|
|
Posts: 157
Location: Lincoln, NE | Let's talk about muskies feeding in the rain. I have a link for you to read first and then I will relate my own findings about it and then see if anyone has had similar experiences with muskies or not.
I want to be clarify here, I am not talking about the bite turning on right before a big storm rolls in. This is not a prefrontal condition scenario. I am talking about an all day consistent light drizzle or maybe even a pretty hard rain.
In the flathead catfishing world Robby Robinson is a well known name. In this link http://katchaser.stormpages.com/theory.html he has a theory, backed up by pretty extensive log books about flathead catfish biting better in the rain. To the tune of 3:1 better.
After reading this a year or 2 ago I tested it myself and found similar results. In my experience, channels and blues have always bitten good throughout the night, but flatheads seemed to feed the most at sundown and the hour before sunrise with pretty much dead zone in the 9pm -2am area that we usually catch the most channels and blues. So one day last year we bank fished a really good flathead lake and stayed up all night waiting for that predawn bite. The first night as it was just barely turning light before the sunrise the huge flatheads came out. There were carp in the shallows and you could see the massive shadows of 50lb+ flatheads swimming around and they would come in and explode on a carp. They looked just like that uncatchable monster fish in that old Black Bass Nintendo game. It was one of the coolest things to see. Even cooler yet was they were actually working in pairs! One would seem to corral a baitfish towards the bank and run him along the bank to another one that would cut it off and destroy it. So the next night we stayed out all night againt. This time it was even more interesting because it started to lightly drizzle about 45 minutes before first light. And wouldn't you know, the flatheads came out earlier this time to feed in the rain even though it wasn't first light yet. I've had other experiences since then where my dad and I were fishing and it was a slow bite but as soon as it started raining, like a light switch the rods started slamming over.
Now I know in the link he said that flatheads rely more on stealth whereas muskies rely on speed but if the general point is that the rain makes it harder for the baitfish to detect bigger fish, wouldn't this be true for muskies as well? Do the muskies know this? Or do they not need the advantage like the flatheads do? Maybe this is similar to why muskies feed better when the wind picks up not only making it harder for the baitfish to swim away but also harder to detect the vibrations with waves crashing all around. Has anyone had good success during rainy/drizzly conditions? Again I am talking about the effect of the rain on the surface of the water to distort and mask the vibrations of predator fish. Nothing to do with barometer or pressure here. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 102
| My personal experience is a light rain/drizzle is awesome musky fishing weather. When it's pouring out/raining hard, my catch rate goes way down. It's worth staying out in those downpours though, because the fishing as soon as the hard rain lightens up a bit can be great. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | My understanding is that rain and wind reduce the light penetration, which turns the fish on at times.
I would think that a heavy rain would adversely affect the muskies ability to feed, like Lumpy noticed. If the muskie's movements are masked by the rain it stands to reason that the baitfish's are as well. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 369
| I have only fished a few times for muskie in the rain but I will tell you this. This past summer I caught a 22 1/2 walleye and a 16 right after it stopped so I would have to say it would have a effect on muskies to as I have heard a story about a huge one caught in a storm after a local person at the bar said he was going to catch one and came back a hour later and plopped it down on the bar counter
Edited by Eaglescout2012 2/25/2015 2:01 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 8782
| I've caught several fish in drizzle/light rain, before the rain, after the rain, and even in between the rain. But I have never caught a fish during a heavy downpour. Even on days where we were moving fish a few minutes earlier, once it starts raining hard, they just shut down.
Edited by esoxaddict 2/25/2015 6:55 PM
|
|
| |
|
| esoxaddict - 2/25/2015 4:03 PM
I've caught several fish in drizzle/light rain, before the rain, after the rain, and even in between the rain. But I have never caught a fish during a heavy downpour. Even on days where we were moving fish a few minutes earlier, once it starts raining hard, they just seem to shut down.
That's my observation, too. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | Ditto.
I remember a 90's era seminar that touched on how a hard rain can alter the surface water pH enough that it potentially turns them off. Interesting stuff. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 8782
| I don't know what it is. The noise? The way the rain breaks up the surface?
All I know is I've wasted many a day and many an hour fishing for this or that in pouring rain, and all I ever got was wet and mad.
These days, I'd rather head back to the landing and sit in the truck and eat a sandwich or take a short nap. Maybe listen to some music, and head back out dry and warm when the rain lets up. Or if it looks like a short one, hunker down in the boat with your back to the rain and wait it out. I see no reason to stand there in a deluge casting, with water running up your sleeves when you cast, glasses fogged up, water running down your neck... That's just stupid. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | esoxaddict - 2/25/2015 7:01 PM
..water running up your sleeves when you cast, glasses fogged up, water running down your neck... That's just stupid.
