HOW BAROMETRIC PRESSURE AFFECTS FISHING FISH WITH LARGE SWIM BLADDERS, SUCH AS TROUT AND SALMON, ARE MORE SENSITIVE TO PRESSURE CHANGES
DANNY COYNE / PRO STAFF / BCFISHN.COM
BY DANNY COYNE
BCFISHN.COM
The majority of anglers can agree that there are many natural elements that come into play, which affects fishing. These include air and water temperature, winds, currents water clarity, and the level of light available. Most of us have experienced a day of fishing when the bite was nonstop action, but then the next day we couldn’t buy a bite, despite fishing the same methods in the same areas. This extreme flip in fishing action most likely occurred due to changes in the barometric pressure. Simply put, barometric pressure is the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on everything on earth and it constantly changes from high to low. When observing pressure for fishing, how high or low isn’t as important as
which direction the pressure is moving and what speed it is changing. Fish can feel the weight of the air pressing on the water by sensing the pressure changes in the air of their organs, especially their swim bladders, which controls their buoyancy. Fish with large swim bladders, such as trout and salmon, are even more sensitive to these pressure changes.
because it will cater to the aggressive feeding fish. When fishing rivers, retrieve large streamers or minnow patterns across a fast run, active trout chase down your fly and hammer it. Fishing during barometric pressure is one of the best times you can fish!
So how does all of this affect fishing? To make it simple, let’s break it down to a few periods on how you can use a barometer as a gauge on how the fish will be acting and feeding.
Lucky for us anglers, low pressure systems don’t tend to last that long. However, once the falling pressure has stabalized to a low pressure system, the fish are going to retreat to the deeper water. One of the reasons they are doing this is to equalize their swim bladders. The fishing will slow down as there is a lack of interest for the fish to feed — simply put, because they are uncomfortable. The shallower the fish are in the water, the more they will feel the results of the low pressure system.
FALLING BAROMETRIC PRESSURE Fish can sense an oncoming storm as much as a day in advance. This is when the fish react and become very aggressive because they understand that feeding during the low pressure storm periods can be a challenge. You can recognize the barometer dropping because this is when the clouds start to roll in and the poor weather is approaching.
with large swim blad“ Fish ders, such as trout and salmon, are even more sensitive to these pressure changes. DANNY COYNE / PRO STAFF / BCFISHN.COM
This is a great time to use fast-moving baits and presentations. When trolling a large lake, use fast-trolled lures, such as Sling Blades™ and Rock Dancers®
DURING LOW PRESSURE
Effective fishing techniques during this time are to use slower-finesse presentations in deep water. When trolling your gear, slow down and downsize your lures. The fish will not want to use a lot of energy to chase your bait. When fishing rivers, try a nymph pattern drifted just off bottom in slack water at the tail end of a run. In smaller mountain lakes, using small flies, like chironomids or blood worms, suspended just off bottom in deep water could result in encouraging an opportunistic fish to strike. GO TO BCFISHN.COM | @BCFISHN
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RISING PRESSURE Once the storm passes, the pressure will start to rise again, bringing blue bird skies with no wind, but the fishing will continue to remain slow, as the fish have to adapt to the pressure changes. Their feeding habits will take a day or two to return to normal. The colder the water temperature, the longer it will take for the fish to adapt. One good thing after a storm has passed through is that it tends to wash a lot of food back into the water for the fish to feed upon. For example, when fishing a river, a surge of rain can push a variety of terrestrial insects into the water. When the fish become active again, there is plenty of food for them to forage on, so using terrestrial fly patterns during this time can be successful. During a rising pressure system and when fishing larger bodies of water, you may find the fish stacked up within the same zone in the water column. This is a good time to try to irritate them into striking your gear with some sort of lure that provides vibration. Using irritant scents, such as garlic and anise, can also aid in getting those stubborn fish to strike. Again, using slower-trolled or retrieved lures is ideal in these conditions. Fishing near surface on large bodies of water is not a good option during this time. STABLE PRESSURE Once the barometric pressure becomes stable, fishing will convert to average again. This is a great time to try new fishing techniques as the fish have gone back to their normal feeding activities. This is when anglers will have to search for the fish using other natural elements, wuch as wind or current to determine where the fish will be found. Forecasting barometric pressure is a lot more difficult than forecasting the weather, however paying close attention to the weather trends mentioned above will lead you in the right direction. Using weather forecasts that predict the air pressure will aid you in planning your fishing adventure. No matter what the air is doing, any safe weather day is a good day to go fishing in my book!
MACK’S LURE TEAMS UP WITH C.A.S.T FOR KIDS Mack’s Lure will donate a portion of every Mosquito Band sold to support special needs families
WENATCHEE, Wash — Mack’s Lure, Inc. has teamed up with the C.A.S.T For Kids Foundation to enrich the lives of children with special needs, support their families, and strengthen communities through the sport of fishing.
SONIC BAITFISH™ (SBF)
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
To raise money for C.A.S.T, Mack’s Lure will be donating $1 for every Mosquito Repllent Band sold through MacksLure. com. “Mack’s Lure is proud to partner with such a fantastic organization who changes the lives of kids and families in need,” Mack’s Lure President Bob Schmidt said. “Through this program, we hope to raise more awareness for C.A.S.T.” The Mack’s Lure Mosquito Repllent Band provides 150 hours of protection against mosquitos and insects. This deet -free bracelet (70% Natural Rubber, 15% Synthetic Rubber, 15% Nautral Oils) is made with all natural ingredients, including natural lemon, eucalyptus and citronella oil.
