Barometric Pressure and Fishing

Must be the season for articles on how barometric pressure affects fishing.

Two posts feature a common myth to explain why fishing seems to get better when barometric pressure drops.

Sorry, but the above posts about how barometric pressure affects fish have disappeared on the two sites, maybe they read the Midcurrent article linked below.

Both these stories trotted out the apparently solid advice that it is changes in Barometric pressure detected via a fishes bladder that triggers changes in feeding habit. Trouble is there is no scientific evidence for this theory, as can be seen here: Pressure Myth (link fixed)

Now, to clarify something here, the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming that fish often start feeding more aggressively as barometric pressure drops, this being true in both fresh and salt water. But the myth given to explain this behaviour is just that, a myth. It may be a myth that has in fact hindered us from exploring this aspect of fishes’ behaviour more fully, and more accurately

4 thoughts on “Barometric Pressure and Fishing”

  1. I’ve always believed that freshwater fishing got harder on a dropping barometer when fishing for resident fish and better when fishing for spawning run fish.

  2. Yea, I have to say that I have to say that I have heard the same theory regarding the difference between bite enthusiasm for spawning and ‘resident’ fish.
    But using a vast sample of one, my diaries, I see little difference between the two.
    Short answer is, I do not think there is a short answer. So much that happens underwater is a complete mystery to us who generally live above it.

  3. The Midcurrent link is broken, sorry about that. Will try and track the correct link down.
    The other two appear OK.

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