Barometric Pressure

Spent a fascinating couple of hours reading weather sites last night,changes in barometric pressure has often been used to explain the behavior of fish.
Do you use moon phases, barometers, and atmospheric changes to improve your catch rate?
Or is it just a load of hot air?

I think there is something in it Terry. Many years ago, Ray Webb and Barrie Rickards did a great deal of study on the effects of moon phases and barometric pressure on the feeding of pike. The results of their work is recorded in the classic book "Fishing for Big Pike". This is a book by the way that any keen pike anglers should not be without.

Again, many years ago myself, and several friends did a bit of work on the correlation beween barometric pressure and weather fronts in connection with the feeding of large mouth bass.

In the USA, a great deal of work as been done in this field. Basically, with reference to predatory fish, they tend to stop feeding when a weather front crosses the country.

In other words, a sudden change in barometric pressure, be it upwards or downwards can have a dramatic effect on a fishes feeding pattern.

I could write a large article on this subject, but on this note, over to others. What have been your experiences?

Ron, I'm not sure now what is the most important to me as an angler.
The knowledge that a change in atmospheric pressure is due, or the type of weather conditions it will bring.
Having now read that atmospheric pressure changes have a number of effects on bodies of water, and my High pressure = fine weather, or Low pressure = poor weather may not be the most accurate of calculations.

I think it depends on the species.

Take trout for example, a cool water species. During long periods of high pressure, which often coincides with spells of clear skies and high temperatures in summer, trout can become almost impossible to catch.

However get a low pressure system with some cloud, wind and cooling temperatures and the trout will go on a feeding spree. I have seen this happen so many times.

The same can be said for many other species.

The opposite can happen with Large Mouth Bass and even tench, both species that like warm water.

One theory I heard many years ago was that during high pressure system, the water becomes more oxygenated and the fish feed more. This is not true.

The difference between the extremes of high and low atmospheric pressure is only by millibars assuming the altitude is the same.

The amount of dissolved oxygen in water is far more dependant on temperature and the regular breaking of the surface tension on the water which allows oxygen to diffuse into the water than atmospheric pressue.

Again, on still waters, we find that fish go on to the feed during windy spells. The rippling of the surface allows more oxygen to be diffused than during calm conditions.

There is a lot we don't know about the ideal conditions when fish will feed.

I'm sure that moon phases and air pressure do affect fish behaviour though I would suspect that pressure has a far greater effect. However so do water temperature, clarity, oxygen content, light, cloud cover, availability of natural food, predator behaviour, intensity of fishing etc. Concentrating on just one to determine when you fish will do you no favours.

Theres some guy that Keith Arthur swears by, who insists that pressure and moon phases are a prime factor in the feeding habits of fish. I know he has a website cos I've looked at it but I'm damned if I can think of it, its called moon-sumfin. I don't know if he's right but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand, animals, and I suppose fish, are more attuned to their surroundings than we are and sense changes quite naturally

Yeah thats the one Warren

Interesting.

Very interesting, I've had a chance to read through the Moonstike site and a few more angling and weather sites.
What they all seem to agree on is that the fazes of the moon,and barometric pressure affect fish behavior in many different ways.
According to one meteorological site the leading edge of an incoming, fine weather creating, high pressure front, is substantially colder than the centre.
So would it be more beneficial to delay that fishing trip for an extra 24 hours?