Effects of a weather front on fish feeding.

[mjbarnes12]

I have a match on sunday and i am wondering on the effects of this weather on the patterns of fishes feeding.

 

When practicing last week i was catching shallow on caster and pellet, however the weather had been light and warm for the past few days!! This is what is forecast for sunday's weather also!! however due to this rain, and the rain that is forecast for the next two days will dictate that the fish will feed on the bottom!!

 

My question is come sunday when (forecasters say) it will not be raining how do you think the fish will react?? will they stay on the bottom throughout the day or will then move up the layers of the water if the weather stays bright and warm???

[Andy Macfarlane]

Pike are the only freshwater fish I can think of offhand that react adversely to rain. Most species, in my mind anyway, see rain as a means of bringing food to them, rather than the other way about.

 

...Andy...

[Steve Burke]

There's no easy answer here as the weather affects different species in different ways, as Andy says. As an example tench and carp react differently to each other, even on the same water.

 

It also depends on the preceding weather. For instance heavy rain in the summer when water temperatures are high is likely to cool the water and thus improve the fishing.

 

On the other hand the thundery rain we've had this week in East Kent has depressed water temperatures. This isn't surprising as in thunderstorms the moisture gets taken up very high and so the rain is cold. Hail like we got this week (and is common with thunderstorms) is even colder of course. Not surprisingly my members have struggled a bit at Wingham, especially as we've had winds off the nearby sea that's colder than freshwater at this time of year.

 

To make things more complicated water temperature isn't the only factor. Others include dissolved oxygen (that is partly related to water temperature), underwater light intensity, undertow, and (especially for pike) barometric pressure.

 

It also depends on the weather's effect on the the natural food of the fish. On wild waters it can cause most of the fish to be preoccupied with a given natural food and this may be at any depth. This is unlikely to be a major factor on the artifically overstocked waters I believe you fish, but I mention it for the benefit of others.

 

Good luck on Sunday, and let us know how you get on!

[mjbarnes12]

There's no easy answer here as the weather affects different species in different ways, as Andy says. As an example tench and carp react differently to each other, even on the same water.

 

It also depends on the preceding weather. For instance heavy rain in the summer when water temperatures are high is likely to cool the water and thus improve the fishing.

 

On the other hand the thundery rain we've had this week in East Kent has depressed water temperatures. This isn't surprising as in thunderstorms the moisture gets taken up very high and so the rain is cold. Hail like we got this week (and is common with thunderstorms) is even colder of course. Not surprisingly my members have struggled a bit at Wingham, especially as we've had winds off the nearby sea that's colder than freshwater at this time of year.

 

To make things more complicated water temperature isn't the only factor. Others include dissolved oxygen (that is partly related to water temperature), underwater light intensity, undertow, and (especially for pike) barometric pressure.

 

It also depends on the weather's effect on the the natural food of the fish. On wild waters it can cause most of the fish to be preoccupied with a given natural food and this may be at any depth. This is unlikely to be a major factor on the artifically overstocked waters I believe you fish, but I mention it for the benefit of others.

 

Good luck on Sunday, and let us know how you get on!

 

Thanks steve!! Will let you know!! It is a club pool this, not overstocked by any measure, winning weights are usually around 20-40lbs even in height of summer!! It is filled with mainly crucians, large bream, some mirror carp and roach!! Will be going after the crucians on chopped work and casters mixed with fishmeal groundbait, they love it!! may also tempt some big lumps out of the margins with pellet and meat combo!!

 

WIsh me luck!!