When Raindrops Are Dancing on Your Head

One of the realities of fishing is paying attention to the weather forecast, and if you live locally at the moment, it's a pretty safe bet you're going to see raindrops all week long. Now mind ya, high air temperatures bring humidity, which brings thunderstorms, and no one in their right mind would urge you to fish with lightning popping. However, if what you're seeing is what we're getting today, it's entirely possible to have a successful fishing trip.

Rain breaks up the surface, creates current, and flushes nutrients into a waterbody...all of which can turn on the bite in a big way. And besides, if you're going to be wet anyway, you might as well make the trip worth your time and catch a few fish.

Here are three tips the pros employ for fishing in the rain:

Try topwater. Because the surface is broken up by the raindrops...and the clouds are obscuring the sun...rainy days are some of the best times to fish topwater baits...all day long. Fish are more willing to roam and actively pursue bait, which makes them much more likely to demolish a topwater bait, as it skitters along the surface. On the famed blueback herring lakes of Georgia and the Carolinas, anglers can have epic days with big stick baits, while spotted bass push baitfish up against the surface as it rains. When fishing in the rain, focus on classic schooling areas like points, ditches, ledges, or current seams, but keep a topwater on the deck all day. You never know when a group will come up schooling.

Fish faster. With no sun, bass are more likely to roam when it's raining than when it's sunny. For that reason, the bass that were once locked on that little sweet spot are now likely spread out over a much bigger area. To connect, speed up whatever presentation you are fishing, so you can cover more water in a day. If you're fishing in the rain and throwing a spinnerbait, start burning it. If you are fishing in the rain and throwing a worm, don't soak it as long. The fish are more aggressive during the rain, so you don't need to work as hard to make them bite.

Look for drains. Surface runoff brings nutrients into the water, which attracts baitfish, and in turn...bass. Focus on any places you find where runoff is coming into the lake, 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. Focusing on these areas when fishing in the rain can be extremely effective when it really starts coming down.

Adapted from a blog post on Karl's Bait & Tackle.