[Keith White]

Listen guys, I'm working on some temperature theory based upon range instead of mean
or high/low deg C

Can you blokes post...

Your best guess at numbers of fish per month (all year) plus the average sea temp for each
month too.

I'm thinking that like with many other fish, Bass are just fine in various water temps but, it is
the range and degree of change which affects them the most.

We can get 7deg through 19 that is a big swing and it drops off real quick too for our generally shallow water.
Our burst speed currents and huge tidal range ensure a near complete exchange of water too. Smaller
tidal ranges and current speeds might see a smaller, even cooler temp range but, the change in temperature
might be lesser or slower, hence more tolerable.

This could explain Cornwall and SE Ireland. I'm sure their range is smaller.

Please add info if you can.

 

[James Davis]

I'd love to help Ketih but I rarely look at water temps (I know I should) and I didn't keep a record of how many fish I caught this year. I could guess if it's any help?

I am pulling my finger out this year though and keeping a much better record. It's time in moved on to Level Bumbler III anyway.

In general it was a shitty year, I know that.

 

[Ben Field]

I probably couldn't guess at fish numbers right now (specially since my main plugging life actually start til April last year), but I think our water temperature range is definitely smaller. As are our tides. Temps only go as cold as 8/nearer 9) in February, and up to about 18 I think. Full tidal range is about 7.5m max around here.

I'll have a better idea when this year is up as one of the main sections on my site (for those who want to contribute reports - for their own records) is to do with all sorts of fish catching statistics. With a full set of data I can split it in to various sections to compile something that may not be 100% accurate, but could give us a better understanding of where the fish are and what conditions they're being caught in.

 

[The Squid]

Yes can do that, Is it just for Bass?

 

[Keith White]

Yes m8, just Bass for now.

 

[Rob F]

It's my resolution to keep a diary of every session this year to help with things like this, so I will do my best to contribute regularly.

In the North West, we rarely see bass caught (lure or bait) when the temp on here http://coastobs.pol.ac.uk/modl/metfcst/irst/latest.php drops below 12 degrees as our estuaries make the area much colder than the chart shows so until this Winter I hadn't tried targetting them. You can see the areas where the thawing floodwater has made it off the scale, but when I fished at Deganwy (Conwy estuary) on NYE with snow on the ground there were still baitfish being caught by the birds so who knows....

 

[The Squid]

Below is the dates, airtemps, seatemps and landed Bass during 2009.

Date Air Temp Sea Temp Bass
Max Min

18 March 16.2 6.7 8.8 1
23 May 17 7.8 12.7 1
26 June 25.8 12.9 15.6 5
27 June 25.6 13 15.8 1
08 July 19.2 15.1 16.3 2
10 July 20.6 11.8 16.5 1
20 July 19.9 14.2 16.5 1
23 July 20.8 14.5 16.9 1
11 August 19.1 14.8 17.9 2
13 August 18.7 16.2 17.9 2
20 August 25.8 15.7 17.9 4
07 Septe 21.4 13.6 17.7 2
18 Septe 19.4 15.5 17.1 6
03 Octobe 17.6 13.3 17 1
12 Novem 10.2 9.1 13.3 1

Its come out all wrong once I have submitted it

 

[Mick Ward]

OK Keith, in the name of commonn sense and research I will make a not of numbers, sizes and water temp for you this year, should be interesting in fact. I used to fish with a dear old fella called Arthur Ahier, he was a gem of a guy I miss him alot, cancer got him in the end, anyhoo, Arthur used to always write down water temp and air pressure, he reconed water temp and air pressure was what it was all about and you could work out if you'd have a good day or not before you went out. He never did tell me the method of his many years of findings though.

 

[Andy Marquis]

I record pretty much everything I can but not water temp or air pressure:

Water temp - the only place I have seen a local reading (as in not the channel light vessel) is the next day in the local press. I don't always remember to look to the point where it's a waste of time. It doesn't change much day to day anyway so it's more when you start fishing different techniques roughly or stop using small/larger plugs etc etc??

Air pressure: I figured it's closely linked to wind speed so not that much of a difference to recording wind speed and direction??

 

[Ben Field]

I think that air pressure plays a big part in where in the water column freshwater fish will prefer to lie - at what depth. It may not have a direct affect on bass (as roaming predators), but chances are it may well do on the baitfish. Well worth noting I think. One day when we get our heads around it, it could make a difference.

 

[Retired]

Atmospheric pressure is most definitely a factor. If you've ever heard someone say that a tide "pulled well" then you'll understand why. I work on the basis that every 10mb over 1000mb will make a low water between 3 and 6 inches lower that it might have been at 1000mb (excluding the effect of swell). So for two big tides weeks apart with the same LW height the results can be quite different depending on the MBs. Maybe the difference between crossing a gutter at a safe time or not, a lagoon getting totally blocked off or not, a certain rock being uncovered or not, or whether I can get to a mark at all, early or only too late to make it safe or worthwhile....

Couple that with that tide's coefficient or should I say the change in tidal coefficient over that tide, and you are getting there.

What I am trying to say (including earlier posts re tides) is that tidal movement is very slightly more complex than a tide book, the twelfths rule and a watch.

Is it only low water fishermen that look at these things? I thought carp anglers looked at atmospheric pressure too?

 

[Keith White]

Cheers guys, got some PM data too.

without doubt barometric pressure makes a difference as do moon phase and all
solunar events.

For this exercise though, I'm simply trying to find if temp 'range' has the bearing I think it does.

Why would/does Jersey fishing drop away so fast each year. It does, every year at around 11.5 deg. The drop
is quite rapid too. Early season, we can get good fishing in 11 deg or more.

Places like Cornwall are showing sub 10 deg fishing the like of which we enjoy in the 14 - 16.5 deg range.
Above that it gets tough from my experience unless it gets windy or low pressure etc.

Is it that our fish spawn early ?

If so, we should be seeing post spawn fish much earlier than usual. Kevin had a 9lb fish late last April
very thin, very spent. Couldn't have been a week or so since it did spawn. This would indicate a spawning
time around late Feb/March.

I think its time to compile some data and make some graphs etc. Easy to read stuff that we fall back on
each year.

 

[Andy Marquis]

I've noticed the same with the fish vanishing just like that. Up to the end of November I was seeing follows and took a few fish, since December nothing at all. Water temp would be about the same but we then start catching in March pre spawn when the temp is still low. I had one early April which was absolutely stuffed with roe though so I would argue that they spawn here about April.

The fish have all moved to the Boue now in big numbers, not sure what they are doing. Some kind of pre-spawn party. There were 8 boats on the boue when I drove along the coast yesterday morning. Looks like another island sprouted out there.

 

[trev]

just a note re sea temps,i have been using one website all last year and it was still showing 12c in late Nov early Dec for the irish sea, it then dropped a degree each week until it was showing 9c for the last few days.I then came accross a different website giving live data for wave heights as well as sea temps, mostly for the channel but also from the rhyl flats which is close to us here,it is giving a live reading of 4.9c so there obviously can be a big difference depending where you get your data.Or do you want people to measure the temperature with a thermometer at the places they fish? Again there would be huge differences between say a shallow estuary and a deep water rock mark.It would of course still give you an idea of the range of temps though. Re bobbage fishing my regular mark (bait) at conwy i can confirm that bass are still there throughout the winter as i used to catch them every month of the year there,though in the winter they are much smaller in size and numbers and i would guess much less likely to chase a lure.

 

[Keith White]

Actual measuring of the water you fish would be most accurate. Of course it's local
but that is where you are fishing.

Might take a while to compile this stuff but I think we might all benefit.