If by stupid you mean wonderful and arousing.
Wait! Was that a flash I just saw behind my bait??
Nope just lightening..
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | I agree with the above but do have one exception. We had a day we went 12 for 17 in mostly heavy rain. It was raining light when we started, then heavy then stopped and caught them throughout. It was post spawn and no lightning. |
|
| |
|
Location: Eastern Ontario | I agree not much action during a downpour. But I have a lot of fish pictures where I'm wearing a rain suit.
The best day for numbers and big fish I ever had was when we spent half the day hiding from the lightning under a picnic shelter and fishing between multiple fronts. I won't say how many fish two of us put in the boat that day because you would think me the biggest liar on earth. Had to net most of my own fish because my partner usually had one on his line at the same time . In over 30 years never encountered anything like it before or since. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1828
| horsehunter - 2/26/2015 6:41 AM
I agree not much action during a downpour. But I have a lot of fish pictures where I'm wearing a rain suit.
The best day for numbers and big fish I ever had was when we spent half the day hiding from the lightning under a picnic shelter and fishing between multiple fronts. I won't say how many fish two of us put in the boat that day because you would think me the biggest liar on earth. Had to net most of my own fish because my partner usually had one on his line at the same time . In over 30 years never encountered anything like it before or since.
Just say it! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 483
Location: NE PA | I have not had any exceptional days muskie fishing in heavy rain, but have done quite well on a few occasions with smallies.... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | It is pouring in this picture, from awhile ago.
Attachments
----------------
 toddmusky4.jpg (121KB - 619 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | It was rainin topwaters from the pontoon when this one ate.
Edited by Sidejack 2/28/2015 7:19 PM
Attachments
----------------
45.jpg (120KB - 572 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 2
| Boating a 50 incher in the rain two summers ago made me a believer. There's something to it, so keep up your PMA and get out there! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 81
| I have not caught that many fish during heavy downpours; however, the ones that I have caught, have been larger fish relative to the water I'm fishing. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 41
Location: PA | Chemi - 2/25/2015 4:34 PM
esoxaddict - 2/25/2015 4:03 PM
I've caught several fish in drizzle/light rain, before the rain, after the rain, and even in between the rain. But I have never caught a fish during a heavy downpour. Even on days where we were moving fish a few minutes earlier, once it starts raining hard, they just seem to shut down.
That's my observation, too.
Very few here in the heavy rain also.
Edited by mcfish 3/22/2015 8:11 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 173
| Always heard heavy rain made it difficult. Wondered if that was a function of the fisherman being uncomfortable or a real factor. Best day in 2014 was in fairly steady downpour. Miserable for the people but 8 landed [48 to 51"] was pretty solid. In boat comment " There goes the they won't hit in a downpour". |
|
| |
|
Posts: 157
| I seem to recall a article in InFish where Berkley simulated rain in tank and all the fish rose to the top 1/3 of the water column
Certainly a tank is not a lake or river - but interesting response in a controlled environment
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 358
| well...I once caught 4 muskies from one reef in less than a half hour in pretty heavy rain that had just recently started. All 4 up shallow on a super top raider. I believe the weather / surface CHANGE was the trigger, not specifically the rain.
have never really done well in long periods of prolonged heavy rain, but some of the HOT summer rains have been OK. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 390
| I have done very well in the rain and even in downpours. Best action is light drizzle that disrupts surface tension, when this happens put on a topwater and hold on. I have noticed I catch must of the rain fish on topwaters. Anyone else notice this?!
Caught this 48-49 in the rain on opening weekend on topwater of course.
Edited by bbeaupre 6/5/2015 3:22 PM
Attachments
----------------
fish copy.jpg (60KB - 577 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 157
Location: Lincoln, NE | Thanks for all the comments guys, some really good info here. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 141
Location: Maryland | I've had more success during a right rain than a downpour. But I lost my biggest fish ever in a downpour. I do believe when it rains the fish do move closer to the banks and higher in the water columns. Also mud lines from a tributary are great, Especially in a river. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1185
Location: Iowa | I have had follows in a light rain and heavy rain and caught one on monday in an absolute downpour. I still believe it is more about timing and putting a bait in front of an active fish more than anything. We were in major and had a active fish that ate in the middle of a downpour that lasted most of all of the afternoon.
Edited by Big Perc 6/18/2015 4:07 PM
|
|
| |
