Those Old Folk Lore Fishing Rules 2025
Blue Streak reply :
Some I have heard over the years
"when the dogwood trees are blooming crappie fishing is at it's peak"................. I think this one is right on in this area
"when the leaves on the oak trees are as big as a squirrel's ear, the top water fishing is very good"................I like this one too
"when the cows are laying down in the fields the fishing will be bad" ..................don't like this one. How active can a cow be??
"when you see a lot of game moving about, like deer and turkeys, the bass will be very active".............. maybe, maybe not.
here is one that I believe that know one seems to talk about
When I pull up into a bay or an area where the turtles are sunning on logs I catch bass there. This has been true for years.
OK let's hear some of yours, I bet there are some good ones from around the country.
Dogman65 reply :
On 3/25/2013 at 4:03 AM, Blue Streak said:Some I have heard over the years
"when the dogwood trees are blooming crappie fishing is at it's peak"................. I think this one is right on in this area
"when the leaves on the oak trees are as big as a squirrel's ear, the top water fishing is very good"................I like this one too
"when the cows are laying down in the fields the fishing will be bad" ..................don't like this one. How active can a cow be??
"when you see a lot of game moving about, like deer and turkeys, the bass will be very active".............. maybe, maybe not.
here is one that I believe that know one seems to talk about
When I pull up into a bay or an area where the turtles are sunning on logs I catch bass there. This has been true for years.
OK let's hear some of yours, I bet there are some good ones from around the country.
Cattle lay down in front of bad weather....so if the herd is laying down....bad weather is comin. Maybe that's what this comes from.
BradGuenette reply :
"Orange sky at night, fishermans delight"
clayton86 reply :
Winds front the west fish bite the best winds out of east fish bite the least
ww2farmer reply :
As some one who works outside and around wildlife all the time, on the days I don't see a lot of deer, rabbits, and other assorted critters, I usually get a report of "fishing was slow" from buddies who have been out fishing while I am working. Same thing goes for grazing cattle.
Brian Needham reply :
^^^I believe and follow this rule, I seen it and heard it too many times for the old timersOn 3/25/2013 at 7:32 AM, clayton86 said:Winds front the west fish bite the best winds out of east fish bite the least
and when out of the south it will land in their mouth!
BigBassBarry reply :
On 3/25/2013 at 7:32 AM, clayton86 said:Winds front the west fish bite the best winds out of east fish bite the least
this is true I dont know why but it is.
Marty reply :
On 3/25/2013 at 7:32 AM, clayton86 said:Winds front the west fish bite the best winds out of east fish bite the least
On 3/25/2013 at 7:54 AM, soonerfisherman said:this is true I dont know why but it is.
I think it's not the wind direction, per se, but the atmospheric pressure changes that are associated with certain wind directions. Maybe there's some truth to it over the long run, I just don't know. But I never decide to go fishing or not go fishing based on wind direction, as I've done lousy too many times on west and south and done well on north and east. As the old saying goes, the best time to go fishing is when you can.
Brian Needham reply :
east winds are normally seen (at least here in the south) post frontal, blue bird skys and high pressure.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 3/25/2013 at 7:32 AM, clayton86 said:Winds front the west fish bite the best winds out of east fish bite the least
Wind from the north, fisherman does not go forth.
Wind from the south blows the bait into the fishes mouth.
I've also heard that when turtles are sunbathing, bass will be shallow.
@Marty I fish regardless of what direction the wind blows, but from my observations here in the DC area wind from the North usually coincides with a sharp drop in barometric pressure and less than ideal fishing conditions. I agree 100% though, go when you can.
The Rooster reply :
In my area, if you come into waters where the gar are on the surface, just leave. No fish will bite that day.
paul. reply :
when you are fishing and suddenly you start hearing frogs when they have previously been silent, get ready 'cause things are about to get interesting. same with seeing deer or turkeys suddenly emerge from the woods into open areas - especially in large groups. all these things are harbingers of a hot bite to come.
same with seeing a flock of gulls take off and suddenly start diving on the river. these cues have helped me put more fish in the boat than i can tell ya. poor man's electronics.
SirSnookalot reply :
On 3/25/2013 at 6:57 AM, DirtNasty said:"Orange sky at night, fishermans delight"
Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.
