Leap Day Snowstorm
B Pressure - indicator of weather, not fish moods
Upon asking a serious angler whether barometric pressure influences angling success, most will reply with an emphatic, “absolutely”. All information should be taken with a grain of salt and I am continuously reminded how trendy and naïve people can be with information, and trust me, after working at the Musky Shop, I’ve heard it all. If I believed half the things I’ve heard in the shop, I’d be fishing with my hat on sideways, one shoe untied, a lure with magic dust on it, and all with just the right amount of sun-block on at midnight. The things people say can be absolutely comical and some things downright disturbing. Don’t get me wrong, information can be extremely valuable, i.e. location and technique, but it’s important not to be a sucker.
A heavily accepted piece of fishing information that everyone seems to agree on is that when the barometric pressure is dropping or rising, the fish bite the best. At a glance, this theory seems to make sense because fish have a swim bladder that is filled with gas, and it regulates that amount of gas based on the surrounding pressures to match the environment. Therefore, anglers assume that when air pressure changes, the fish’s body changes, and their feeding habits change. Or people simply take the theory at face value without this bit of knowledge.
However, when this theory is dissected more, it becomes obvious that the pressure changes happening above the water surface cannot possibly be noticed by the fish, and the improved fishing conditions associated with a drop in mercury is more likely a result of the changing weather conditions associated with barometric pressure shifts, such as increased cloud cover or wind.
Let me explain. Pressure is expressed by scientists in terms of ‘atmospheres’, whether it is in the air or water. And atmospheric pressure is often called barometric pressure because it can be measured by inches of mercury in a barometer, typically around 30. When there is an extreme weather event such as a strong thunderstorm the barometric pressure can be as low as 28 inches, and during a high pressure system, as high as 30.7 inches. The difference in pressure therefore, can be about 2.7 inches, which equals about .09 atmospheres, from one extreme to the other.
In water, the pressure increases very rapidly, and at 32.8 feet beneath the surface the pressure is equal to double the pressure above the surface, or two atmospheres. Consequently, in the underwater world, moving up or down 1/10th of an atmosphere is equal to 3.28 feet. And 0.1 atmospheres is more change than the barometric pressure difference can yield between its two extremes of high and low pressure.
This means that when a fish moves up or down just 3.28 feet in the water, it is experiencing more pressure effect than it would from any amount of pressure fluctuations occurring above the surface. It is also important to understand that it takes hours for a typical cold front to change the barometric pressure, and that pressure difference is easily matched in just a few seconds by a fish simply moving up or down a couple of feet in the water.
It’s always fun to think the ultimate key to unlocking angling immortality lies with the mercury levels upon your wall, but the truth is that your barometer is a better indicator of the weather outside, not a secret devise that tells you when fish suddenly feel the need to eat.
Joe's getting married y'all
How well do fish see?
Fish have an outstanding evolutionary history with many types of variances and anatomical distinctions. Development and progress revolve around one core fundamental concept, the ability to maximize food intake while minimizing the potential to get killed by a predator practicing the same principles. As you might expect, fish have become animals that inhabit their environmental niche perfectly, and have developed incredible mechanisms that take advantage of environmental cues and enhance their senses in very specific ways. All senses are the best they can be on all animals at this point in time. Sound travels five times faster in water than it does through the air, and as a result, fish have incredible hearing abilities due to an inner ear bone and a lateral line organ that detects vibration. In addition, fish have developed an acute olfactory system to cue on the chemical compounds that are incredibly abundant in many shapes and forms in lakes and rivers, resulting in a sense of smell that is one million times greater than ours. And finally, fish have developed an interesting mechanism to efficiently use available sunlight at low light times to maximize their ability to profile prey. Conversely however, there is no real evolutionary advantage for detecting color in any great detail, with minor exceptions, and fish do not have the ability to detect a wide range of colors. This makes the discussion of color among fisherman an interesting and controversial subject.
A collaboration of senses is important to obtain total efficiency. When discussing sight, it is important to note that fish do see very well, but have not developed a specific importance to register color information. The exceptional visual capabilities of fish can be attributed to a very specific anatomical advantage that many animals have (i.e. deer, cats, fish, etc.), an organ called the tapetum lucidum; which is responsible for the phenomenon of reflective eye-shine. Upon receiving light, the eye collects amounts of light that is absorbed by the retina, which is composed of rods and cones. The rods simply detect the presence of light, while the cones detect color; providing perfect vision for total efficiency for that particular animal’s survival. Fish, on average, typically exhibit around 5 rods per 1 (one) cone on each nerve cell, however, the ratio expands exponentially as water depth increases. There is always the potential for light to go unused by the retina, but the tapetum lucidum utilizes this remaining light and reflects it back outward so it passes the retina for a second time. Walleyes and muskies are a couple noteworthy species that have this mechanism, allowing for ultimate vision through turbulent water and during low light periods.
