| "Weather" is caused by uneven heating of the | | | | house? Are they worth owning? These probably |
| earth's surface. Warm air is lighter than cold air, so | | | | have marginal value unless you monitor them |
| it rises. Rising air would create a vacuum, but | | | | almost constantly. Why? Because, unless you |
| nature won't permit that, so surrounding air | | | | looked, you don't know what the pressure was |
| rushes in to fill the void that rising air is trying to | | | | an hour ago, or eight hours ago, or yesterday. |
| create. The result is "wind". Also, its the warm air, | | | | These instruments will, however, tell you when |
| rising air in one area, and the cold, descending air | | | | there are extreme swings in pressure, i.e. very |
| in a different area that creates differences in air | | | | low or very high pressure, both of which are |
| pressure, i.e. barometric pressure, and at any | | | | relatively uncommon, and neither of which tends |
| given spot in the world this pressure is constantly | | | | to last very long. It's probably a better idea to |
| changing. We humans seem a bit out of tune with | | | | monitor the Weather Channel or your local |
| barometric pressure changes, as they don't seem | | | | weather for barometric pressure readings. |
| to affect us as much, at least outwardly. Do | | | | Predicting Bass Reactions to Barometer Changes: |
| these pressure changes affect other land animals? | | | | Can fish, especially bass, predict weather changes |
| Probably so. Some of this we can maybe | | | | as well as, maybe even better than, the National |
| document, but a lot of this is still open to further | | | | Weather Service? Maybe so, and if they can, a |
| study. Most anglers agree that fish react | | | | lot of what fish can predict might be associated |
| considerably to changes in air pressure. Why? To | | | | with their swim bladders. One rule to go by is, |
| understand the answer to that question, we | | | | concentrate on fishing shallow water during air |
| should think of the "air" above as pushing down | | | | pressure drops, deeper water during air pressure |
| on a lake or river because of the air's weight. We | | | | rises. Air pressure changes impact on the fishing |
| now know that the weight of that air is | | | | more in the fall, winter and early to mid spring. |
| constantly changing through air pressure changes. | | | | This might be because fronts that pass during this |
| One key to why fish are so affected by air | | | | time of year tend to come from the north and |
| pressure changes is that when air pushes on the | | | | northwest, while late spring, summer and early fall |
| water there's no place for it to go, or at least | | | | frontal systems often come from the south and |
| there's very little water compression. Further, | | | | southwest. The colder weather fronts that come |
| when air compresses down against a body of | | | | from the north and northwest involve more |
| water, the pressure in the water itself is more | | | | drastic barometric pressure changes, while the |
| (water pressure) than the difference than the air | | | | warmer weather fronts associated with coming |
| pressure has experienced because air will | | | | from the south and southwest involve relatively |
| compress so much more. The "standard" for | | | | mild pressure changes. While you forward to the |
| barometric pressure is 29.92 inches of mercury at | | | | day's fishing when it's as clear as the proverbial |
| sea level. This means "standard" air pressure will | | | | bell, not a cloud in the sky, you're not likely to |
| hold up 29.92 inches of mercury (if it's inverted | | | | encounter great fishing because the barometric |
| just so). If air pressure increases, i.e. there's more | | | | pressure readings are probably very high. That |
| weight on it, the pressure goes up, maybe to | | | | reasoning is a lot more plausible than guessing that |
| 29.99, 30.13, something like that. If air pressure | | | | it's too bright and the bass have no eyelids, and |
| goes down, there's less weight pressing down on | | | | this is the reason for them being off the "bite". |
| it, so the numbers might read 29.85, 29.79, | | | | But we all fish in these conditions. There is |
| something like that. The thing to remember is | | | | something we can do about it though. Bass are |
| that while you might imagine these fluctuation to | | | | going to head for the thickest of cover they can |
| be small (maybe because we can't feel them), | | | | find, and you'll have to do plenty in the positive |
| fish like bass do feel these changes, perhaps | | | | sense to encourage them to bite. So select slow |
| dramatically because the air above is pressing | | | | moving baits and slow down your retrieves. Make |
| down on the water where they live and the | | | | your presentations soft and easy. Worms, grubs, |
| changes in the water pressure are much more | | | | the jig n pig will probably be among your best lure |
| dramatic than in the air. | | | | choices. |
| How Pressure Affect Bass: | | | | The Best and Worst Conditions: |
| Sorry for that lengthy explanation, but maybe this | | | | Bass bite fairly well when the barometer is from, |
| is the first time you've been able to better | | | | say, 29.98 to 30.02. However, from mid-spring to |
| understand what barometric pressure is, as well | | | | early autumn you may have your best catches, |
| as why fish are maybe more affected by these | | | | when barometric pressure has dropped from the |
| changes in their watery environment. One of the | | | | 29.98 to 30.02 range, and dropped dramatically in |
| reasons bass are so challenging is that they seem | | | | a relatively short time. It's the drop of.10 to.15 in |
| more influenced by environmental changes like | | | | pressure (and especially a fast drop) that triggers |
| barometric pressure. These atmospheric pressure | | | | two things: (1) the bass go on a relatively brief |
| changes affect shallow water bass more than | | | | rampage, and (2) it's an approaching weather |
| they do the deeper dwellers. It is thought that | | | | front that causes the air pressure drop. Of |
| fish are able to monitor pressure changes via their | | | | course, it can be hazardous to fish once the front |
| swim bladder. We can assume that when | | | | gets too close, what with the probability of high |
| barometric pressure goes up (higher), bass feel | | | | winds and lightning. So a second game plan might |
| increased pressure on their swim bladder. The | | | | be to fish a couple of days after a significant |
| swim bladder might even compress. Does this | | | | front has passed through, once air pressure has |
| make them feel lethargic, uncomfortable, less | | | | stabilized. And a third game plan would be to go |
| inclined to feed? Might high pressure even affect | | | | fishing when the air pressure has been relatively |
| their equilibrium or sense of balance? Probably so | | | | steady for several days. The worst times to go |
| on all counts, or at least that's what many people | | | | fishing, in terms of barometric pressure, are when |
| are theorizing at this moment. Recall how a bass | | | | the pressures are below 29.90 or above 30.15. It |
| reacts when it is kept out of the water longer | | | | is thought that bass tend to recover more quickly |
| than it normally take to release it? They turn on | | | | from air pressure changes in warm water than |
| their side when you turn them loose. One plausible | | | | they do in cold, as much as three of four days in |
| reason this might occur is that by being out of | | | | cold water, despite barometric pressures |
| the watery environment for a while, their swim | | | | otherwise seeming to be fine. |
| bladder expands considerably, fouling up their | | | | In conclusion, many environmental factors affect |
| equilibrium. It probably takes a bass quite a long | | | | fish behavior, like PH, water clarity, water |
| time to recover from this. Same deal with a | | | | temperature, water fluctuation, just to mention a |
| marked air pressure change (up or down) which in | | | | few. But changes in barometric pressure are |
| turn affects the pressure in the water. | | | | critical, and understanding them will help you |
| How to Check Your Local Pressure: | | | | concentrate your best bass fishing efforts even |
| What about the barometers you keep in your | | | | more. |