At lunch I read Rob's update thingy on the homepage. Brought up the question, what do weather conditions mean for fishing? What to look out for? So, What are your general rules or thoughts on the topic? Saltwater?
Freshwater?
Day vs. night?
I haven't spent too much time thinking about this. I know LM's are more picky about what happens than saltwater models. Backsides of fronts don't bode well for the bite. But how long after, I have no clue. What am I missing.

I'm posting this here, on the fresh, and on the salt boards. I just want as many responses as possible.

Amish Ed
You Can't Catch it again if
it's Dead!

Amish Ed
You can't catch it again if it's dead!

As far as largemouth are concerned, you could write pages and pages on how weather effects them. I sure as hell don't have it all figured out, but the guys that do sure know how to find fish... Pre-front is generally good. Post front is generally bad. Bright, clear, sunny days are usually bad. High stringy clouds are usually good. Different lakes react to weather differently too. On the saltwater side, Larry says some of the best calico fishing (up here anyway) is in between rain storms. If there's like a one week or 5 day break or whatever between storms, the bass seem to go on the chew. They're not as affected as largemouth as far as bluebird skies, or post front, etc.
-Brian

Here's a quote directly from the pages of In Persuit of Giant Bass by Bill Murphy. "While most anglers credit pre-frontal conditions for prompting good fishing and bright, cloudless, post-frontal weather for causing bass to shut off, my studies point to barometric pressure,as having a more important influence on big bass activity. Air temperature, cloud cover and wind direction are only symptoms of a larger weather system, and the barometric pressure associated with the weather system is the key to active and inactive periods."

Thanks for responding guys, I've had my eye on a personel weather station for years. But, I always have somewhere else to spend the money.

Amish Ed
You Can't Catch it again if
it's Dead!

Amish Ed
You can't catch it again if it's dead!

I think I agree with Bill Murphy when it comes to this one. I try to target deeper fish on what I figure is a bad day {see above conditions for the perfect discription}. These deeper fish seem to be less effected by the pressure changes caused by a barometric pressure rise or fall.I believe it has something to do with their swim-bladder and their position in the water table. While I do believe that there are shallow fish always, I try not to count on them at this time of year and try to keep on my deep fish patterns. The wind,wave,light, conditions only play into your hands during the presentation by creating something which the whole eco-system is reacting to.That's when I go for broke and work hard on the shallow fish. They are oppertunists and I fish for them as such.It has seemed to help me on those bluebird days on Cachuma but I still crash and burn on some days that seem perfect so ???? My .02 Kelly

I also have the book "In Persuit of Gaint Bass". Shure he is right, BUT. Most of us do not have barometers to confirm, but we know the fishing is good on the front side of a front. So the fornt on the five day forcast gives us an idea on when to go. And if you reed the book you will see he is a deep water structure fishermanm, which most people are not. I love top water, and I try to go out on the day on the front hoping it will hit late and be overcast all day. I have considerable luck on northern strain bass from march on. I have even done better than everybody on the lake with a buzz bait on the day after a front( a few times). And the dark condition and wind can be just what the doctor ordered for shallow Florida strain bass that are warry early spring. It brings them into ambush possitions and makes it almost impossible to see the line or you. The moon phases are true but are by no means the only time fish bite. Look at Rob big catch from Coyote and you will find that Time wise, the early bites he got were not in any majior acivity period and the large fish he caught was dead in the middle of the second activity period, which the book says the big ones should only bite during the last 15 min.
I did not check the moon phase on that. These are just generalizations to go by. And are not always dependable.