We sat down with some of the top guides from northern Minnesota to see how they utilize weather to create success on the water.
The weather has a big impact on fishing. So, what should you look for, and how should you adjust your approach accordingly?
Leisure Outdoors guide Toby Kvalevog uses weather and wind to determine his locations. Wind pushes plankton into areas, which also moves bait fish, and the predator fish he’s targeting are never far behind. Toby also pays close attention to the moon phases.
On a given day, there are four moon phases:
- When the moon is rising
- When the moon is overhead
- When the moon is setting
- When the moon is underneath
These moon phases dictate fish activity, and some of the biggest fish will fire during specific majors and minors, a good fish and game calendar will highlight which of these phases makes for the best fish activity on a given day. Look up Solunar Tables or Fishing Calendars in the app store to find one you like.
Brian Brosdahl of Bro’s Guide Service checks the weather religiously and bases this on where he launches his boat and to determine what presentations to use. In high sun, for example, Brosdahl heads for thick weeds or deeper water where walleye are more comfortable in the harsh light. Bro also talks about barometric pressure and says on extremely low and extremely high-pressure days, he downsizes line and lure size and moves much more slowly. He also suggests setting the hook lightly, as fish in these conditions will bite lightly. Bringing a variety of live bait also helps to gauge what fish are more apt to bite.
Brosdahl looks for stable weather. So, look for days when the barometer doesn’t dip or rise much and conditions stay the same throughout the day. On those days with good, stable weather, he upsizes to heavy jigs for a faster rate of fall, which signals predatory instincts in fish.
Hang Loose Outdoors Guide Colt Anderson is on the water daily, and his strategy is to get as accurate a forecast as he can get. He does this by averaging the information provided on a number of weather apps to see what they all generally agree on. It is essentially cross-referencing because, as we know, the weatherman isn’t always right. Anderson also suggests having a backup plan as the weather can change quickly from what you anticipated.
Leisure Outdoors counterpart Chuck Hasse likes to prepare the night before a trip and base his location on the forecasted wind. Chuck has found that on bright sunny days when walleye fishing can be tough, he’ll go with more reaction-style baits to force fish into biting. Examples of reaction-style presentations include jigging raps, fast-moving plastics, and speeding up spinners or crankbaits when trolling. On overcast days, Hasse likes using bobbers to keep baits in front of fish until they are ready to commit, as they will be in more of a feeding mode.
