Northerlies - Why?

[finding_time]

I say again, wind direction is a symptom , Barometric pressure is the cause.

i may very well be wrong but i very much doubt that pressure change is that significant,

reason! wel the ocean is a great big pressure pot! 10m of salt water is the equilevent weight of our entire atmosphere! So to spell it out!

1 atmosphere ( ata) = 1020 hpa (approx)
10 meters of salt water ( msw) = 1 ata or 1020hpa

so 1 msw = 102hpa

A big pressure change would be say form a high of 1030 hpa to a low of 1000 hpa 30 hpa in total and

30 hpa = .3 msw ( approx)

So a fish only has to move up or down in the water coloum by .3m to duplicate the entire pressure change we get from at high to a low pressure system! Now i fish abit and know that a oncomming change in the weather brings on a bite, but this cannot solely be blammed on barometric pressure, there must be something else.

Ian

Ps. i've caught good fish in northerlies , but as the wind and the current gererally are going in the same direction when notherlies blow the fishing can be tricky. this does have an effect on catch rates!

[Peter4]

I grew up in Victoria and my grandfather (rest his soul) always said -

"When the wind's in the west the fish bite best, when the wind's in the east the fish bite least".

Having said that he and I would fish in all conditions (and I still do) because another of his sayings was -

"Anytime is a good time to go fishing - catching a fish is a bonus!"

Pete

[Noelm]

Barometric pressure definately has a big bearing on fish especially in Impoundments and the like, may have some some influence on Ocean type fish, but who knows for sure, I think tide movement and changes have a bigger catch rate impact, better fishing at the change of the Tide, even to buggery out on the shelf, and much better fishing in general with some Tidal movement rather than slack water in close.

[finding_time]

Noel

I agree that when there is a big high the fish chew in impoundments!! What i disagree with is it's the pressure that makes them fire!! As the math shows a little movement in the water coloum would have a much greater affect on the fishes senses than a change in barometric pressure. I believe that something else is happening when we get a high pressure system across the continent , got me stuffed what it is though? When we get highs the temp will be warmer so the surface temp on the impoundments would be higher this might get them working, just a thought

Ian

[rando]

Ian
Don't discount pressure as a cause just yet. Fish have extremely highly developed sensory organs ( lateral line, ears) for detecting pressure. You can kill /stun fish by tapping on a fish tank, Tailor rush at bait /lures as they move through the water, Sharks use it to find food, Schooling fish use it to move in unison.
How precise and delicate must it be for them to feel which way their fellows are going to move, then respond instantly.
my money staffs with pressure.
cheers
rando

[BobbyJ123]

Caught these 81 cm broadbars this morning and the winds are northerly.

[Lovey80]

Very interesting reading lads. Can someone please confirm or clarify something for me please as this is my uneducated understanding.

On any given day as finding time pointed out at 10m below sea level there is 1ATM of pressure but is this not a constant???? ie At 10m isn't the pressure going to be the same on a sunny day as opposed to a day that it is storming??

Cheers Chris

[finding_time]

Very interesting reading lads. Can someone please confirm or clarify something for me please as this is my uneducated understanding.

On any given day as finding time pointed out at 10m below sea level there is 1ATM of pressure but is this not a constant???? ie At 10m isn't the pressure going to be the same on a sunny day as opposed to a day that it is storming??

Cheers Chris

Chris

The weight of water doesn't change so 10msw will always be 1 ata , but this can be out by .3 of a meter depending on the atmospheric pressure on the day, on self programable dive computers designed for deep extended dives you can calibrate the days hpa's so the computer is very accurate!

Ian

[GBC]

Still agree with rando - falling baro (and therefore generally a Nth in SEQ)- fishing's crap.

Then the fish'll light up just before a big southerly buster hits. You just need big enough nuts to stay out and wait.......or a cat bwahahahah . But that could be construed as an inference to cat owners not having any ......... lets not start this again.

"on self programable dive computers designed for deep extended dives you can calibrate the days hpa's so the computer is very accurate!" - Ian I think then you'd agree that the fish can feel the pressure diff and be affected by it?

[mitch qld]

Around our area in Mackay, Central Queensland, north/north easters in spring bring on the mackarel, as bob has already shown with his pair of greys (broad bar's). Also, northerlies=hot=barra.

Another point, the south west or north west winds tend to shut down the fishing in our area. HOWEVER, i have been told by a local tackle world memeber and an old fisherman in the area that when the south westerlies blow, they go fish in deep water for their reefies (100ft and deeper) and catch their fish, whereas in the same SW conditions, fishing in shallow water (say 50-60ft) gets them sweet F.A.

I have noticed this with diving also. Any westerly and dont see any fish inshore.

Maybe the fish are moving around? Who knows. Anyday fishn is a good day.Just some food for thought.

Cheers, Mitch.

[david johnstone]

hi all what i do know, is in a westerly wind it makes the water very clear and it tends to shut down alot of species on shallow reefs ,this tends to be the case for land base also i always get more fish with the wind in my face. ive found that the ne wind drops the water temp where the south prodominant winds blow the warm water in close so this is what i have observed over the years so i like anything from the south