G'day Folks

[Peter_C]

Hi, I'm a new member to this site,A friend of Touchy and Big D,
{hopefully no one will hold that against me}. This might be a silly question but what do the fish have against northerly winds?

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

G'Day Peter,
Welcome!
Interesting question, not silly at all. Should be interesting to see the various theories.
What type of fish are you referring to and where? Or are you suggesting that all fish in ocean, river or dam hate Northerlies? ???
I take it you are East coast SEQ based.
Cheers,
Jeff

[Peter_C]

Sorry about that, should have been a bit more specific. I'm from Bris . usually fish Donnybrook ,or Mud Is. fish for normal stuff, bream, whiting squire etc. Its just every one I talk to seems to agree but can't tell me why.

[agnes_jack]

Gday peter and welcome.
Mate I am not sure why the fish hate northerlys but it does affect the fishing and sometimes can shut the fishing right down. It seems to affect the pelagics more than anything else. Im sure this post will get you some theorys on the whys.


Regards Tony

[mackmauler]

Gday Peter, nothing against you but the company you keep is a worry

The barometer is very low at the moment, tends to drop when a northerly comes, thats a common theory.

Rob

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

I'm only guessing, but I would think that the chop on the surface might be a factor. Discolouration and disturbance of the surface layer of water might cause any bait fish looking for food there to move down in the water column and therfore out into deeper water. In the case of pelagics, they would of course follow the bait.

It also may have an effect on other food sources such as crabs and worms not wanting to stick there heads out into the choppy, constantly surging water (ie in the relatively shallow water along the shoreline or over shallow reefs). Eg. I have found slimy beach worms very reluctant to stick their heads up if there is a wind blowing. Why they would do this when they are quite happy to put up with the constant crash and surge of shore wave action, I don't know.
Only a guess. Looking forward to other theories.
Cheers,'
Jeff

[Brissyguy]

Big Wecome to the new member,

There are many theories to the wind scare mate but I go with what Mack Mauler said.
When the barometric pressure drops off like now, forget the fishin' grab a beer and head for the pool lol.

Cheers, Brissy.

[jeffo]

i have found the reef fishing to be very slow if not dead in a N/W, the N/E doesnt have alot of affect on them here. for the mackeral i love a Northerly as it gets the bait in close.

[Touchy - R.I.P.]

G'Day Peter & welcome,Jeeze Jeff I was just about to say that ,OK Pete,now get off the'puter & get to work you lazy sod!. .Touchy.><>

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Touchy,
You seem to be into worms and whiting.
Have you had a look at my white worm post in saltwater chat?
Any clues or have you at least heard of them?
Cheers,
Jeff

[Big-D]

Yes touchy you are right,peter get back to work and i wont tell the boss.

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Hi,

Since (in the southern hemisphere) the air circulates anticlockwise around a high and clockwise around a low, northerly winds down the east coast of aus would generally mean (baring localised weather effects) there is a high to the east in the ocean and a low inland to the west. Since the weather systems move generally west to east over the coast (at least in the southern 2/3 of aus), it would mean that a dropping barometer would signal winds generally from the north. Or conversely northerlies mean the barometer is dropping.

So it could just be the falling barometer that is turning the fish off.

What is the theory on the pressure? Is it that the fish bite well when the barometer is going up and shut down when its falling OR is it they bite well on the high and shut down on low?

Either way, what I would like to know is why they are affected by the atmospheric pressure?

Cheers,
Jeff

[krazyfisher]

well from a mackay point of view the fish seem to go very well in the northerlies but I dont do to well in a southerly ???

[webby]

Its all to do with pressure on the water surface, which intern effects their swim bladders. Now this theory had never been proven as far as im concerned.
So if any scientific minds out there can prove this theory, please come forth.
I found the first 1 or 2 days of a northerly they still bite, but as the northelies intensify and baro drops further, they do for some reason start going quiet.
Have also found this on a abrupt north to south wind change.
Have also found it doesnt effect pelagics as much as bottom dwellers.
Anyway that my opinions.
regards

PS We had the 3 stooges Touchy/Big D/Striker, now we have a fourth. No wonder Uni's charge are so high, when have there staff are playing with puters and not working, and to top it all off they all drink green death.

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Thanks Webby.
The first one or two days of a northerly sounds like the back end of the high still moving over the coast and therefore the barometer is still high enough to keep them biting, but as the low gradually moves in, they turn off.

A sudden change in wind direction, would probably have a sudden change in pressure. Were the sudden wind changes you refer to strong winds in both directions?

As far as the swim bladders go, I would have thought changes in the depth they swim at would have a greater effect on them than the relatively small changes in air pressure. This would mean that if they swim down (increasing pressure), they start feeling hungry. If they swim upwards (lower pressure), they don't feel hungry. If they swim at the one depth all the time, then yes they might be able to sense a change. Guess bottom fish are more likely to stay at the one depth.

Mmmmm... curiouser and curiouser!

Anyone else? Sorry, don't mean to highjack the post.

Cheers