After sunlight reaches matter in the atmosphere it immediately responds to that matter’s molecular structure and consequent absorption rate, instantaneously responding to the movement happening between the electron and protons within the matter. Everything absorbs some amount of light, but the light that is not absorbed is refracted off the matter resulting in the color we see the object as. Every color that we see has a specific wavelength associated with it, with the color blue having the shortest visible wavelength and the color red exhibiting the longest wavelength. Because there is less energy associated with longer wavelengths (red), it is easier for matter to absorb it, and easier for it to refract shorter wavelengths (blue). So, longer wavelengths are absorbed fastest by things that are very dense, i.e. water. This means that red light is absorbed first when water is between a lure and a fish’s eye. With three feet of water between eue and lure, approximately 30% of the red light is absorbed in clear water, and at 10 feet, all the red light is absorbed. This process intensifies as the amount of nutrients in the water increases. The same concept applies to all colors as you move down the color chart, until all colors are absorbed and things appear totally blue, gray, and black. Also, keep in mind that these principles don’t only apply to vertical light, they also apply to horizontal light. So, red light is considerably absorbed at any direction with more than three feet of water between the fish and the object. If a fish is eyeing your lure from ten feet away, all of the longer wavelength colors in your lure will be gray, and the other shorter wavelength colors will not hold true color.
For anglers, realistic silhouettes and realistic movements are most critical and usually trump lure color when triggering initial responses from fish, but it is important to note that particular realistic patterns and variances in color create a more desirable appeal at the moment a fish decides to eat. Interestingly, the color black offers the most visual stimuli to most fish at greater distances, providing the most stand-out base color and decisive outline. Black is the newest craze, and I’m a little reluctant to share this with you.
A collaboration of senses is important to obtain total efficiency. When discussing sight, it is important to note that fish do see very well, but have not developed a specific importance to register color information. The exceptional visual capabilities of fish can be attributed to a very specific anatomical advantage that many animals have (i.e. deer, cats, fish, etc.), an organ called the tapetum lucidum; which is responsible for the phenomenon of reflective eye-shine. Upon receiving light, the eye collects amounts of light that is absorbed by the retina, which is composed of rods and cones. The rods simply detect the presence of light, while the cones detect color; providing perfect vision for total efficiency for that particular animal’s survival. Fish, on average, typically exhibit around 5 rods per 1 (one) cone on each nerve cell, however, the ratio expands exponentially as water depth increases. There is always the potential for light to go unused by the retina, but the tapetum lucidum utilizes this remaining light and reflects it back outward so it passes the retina for a second time. Walleyes and muskies are a couple noteworthy species that have this mechanism, allowing for ultimate vision through turbulent water and during low light periods.
After sunlight reaches matter in the atmosphere it immediately responds to that matter’s molecular structure and consequent absorption rate, instantaneously responding to the movement happening between the electron and protons within the matter. Everything absorbs some amount of light, but the light that is not absorbed is refracted off the matter resulting in the color we see the object as. Every color that we see has a specific wavelength associated with it, with the color blue having the shortest visible wavelength and the color red exhibiting the longest wavelength. Because there is less energy associated with longer wavelengths (red), it is easier for matter to absorb it, and easier for it to refract shorter wavelengths (blue). So, longer wavelengths are absorbed fastest by things that are very dense, i.e. water. This means that red light is absorbed first when water is between a lure and a fish’s eye. With three feet of water between eue and lure, approximately 30% of the red light is absorbed in clear water, and at 10 feet, all the red light is absorbed. This process intensifies as the amount of nutrients in the water increases. The same concept applies to all colors as you move down the color chart, until all colors are absorbed and things appear totally blue, gray, and black. Also, keep in mind that these principles don’t only apply to vertical light, they also apply to horizontal light. So, red light is considerably absorbed at any direction with more than three feet of water between the fish and the object. If a fish is eyeing your lure from ten feet away, all of the longer wavelength colors in your lure will be gray, and the other shorter wavelength colors will not hold true color.
