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Bass Fishing

In Many places, Bass fishing is seen as a sport. In others, it is seen as a hobby and simply a fun activity. Since the beginning of time, people have been fishing for food, and over time, it has become more of an enjoyable experience rather than a simple food harvest. So, what makes fishing so enjoyable, and why are bass a species that is often targeted?

According to an article by Standard, 2023 "The secret is that people go fishing for many reasons, and most aren’t about catching fish. People fish because they want to reduce stress, build friendships, reap many health benefits, pay respect to the environment, or bring home dinner." There are so many reasons for a person to fish, and over time, this has become a very common practice.

Bass Tournaments

Why are bass targeted so often? Bass fishing is considered a sport in many areas. There will be tournaments held at various lakes around the world. Anglers will come, often with a boat, to patrol these lakes looking for a trophy-winning bass. According to an article by Will Branson, 2026 "Weight-based scoring system is a method of assigning scores or points to different aspects or features based on their perceived level of importance. This system is commonly used in various fields, such as sports, education, and business. It's used to evaluate and rank individuals or teams based on specific criteria. In a weight-based scoring system, each feature or aspect is assigned a weight or point value based on its level of significance, and the total score is calculated by summing up the weighted scores of each feature or aspect." This is a chart that he gives to demonstrate the scoring system:

feature/aspect	weight/point value	score
accuracy	30	85
speed	20	70
quality	50	90
Total score		245

Many anglers strive to catch that one trophy bass and really max out this chart. It's not only for the prize, but for the love of the game. For that one time, an angler can experience the rush of the biggest fish of their life while they go on to win the tournament.

Fishing is not just about catching giant fish and winning trophies and money; it's about the experience. There is a reason it is called fishing, not catching. Whether you go to catch a fish, spend time alone, or be with friends in nature, fishing is about more than just the thrill of the catch. It's about enjoying the time spent near the water. It's about feeling what's on the other end of your line every cast, and if you're lucky, the weather will be nice to you.

How Weather Affects Bass Fishing:

1. Windy & Rainy Conditions:

Now, don't get me wrong, I dislike being cold and wet when it's windy out just as much as the next guy. But there are a few exceptions I will make to be outside in those conditions. When I'm near a lake, or really any body of water, I just feel the urge to throw my pole in the water for a little bit. Personally, the only thing that would stop me from fishing is a literal tornado in a thunderstorm.

Many people would turn down the thought of going fishing when they see some rain on their weather app. Little do they know, fishing in the rain can actually help them and increase the chances of hooking a fish. The rain actually makes the bass more aggressive towards their prey. It may not look very promising from the angler's perspective, but under the water is a completely different story. The rain bouncing off the top of the water actually increases the oxygen levels throughout, in turn making the fish more active and alert. This allows the angler to retrieve their lure at a faster pace in many situations. Using faster-moving baits that displace water, make noise, or shine will prove to be quite effective in rainy and windy conditions. If it starts pouring and I start getting soaked without any luck, then I am for sure leaving. It is not worth being soaked the entire time just to not catch anything. According to an article by FishUSA Staff , some of the best times to fish when it's raining are before the rain hits, when it's lightly raining out, and after the rain hits. Before the storm hits, the barometric pressure drops dramatically, and the fish feel free to move around. If you can endure being wet for a little bit, then it may all be worth it when you hook onto a giant bass.

Wind is also not completely useless when it comes to fishing. It often plays an important role in how the fish will behave. Not only is how windy it is outside important, but so is the direction of the wind. Don't get me wrong, it can be quite difficult to fish in windier conditions because it makes it very hard to cast. But when you know how the wind affects the bass, and learn how to work with it, you can easily become a pro. According to an article by Today's Bite Report , "Wind pushes surface water, creating current that positions baitfish against windblown banks, points, and structure." When the waves crash upon the bank, the sediments in the dirt, sand, or rock around the shoreline get stirred up. This attracts the smaller baitfish to feed within this area. Bass are instinctively driven to prey upon these baitfish and strike when the time is right. The stirring of the water causes a decrease in water clarity, while the waves from the wind make it very difficult for the fish to see anything above the water. This makes it easier to sneak up on a bass and catch it by surprise. The direction of the wind affects the barometric pressure and how the fish act.

