Barometer

[RockMan]

Does anyone use a barometer? Does it work?

[Bob # 1]

Does anyone use a barometer? Does it work?

Good question, looking forward to the answers.

[Jerry Blake]

There have been heated discussions on this subject on here in the past but I'll post my observations again in the hope of answering your question without stirring up any major controversy.

I'd hate for anyone to go to the trouble of keeping some crappie in an aquarium again and feeding them only when the pressure is high in an effort to prove me wrong.

This is a reprint from an old post I made (with a few minor changes):

Watching the barometer for trends in pressure changes (more than any certain numbers) can give you an idea of what the bite should be like on any given day. From my experience - being on the water over 300 days a year - crappie bite better overall before a front comes through when the pressure is low and steady or falling slowly. After a front passes through, the pressure is usually higher, the bite is usually less aggressive, the crappie may be deeper and are usually tighter to the cover.

I think it's instinct. When a front comes through there's a good chance there will be rain, which may cause the water to rise and/or get muddy and scatter their food source, which may make it difficult for them to locate food for a few days. That's a pretty good reason to go on a feeding binge before a front comes through.

Then I suspect that once they feed aggressively for a while they don't have to feed as much for a day or two - whether or not the passing front actually disturbed their habitat. But I think most fish feed at sometime every day – just more aggressively some days and at certain times of day.

If you have a choice of days to fish – before or after a front – I would go the day or two before rather than a day or two after.
When you do fish in post-front conditions plan to fish slower and deeper with smaller bait and expect the bite to be light and you can still get a good mess of fish.

Here are some links I use to get an idea of what to expect on any given day.

http://www.weather.com/maps/maptype/...dex_large.html

http://image.weather.com/images/maps...st_720x486.jpg

http://image.weather.com/images/maps...st_720x486.jpg

http://image.weather.com/images/maps...st_720x486.jpg

Enter your state on this one and select a reporting station near you to get the 24-hour temp and barometer history/trend - http://weather.noaa.gov/

If you fish regularly, watch the weather changes and try a variety of approaches under all weather conditions you’ll learn to adjust and catch a mess of fish every time you go.

[drfishjd]

That matches my thinking. I love the period of time when it is dead still, just before the rain hits. Hammer time. Thanks for your posts, Jerry. There's no substitute for day after day on the water. Good fishing.

[Bob # 1]

Jerry
Liked the way you responded, I stored the weather map links to improve my fishing abilities. Thinking of keep a log to see what trends there seem to be.

[yikess]

RockMan I have the weathersence accessory linked in my Humminbird network system and really like it. Jerry just gave the best explanation of how to use it. His explanation matches what Tim Huffman said at the Grizzly Jig seminars in Feb.

[Kman]

I would have to agree with Jerry but here's what bothers the SNOT out of me. Why is it that when those conditions ARE present, the water is right, the temp is right, blaa blaa, sometimes they STILL don't bite!!

What is goin on then?????

I bought the Primetimes calender program and got the CD for the computer. On there they let you put in what type of fish you are after (only needed one category for that but they didn't know!!:D), the weather pattern, how deep you plan to fish, water clarity, wind, and if it will be sunny or cloudy. Then you put in the day you want to fish, they cross reference moon, solar influences and daylight or dusk and viola, they rate the day 0-100. I gotta say, when it says 30 or less, you might as well stay home. I have been using it now for about 6 months and the days they say are bad are bad. However, some of the days they rate as good or even great still suck! Now it's THOSE days that make me wonder what the heck?

[klight1122]

The stuff I learn on here is great! Thanks to all the smart people. My little mind is hurting.....lol

[FalconSmitty]

http://www.timsfishpages.com/fish/page.asp?page=chart
i have been using this and it is right most times. Sometimes it is scary how close the hour forecast is to exact

[Jerry Blake]

I would have to agree with Jerry but here's what bothers the SNOT out of me. Why is it that when those conditions ARE present, the water is right, the temp is right, blaa blaa, sometimes they STILL don't bite!!

What is goin on then?????

I bought the Primetimes calender program and got the CD for the computer. On there they let you put in what type of fish you are after (only needed one category for that but they didn't know!!:D), the weather pattern, how deep you plan to fish, water clarity, wind, and if it will be sunny or cloudy. Then you put in the day you want to fish, they cross reference moon, solar influences and daylight or dusk and viola, they rate the day 0-100. I gotta say, when it says 30 or less, you might as well stay home. I have been using it now for about 6 months and the days they say are bad are bad. However, some of the days they rate as good or even great still suck! Now it's THOSE days that make me wonder what the heck?

Hey Kman:

They gotta keep it interesting! What I've learned over the years is that they bite when they want to and don't bite when the don't want to and if you think you are about to figure them out you better check just the opposite of what you think they should be doing.

There are some days, especially during transition periods, that they just seem to disappear from our condos and we can't buy a bite. I call those "Moving Days". I think that for whatever reason a majority of the crappie decide it's time to head out and find another place to hang and they don't care one bit about eating until they get settled into their next spot. Those are the days I've learned to appreciate bream, catfish, white bass, stripers and even green carp!

If it were too easy it wouldn't be nearly as much fun!