For anglers, realistic silhouettes and realistic movements are most critical and usually trump lure color when triggering initial responses from fish, but it is important to note that particular realistic patterns and variances in color create a more desirable appeal at the moment a fish decides to eat. Interestingly, the color black offers the most visual stimuli to most fish at greater distances, providing the most stand-out base color and decisive outline. Black is the newest craze, and I’m a little reluctant to share this with you.
Elite wintertime grouse habitat
Did somebody say 'crappie'?
How foolish of us to think we could fool the ellusive crappie. Tryin some new stuff lately on this subsequent tough bite, with some good, some bad, and some ugly things happening. The good - found that the lake pictured above has a nice crappie population on the first effort to explore the lake. The bad - getting completely shut down on an awesome and reliable lake. The ugly - had to check out the newest and top secrete big perch spot on a very large lake. I didn't bother hopping on the wheeler and heading over there until 4pm, which gives me a solid 1.5 hour window after I get there, known as prime time to many, which should be plenty. I found the spot in which these big perch reside a few weeks ago, so I knew where to go. Its a rough stretch across the lake when combinding deep snow and a fairly long distance, oh and plenty of slush under the snow resulting from the latest heat wave. I start drilling holes and cannot find this particular structure, and I can't figure out why, I was just here! I keep looking at the shoreline, and my two markers, a couple sets of stone steps, where telling me I was in the exact location. I could not figure out the problem and the sun is setting fast. I probably covered a 100 square yards. And I am sweating my ass off, walking through the slush with my vexilar and 1991 Jiffy that weighs 60 pounds. The sun has completely set now and I can see the issue, I was drilling one entire point/bay combination located 400 hundred yards north of the spot I needed to be, which looked identical, it even had identical sets of stone steps. I was less than thrilled and left in a hurry before I could do anymore stupid things.
Pike Suck, but the big ones are dec
I hate northern pike, but I know they provide a biological service which is to clean house on panfish, and I suppose I don’t mind trophy caliber pike. Accidently catching northerns is often a big-time nuisance because they usually don’t surpass the pathetic 25 inch range, and cutting my line and tying on a new treble always leaves me with a smile. Shya right guy. But get this, specifically targeting huge northern pike is a whole new game, and often times leaves me with little regrets.
I think that bait size matters, because lets face it, huge minnows are only used to target one thing this time of year, northerns. And they work. Bait size becomes the biggest difference. Let me explain. While walleyes have slowed down and have become less opportunistic, northern pike have been fortunate enough to have the part of their genome turned off which says ‘stop eating’. In fact, I’m convinced that pike will never be able to activate this gene again. And the personality disorder of the northern pike that has succumbed as a result has provided me bountiful numbers of the species. Advantage to anglers; some have grown to a very respectable size. The big ones have capitalized, becoming the absolute best ambush predator on the block, and are very aggressive and ravenous when all other game species are shut down, ie muskies, walleyes, bass. Their gluttony is unmatched because they enjoy the taste of anything and everything, and the biggest specimens of the northern population prefer big, easy targets.
You know, studies show that piscivores prefer their meals to be about the lateral length of its mouth, from corner to corner, but with one exception, esox lucius, the northern pike, preferring meals a third their body length, and often times take fish up to half their own size. Adventurous eating, hey.
To say that pike are not choosy would be an understatement. They are anatomically built to sit, wait, and kill….all the time. With their awesome explosiveness generated from its dorsal, pelvic and anal fins located in a posterior position, and with a brilliant camouflage exterior, they do indeed eat, and eat often. I can’t tell you how often I drop my AquaView down and spin it slowly to gauge the environment, then suddenly on like the tenth revolution of the camera, just before I’m about to check another hole, there is a pike an inch from the camera looking it dead-on. Not only do they seemingly come out of nowhere, they often times make an honest attempt taste the camera.
The thing is, the biggest pike won’t waste its time with your wimpy walleye shiners, going big is key. Go to your local bait shop and get the biggest northern suckers they have, and don’t be afraid to use them, even after they die. Here in Wisconsin, it is legal to use anything you catch as bait as long as its in the same body of water and included in your bag limit. Try using anything around the 12 inch range, whether its white fish, crappie, bass, perch, whatever, just do it. Slaytime.
Anyway, my point is, most pike suck, but the big ones are dec.
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