Ifish barometer experiment

Jennie@ifish · 09-02-2005, 07:04 AM

I really want to track the barometer readings on fish caught this fall.
You can get a hand held barometer. Pete has one. It retails for around 45.00 and it's a Weems and Plath Digital.

I thought it would be good to do a month long experiment on what the barometer reading was when you were fishing, and if you caught fish or not.

How best could we do this? A poll? Or a post?

Then, I could chart it on a graph, or someone better than me at that could do that.

Would this be of interest to you?

Do you think people would contribute?

Jen

Pete · 09-02-2005, 07:09 AM

I'll note the reading and also whether the barometer was rising or falling at the time. It's interesting that there are tiny pressure movements up and down all the time. I got the barometer so I could watch what it's doing when fish bite. I'm not sure I'm convinced it matters, but clearly it is one of many factors influencing a bite that I don't have mastery over.

wetaline · 09-02-2005, 08:33 AM

I like this idea... There really is all kinds of information that the membership of this site contain that could be put into data / graph / chart form.

P-ride · 09-02-2005, 09:30 AM

I think this is a great idea. I'm hoping to start targeting URBs in the Portland area and I'll look into getting a handheld barometer or at least look it up before or after I'm done fishing.

Jennie@ifish · 09-02-2005, 09:59 AM

Looking it up before and after is what I've been doing.

However, I also have a barometer on my comp that tracks what it was doing at what time.

So, I look at the exact time I land a fish, then go home and check it. I wonder if there is a chart somewhere online that shows what the barometer is doing, and when.

Then, we'd simply have to note what time the fish was landed and report it to the person keeping charts.

More people could input data that way.

Jen

El-Kabong · 09-02-2005, 10:06 AM

I emailed NOAA asking if they have this info stored somewhere. Will let you know if I get a reply.

steel_beaver · 09-02-2005, 10:59 AM

Jenny

If you are fishing in your back yard, or anywhere on the kilchis, your method should be just fine. If you are fishing Bouy 10 or somewhere far from home... it might not be very accurate.

If anyone can pull this off it will be someone who fishes every day... like one of the gudes. DJ might be a good candtidate since he catches fish too

:grin: I can volunteer for a month on DJ's boat and i'll keep track of the barometer :grin:

S_B

MarshBum · 09-02-2005, 11:00 AM

Here's a resource I've used in the past for historical weather data, as well as general weather data

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/...=Astoria%2C+OR

If you scroll down a bit, there is a section towards the left called History & Almanac. In that section, you can enter a date, and it will pull data for that date. The data includes a graph of barometric pressure over the course of the day you have selected.

Hope this helps some.

MarshBum

Jennie@ifish · 09-02-2005, 11:22 AM

I don't get it. If you fishing b-10, you simply glance at your watch and come home and post what time you caught it. We can see a general trend for that time of day.

Why wouldn't it work?

Jen

Jennie@ifish · 09-02-2005, 11:23 AM

Marshbum, good resource! Thank you!
Jen

Pete · 09-02-2005, 02:57 PM

Today's fish came at 12:40 ... barometer at time of hook up was 29.93 and falling. And it came on my daughter's rod - the girl thing, you know! Her first official salmon. Was she ever excited!

Jennie@ifish · 09-02-2005, 02:59 PM

Yes, but it makes a difference on if a female is fishing or not.

We can catch them at any point in the pressure.

I think this should be mainly a guys thing.

:smile:

Hey-- I'm just trying to help you all out so you can catch fish like the girls do.
Jen

175 · 09-02-2005, 07:51 PM

I know that bass and other lake fish react to the pressure but I haven't been able to correlate any info on migrational fish.
On the East Coast in FLA, the sailfish like certain days with a northwest wind and a rising pressure.

The other factor is the solunar calendar. I see no correlation in the moon phase with salmonids like I do with other species. Wuz up wit dat?

Gus Orviston · 09-02-2005, 07:58 PM

I think the point is Barametric pressure is localized, so the pressure falling @B10 could have relatively little meaning to T-mook. In fact I am sure you could have a rising B-pressure near a falling one if you close to the front of a low pressure. And the minor flucuations Pete commented on are even less meaningful across even shorter distances.

So I think you need to have one on your person for a meaningful result.

Go ahead, tell me why I am wrong.

gus

Pete · 09-03-2005, 05:15 AM

Gus, I agree with you, which is why I carry a digital barometer on my boat. Every gust of wind represents a change in pressure. It changes constantly, with lots of rapid, localized fluctuations.

Jennie@ifish · 09-03-2005, 05:18 AM

I thought that someone posted a link, so that we could input area, and barometric pressure?

I realize it is localized, but I guess I haven't thoroughly checked out wunderground to find out if you can get localized, but I sure thought you could.

Jen

Jennie@ifish · 09-03-2005, 05:44 AM

Rhonda Shelby was just on Hobart and insists that there is absolutely NO scientific proof that the fish react to a barometer.

I believe that... However, I do believe that I have personally noted a difference in the records I have kept.

I'd certainly like to find out if it is just coincidence.

Who has ever done a study to find out that there is no scientific evidence? She keeps quoting fish bios, but how do these fish bios know? Where are the facts?

Jen

Pete · 09-03-2005, 07:26 AM

Oregon Scientific makes a digital pocket barometer for under $20. It doesn't display barometric history, but it's a good deal.

The Stallion · 09-03-2005, 09:14 AM

I've been keeping notes since Jennie brought this up a couple of years ago and I've caught far more fish @ Tillamook when the barometer is up. My next un-scientific test is the lunar phases. I wish this months new moon wasn't @ labor day weekend!

Thumper · 09-03-2005, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Rhonda Shelby was just on Hobart and insists that there is absolutely NO scientific proof that the fish react to a barometer.

I suspect that Rhonda is right on. Think about it. Water is 800 times as dense as air. A change in barometric (atmospheric) pressure is measured in only hundredths of an inch of air pressure. A fish changing depth in water of only thousandths of an inch creates a pressure change that is many, many times greater. A fish at 32 feet in depth is experiencing 28 pounds per square inch of pressure, which is double our atmospheric pressure. All a fish would need to do to maintain any conceivable atmospheric pressure is rise or drop a few inches. In other words, tiny wavelets on the surface of a few inches have more effect on a fish's perception of pressure than any conceivable change in weather.

I doubt there is way that miniscule changes in barometric pressure could be detected by a critter living in water.

clacksteel · 09-03-2005, 09:21 AM

Maybe that is why the fish jump...can get a better sense of the pressure(s) (atmospheric and fishing) and when they SHOULD be biting.

Rank Amateur · 09-03-2005, 09:22 PM

Maybe that is why fish seem to bite just after a big ship goes by!