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Here's how weather impacts fishing

Before casting your next fishing line, consider the wind, water temperature and air pressure.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sunshine and warm temperatures seem like the perfect day to go fishing, but you might come back empty-handed.

It's just one example of the impact weather can have on your next big catch.

Before you get your rod, reel, line, and jig packed and ready for a day on the water, sudden changes in the weather can increase your chances of catching a fish.

For starters, consider the wind, water temperature and air pressure before casting your next fishing line.

Credit: WCNC
Weather impacts on fishing

“I caught the biggest bass I had ever caught in the State of North Carolina. It was eight and a half pounds,” Dave Ferguson, Environmental Specialist III, said 

With 30 years of fishing experience, Dave Ferguson expressed how your chances of catching a fish go up when the air pressure goes down.

Because some fish have a natural barometer, they react to sudden changes in air pressure.

Fish tend to be active and bite just before and during a storm as a low-pressure system or fronts swing through the region. And less active immediately after the storm until the pressure stabilizes a few days later.  

🌩️ If you like weather, watch Brad Panovich and the WCNC Charlotte Weather Team on their Emmy Award-winning Weather IQ YouTube channel. 🎥

Credit: WCNC
Swim Bladder

“The swim bladder is supposedly the organ that dictates how the pressure feels on that fish whether they have negative or excited to eat," Ferguson said. "It helps them figure out they are going to be high in the water column on a pond like this or squatted down the bottom.” 

In addition, the water temperature can drive fish activity.

Ferguson explained how trout are actively feeding during the spring, but they are sluggish when the water temperature rises above 68 degrees.

However, bass ar more aggressive during the summer when water temperatures are near 70 degrees.

It is incredible to catch a fish. However, there’s no fish worth risking your safety to catch in the middle of a storm.

Contact KJ Jacobs at kjacobs3@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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