Blue Streak reply :
On 3/25/2013 at 3:54 PM, SirSnookalot said:Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.
I think this may be about as accurate as a scientific weather forecast
senile1 reply :
On 3/25/2013 at 8:25 AM, Brian Needham said:east winds are normally seen (at least here in the south) post frontal, blue bird skys and high pressure.
While I don't base my fishing times on the wind, there is some truth to this. Low pressure systems rotate in a counter-clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere. The northern portion of a low pressure system is rotating from East to West due to the counter-clockwise rotation. The western edge of the system will have northeasterly to straight north winds. These winds coincide with the day after a cold front which tends to be a tougher day of fishing in a lot of cases.
WRB reply :
Red sky at night is a sailers delight.On 3/25/2013 at 3:54 PM, SirSnookalot said:Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.
Tom
SirSnookalot reply :
On 3/26/2013 at 11:48 AM, WRB said:Red sky at night is a sailers delight.
Tom
So true.
*Hootie reply :
Mom is mad,
Go fishing Dad...... my favorite by far...lol
Hootie
roadwarrior reply :
The "VERY BEST DAY EVER" on the Tennessee River occured with sharply rising barometric pressure.
How is that possible? For rivers, current is everything!
Oldplug reply :
Hmmmm I have fished and still do on many many days when the wind was coming from the NW and the fishing is great. In the winer and early spring it is a prime place to catch bass. Often only a foot or so deep. The reason is the banks are protected by high hills and bluffs. Water can warm up a good deal in these small spots even on cloudy days. My main concern with wind is getting out of it in most cases.
Now the moon that is something I believe in and has been by science.
Ratherbfishing reply :
I am away, fish come to play. I come around, fishing shuts down.
Raul reply :
Here´s some better says for y´all folks, after this onea all the rest says matter not:
"The worst day of fishing is better than the greatest day at work. "
" Any time is a good time to go fishing"
Brian Needham reply :
RW has a very good point.........with these old saying, IMO they are more applicable to lakes and such..when fishing rivers, current is king.
Bassguytom reply :
Here my wives tale. I go fishing too much my wife hits me in the head with a frying pan. I always find the bite to be much better the day before the frying pan.
WRB reply :
Since I am an old folk whatever I have posted would be Old Folk Lore.....
I believe fish eating birds will find fish faster than modern electronics. Birds have a second sense and phenomenal eye sight.
Active animals around the lakes or river does indicate active feeding fish. Active ecosystem, terrestrial insects, feeding animals indicates the predators should also be active, including bass.
Wind from the west, fishing is best, wind from the east fishing is least. Westerly winds are usually due to approaching low pressure systems and the east is high pressure; pre frontal or falling barometer is far better than rising barometer or post frontal blue bird sky.
Don't leave fish to find more fish. More money in fishing tournaments of all kinds has been lost by leaving a bite for a better bite...bird in hand is better than one in the bush!
Dawn and dusk is better fishing than noon. Very true, bass have extremely good low light vision and are active in low light periods. Noon is a good time for lunch.
Tom
roadwarrior reply :
On 3/27/2013 at 11:57 AM, WRB said:Dawn and dusk is better fishing than noon. Very true, bass have extremely good low light vision and are active in low light periods.
Noon is a good time for lunch.
Tom
This one surprises me. Nearly all of my biggest bass have been caught between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM,
either side of noon. Fish Chris has posted the same. I will start another thread to see how other members
feel about "Best Time To Fish".
WRB reply :
If you are bed fishing then noon is good for light and no shadows.On 3/27/2013 at 9:23 PM, roadwarrior said:This one surprises me. Nearly all of my biggest bass have been caught between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM,
either side of noon. Fish Chris has posted the same. I will start another thread to see how other members
feel about "Best Time To Fish".
My top 5 bass where caught before 10A and after 3P, zero at noon. Every giant bass over 17 lbs that I have caught was during low light periods, overcast with light rain, pre spawn bass.
When I was bed fishing, then 11A to 1P was prime time, not because the bass were active feeding, they were easier to sight fish!
The old time guides take their clients to shore for lunch, the shore lunch is a great tradition in the north.
I would welcome a response from Chris, Mike Long or Butch Brown.
Noon time is prime time......for lunch!
