LARGEMOUTH BASS Largemouth bass are the most popular gamefish in America, caught by anglers of all skill levels on live bait, lures, and from either a boat or the shoreline...Read More View All Largemouth Bass Tips

 

Denny Brauer of Missouri is one of the superstars of bass fishing, and he understands that the weather has a big effect on how fish activity levels. Denny knows that certain conditions are better fish fishing; some are worse. And on a given day he tailors his approach to how active he thinks the fish will be. Based on his years of experience, Denny has his own set of criteria for judging if fishing on a given day will be good or slow.

"I think the way you analyze weather is to look at the longevity of stability," he says. "In other words, you'll have some number of days of stable weather, then some system comes in and changes it all. Some of these changes can improve fishing. Some can slow it down. It really depends on what the fish are wanting to do what that water temperature is.

"In other words, here's a very easy example. When you're fishing in the spring when the water is cold, fish are wanting each day for the water to be stable and to warm up more. If you get a cold front that runs into the area and drops the temperature a few degrees, it's going to slow the fishing down. It'll make it worse."

Brauer continues, "Now, you go through this process in reverse in the fall, when the water temperature is hot and the fish are sluggish. All of a sudden if a front rolls in and the water temperature cools down a few degrees, that can make the fish a lot more active. So everything is relative to what the weather was, whether it was a positive or a negative for the fish beforehand."

So, do as Denny Brauer does. Keep up with the "longevity of stability," and remember that long stable periods make fish more active in the spring when water temperature is warming up. Then it's just the opposite in early fall, when water temperatures are high and fish are sluggish. A cool front and a degree or two temperature drop can turn the fish on.

In either case, knowing the best conditions for when to be on the water can be the key to a great day of fishing action.

COMMENTS

Brian Curran

Fish are cold blooded so should'nt they get more active the warmer the water? Warmer water should raise their metabolism. Right?

DATETIMEFORMAT

POST_REPLY

NAME *
EMAIL_VERIFICATIONS_REPLIES
CODE   

SUBMIT_COMMENT

Cancel

Beast Master

True, but not when the water temperature is too warm. For example: We get very active outdoor when the temperature is warm and comfortable, but when the outside temperature is hot, we will seek cover and lay low, not wanted to do anything that will exhaust ourself. Bass are similiar in a way.
Weather does play a big role in how bass behave, but If you fish enough in different conditions, you will know what to do in each given condition.
People in general can learn to become good Bass fisherman, but only those who can adapt to different condition can become great Bass fisherman.

DATETIMEFORMAT

POST_REPLY

NAME *
EMAIL_VERIFICATIONS_REPLIES
CODE   

SUBMIT_COMMENT

Cancel

Doug Mann

What type of baits do you reccomend in the fall as water tempature starts to change. I fish in New Hampshire and fall comes quick with cold nights

DATETIMEFORMAT

POST_REPLY

NAME *
EMAIL_VERIFICATIONS_REPLIES
CODE   

SUBMIT_COMMENT

Cancel

NAME *
EMAIL_VERIFICATIONS_REPLIES
CODE   

SUBMIT_COMMENT