Fish are cold-blooded creatures and become lethargic in cold temperatures, becoming less active and biting less frequently when trolling baits at slow speeds.
Our research demonstrates how household demographics and perceived impacts of environmental change influence adaptive capacity (SAC). To assess this relationship, we conducted surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews at five landing sites on Lake Victoria and Nabugabo.
Spring
As winter gives way to spring, nature returns with renewed energy: dormant plants begin growing again, hibernating animals awaken from hibernation, and migrating birds begin returning to their breeding grounds.
Temperatures rise, and fish become very active as they move to shallow weedy areas to feed and forage for sustenance. They will also begin their spawning cycles and will often move from soft-bottom feeding areas onto hard bottom spawning beds for the purpose of procreation.
Water temperatures during the spring can fluctuate widely depending on runoff and turnover rates, so finding cleanest waters possible is crucial to enjoying success with spring fishing. Furthermore, the sun plays an enormous role as fish lack true eyelids to block UV rays from hitting their eyes; hence it is wise to fish in shaded areas whenever possible; high tides provide another great window as water floods over dry sand deposits food into new places for feeding opportunities.
Summer
Most fish species are cold-blooded, and require specific amounts of food in order to sustain their metabolisms. Temperature can have an enormous effect on metabolic rates; even minor fluctuations can drastically alter feeding habits.
Astronomically speaking, summer runs from the solstice (the longest day of the year) until the autumn equinox (when daylight and night lengths are equal). Meteorologically speaking, summer includes June, July and August in the northern hemisphere and December January and February for its southern counterpart.
Temperature and weather conditions tend to remain more stable during the summer than other seasons, yet changes in barometric pressure can still significantly alter fishing activity. Stable air pressure promotes activity; sudden drops can stop even active fish dead in their tracks – until gradually rising air pressure gradually brings increased dissolved oxygen levels back and fishing picks back up again. These daily fluctuations of water temperatures and pressure are why fishermen refer to summer as “dog days,” often prompting them to reconsider their tactics in response.
Fall
Northern hemisphere seasons transition from summer to winter on the autumnal equinox (day and night are of equal duration), typically occurring around September/October in most cases; depending on local conditions and calendar/climate differences some regions define fall differently.
As temperatures begin to cool, a ritual called turnover takes place on most lakes as surface water blends with deeper waters to form suitable habitats for prey and predators alike. Furthermore, mixing eliminates oxygen stratification or turbidity that had made fishing difficult over the previous days or weeks.
Now is the time of year for fishing jigs and flippers in deeper water and green weeds, working crankbaits slowly through flooded vegetation, and using blade baits in shallows. Slow retrieves mimic struggling baitfish and may trigger strikes from larger predators like bass and pike; freshwater fishing often benefits from starting early with working lures slowly across their surfaces as the sun rises and sets.
Winter
As temperatures in water decrease, fish metabolisms likewise slow down. Their ability to swim, feed, digest food, avoid predators and defend their location all become impaired; creating less active and hungry fish during winter. This leaves many fish vulnerable and less interested in hunting prey.
Fish are highly sensitive to atmospheric changes that affect them directly, including rainstorms or snowfall, which cause temperature changes as well as altering freshwater bodies’ clarity (turbidity). Most anglers don’t realize just how much their fishing can be affected by such atmospheric shifts.
As with other forms of weather, weather-induced barometric changes can rapidly alter barometric pressures. When precipitation hits, air pressure drops significantly and when pressure stabilizes again, fish often return to active feeding activity. A similar scenario exists with cold fronts moving through; when storm fronts reach their frontal boundary and push warm low-pressure air away from cold high-pressure air massed at their frontal boundary boundary boundary; which often triggers vicious bites as it pushes these two masses apart and leads to an increase in pressure that compels fish from deep waters to come into open waters in search of sustenance.https://www.youtube.com/embed/r-GFmH0EK9Y