When To Fish: Is There a "Best Time" To Go Fishing?

As a fisherman with more than a quarter of a centuries worth of fishing experience, for me the answer to the question of when to fish used to be, "whenever I can". Then, on a fishing trip with my Grandfather in Northern Ontario about fifteen years ago, something happened that made me question my answer to this often asked question. What's interesting about this is that at the time of the fishing trip, nothing dawned on me other than the fact that I hooked and landed some very nice fish. It wasn't until later, when I began to question if there were some times that were better for fishing than others that the realization came to me.

You see we had just gotten to our cabin and wanted to get some fishing in before the end of the day, so we quickly loaded up our boat and headed a couple of miles up river to troll one of our favorite bays, never even thinking about if this was a good or bad time to go fishing. As we were motoring down the main river channel I noticed a storm approaching from the north and wondered is we would get rained on before we got a chance to fish.

We didn't, and withing five minutes had our #18 Rapala's in the water and were trolling. As we made our first turn, we hooked and landed a very nice Pike. After letting our lures out again, within a few minutes I had hooked and landed a nice twenty or so inch Walleye. Within 15 minutes, we caught 3 more Walleye and had to head back, as darkness was approaching fast. I began to reel my lure in fast so that we could get the heck out of there, when I hooked something BIG. After a 30 minute or so fight, I landed a 42 inch Muskie. At this point it was all but dark and sprinkling rain, so we finally headed back to the cabin. It wasn't until thinking about this fishing trip years later that I realized that the trip probably wasn't just a "lucky day" as I had assumed it was for so many years.

You see I was researching a book about when to fish and trying to figure out if a "best" time to go fishing could be determined, when I started to put two and two together. I was learning that things like the weather, sun, moon, and barometric pressure all play a role in whether or not fish are likely to be feeding and when I applied these principles to that day in Ontario, I was beginning to see why we had caught so many fish.

First it was dusk when we were trolling. Second, a storm was approaching which means that the barometric pressure was likely falling. I have since learned that both of these things play a big role in whether or not fish are going to be feeding. I have also learned that the moon play's a role as well, and although I don't know for sure, I would bet that the moon was in it "new" phase for the month at the time of the trip as well.

The point here is that I now know that there is a best time to go fishing and "when to fish" has a lot more to due with controllable factors than simply relying on blind luck. All you have to do is educate yourself a little bit about the weather, the moon, the sun, and barometric pressure and how these factors influence fishing and you won't have to wonder when to fish. You can get to a point that you almost <i>know</i> when.

When To Fish : The Best Time To Fish For Rainbow Trout

I have been an avid trout fisherman for almost three decades, with a majority of that time spentwhen to fish. While there are a myriad of reasons why a trout might or might not bite your offering on a given day, there are some simple rules that should be adhered to in regards to when to fish for rainbow trout that have served me well over the years and have enabled me to experience success more often than not.

fishing for and catching rainbow trout, and the question that I probably get asked more than any other by my fellow fishermen is
Below I will outline a few of these rules so that you can begin to determine the best time to fish for rainbow trout and thus begin to experience more success on the water as well. Your goal should be to have as many of these factors in your favor as possible on a given day, because I have learned that the more of them that are, the more trout I will catch. Having all of them in your favor only happens once or twice a year for me, but when it does, it always ends up being an epic day of trout fishing.

• Weather Fronts – The weather and more specifically the air pressure changes that occur when fronts pass through your fishing area, play quite a role in whether or not rainbow trout will be actively feeding. Check the weather forecast and try to be on the water fishing right after a warm front passes through the area. On the other hand, if a cold front passes through, generally rainbow trout will get "lock jaw" and become very difficult to catch.
• The Moon Rise – Many anglers don't realize it, but the moon rises and sets just like the sun, but at different times of the day throughout the month and when the moon is rising or setting the fishing is usually much more productive. If you can be on your favorite trout water in the hour or two that brackets either one of these occurrences you will receive more bites from hungry rainbow trout, I promise you.
• The Moon Phase – The phase that the moon is in also plays a role in when to fish. The moon goes through 8 phases during each month, but for the purposes of freshwater fishing we need only concern ourselves with two. The Full and the new moon phases, with an emphasis on the new moon. Fishing is almost always better when the moon is "new", so do your best to be on the water fishing for rainbows in the 2-3 day period around which the new moon is happening each month.
• The Barometer – The barometer is an instrument that is used to measure atmospheric pressure, which is also called barometric pressure. When the atmospheric pressure fluctuates, it affects the air bladders in fish and consequently makes them feel more or less like eating. Remember these simple rules in relation to the barometer. A rising barometer, the fishing should be slightly better with fish starting to get active. A falling barometer, the fishing very good to great.  If the pressure is high, fishing should be average. If the pressure is low, fishing should be sub par at best.

Remember, the "best" time to fish for rainbow trout will vary from day to day, but the more of these factors you can have in your favor the better off you will be. "When to fish" is a question that every fisherman asks him or herself on many occasions and the answer can be found by paying attention to the aforementioned factors, along with others if you are willing to do a little research?