Weather has long been known to either make or break a fishing trip. That doesn’t mean that you should call it quits at the first sign of rain. If you can manage to stick out the storm and keep fishing you may even catch your limit. As long as the weather isn’t life threatening a good downpour will offer new opportunities and keep the fair weather anglers at bay. Without having to worry about the weather you’ll be able to get onto the lake more often than ever before.
Bass Fishing in The Rain
It doesn’t have to be sunny to get in a good day of fishing. Whether it’s rain, sleet or snow with a little preparation you can catch a ton of fish. That being said it’s definitely not fun to sit in cold and wet clothes. So you’re going to have to come prepared with all the right gear.
My Rainy Day Fishing Strategy
It might not seem like it, but rain can make a fishing day even better. Rain kicks up a ton of mud and bugs which in turn starts a feeding frenzy. Bass are going to be much more active during the rain. Chasing your lure a little bit farther than they normally would.
Since bass are more active I’ll change my approach a bit. I’ll choose lures that cover a lot of water fast. I’m hoping to find that extremely aggressive fish by making a ton of presentations really fast.
For that I’m going to use a wide variety of fast moving shallow baits. Think along the lines of Strike King’s KVD Sexy Dawg Topwater Swim Bait, Booyah Super Shad Spinnerbait, Booyah Buzz Buzzbait and Strike King Square Bill Crankbait. The key is to strike fast and take advantage of the active feeding schedule.
Rain allows you to move faster than normal without looking unnatural. Use long casts with extremely fast retrieves to cover a lot of water fast. Once you find a good fishing area you can use your favorite slower lures to more efficiently work the area.
Tips For Rainy Day Fishing Success
1. Watch The Weather
There’s a reason fishermen always seem to be talking about the weather. The first thing you should do before hitching up your boat is check on the weather. If bad weather is in the forecast you should plan your fishing strategy in advance. If I stayed home every time there was a little rain in the forecast I would have missed out on a ton of great fishing days.
Before going out in the rain strategically plan where you want to fish and what gear you’re going to need. Before you leave the house don’t forget a good set of raingear like this Coleman PVC Rain Suit.You don’t need to spend a lot of cash to stay dry on a fishing trip. Make sure you bring along a few dry bags to carry your essentials and a lunchbox that’s going to keep your lunch dry.
2. Choose The Right Lures For The Rain
I like to fish the rain just like any other low visibility day. Stick with what works in cloudy and stained water. When there are tough fishing conditions you’re going to want to stick to loud and bright lures. Work the water fast using your favorite crank baits jerkbaits and spinnerbaits.
I love switching between the Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait and Strike King Shallow Square Bill Crankbait. They both move through water fast and have the perfect movement for tough fishing conditions.Once you get a few bites you should be able to figure out where the fish are located at. Once you know the general area start throwing different baits until you figure out a pattern.
When you have a fishing buddy with you try to always throw something different until you see what’s working. You should be able to quickly pinpoint the right bait for the given conditions. Make sure you very your presentation and switch things up if the bite slows down. After a little while without any bites it’s time to change positions and find an area that similar to your current fishing spot.
3. Match Your Forage
When fishing during the rain it’s important to try and match the colors of your forage species. Smaller lakes and ponds are going to want to stick to crawfish and bluegill colored baits.
In larger lakes you’re going to want to stick to shad colored baits. I’ve had a lot of success with the shad colored Storm Kickin Minnow Lure and the Neon Bluegill Strike King KVD 1.5 Shallow Square Bill Crankbait.
4. Keep an Eye on The Water Conditions
There are some wakes that you just shouldn’t fool around with in the rain. Years of fishing on Lake Erie has taught me that strong surf is nothing to mess with. Whenever the weather kicks up I’ll look for local fishing holes that offer safer conditions. You also won’t have to compete against other fishermen that decided to stay at home and watch TV.
The first thing that you need to look for when you get to the lake is the current water temperature. Knowing the temperature of the water should point you in the right direction of where you’re going to find big bass. If water temperatures cooling off after a long hot week check areas that should naturally insulate the water.
Look for bridges, riprap and anywhere else that could offer protection from the cold. When the water temperature increases into the 60s move into the shallow beds and medium depth cover.
5. Adjust To The Rising Water Levels
Rainy weather over a long period of time is going to have numerous effects on the water in any Lake. After a few weeks of consistent rain you’ll notice the water level may rise significantly.
As the shoreline vegetation moves into deeper and deeper water bass are sure to relocate. Vegetation that was once a foot or two underwater will now become homes to a ton of bluegill and Shad attracting larger fish. Make sure you change the depth of your lures and adjust accordingly.
6. Changes in Water Clarity
Whenever it rains water clarity is sure to change. You’ll notice that especially in smaller lakes water that was once crystal-clear will take on a muddy haze. Fishing the lower end of the lake will allow you to take advantage of water that has yet to change.
Whenever the water gets cloudy leave your finesse lures in the tackle box and bring out something that’ll make a little noise. Try to cover a lot of water with your crank baits, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits as quickly as possible. Tough weather conditions are never the time to set up and shop with any one presentation.
7. Know When To Call it A Day
As tempting as it might be to stay out on the water safety should always be your first concern. Even the largest bass you’ve ever seen isn’t worth putting yourself in a dangerous position. Make sure to take all precautions when the weather looks dismal and stay where you can quickly take cover. Whenever lightning starts to strike just get off the water, because it’s just not worth it.
No matter the weather conditions your lifejacket should always be easily accessible. When the waves start to kick up I always toss on my lifejacket over my rain gear and hook on my boats kill switch.
8. Persistence is Key
Persistence is key in tough weather conditions, don’t get discouraged when all of your favorite lures just aren’t working. Just like fishing any other time of year there’s a serious learning curve to fishing in the rain. Knowing your fishing grounds and scouting out the lake beforehand will go a long way.
Rainy weather is the perfect time to try out that new crankbait or jerkbait that just hasn’t been working as well as you thought. Try adding an extra pause and adjusting your retrieve until you find what works.
Further Fishing Adjustments
It doesn’t matter if you’ve had success all day with a lure the second the rain comes you need to make some adjustments(or at least consider it). You might be working a short window and need to move fast.
Maybe you’ve had success all morning working the docks and shallow cover. The second it starts to rain you’ll have to change things up. When a storm rolls in bass normally ditch their cover and roam a little bit more. Instead of tossing in that slow moving Texas rig you’ll want to cover a little water. All of a sudden fish are moving fast and chasing your bait. Fishing a moving bait fast is definitely the way to go.
Avoid Deep Water
Even during the heat of summer suspending bass will move to the shallows during a storm. They just can’t pass up that buffet of stirred up grub. Move into the shallows and work the grasslines. It doesn’t matter how many fish are in a given area they’ll get more aggressive eating anything they see.
The Next time the weather gets nasty thank the fishing gods and get onto the water.