Barometric pressure: What it means for fishing. 🧐
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Ask most folks (even diehard fish-heads!) a question about barometric pressure, and they usually have similar answers:
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Low vs high...rising vs falling....
Enough, do you want my head to explode?! 🥴🤯😅
I came across this Virtual Angling post chatting with Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl that actually tackles some specifics (thx fellas!) when it comes to how barometric pressure affects fish and what we should be keeping an eye out for. Few experts below:
> Barometric pressure is defined as “the measurement of air pressure in the atmosphere, specifically the measurement of the weight exerted by air molecules at a given point on Earth.” This pressure can be felt more significantly by creatures living underwater, where pressures are already greater than those of the air...which can really mess with fishing.
> Brian ‘Bro’ Brosdahl admits he is not a meteorologist but has spent enough time on the water while following the barometer to make some accurate correlations between air pressure and fishing.
Shoot, I’d tune in each night! 🍿
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> Air pressure affects fish by dictating how they use their air bladders. When the pressure is low, they shrink their air bladder and sink to the bottom, awaiting more comfortable levels. When the pressure is high, the air bladder expands and they rise higher in the water column away from the higher pressures near the bottom.
> Old adage agrees that fish often become more ‘lock jaw’ during a high-pressure system setting the stage for those frustrating outings where you mark lots of fish, but they refuse to eat.
> ...anything below 29.90 is on the low end...above 30.12 is high.
> When the pressure is high, Brosdahl switches to more finesse presentations like lighter lines and smaller baits.
> What you’re looking for is pressure stability. Think about it: if the pressure constantly fluctuates, the fish have to adjust their air bladder often, making them uncomfortable. Would you want to eat if you had a belly ache?
> Stable pressures from 29.90 to 30.05 are key to watch for, so use weather apps with accurate barometric readings to get a good sense of when fish are feeding and dial in exactly when the fishing is going to be top-notch!
Now, are you ready to apply those nuggets to your fishing trips and pay attention to what the barometric pressure is doing?
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When in doubt: Just go fishing!
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Fishing is JUST like fantasy football....
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You might not know this, but I am obsessed with fantasy football. It 110% consumes my brain and I cannot stop creeping on all things FF. 🤷♂️ If you know, you know.
So I guess this is just my random thought of the day...because if you think about it, fishing and fantasy football have so many things in common. 💭
- Random draft orders are just like boat draws...out of your control and might force you to completely change up your game plan last minute.
- Sleeper picks are just like secret spots...there’s NO worse feeling than seeing them go to someone else. Gut wrenching. Rattled. Ahhhhh!
- Usually come into the day (matchup) with lofty expectations, and leave embarrassed about your (team’s) abilities 🤣. Once in a great while the stars align, and you’re feeling on top of the world. But usually you’re just trying to hang on for dear life.
- When you’re hot, you’re hot! Confidently making moves and the decision making is on point.
- But look out when the wheels fall off LOL. Then you’ve obviously gotta start daydreaming about the good ol’ days when everything fell into place.
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- You might be great friends with your opponent, but you want to – NEED to – crush them.
- You’ll always have that arch enemy in your fantasy or fishing league. You know their name just popped in your head while reading that!
- The more time you spend doing research, learning, really diving in...the better you do. BUT then your line breaks or an injury pops up and you realize it’s all over. 😫
- And when it comes time for weigh-in, half the folks have already left.
Just wanna say good luck to all you fish-heads out there who are also playing fantasy football! And stay strong in those ruthless group chats! 🤣🤣🤣🤦♂️
Okay, now we’re back to fishin’....
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Do you know your currents?
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Nope, not just talking about rivers...but how wind-driven currents can set walleyes up on structure. And I'd be willing to bet it's a little different than 99.99% of folks would think....
Check this out, from a timeless 1992 In-Fisherman write-up by Doug Stange and Steve Quinn:
> A half day or more of wind from a consistent direction usually creates a current moving toward structural elements on the windward side of the lake. But Coriolis force bends water currents to the right of the wind direction. In large lakes like Ontario and Superior, the current bends as much as 45 degrees.
