Weather

[Norco]

Is it worth while fishing the day after a severe thunderstorm/lightning. Does the flashes of lightning and sound of thunder scare the fish to the point they don't bite for a few days???

[kslipsinker]

In my experience, the storm wouldn't affect the fishing the next day unless there was a major temperature drop after the storm. If there was a major rain that caused the water to become dirty, that could have a negative influence too.

[united jigsticker]

This was covered briefly a few weeks ago. Heres the link:

http://fishingminnesota.com/ubb/Forum43/HTML/001298.html

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Good fishing,
UJ
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[Guest]

This was probably mentioned in the link united jigsticker gave but here it is again.

Fishing can be good after a storm as long as there wasn't a big temp drop in the air and the water. If the water temp dropped about 2 deg, then I would think it wouldn't matter to much. Unless the air pressure has changed dramatically.

Usually the best fishing time for walleyes is when the weather has been stable for a long time. Like high pressure and a nice west wind. Walleyes are like us they dont like the weather rainy or changing alot, they like a nice steady weather pattern. Most of the time pike fishing I have found the best time to be right before a storm when the pressure has dropped; b/c then they go on a feeding frenzy.

I dont think its the thunder thats scares the fish b/c they are used to that; its a natural sound. The fish would be scared of the sound of racket in a boat tho.

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Fish ON!

[Jack Pine]

It seems to me that there are no absolutes and that fish react to weather changes differently depending on which lake it is. Some lakes seems to shut down immediately following a storm and others seem less effected. Rivers seem less effected by weather changes than lakes are.

The one factor that seems to hold true for me all the time is the amount of rain that falls in a particular storm. If you get 4 inches of rain the fish are shut down.

Fish are unpredictable creatures and that is what it so fun casing after them.

[Steve Foss]

I'm with JackPine on the behavior of fish on specific lakes being different from other lakes. Even different from other places on the same lake, at times.

Also, I think part of the reason most lake fish are easier to catch during long periods of stable weather, with due respect to PikeEye, is because they fall into predictable feeding patterns at those times, which makes finding them and catching them a lot easier. With a strong weather change, fish change their feeding patterns, and that's what makes them harder to catch, because we've got to figure out where they are and what they'll bite on.

I've found that, after a few days of warm sunny weather, the most predictable feeding binge for a lot of game species happens as the barometer drops with the approach of a storm.

While thunder is widely believed to drive fish into the depths or turn them off, some of the best bass fishing I've had over 35 years is in the shallows on a summer day bulging spinnerbaits over the weedtops as the last raindrops are falling after a passing storm.

Like most anglers, I generally have my poorest success on the one or two days of cold clear weather just after a major front has passed through, before things warm up and return to what we call "normal." But sometimes I've lucked into pockets where the fishing has been red hot at such times.

Go figure. In other words, Norco, don't worry if your planned fishing day comes after a storm system, just get on the water, have fun and hunt for the fish.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
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[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 07-20-2003).]

[CrappieJohn]

Things vary from body of water to body of water. In addition to the temp issues, barometer issues...you are dealing with fish. Who knows what they will do. I have foung that moving water is less likely to be affected than still water, such as in a lake. I have had excellent luck following a wild storm in one lake and horrid luck when thing were as stable as they could ever get. I do tend to feel though that, regardless of the kind of water, the fish will be "off" for a day or so following a radical thunderstorm and have seen instances where you could not find a fish within an hour of one. I guess if I have a block of time that I can fish and it storms, when the danger has past I'll go right back at it.

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Sure life happens- why wait....The Crapster....good fishing guys!
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