# Effect of rain on fishing



## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

Since it looks like a possible washout at Topsail from the night of the 18th through the 1st half of the 20th, I was wondering what effect this might have on ocean fishing after the 20th? How long does
any adverse effect last? Also, how long does it take for ocean swells to subside after the wind stops blowing late Sunday?


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

IMO, there could be many variables that could affect what weather does to the fishing & how long it might last. Just an example, a few years ago we spent a week at Pawley's Island, SC & arrived right after a major storm had passed thru the area. The tides were extremely high & the water muddied. The marsh areas were completely submerged so just the tops of the longest grasses were visible. Not a good start we thought. The winds were still blowing quite hard too, from the back end of the storm. By the end of the week the water had cleared up & the tides were normal. The winds died after a day or so. I think once winds die down so does the swells unless there's something else going on offshore to keep them high. We caught fish that week, but had to wait a few days before we could get much action. The fish were there, but the conditions hurt our efforts initially. I was actually surprised how quickly it cleared up.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

The front turning off the bite is more of an issue than the rain in my experience. Caught many fish during and just after rain...especially drum and whiting, they like the surf chunked up. If it's too rough, head to a pier. Things should return to normal in 2-3 days, usually.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

hugehail said:


> Since it looks like a possible washout at Topsail from the night of the 18th through the 1st half of the 20th, I was wondering what effect this might have on ocean fishing after the 20th? How long does
> any adverse effect last? Also, how long does it take for ocean swells to subside after the wind stops blowing late Sunday?


Rain does not affect fishing as much as rain affects fishermen that is why you bring rain gear

Fish respond to pressure changes and cold fronts and tides and currents and not necessarily are fish bothered by rain coming down all though it may slow a bite down

I have caught every single species of salt water fish off of North Carolina at a time when it was raining hard enough to be uncomfortable, that would include large Red Drum, Cobia, King Mackerel, all the smaller fish like Blues, Spanish, Trout and Puppy Drum, and offshore fish like Tuna and Mahi Mahi and Wahoo

As far as ocean swells subsiding it is affected by a huge number of factors not necessarily based on time after a storm event including wind, tide, current, I will say this if it raining extremely hard as in as hard as it can rain in a tropical monsoon type of down pour that rain can knock swells down considerably in a very short time


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## drumrun (Dec 5, 2007)

Everyone knows the fish swim under the pier to stay dry.


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## fishinbob (May 27, 2011)

Of course this would happen the week I'm supposed to go down to Nags Head. The only day I will be able to fish is the 19th. Hopefully I will snag something on the pier.

As far as rain, I've had a lot of success with the fish, espicially on a summer day. A few years ago I was slaying the spadefish on Jennettes during a big thunder storm.


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

Maybe the worst of the storm will stay south and it stays dry on the outer banks.



fishinbob said:


> Of course this would happen the week I'm supposed to go down to Nags Head. The only day I will be able to fish is the 19th. Hopefully I will snag something on the pier.
> 
> As far as rain, I've had a lot of success with the fish, espicially on a summer day. A few years ago I was slaying the spadefish on Jennettes during a big thunder storm.


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

Well the reason why I ask is that the rain changes the salinity of the water, especially with fresh water getting flushed out of the rivers. So I dont think its too much of a stupid question.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

hugehail said:


> Well the reason why I ask is that the rain changes the salinity of the water, especially with fresh water getting flushed out of the rivers. So I dont think its too much of a stupid question.


Really, is that what they teach you in Kansas :redface:


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## RobVB (Mar 17, 2012)

I'd be interested to hear from some more experienced fisherman. I would think the rain alone wouldn't be much of a factor. I've also read that pressure changes alone may not be much of a factor since fish experience much more pressure changes just by changing the depth they're swimming.

However, any changes to their conditions such as water clarity, size of waves, current, light, water temperature, runoff, salinity levels, etc could vary widely after a rain event. I think the unlimited number of combinations of all of these factors would make simple generalizations meaningless. If fact. I would expect different species would react differently to the same conditions.

I know the OP was asking about Topsail. But I'd like to hear about some past experiences and opinions based on weather conditions.

Thanks, Rob


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

The ocean is a lot of salt water I don't think we could get enough rain to effect the salinity. If it does I'm calling Noah  Fish are already wet anyway


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## RobVB (Mar 17, 2012)

bronzbck1 said:


> The ocean is a lot of salt water I don't think we could get enough rain to effect the salinity. If it does I'm calling Noah  Fish are already wet anyway


I agree, it would take alot of rain to affect salinity in the ocean. But, maybe back bays & inlets?


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

If you get a heavy wash from inlet of tannic or it looks just nasty with an odd color,I have had fish shut down before... Doesn't usually take long for it to wash out with tides though and the bite is back..


