Barometer info if you're interested

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I posted this on another fishing forum. Thought it might be useful to someone here. Most of the samples are from fishing on JPP.
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Several months ago the issue of barometric pressure came up. It's partially why I started keeping a fishing log this year.

I use a "Great," "Good," "Fair," "Poor" system. A "Great" trip would be exceedingly above average (lots of fish, very active bite), and a "poor" trip would be considered exceedingly below average (zero bites, zero action, zero fish). Everything in between would be "Good" and "Fair." Unless otherwise indicated, all trips were for bass fishing only.

Red entries represent a barometric pressure ranging from 29.90 through 30.10, the preposed optimum fishing condition.

Here are the results after 31 fishing trips, 198 fish, 12 locations (mostly on the same lake) this year:

GREAT (4)
[color:#FF0000]30.03 rising[/color]
29.19 falling (trout fishing)
29.71 rising
30.2 rising


GOOD (10)
[color:#FF0000]30.06 rising
29.95 rising
29.96 rising[/color]
30.15 steady
29.85 rising
[color:#FF0000]30.10 steady (trout fishing)
30.05 rising (trout fishing)
30.00 steady
29.90 rising
30.10 steady[/color]


FAIR (10)
[color:#FF0000]29.5 steady
30.01 rising
29.99 steady
30.09 steady
29.93 rising
29.91 rising
29.95 rising
29.90 rising[/color]
30.3 steady
30.3 falling


POOR (7)
[color:#FF0000]30.10 steady[/color]
29.85 steady
29.83 rising
29.8 rising
[color:#FF0000]30.05 falling
30.00 rising[/color]
30.2 steady


So far, there is absolutely no direct correlation between good fishing and a barometer ranging from 29.90 - 30.10.

The article "Bass And The Barometer" (http://home.comcast.net/~rkrz/infoarch/fyibarometer.htm) suggests that optimum conditions are between 29.98 and 30.02, a small window of opportunity for sure since pressure can change rapidly. To test if this range is a more accurate parameter for success, I'd have to secure more data than the 31 trips so far.

Another reasonable conclusion to draw here is that most of the trips I've made have been made while the barometer is within the 29.90-30.10 range. Twenty of 31 exactly.

If anyone else has specific data, please share it. For me, I have serious doubts about pressure having any great effect on fish. That's just the early conclusion I'm drawing so far. But I'm no scientist either.

 

[Unicam]

One of the best bass fishing days I ever had was on a 29.90 and falling drizzly cloudy day. Two of us culled 22 bass in three hours!

 

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Right. When you really get into the details here, it starts to become clearer that barometric pressure has little to no effect. Afterall, the pressure of the water at different depths would be far greater than the barometric pressure on the surface.

It may be more accurate to assume is that changing weather conditions have effects on fish behavior.

 

[Unicam]

I would assume that and also assume that on clear blue cloudless days I am going trout fishing cause the bass get lock jaw!! I have always fished the weather, not the barometer.

 

[TNDeerGuy]

It would be interesting to include moon phases as part of your study and see what comes out of that.

 

[trealtree]

It would be interesting to include moon phases as part of your study and see what comes out of that.

ditto

 

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It would be interesting to include moon phases as part of your study and see what comes out of that.

You bet. Unfortunately, the online journal I've been using doesn't have a field for moon phase. Surprisingly. I could go back through and add them of course. I may when I find time. I'm betting the same result is true. Moon phase is probably overrated.

 

[muskyhunter]

interesting