Wind, air pressure, and edge effects can all affect where you’ll find and catch bass.

Shoreline currents

When currents hit shorelines, they, too, are deflected clockwise. In turn, this deflection affects fishes’ positions and locations. Suppose you’re fishing a plateau reservoir in warm weather. Wind blowing toward the shore produces a right-moving current. If you follow the shoreline drop-off to the right until you encounter a bar, the inside turn on the current side of the bar is likely to hold active bass. If this scenario occurs in early spring or late fall, however, when water is cold and bass aren’t active, the inside turn on the current side is apt to be empty. Largemouths are likely to be on the backside of the point’s tip, away from the cold current. Use your knowledge of current deflection and rebound currents to locate bass.

Barometric Pressure

One of the most persistent traditions in fishing is that barometric pressure controls the activity level of fish. Like a lot of theories, this one is basically untestable and therefore unprovable, because whatever effects barometric changes may have on largemouths are compounded by changes in wind, temperature, and sky conditions.

When barometric pressure drops, cloud cover typically increases and weather fronts bring wind changes. When pressure rises again, blue skies, sunlight, and cooler, drier winds predominate. Largemouths definitely respond to such complexes of weather-related events—but which ones? No scientific studies have been able to demonstrate conclusively that barometric pressure alone is responsible for any changes in largemouths’ behavior. One study often cited is Dr. Carl Quertermus’ and George Mitchell’s 1982 observation that largemouth bass in shallow water (41⁄2 feet or less) are more likely to be found under docks when barometric pressure is high.

Atmospheric pressure usually rises after passage of a cold front, and with it return clear skies, bright sunlight, and increased ultraviolet radiation. Fish holding shallow at such times may instinctively move under docks to hide in the shade. Are they responding to barometric pressure by seeking out a new equilibrium depth, adjusting to stronger light levels, or making some other accommodation to changing conditions?