2. Barometric Pressure:

So, what even is the Barometric Pressure? And what in the world could this possibly have to do with fish? It's honestly a simpler concept than it may seem at first, but I'm going to break it down in a few simple ways to make it easy to understand. "A simple definition is the weight of the atmosphere on the Earth's surface, measured in millibars (mb)." (Hofmann). This fluctuates all the time, and it can change very rapidly. Bass are very sensitive to an increase in pressure, and they feel every bit of it. Imagine if an elephant came and lay down on you while you were sleeping. This is similar to what the bass would feel, and we can't even see it. High pressure makes the bass lethargic, and getting a lethargic bass to bite your lure can be next to impossible. Your bait could pass by that bass a hundred times, and it would watch it go by each time if the pressure is dense enough. When the pressure is low, Bass become more active and aggressive, so getting one to bite is not as uncommon. The transitional periods also play a crucial role in how the bass will act. As the pressure starts to drop, bass move closer to shallow water to prey on unsuspecting bait fish and other small creatures in this area. This indicates that a storm is about to hit, and the bass get very excited. Conversely, when the pressure is rising, the bite starts to slow down, and bass move towards deeper water. According to an article by Eric Hofmann, "The higher pressure causes their swim bladder to compress, making it more difficult for them to swim." While it's not impossible to catch a bass while the pressure is high, it sure is very difficult.

3. warm vs cold weather

Bass are cold-blooded creatures, and like many other fish, they move up and down the water column based on the temperature. Seasonal temperature changes affect bass the most, but even small changes, like the water being a few degrees warmer, can make all the difference. Bass are not like people. They don't have set mealtimes or a dinner table to eat at every night. They are predators who have to hunt for their food. When the water gets cold, like under 45 degrees Fahrenheit, bass get very lethargic and often go days between meals. They group up around the structure at the bottom of the water to conserve energy over the winter or cold season. As the water starts to warm up between 50 and 55 degrees, bass will start moving up the water column and slightly increase their eating frequency. They can often be found at the edge of steep drop-offs, around cover, near channels, and in other transitional spots. This would be considered the pre-spawn stage, or the transition from winter to spring. As we get into the spring season, water temperatures are still fluctuating but mostly increase during this time. This is when the water is around 55-65 degrees and is rising to 70-75 degrees. This is the time when some bass will be spawning, others will be getting ready to spawn, and the rest will have spawned already. This is what would be considered the bass fishing sweet spot, and nearly all techniques, lures, and spots are reaching their peak. Bass will sit in shallower water to spawn and hunt for smaller baitfish. Bass are very protective of their nests at this time, so throwing lures near them might piss them off enough to trigger a strike. This bite is easy to miss since they often pick it up once or twice before leaving it alone.

Colder weather is more about technique and finesse for your lure. When the water warms up to summer temperatures and gets to 80 degrees plus, that's when bass become easily predictable. According to Today's Bite Report, "Bass remain active but shift to early morning, late evening, and nighttime feeding. Midday fish hold on deeper structure, offshore humps, ledges, and brush piles." This is an easily predictable pattern, and your trip could be planned around these prime times. Sunrise is one of my favorite times to fish. Most of the time, the morning will be quite calm. The wind usually doesn't start picking up too much yet, and during the summertime, the temperatures will often be cooler and nicer to fish in. The evenings are the same way, with the sun going down and temperatures cooling off, bass become more comfortable with moving around and eating. I've seen many people catch bass during the nighttime, but personally, I have never. Then again, when I fish at night, it's usually for catfish. Shaded areas with cover are hot spots for bass during the summer since it allows for them to remain relatively cool while staying active and feeding. Knowing how the temperature affects the bass throughout the year can help you strategically plan your trips and even know what lure to throw.

Conclusion

Whether you're fishing for fun or competing with others, you can be assured that your time spent fishing will be spent well. With these tips and information, you have just become one step closer to being a fishing master. At the end of the day, skill all comes down to experience and knowledge. You could read all about how to fish, where to fish, and when to fish. If you never get out to the water to apply this knowledge, then you will never know if it's right or not. One guy could tell you that this particular bait is the best one to use during this particular time, but until you get out there and try it, he could have just gotten lucky once and said that was the best. Fishing is all about figuring out what is working best at that particular time and improving your skills along the way. So, whether you've been fishing for the last 60 years or just started 6 days ago, know that you can always learn something new. And remember that you don't always have to learn from other people. Your experiences and knowledge are just as valuable as everyone else's; you just have to figure out what works for you.