> As lake size and depth decrease, the angle of deflection is reduced. Limnologists studying 9,600-acre 80-ft-deep Lake Mendota (WI) found currents deflected about 20 degrees to the right of the wind. Assume then that in most lakes the deflection is slightly to the right.
> Not only is the surface current not moving in the same direction as the wind, but a substantial subsurface reverse current is moving in the opposite direction of the wind, so 10 to 20 to perhaps 30 degrees farther to the right. First figure the to-the-right deflection of the surface current; then note that below this surface current a reverse current rebounds like a pool ball bouncing off a cushion at another angle to the right of the surface current.
> This often overlooked current affects walleye position near middepth structural elements. Fish in shallow water usually face into shallow surface current. But fish holding deeper than about 5’ often face the opposite direction – into a reverse current.
> This often overlooked current affects walleye position near mid-depth structural elements. Fish in shallow water usually face into shallow surface current. But fish holding deeper than about 5 feet often face the opposite direction-into a reverse current.
Great write-up with a bunch more interesting nuggets, read it here.
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Shore bruiser of the week!
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Most folks would stay home on the couch during a nasty 45°F thunderstorm 🥶⛈️ but a Tyler Flynn isn’t most folks lol. He and his bud had only caught a couple small ones after 3 hours of grinding the banks of Little Bay de Noc, and decided to try one last spot....
He bombed out a #7 Rapala Rippin’ Rap and about 3 pumps of the rod later his….
> “…bait got absolutely annihilated. Set the hook Bassmaster style, and this fish just took off ripping drag. I’ve never had a walleye fight so hard in my life before. No headshakes, just long, hard runs. As I got this fish a little closer to shore, I turned on my headlamp expecting to see a huge pike, but the first thing I saw was a giant set of marble eyes.”
And she had the belly to match! 🐷
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Congrats on the fish of a lifetime, man!
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2. OH: Last chance to get your Fall Brawl on
The two largest Lake Erie walleye derbies kick off on Oct 18. Of course I’m talking about the Fall Brawl and the Walleye Slam: Two massive fall derbies where the biggest walleye wins a brand new boat – they actually coincide with each other, so you could potentially win both at the same time if you were registered for each.
3. Walleye Nation Creations has a new jig coming
> The new TearJerker Tungsten Jig coming this fall is a winner. It drops fast, is semi standup, hangs horizontally in the water column, is tungsten for better sonar returns, and has a super strong 1/0 hook. Will be available for the public in November.
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> Z-Man's product development team and pro staff had a laundry list of lofty goals when setting out to design the SWAG LT: expand the retrieve speed window, maximize hookup and landing ratios, and boost overall durability and lifelike realism. “What we ended up with didn’t just meet those goals,” remarks Z-Man Product Manager Richard Dunham. “It exceeded them across the board.”
> At the core of the SWAG LT is Z-Man’s optimized Over/Under Line-Through Harness, which lets anglers choose between a dorsal-mounted sickle style single hook or a custom belly-mounted double hook, both designed for maximum hookset efficiency. Rigged either way, when a fish strikes, the lure slides up the line, preventing it from being used as leverage to throw the hook.
Not available at Scheels yet but you can find it here. Yup, it's made out of Z-Man's 10X Tough ElaZtech plastic. Comes in 5” and 6” sizes and that perch color looks delicious! 👀
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11. New Humminbird Apex units now include maps
Those are the $$ top of the line Humminbird units. BUT the new XPLOREs (which are replacing the Helix units) also include Lakemaster maps for the entire US.
12. Wigwam Resort is up for sale
On Lake of the Woods. For $2.55 mil.
13. MN: Ballard's Resort is looking for an assistant manager
On Lake of the Woods.
14. MN: Border View Lodge is hiring ice guides
Also hiring cooks, front desk and maintenance.
15. Brad Hawthorne says fall = glide bait time
16. Plano revamps its iconic tray tackle box line
17. PSA: Wear a lifejacket!
Two friends, Brian Palmer (66) and Joseph Davis (77), were fishing on NY's Lake Oneida when their boat capsized due to a failed bilge pump and wind-driven waves. Palmer, unable to swim, floated for 6 hours in a life jacket until the yacht M/Y Scott Free spotted him near buoy 117 on the Erie Canal – they tossed a line and pulled him aboard.