A SONIC BAITFISH™ REFRESHER BY PETE ROSKO
SBF TECH GUIDE
Visit Mack’s Lure.com to support C.A.S.T For Kids Foundation with a Mack’s Lure Mosquito Repellent Band purchase. The mosquito repellent band is available in yellow, blue, green and pink. For more information about C.A.S.T. For Kids, please visit castforkids.org. Thank you for supporting this great cause.
Whether it’s called a blade bait, jigging spoon, flutter spoon, metal jig or “Killer Fish,” the Sonic BaitFish™ (SBF) alone can replace a tackle box full of different lures. No other luretype compares to its versatility, and multi-species effectiveness, in both fresh and salt water. Its natural baitfish appearance, and lively sonic action, have consistently produced impressive catches in open water and through the ice, down to 100 feet. The innovative SBF is a most enjoyable, simple and productive method of fishing. No need to endure handling bait. It is an advanced method of light tackle sport fishing that even children can enjoy withou tthe fatigue of using heavy tackle.
MOSQUITO REPELLENT BAND
The two primary fish-attracting action, designed into fishing lures, are either
Lure is proud to partner “ Mack’s with such a fantastic organization who changes the lives of kids and families in need. — BOB SCHMIDT, PRESIDENT, MACK’S LURE, INC.
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vibration or flutter. The Sonic BaitFish™ is designed with both. Its blade bait version (vertical jigging), with line-snap attached to its balance point insert on the top of the back, creates maximum vibration on the lift and fall. Its linesnap attachment to either the nose or tail inserts (with the hook on the opposite end), creates maximum flutter whether casting, jigging or trolling. Fish constantly change their behavior throughout a 24 hour day. By changing your line/snap attachment , to one of the three wire inserts, a vast variety of different actions can be created to trigger strikes during an otherwise “dead bite.” Do not underestimate the small SBF sizes. On many trips, it was the smallest SBF that produced the largest fresh or saltwater fish. This commonly occurs during poor water movement and sudden weather changes. Note: always downsize, to the smallest size that effectively reaches your target fish, when the bite dies!
downsize to a smaller SBF that can still reach the kokanee that are showing on the screen of your fish finder. Another effective tip is to deadstick the SBF.Kokanee are notorious for striking a suspended SBF that is not moving or is barely moving. Above all, constantly monitor your fish finder to make certain the kokanee are still showing on the screen. This is how you can really load-up with lots of kokanee! Finally, maintain a sharp hook point with a fine-toth file. If you are missing strikes, the usual reason is a dull hook point. You can access many of my kokanee trips on YouTube for timely tips and/or download the Sonic BaitFish guide (located at top of article). Thank you for subscribing to the Mack Attack Magazine. Your success and enjoyment on the water are important to us at Mack’s Lure. It is our hope that our monthly tips add to a special experience on your next trip and every trip beyond the next. Stay well and be safe.
In Northwest Washington state, September is the month of silvers (coho salmon) and kokanee. We cast, jig and — Capt. Pete Rosko. troll SBF for silvers and vertically jig for kokanee. Primary finishes for silvers EXPERIENCE THE SCENTFLASH are glow white and glow chartreuse. For kokanee, glow orange, pink and chartreuse are my primary finishes. When you locate the silvers, it can be a fish on every cast or on every vertical drop of the SBF. Kokanee can also be unbelievablyeffective when vertically jigged after locating the school. However, kokanee can also be very size and color selective through the day. When the bite dies, change to one of the three glow colors mentioned above. If a color change SCENTFLASH UV PADDLE does not turn the bite on, drastically
ADVANTAGE
SHOP MACK’S LURE UV SCENTS
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QUESTION
HOT DEAL OF THE MONTH
OF THE MONTH Have a questions you want answered? Send your inquiry to us and yours may be featured! Simply send an email to media@mackslure.com or reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Just search @MacksLure and you’ll find us! Q: I recently received an order from you guys and I was wondering if the Smile Blade® 0.8 can be cast and retrieved in front of a mini swim bait with a 1/16 oz. jig head. Also, what’s the best way to charge your UV and Glow tapered beads on the majority of your lures?
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Mack’s Lure Pro Staff Mike & Jill Roth of Team Takedown Guide Service show off a gorgous salmon caught on a Wedding Ring 3.5 Salmon Tech & ScentFlash Paddle.
A: Great questions! To answer your first question, the Smile Blade® can definitely be cast and is a very effective fishcatcher. It’s aerodynamic, as the Smile Blade® 0.8 is only slightly noticeable when casting into the wind. We always recommend having a bead pegged, or a bobber stop, a couple inches above the Smile Blade® when rigging it for casting to prevent it from moving up the line during the cast. As for our beads, for luminescent, glow in the dark beads, you want to charge it with the brightest light source you have, including a camera flash, sunlight, flash light, etc. For UV, there is no charging needed. They will always glow under UV light conditions. You can see the UV by using a blacklight, which is definitely something you’ll want to keep in the boat!
PHOTO CREDIT: TEAM TAKEDOWN
VIDEO OF THE MONTH Last chance to experience the ScentFlash™ Advantage. The ScentFlash™ features a built-in scent release system that allows you to fish with movement and scent.
Thank you for the great questions! Send yours to us to have yours featured next! Follow Mack’s Lure on Facebook and Instagram and tag us with #MacksLure. Facebook.com/MacksLure @macks_lure To submit your catch, send us an email at media@mackslure.com or tag us on social media using #MacksLure.
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