Barometric Pressure

What is your opinion on the effect Barometric Pressure has on fish in the river? I’ve seen the effects on lakes but I’m not sure I can draw a pattern on the river.

Good question. I have always wondered this as well. Have heard quite a few guys say they believe it has very minimal effect on river fishing, but I’m not 100% sold on that yet…

just thinking out loud here,the pressure is going to be the same regardless of where you or the fish are at.

if the fish do act different between a lake and river the difference in my mind is because of their environment,ie,rivers are in constant motion which a fish is swimming against most of the time and its expending more energy at a higher rate than a lake fish.
not only that,one would think it has to go farther to find a food source it can corner.

with this in mind,it is going to feed regardless of what the baro says as it is hungry and needs to replenish the energy expended.
a lake fish doesnt have to work near as hard and can just sit around until the weather levels off after a day or two and then go eat as its energy is not depleted as quickly as a river fish and its food source is most likely easier to find.

thoughts??

I’m gonna have to swing the other way on that one Iowaboy.

River fish I feel have it easier with the conveyor of food coming at em, just setup in right spot and dinners served. Whereas lake fish need to work for it a lil bit more and when those pressure systems do roll through it affects them more than river systems.

Overall I felt rivers are much more affected by clarity and flow then by pressure.

But this matter would be much better discussed at a bar, maybe in a harbor, around middle of May perhaps, on the river to test out both theories after then of course

But this matter would be much better discussed at a bar, maybe in a harbor, around middle of May perhaps, on the river to test out both theories after then of course

[/quote]

Hmmmmmmm – why do i see that discussion ending with this?

Attachments:

1. 

   George-Dickel-12.jpg
   

nhamm wrote:

I’m gonna have to swing the other way on that one Iowaboy.

River fish I feel have it easier with the conveyor of food coming at em, just setup in right spot and dinners served. Whereas lake fish need to work for it a lil bit more and when those pressure systems do roll through it affects them more than river systems.

Overall I felt rivers are much more affected by clarity and flow then by pressure.

But this matter would be much better discussed at a bar, maybe in a harbor, around middle of May perhaps, on the river to test out both theories after then of course

Ha Count me in.
Good points btw. I also feel it has more to do with water clarity, sun penetration & overall flow. All those are likely to change post-storm, i.e. high pressure, which would affect the bite. So it may not necessarily be the high pressure affecting them as much as the other factors that a storm produces.

I agree with mostly everything that’s been shared. Water clarity and flow impact the bite far more on the river than Barometric Pressure.

With that being said, a cold front situation still does turn the bite down in my opinion. From May-October I fish P4 3-4 days a week. I do once in a while glance at the lunar tables or pressure, but would never let it make or break a decision to fish. A cooler keeps the beer cold in ANY conditions

I think all of this is relevant to some degree, including the barometer but I think rivers are less affected by pressure swings than closed bodies of water. I also feel that smaller closed bodies of water are affected more than large bodies of water. I find that long range barometer swings are less telling than short term barometric changes and I follow this site like a hawk for my crappie fishing: http://w1.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KRST.html

A lot will depend on the fish you’re interested in too. Crappies and sunfish can be some of the moodiest fish swimming regardless of where they’re found but seem to be super aggressive immediately ahead of a front and I do mean immediately ahead of it…..as in minutes of its hitting. Bass are one that can puzzle people during the more radical barometer changes after a front passes and probably more frustrating for the largemouth angler than the smallie angler from my meager experience with them . Walleyes I know can be tough in lakes after a hard change in pressure but I also have had some awfully good walleye fishing on the big river right on the heels of a strong front when others are struggling in lakes.

I refer to that website more after the fact than I do trying to use it as a tool to try and out-think the fish. By being on the water when things start changing big time and noting the time, I can come back to this site and see what the barometer was actually doing in that time frame. Studying this barometric stuff is interesting for sure but whether it’ll every help a person accurately predict a bite is still pretty mysterious.