Fishing The Fronts

Well, August picked up where July left off -hot and dry.

August temperature trends have been cooler.

The back of an intense summer heat ridge has been broken by cooler winds of change! Canadian high pressure sent two distinct blasts of refreshingly cool air so far this month! These fronts have been a blessing with substantially cooler readings and weekly rain chances. Since the weather pattern has shifted, fishing activity should be picking up along the leading edge of these airmass changes called fronts! So let's talk about fishing the fronts.

Strong storm front moving in. Expect heavy rain and wind!

Whether it's a foreboding storm front or a true cold front, these features offer signs of change easily recognized. They can also produce some of the best fishing you'll ever experience! Fronts often cause increased cloud cover which changes the light levels. Lower light levels typically lead to better fishing. Fronts can also cause significant pressure changes as they pass.

This storm struck on Aug. 8th shortly after 4pm with severe
wind and hail. I abbreviated the pressure numbers where
13.1 = 1013.1millibars.

Lowering barometric pressure typically precedes fronts. A brief period of steady low pressure occurs as the front passes overhead, followed by a sharp rise in the barometer afterwards. Sometimes, as is the case with strong storm fronts, there can be a secondary lowering of pressure called a 'wake low.' This usually happens in the light rain after a squall line and can prolong great fishing activity before high pressure takes control. As high pressure builds in, typically the feeding frenzy comes to a halt and fish become harder to catch. Winds also shift along frontal features, sometimes reversing direction in a matter of minutes!

 A few summers ago I fished a farm pond back-to-back days. One day was high pressure and partial sunshine. The next day was lowering pressure, cloud cover and then a storm front. I netted twice the fish on the stormy day than the day before plus this nice bass. In my opinion the best fishing can be expected in the hours preceding a front, especially a strong one!

In my next blog we're going to take a stab at the long range forecast. Iowa's archery season for deer is mere weeks away and we'll see if the weather will cooperate.