Fish the Falling Barometer

Normally magic time, but a steady/rising barometer shut the fishing down.

Large winter storm systems cause big swings in atmospheric pressure. We measure that pressure change with a barometer. In my experience, atmospheric pressure changes seem to have a tremendous impact on how sluggish or aggressive the fishing activity can be. We've got another storm moving in this weekend and it aims to bring more snow into the state. A swinging barometer could also make or break your ice fishing trip, so I put together a look at the temperature and barometric trends this weekend.

A winter storm brings a low barometer Saturday morning.
High pressure moves in for Sunday with colder temps.

I don't pretend to know much at all about ice fishing and the exact reasons why the bite is or isn't good. It always amazes me to sit next to your buddy just a few feet away when they're reeling them in and I haven't had a bite. Fish often relate very closely to structure and that can place you right on top of the hot hole, or too far away and in the middle of a featureless and fishless abyss. That's not to say you wont still catch a few fish cruising by in those locations, but often the action is slow. I do believe that weather effects the bite and I tested this theory this past Wednesday.

Heather with her first ice fish :)

We had mostly sunny skies and a relatively high barometer. Ice thickness was right around 12" of clear stuff, but the winds had whipped up and it was very chatty ice popping and cracking throughout the trip. I located some sunken Christmas trees in a flat with 10' of water. Once I located the active hole around 2pm, the fishing was pretty steady. Within 1 hour the barometer dropped slowly I had landed 10 small White Crappie. From 3pm to 4:30pm the barometer dropped quickly and I landed 50 more fish from that same hole. As sunset approached (5:26pm) I expected the typical increase in fishing activity. I only had a few bites from 4:30pm until dark and landed only one more fish. The barometer was steady during that time.

Blue sky, falling barometer and plenty of fishing action.

If you're fishing the falling barometer, Friday afternoon and before daybreak Saturday morning will be the best times to fish. Sunday afternoon/evening will also be a fair-to-good bite by the barometer. Saturday afternoon looks slow and steady, and Sunday morning the activity may be very sluggish.

Dusty got a little happy with the ice auger. Good work!

Good luck, and maybe I'll see you on the hard-water Saturday. Hopefully we'll both have a pile of fish!