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Does the rain improve fishing?

fishing rain improve catching rainfall overcast sunny trout salmon

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#1 Fishing Urban Ontario

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Posted 06 July 2016 - 05:48 PM

Hey I know its all very different for certain species like Salmon. But do you honestly find that you catch more fish in light rain? Is it light rain or heavy? Does it make the fish all more hungry somehow? I just caught my biggest fish during the rain and I'm curious. The next day after I caught no fish even though they were in front of me.


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#2 fisherman2280

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Posted 07 July 2016 - 12:35 PM

I always found right before a storm was the best time to get out. That heavy air just before a storm. When it rains lightly like last Friday I had a great day 3 pike 2 Walley 4 small mouth all nice fish. If it rains too heavy the water can become discolored and then I find the fishing goes quiet for a day.


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#3 Fishing Urban Ontario

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Posted 07 July 2016 - 04:00 PM

anyone else have luck when its raining lightly?


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#4 Joel52

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Posted 08 July 2016 - 09:10 AM

I think an active barometer affects fishing. Usually changes in pressure mean changes in weather, rain or sun.


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#5 rhymobot

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Posted 11 July 2016 - 12:06 PM

I have found success in the 4 times I've fished during light rain/drizzle. 

 

Small lake in NJ - warm and light rain on and off for the 8 hours I spent on the water. 23 largemouth. Several 2 pounders and a couple 3s. Two other boaters during this time. Also witnessed them catching over and over.

 

River in Upstate NY - 6 hours and on and off drizzle on a grey day. Several chain pickrel landed. One LMB.

 

Lake O trib - got drenched once on a hot day but no tstorms in the forecast. on and off drizzle after that. Landed 8 lb sheepshead and a small SMB. But that's it.

 

Small lake close to Georgian Bay -  2.5 hours and very light rain. Hooked 8 bass. Landed 6. Two of them were 2.5 lbs to 3.

 

 

These are the four times I recall fishing in rain. And didn't get skunked. And I've been skunked plenty of times. More often than not in mid-day sun. But if it's grey and a little bit of rain in mid-day, I like my chances.

 

So in my experience, yes I find those conditions favourable for fishing. But then again I'm typically fishing small waters for bass. And like Joel said, the barometer can tell you a lot as well. And wind also plays a part.

 

So many variables affect the appetite and behaviour of fish. We'll all spend the rest of our lives trying to unlock those secrets.


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#6 MuskieBait

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Posted 11 July 2016 - 03:56 PM

The effects of rain varies. It is dependent on season, temperature, location and species of fish. Here are some examples from my experience.

Early spring rain promotes the migration of Rainbow Trout (Steelhead) and Sucker species. The fishing tends to improve after a decent amount of rain increases water level and decreases water temperature. However the same rain could be detrimental to Sunfish species, Common Carp, Bowfin and Northern Pike (late March) as the rain decreases water temperature for these warmer water species.

Sometimes, the air temperature and ground temperature is warmer than the water temperature at a lake or river. In that case, a spring rain can have the opposite effect by displacing the cold shallow water with warmer run off water. This is rare, but it does happen.

 

A midday, mid-summer rain can promote feeding activity, especially in the shallows, when the rain run off cools the water to a comfortable temperature range that prompts feeding activity. Not limited to rain alone, the cloud cover and the often accompanying wind also contribute to the temperature drop.

Late fall rain could have an opposite effect. Certainly, late fall rain usher Trout species and any straggling Salmon to spawn. However, the flush of colder run off into the system could push fish away from the shallows and out toward deeper areas where conditions are more stable, especially for warmer water fish such as Sunfish species, Common Carp, Bass species, and sometimes Pike and Muskies.

In winter, a rare flush of rain can often create run off into the lake through auger holes or shoreline edges. Depending on the time of winter, this effect could vary. In late winter, run off from rain can often introduce well oxygenated water into a pond or lake that has experienced oxygen drop over the winter (especially during an atypically cold winter with ice that is unusually thick). This flush of oxygen can stir up feeding activity when fish had stopped feeding to slow metabolism during low oxygen periods. However, in some lakes with well established thermocline, this flush of water can disrupt the nearshore thermocline and can disperse fish or shut down feeding.

The last example is less relevant to Ontario, but still interesting to consider. Run off from rain flushing from freshwater river into saltwater bays and even offshore lagoons can shut off a bite. The rain introduces water that is different in temperature, higher in turbidity and lower in salinity. All of this disrupts the saltwater environment and some large rivers can have lasting effects (days and even months) on the offshore bite during rainy seasons.

I can say that I've had some of my best and some of my worst fishing in the rain. I've had rain shut down a Common Carp bite in May. I've had rain jump start a Steelhead bite in May. I've had mid-summer torrential rain produce the best Pike bite I've ever experienced (over 2 dozen in 2 hours). I've had torrential rain completely shut down a Redhorse bite in mid-summer. I've had a mid-March rain (and thaw) stirred the best Lake Whitefish bite I've experienced. I've had a mid-March rain stopped the best Lake Trout bite that had been going on for weeks.

And you definitely don't want to go swimming or surfing at a river mouth in Hawaii after a heavy rain...unless you're after a Tiger Shark.

So the effects of rain depends on the species, the season and the temperature. On top of that, you have to consider barometric pressure changes.


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#7 Fishing Urban Ontario

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Posted 15 July 2016 - 01:33 PM

Thanks so much everyone.


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#8 TMAK007

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Posted 02 August 2016 - 01:05 AM

I've seen an old fisherman pull up two largemouth basses from the shoreline during the rain before. We were fishing through the rain together. He was using artificial lures. This was shoreline at lake Scugog last year.
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#9 TMAK007

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Posted 02 August 2016 - 01:07 AM

The man released all his basses. If you plan on fishing during the rain, keep your phones in a ziplock bag of some sort, my phone got water damaged on me... Keep the phone in the car.
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#10 Fishing Urban Ontario

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Posted 03 August 2016 - 11:34 AM

lol yeah thats true huh man. 


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#11 Legend Boats

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Posted 19 August 2016 - 07:58 PM

 

Hey I know its all very different for certain species like Salmon. But do you honestly find that you catch more fish in light rain? Is it light rain or heavy? Does it make the fish all more hungry somehow? I just caught my biggest fish during the rain and I'm curious. The next day after I caught no fish even though they were in front of me.

 

The Barometer does make a big difference in different types of weather conditions. Fishing right before or during rain will usually yield more fish and doesn’t really make a difference that I’ve found. I have found after a light/heavy rain fall the fishing does get tougher until the weather stabilizes. 


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#12 JerClark

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Posted 06 February 2017 - 02:07 PM

Rain can affect how well the fish will be biting as well. Fishing during a light rain makes casting lines more discreet. Insects are also more likely to be out flying near the surface of the water during or immediately following a light rain, which will bring fish closer to the surface and make them more susceptible to being caught. Rain can also cause more organic matter to run into bodies of water and lure fish to the surface to eat. At rainy day I use flashy spinners or floating worms like https://www.fanatikb...products/dagger


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