PHOTO BY ROB NEWELL
Strader says the same rocks that attract bass on “ normal ” winter days will produce during a snowfall , but an angler ’ s approach must change .
shallow side of channel swings , pea gravel points – anywhere in the depth range of 3 to 8 feet . I think the snow brings them up a little shallower as well , so I fish as much of that kind of stuff as I can .”
The “ snow bite ” isn ’ t restricted to one area of a lake , but rather might extend all the way from the dam to the riverine feeders .
“ I ’ ve caught them in the snow from one end of a lake to another around here ,” Strader says of eastern Tennessee fisheries . “ You ’ re not going to really be doing anything dramatically different from what you would any other day on the water that time of year . You ’ re just tweaking it a little bit , and you ’ ve got a lot better chance of wrecking them .”
The bottom line is that far too many anglers put their boats away each fall and miss out on one of the most underexploited bites of the cold-water season . Better for a fisherman to keep his boat ready for action and , when the forecast calls for some flurries , be prepared to schedule his own “ snow day .”
How Barometric Pressure Affects Bass
Because barometric pressure is one of many environmental factors at play in a fishery , it ’ s difficult to understand how bass react to pressure changes with any level of certainty . Studies focusing on barometric pressure have returned mostly inconclusive results , despite what countless anglers have experienced .
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist Paul Rister has made a career studying bass behavior , and provides some insight into how the barometer affects fish behavior .
“ Think of barometric pressure as a big hand pressing down on the earth ,” he says . “ When the pressure is high , that hand is pushing down harder . When the pressure drops , the hand relaxes .
“ This pressure could easily impact the aquatic environment and cause fish to be less comfortable when it ’ s high , which could explain the tough bite many anglers experience under ‘ high skies .’ By that same logic , falling barometric pressure may increase feeding activity because bass and other species feel more comfortable and are more willing to interact .”
“ You ’ re not going to start catching them all of a sudden by burning a spinnerbait , or speed-cranking through your areas . You ’ re still methodically fishing like you would in the winter ; you just hit lots of spots and stick to the moving baits because the bass are more aggressive .”
— Wesley Strader
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