Andrew Martinsen's Walleye Fishing Secrets

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Andrew Martinsen's Walleye Fishing Update


Benefiting from the Barometric Pressure

Using a Barometer when Walleye Fishing

Walleye are smart and savvy hunters, which can put many anglers at a disadvantage. Bringing a little science on your next fishing trip may help level the playing field.

Understanding the basics of barometric pressure and a barometer can help put more walleye in the boat.

Barometric pressure is simply the weight of the surrounding air and a barometer is the tool that can be used to read that measurement. This atmospheric phenomenon is closely associated with changes in the weather. Understanding the readings on a barometer can help you to determine how the walleye will behave on the days you hit the water.

When barometric pressure is high, usually 30.50 or higher, the walleye activity usually drops way down. When the barometer is reading high, the skies are often clear and the sunlight can penetrate the water more easily. Some theories suggest that the water can actually feel denser to the fish, which makes swimming more strenuous. Walleye, in particular, are energy saving models that hate bright light, so they will slow down or suspend until the pressure eases up.

This means that it will be harder for you to incite a bite from a prized walleye. You will need focus more on deeper water or structures when looking for the fish. Once you locate them, keep your presentations slow and easy. The walleye will eventually bite, but they will need more time to react than normal. Vertical jigging or casting over structures works really well when walleye are feeling lethargic. Downsizing your bait or lures will also help because they will appear less challenging to the lazy walleye.

Medium pressure is typically categorized as somewhere between 29.70 and 30.40. Accordingly, the weather is pretty fair so the fishing should be normal. Play around with different lures and presentations to see what the walleyes are fancying. This will hold true as long as the barometric pressure holds steady. Any time the weather is stable, the walleye activity will be fairly predictable and consistent as well.

Low pressure is associated with stormy weather and the barometer will read 29.60 or lower. Fish will often take cover to avoid the wind and rain, which the smart angler should also do. If you decide to weather out the storm, focus your efforts on the bottom of the water body. Once again, slow presentations are the best option for inciting a bite.

Storms bring on two interesting changes to barometric pressure and fish behavior. Right before the storm hits, the pressure begins to fall and the fish activity hits almost a manic high. During falling pressure, walleye will strike at almost anything you toss into the water.

This is the time to use more aggressive presentations. Cast far and retrieve quickly. If you are using jigs, use heavier weights so the bait falls faster and keep the movements jerky on the retrieve. If you normally use live bait, now would be a good time to switch to artificial lures. During this pressure shift walleye will strike fast and hard, which could deplete your bait supply quicker than you like. Jigs, swimbaits and crankbaits will still incite strikes with the added bonus of being reusable.

Once the storm passes, barometric pressure will start to rise once more. The fish activity will increase accordingly. Don't get over enthusiastic and fish aggressively because the walleye won't be keen on that yet. Focus on deep water or structures and keep the presentations slow and easy.

Barometric pressure is not a stagnant measurement and can influence walleye behavior tremendously. Having a barometer in your tackle box will help you determine what the best presentation for that day might be. Walleye aren't afraid of mixing things up and neither should you.

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