly sensitive to changes in the weather, and can even tell when different types of fronts are moving through the area. Air bubbles are released into the water as air pressure falls — signaling a change to cooler weather. Fish often search out small organisms and particles that float to the surface on air bubbles, but fishing can be poor a few days after falling pressure. Rising pressure often indicates clear skies and warmer weather, which means a perfect time to grab your gear! Fishing in a cold front tends to work best in areas with dark water such as lakes or rivers, while warm fronts will have fish moving closer to the top of the water where surface lures are more effective.
Bring on the Rain
Fishing in the rain may be a little uncomfortable for those doing the fishing, but it's not bothering the fish! A light rainfall may mask the process of casting and fish are likely to come to the surface after the small bugs that like to hover after a rainfall. All of these conditions together are very favorable for catching your favorite fishies. Rain also causes organic matter, such as grasses and weeds, to rise to the surface and creates natural fish bait.
Tips for Foul Weather Fishing
Even in the worst possible fishing conditions such as a cold snap when fish are cowering near the bottom, you can often lure them out by fishing large lures very quickly to trigger reactionary strikes. Cloudy, overcast days are a great time to check out large pike hiding out in weed beds near the shoreline. A driving downpour may not feel like your favorite time to be on the water, but fish love to follow rising tide waters into a new area and explore for food. This is a great time to pick them off in the shallows! When you're following up a cold snap with a fishing trip, try going deep or looking for flowing water to troll. Finding a calm spot in bad weather is key to getting hits.
Ready to hit the water? Norton Sporting Goods has all the gear you need for your next fishing trip — fair weather or foul! Learn more about fishing bait and how to catch more fish in all conditions on our recent blog post or come in to chat with our pros today!
