Northwest Fishing Reports

What kind of tips/tricks do you guys have when its raining/overcast? I havent really bass fished the rain yet.

that post has no info lol... what about specifics, bass fishing in a light rain. are any lures better then others ??

Ya, I read it after I posted the link, but it was good anyway. lol

Just fish shallower with moving baits.

Then try deeper with moving baits,

Then try deep with jigs and such.

Throw in some topwater now and then. Over weeds and around docks, not just beside docks, all around and sorta close and sorta away from docks looking for cruising/feeding fish.

'Match The Hatch' - silver/white/yellow/trout/perch colors to start with. The try something totaly unlike any fish you've seen.

the rain can be some of the best fishing there is. especially during the summer. one of my favorite things to do is watch the weather during the summer to get big bass. they roam shallow and dont relate to cover as much as they do structure. i watch for a overcast day after a few really sunny days in a row. then i love to get out and toss spinnerbaits and flip big jigs. toss in a crankbait everynow and then, they will also hit topwater big time in overcast. swim jigs near weedlines and near heavy cover. the fish will actively chase down food in overcast.

Fishing in the rain can rock. The fish are very aggressive and they will typically go out of there way for lures, especially reaction lures. If your searching for largies, spinner baits are tough to beat, the fish are active and you can cover water.

I like the following conditions for the rain.

Spring time, warm rain. Typically nice sprinkle to shower can rule. Cold rain in the spring will shut them down.

Summer time, probably the best opportunity in the summer. A nice sprinkle is great condition to fish in, and the steady hard rain can produce fish in the summer. I fish Lake Washington, I always look forward to rain in the summer, two reasons, the fish bite and the recreational boaters are off the lake.


Take advantage of the rain, typically the really big ones are vulnerable at this time.

thanks guys ill try it out in the morning the rain is moving in

Well we got a few dinks today and got soaked!

One word "buzzbait" I like black or black and red.

I still haven't really had any more luck in the rain than on dry days. maybe less to be honest. But I haven't given it enough trys to have any conclusive evidence one way or the other I think...

This threads reminds me of a day i spent on Banks last year , We ran to this spot in the middle of lake that offered a spawning flat that drops off into deeper water . As soon as the boat stoped the boat the sky opened up and it came down pouring rain really hard for about 15min ..
Well we stood up and started throwing spinnerbaits during this 15min span , every single cast produced a smallie , if a fish droped the bait another fish would grab it .. That was the best 15min on banks lake i have ever been apart of , we caught aboout 12-15 fish in that short time period !!

Cman2007 wrote:One word "buzzbait" I like black or black and red.

Thanks! i think i seen you on "your lake" a few weeks ago with a hawg!!

Bigbass Dez wrote:This threads reminds me of a day i spent on Banks last year , We ran to this spot in the middle of lake that offered a spawning flat that drops off into deeper water . As soon as the boat stoped the boat the sky opened up and it came down pouring rain really hard for about 15min ..
Well we stood up and started throwing spinnerbaits during this 15min span , every single cast produced a smallie , if a fish droped the bait another fish would grab it .. That was the best 15min on banks lake i have ever been apart of , we caught aboout 12-15 fish in that short time period !!

I need to get on some fish like that!!

The rain gets the fish wet!

Trent Hale wrote: The rain gets the fish wet!

Do they bite when wet?

I have caught some that were a little wet in the rain.

Definitely,
Bring rain gear, you cant fish if you dont want to be out there.
I love my Gore - Tex
And I believe it might make them act different because of change in water temp?
Is that reasonable everyone?
Example: The lake could be 70, its 65 outside then rains, the rain being 65 cools lake water down?
Just an idea?

rl206 wrote:Definitely,
Bring rain gear, you cant fish if you dont want to be out there.
I love my Gore - Tex
And I believe it might make them act different because of change in water temp?
Is that reasonable everyone?
Example: The lake could be 70, its 65 outside then rains, the rain being 65 cools lake water down?
Just an idea?

i don't believe outside temps play as big a role on the water temp as people keep saying.

The puget sound only varies by about 2 degrees from winter to summer.

during febuary/march, outdoor temps were pushing 70F+ but water temps stayed the same. (high 40s, low 50s)

During May, outdoor temps stayed cold and wet, yet water temps were raising. Water temps were raising MORE than ambient temps. outdoor temps were 50s, but many bodies of water were growing to 60+f

Think about the effect of the sun on glass. Or on a small puddle of water.

I think it's the longer days and exposure to the sun that heats the water, not the actual air temperature. Someone could correct me, but if your temp drops from 70 to 65 when the rain rolls in, I don't think your water temp will change quite as drastically or as quickly.

No it's not the air temp. It's the amount of sun, the more direct angle of sunbeam the more effect it has on warming the water. The RAIN TEMP is also a big influance on heating the lake's water.

You have got to love the opinions above, and I too have them.

In the spring, or winter, rain can be a real problem for Bass. Most of us don't fish winter Bass, but they can be caught and it seems that the cold front associated with the spring or winter rains put the already sensitive bass off the feed bags.

On the other hand, when the water is warm, the bass have their feed bags on and a cold front just causes the bass to belly up to the bar.

If the water temperature is above 55 degrees for Small Mouths, or 65 for Large Mouths, then all I can say is bring it on, the more rain the better. Below the above temperatures, I find that they can be caught, but I really need to slow down. So, depending on your bass species, consider those rules.

So, given a perfect world, and my perfect conditions, I would want 75 to 80 degree surface water, a slight breeze, moderate rain with heavy overcast, shallow flats, emergent weeds or wood, and LMB. These same conditions, but with 65 to 70 degree water, for SMB. I would toss Buzz Baits, Swim Baits, Poppers, etc.

I agree that the rain does little to change the water temperature. Wind on the other hand makes a huge difference because it causes circulation of the water bringing deeper water to the surface. Still, I doubt that the temperature is the reason the Bass turn on or off, but this circulation moves food, which moves baitfish, which moves predators. I suspect that the change in pressure, and the break-up of the surface, is what causes the Bass to turn on. It is because of this that the high clear skies that usually follow the rain (cold fronts) usually are the worse days to fish.

Similar results can be had when fishing for any species, including Trout, Steelhead, Salmon, etc. The temperature ranges change, the time of year changes, but breezes, moderate rain, and heavy overcast often yield some of the best fishing days of the year. Think of it, the light conditions are closer to a normal day's early morning and late afternoon prime feeding times then at any other time.