If you decide to go fishing after a storm and you use your best fish finder to check out the possibilities available, you’ll see that things look pretty good. You probably know this if you’ve been fishing for a while, but a beginner may not, so let’s look together at some of the benefits that fishing after a storm may bring to you.
Before we begin
You have probably wondered before, at least casually, how do fish react during a storm? Do they also get scared? Do they even notice it? Can they comprehend what is going on? Do they become more aggressive or do they become lazier as they’re dizzy from the storm? Let’s find out the answers to some of these questions below!
Before you go out after a storm has passed, you will need to take into consideration how that event affected sea life. More importantly, though, you need to make sure that you will be safe in those circumstances as the storm could have caused problems on the road, on the fishing spot you usually go to, and so on.
Since there are so many myths about fishing after a storm, we’ve prepared this small guide for you so you can be informed properly about the topic from people who know a thing or two about fishing.
How does the weather affect the fish?
Just like with any other animal or even some plants, fish also have different reactions based on the weather. There are, of course, many reasons why an animal would react a certain way to a certain thing happening which is why the scientists who study fish (ichthyologists) have conducted studies to see how and why fish react the way they do in some instances.
Among the things that were studied we can name how fish react when the air pressure changes or how they react to certain types of weather. As expected, different types of fish have different behaviors to different weather changes. You couldn’t expect 28,000 species of fish to have the same reaction.
We all know how cats are afraid of water. While this is true for many breeds, others, such as the Turkish Van, Japanese Bobtail or the Norwegian Forest cat love it! The Turkish Van loves water so much that it’s nicknamed the “swimming cat”. So, naturally, fish are going to be different, as well.
One behavior that fish tend to have in common is how they react during windy weather. As they spend most of their time looking for something to eat, if the weather gets windy, the fish will have a tendency of moving more toward the bank. But this is not some instinct as they have a perfectly good reason to do so.
Because the wind will push insects and other types of food fish enjoy, more toward the bank, it’s perfectly natural that they would follow where the food goes. The small fish go after the insects and the large fish go after the small ones. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
So how do fish act when the weather is really nice and sunny outside? Well, the answer may surprise you! You may think that a nice, hot, sunny weather would make the fish more willing to risk their lives for some bait – after all, this is the weather in which you like to fish the most, so, why wouldn’t they like it better too?
Well, that’s not true. Insects will look for a shady place to rest which means there aren’t going to be many of them around the water. This results in the fish spending less time near the surface and going deeper into the water to look for food and so that they can cool off also! So, it’s not just you who is looking for shade during a hot summer month.
This means that if you were planning to go fish on a hot, sunny day this summer, it would be advisable to reconsider your plans if you want them to work and come back with a big catch. But how do fish respond to colder weather? Well, the answer would be surprising, if not, by now, already obvious because of how they act during a heatwave.
If the weather is colder, there is a bigger chance that the fish is going to bite which makes it the ideal time to take out your fishing gear and enjoy the surprising benefits of cold weather. Your chances of catching a big mouth bass or a carp are much higher in such days because they’ll be looking for some sun rays, thus keeping them closer to the surface.
Once it gets really cold and the water starts to freeze, you’ll also have different chances of catching various types of fish. This is the famous ice fishing, but, if you’re a beginner in this area, we wouldn’t recommend starting with ice fishing in the first place as it asks for a different set of rules to be followed.
Cold water also makes the fish be less active. Because they still feel the need to eat, they are less likely to chase something through the waters, and that dangerous dangling worm you have hanging right in front of it is going to start looking mighty fine. The downside is that cold water can affect fish so much that, ironically, they won’t bite the bait.
So, fishing is a risky business. If the weather is too hot, they won’t bite. If the weather is too cold, they still won’t bite! Is there any time of the day or some weather in which fishing can actually guarantee some good results? Well, we are glad you asked, because stormy weather seems to be the answer.
What are the benefits?
As we mentioned above, if you want to go fishing after a storm, you need to keep your safety as the main priority. Depending on how bad the storm was, you may even want to reconsider the plan of going out there by yourself. But, if you are lucky, you may come across a few fishermen in the area, as well.
Be cautious when you are out there and the weather is stormy – even if it looks like things are starting to get better. When the weather is really hot, a storm can form suddenly, so preparing for this type of weather is the only way you can be sure that you are indeed safe. Now that we’ve made it clear that you have to be safe …
Fishing right after a storm is quite a great way of coming across a big yield as during those moments the barometric pressure is slowly going down and fish react to those changes. If the barometric pressure is too high, fish are less interested in biting, while they are more likely to bite when the pressure gets lower.
While we do not condone going on the water as the storm is just starting, that is also the moment when catching fish is great since it’s right when the barometric pressure starts to drop. The pressure is going to drop even more as the storm is moving across the area. If it’s safe for you to go out, now is the moment, as fish are going to bite like crazy!
If the storm is too strong, not only is it not safe for you, but there’s also a smaller chance for fish to see the bait because lighting or heavy rain scares them so they’ll retreat in the deeper parts of the lake or sea. Taking shelter is more important for them than food in those moments so it’s only natural that they’d react this way.
Of course, it’s important to notice that the barometric pressure isn’t responsible for everything as the even more important aspect is noticing the direction in which the pressure is heading – meaning if it’s rising or falling. Fish will be more active when the pressure is going down which makes it a great time to catch them!
If you keep this in mind you can take advantage of every storm that starts in your area and get home with plenty of fish. Just make sure you won’t be the main target of lighting or anything of the sorts.
Keeping this in mind, it’ll surely help you catch the big one the next time you go fishing!
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