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

About 4 years ago we were staying at the northern end near New River inlet (North Topsail), prior to our arrival and while we were there it rained 21'', set a record I believe, inland was flooded, the island itself took it pretty well, the sound of course was very high. The out going tide would be brackish ( yellow looking water) from New River pouring out into the ocean, at that time we caught our first big drum ever in that area, caught 4 actually and saw some others caught too, was it the high water from New River??, not sure, but it was fun while it lasted. Good luck!


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

poppop1 said:


> About 4 years ago we were staying at the northern end near New River inlet (North Topsail), prior to our arrival and while we were there it rained 21'', set a record I believe, inland was flooded, the island itself took it pretty well, the sound of course was very high. The out going tide would be brackish ( yellow looking water) from New River pouring out into the ocean, at that time we caught our first big drum ever in that area, caught 4 actually and saw some others caught too, was it the high water from New River??, not sure, but it was fun while it lasted. Good luck!


Guess the sword cuts both ways... I've had that orangey-brown-yellow colored water around while sight casting as well as bottom fishing and not seen drum one... Good on ya,sounds like they slid out into the ocean that time...


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

You certainly know more about all that than I, the brackish water was the only thing different to us amateurs. After a few days the water cleared up and no more big drum but it was fun while it lasted, they were our first big drum ever, 43'' to 46'' fish.


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

poppop1 said:


> You certainly know more about all that than I, the brackish water was the only thing different to us amateurs. After a few days the water cleared up and no more big drum but it was fun while it lasted, they were our first big drum ever, 43'' to 46'' fish.


that was 2010, and it did push the big drum to the surf early, it quit raining Thursday Sept 30th and winds went northwest I went to look at the beach as the rain subsided and hit the beach 3 hrs b4 high the next night had 3 on the beach in a few hrs, water was 76






,






,


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

BTW pretty sure these didnt come from the river most likely just hit the beach from offshore reefs, when it went NE Fri Oct 1, caught them good that whole weekend but it was fall and this is spring NE shutdown, good luck and tight lines.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

I asked a drum, one time when it was raining, if she minded being caught while it was raining. Her response was..."I'm already [email protected]$&ING wet. What do you think?" I felt stupid for asking her the question and quickly released her. Then finished my beer and pondered her response a bit.


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

gilly21 said:


> I asked a drum, one time when it was raining, if she minded being caught while it was raining. Her response was..."I'm already [email protected]$&ING wet. What do you think?" I felt stupid for asking her the question and quickly released her. Then finished my beer and pondered her response a bit.


I got the same response


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## poppop1 (Feb 16, 2004)

Nice pics KB Spot Chaser, we caught our fish during the day, we're kinda old and need our beauty sleep, looks like you earned yours at night, nice fish.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

gilly21 said:


> I asked a drum, one time when it was raining, if she minded being caught while it was raining. Her response was..."I'm already [email protected]$&ING wet. What do you think?" I felt stupid for asking her the question and quickly released her. Then finished my beer and pondered her response a bit.


 From the times I've fished they tell me "don't like those yucky yellow (tannic colored) spots in the water"... The scenario you just painted has nothing really to do with yucky water.. Not trying to be argumentative,just going by the fish I've caught in the past.. And no,rain doesn't stop me from catching fish,but water color after a hard rain near an inlet can.. just my two pennies...


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

Drumdum said:


> From the times I've fished they tell me "don't like those yucky yellow (tannic colored) spots in the water"... The scenario you just painted has nothing really to do with yucky water.. Not trying to be argumentative,just going by the fish I've caught in the past.. And no,rain doesn't stop me from catching fish,but water color after a hard rain near an inlet can.. just my two pennies...


You are right has nothing to do with rain , but more to do with what the rain does in large amounts, the spots hit the beach as soon as that yucky water pushed out of our rivers and the big drum were on there heels.


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

Another possible effect of rain, especially in shallow water, would be the effect of the sound generated by the water droplets striking the surface. Fish sense sound vibrations through their Lateral Lines and their behavior might be affected under those circumstances. It's like tapping on an aquarium does . . . I imagine that rainfall would generate a "roaring" sound underwater.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

KB Spot Chaser said:


> You are right has nothing to do with rain , but more to do with what the rain does in large amounts, the spots hit the beach as soon as that yucky water pushed out of our rivers and the big drum were on there heels.


 Here,there are no spot pushing out with yucky spring overflow waters,and it usually takes a tide or so to push it out,then whalla,usually fish start to show.. Not really sure about fall,spot could push into the inlets when that overflow of tannic comes,not sure,haven't tried at that time.. Although have seen on piers where there were storms and a greyish yucky color would come in and shut the bite down.. Same deal though,a tide or so and everything is cool again.. Like you said,and like I've been trying to say,it takes quite a bit of rain to cause this scenario.. Just rain,ain't gonna shut down any bite though... We are on the same page ,just different areas..


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