Fishin' in a Pourin' Rain--That's as Good as It Gets

That's the belief of some, and their reports would tend to substantiate such a claim. I would only caution anyone intent on finding out for themselves to make sure you have a darn good rainsuit in your possession before trying to prove it one way or the other. "El cheapo" gear in a pouring rain usually proves to be about as useful as--pardon the expression--teats on a bore hog.

On the other hand, if you have something like a Gore-Tex suit, complete with hood, you might end up like a fella I read about online.

It was a cold April afternoon, the sky was overcast, and the cove's rain-spattered surface diffused what little light was entering the water. The angler decided he needed a conspicuous lure--something the bass easily could see. He settled on a white half-ounce spinnerbait rigged with tandem No. 3 and No. 5 nickel Indiana blades. He was casting and retrieving it past small clumps of weeds, through lanes and openings in milfoil beds.

"The action of the blades lifted the bait in the water column," said the angler, "allowing me to retrieve it slowly. Raising the rod tip high kept the lure shallow enough for me to see any strikes.

"I barely noticed the rain beating against my hood as more than a dozen largemouths inhaled my lure that afternoon, the best seven totaling more than 25 pounds. Those were the most productive two hours I've ever spent on that lake," he concluded.

The beauty of dark skies and a rain-dimpled surface is reduced light penetration, which encourages bass to move to the edges of cover. The result is a much bigger strike zone. You merely have to get the bait close enough for a fish to see it or sense its vibration through its lateral line. The accepted contention by most is that a bass in a rainy-day mode can't/won't overlook a flashing, pulsating spinnerbait.

That lure, however, isn't the only one that will work wonders in a pouring rain. According to another angler I read about, "Bass are incredibly active when it's raining heavily, so using a topwater bait, such as a buzzbait or Jitterbug, is a great way to get attention and have bass take your bait. Fish the same common areas you would if it wasn't raining. Keep working that topwater lure as much as possible for as long as it keeps raining."

When fishing topwaters in the rain, experts agree that you should focus on classic schooling areas, like points, ditches, ledges, or current seams. "Keep a topwater on your deck all day," they say. "You never know when a group will come up schooling.

"With no sun, bass are more likely to roam when it's raining. For that reason, the bass that once were locked on that little sweet spot now are likely spread out over a much bigger area. To connect with them, speed up your presentation so you can cover more water.

"Focus on any places where you find runoff coming into the water, particularly if it's still reasonably clean. Bass will move quite a distance to line up and feed on bait along mud lines, culvert pipes, and creek inlets."

One of the realities of fishing is paying attention to the weather forecast. High air temperatures bring humidity, and humidity brings thunderstorms. While no one recommends fishing when it's lightning, don't call off your next trip just because it's raining. You very well may have one of the best days of your whole life.