> “No one even knew they were missing until we found Brian,” Kitchin said. “If he didn’t have a life jacket, he’d be talking to Jesus right now.”
> “Everyone thinks boating is always calm and fun, but you’re out there on something you hope will hold you up, in a place you’re not meant to be,” he said. “We have to plan for what can go wrong, because the weather can turn in minutes.”
> His advice was blunt: wear a life jacket.
> “No one wants to wear a seatbelt either, but you do,” Estrada said. “If you’re out in a jon boat, especially on a windy lake with boat traffic, wear it. And carry other lifesaving gear – hydrostatic Type III jackets that inflate automatically, even a personal EPIRB that alerts the Coast Guard if you go overboard.
18. Yamaha "Fall Into Savings" deals on now
19. Garmin named Most Innovative Marine Company For 2025
20. Reminder: Get in on our Northland Tackle giveaway!
Have a shot at winning a $350+ spread of walleye-catchers from Northland Fishing Tackle!!!
Including a pile of Eye-Candy plastics…tungsten jigheads that pack a natural, irresistible profile and fish heavy for their size so you can get down fast and stay in the strike zone…plus Deep-V Jigs which are built with a keeled design that tracks straight, locks plastics tight, and keeps hooks riding true. 💯
Takes just 10 seconds to enter and can share the link you get for bonus entries. 🤞 Good luck!
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> Since a glide jig is relatively heavy and compact, it sinks rapidly. Therefore, you can quickly put it in front of fish you spot on sonar. It’s efficient, as fish either hit it on the first couple casts or they ignore it....
> The essentials of working a glide jig include allowing it to fall on a slack line to the bottom, which doesn’t take long. Once there, engage the reel and take in the slack. Then, give the lure a sharp, upward snap that rockets it anywhere from a couple to several feet off bottom, depending on intensity and length of the snap. A quick sequence of 2 or 3 snaps will shoot it up even higher. The lure then falls on a slack line to the bottom.
> As the jig sinks, it glides from side to side in an erratic manner. Suppress the urge to maintain a tight (or even semi-tight line) during the drop. Veteran jig fishermen might find this difficult to do, but the slack line is necessary to allow the jig to glide.
> Different species seem to hit glide jigs in various ways. Walleyes commonly follow the lure to the bottom and pin it there. You likely won’t feel the strike, rather the fish will just “be there” when you attempt your next snap (or series of snaps).
> In water 15’ or less, I lean toward side imaging set out to 70’ to 80’. Walleyes roaming flats and humps will display on side scan, particularly high-frequency units like my Garmin Ultra with UHD56GT transducer. Sometimes you’ll only see the shadows. When I mark fish, I’ll drop a waypoint on the spot (I use a blue pin) with the intention of circling back around, spot-locking the boat, then targeting those fish.
> Since it’s impossible to know how long fish will stay in an area, I don’t wait long to glide-jig them once I’ve found them. Don’t camp out on a spot, though. If you make contact with fish, keep at it until the action dies. If they don’t bite, keep looking.
> In deeper water (roughly 15-35’), down-imaging and traditional sonar come into play. Deep humps, points and creek channel ledges are all places to search. I often scan deeper structures at around 2 mph with my outboard. When I spot fish, I slam the boat into reverse and toss a heavy glide jig back behind the boat.
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"...your guess is as good as mine. All I know is it took way too long to get un-snagged…"
- That’s Brock Bila talking about getting himself into, and eventually out of, quite the predicament lol:
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Thanks SO much for reading! 👊 Back atcha on Friday.
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FRIENDS OF TARGET WALLEYE
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Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye He was discovered in Brainerd, MN after years of wondering how in the heck people break into the fishing biz. He's in it now, but still can't answer that question.... Brett is one of those guys who majored in marketing, only because there was no such thing as a "fishing degree" at the time.... Get him at brett@targetwalleye.com
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