Tom
Brian Needham reply :
I think Doug Hannah also says most huge bass he has caught has been 10am to 2 pm as well. I swore I read it somewhere but cant remember where.
Dinky reply :
"90% of the fish in a body of water are in 10% of that body of water." Anonymous
Dinky's corollory: " 90% of the time I fish in the 90% where the fish aren't; the rest of the time I am hung up in thick cover."
"The length of time you retain a pair of sunglasses is inversely proportional to the price you paid for them." Dinky
"Size matters."
WRB reply :
90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the fisherman is what us old folks say.
Tom
SirSnookalot reply :
On 3/29/2013 at 9:00 AM, WRB said:90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the fisherman is what us old folks say.
Tom
That was a well known phrase in real estate too, 90% of the business is done by 10% of the people.
Raul reply :
On 3/27/2013 at 9:23 PM, roadwarrior said:This one surprises me. Nearly all of my biggest bass have been caught between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM,
either side of noon. Fish Chris has posted the same. I will start another thread to see how other members
feel about "Best Time To Fish".
Most of my biggest fish including most of the 10+ pounders I´ve caught throughout my life were caught between 1 and 4 PM, most under clear blue skies, blazing sunlight and scorching heat we usually have here.
airborne_angler reply :
No matter where you are casting, majority of the fish are just a few feet beyond the distance you are casting.
Sam reply :
The best bite is no a full moon.
Best bass bed fishing is the first full moon after the Dogwood trees have blossomed.
RAMBLER reply :
When I was growing up, in Wisconsin, the old folks would say that during the hottest time of summer (dog days), the northern pike would lose their teeth and would't bite because their mouths were tender.
I never did get an answer to "When do they grow new teeth?"
A-Jay reply :
When you're reeling in a fish and there's another one with it - the un-hooked fish is Always Much Bigger.
Why can't I hook the big one first and let all the smaller ones follow that one ?
"Look - there's a huge fish following it !"
A-Jay
Brian Needham reply :
I have had a few old timers tell me, "you have to be miserable to catch fish"....meaning hot, cold, windy, rain ect ect.
detroit1 reply :
Fish topwaters if your lure leaves a bubble trail. If the shallows you're fishing have carp milling around, go find another area to fish.
Scott F reply :
"You should have been here yesterday"
Brian Needham reply :
On 4/2/2013 at 4:40 AM, detroit1 said:If the shallows you're fishing have carp milling around, go find another area to fish.
glad I am not the only one that thinks that. I have NEVER gotten a bite when I see carp in the general area.
gallowaypt reply :
On 4/2/2013 at 4:40 AM, detroit1 said:Fish topwaters if your lure leaves a bubble trail. If the shallows you're fishing have carp milling around, go find another area to fish.
On the contrary, I actually had one of my best days ever bass fishing when the cove was literally teeming with spawning grass carp.
plumworm reply :
If you get a chance to go fishing, go. God does not count the days you fish from your allotted time. I should live to a least 155. My wife believes I should have died 2 weeks after we were married 42 years ago. My sons wife hasn't talked to me in the 17 years they have been married because I taught him to fish when he was young. All 7 of my grandkids had new,good fishing equipment on their 3'rd birthday. If fishing wasn't what I was supposed to do, I sure wasted the first 67 years of my life, but I don't think so. Tight lines my fellow anglers. CPR and enjoy the best sport./
Scott F reply :
On 4/2/2013 at 4:40 AM, detroit1 said:Fish topwaters if your lure leaves a bubble trail. If the shallows you're fishing have carp milling around, go find another area to fish.
In rivers, the carp stir up the bottom and the smallmouth feed on what they kick up. I look for carp milling around!
Sbennett9 reply :
The carp thing I disagree with. Some of my best days have been with carp nearby. I have never had issues with them and seeing as they aren't predatory of bass I would assume that they don't either.
hookset on 3 reply :
On 3/25/2013 at 7:42 AM, ww2farmer said:As some one who works outside and around wildlife all the time, on the days I don't see a lot of deer, rabbits, and other assorted critters, I usually get a report of "fishing was slow" from buddies who have been out fishing while I am working. Same thing goes for grazing cattle.
This is one I've always believed.
hookset on 3 reply :
On 4/1/2013 at 4:05 AM, A-Jay said:When you're reeling in a fish and there's another one with it - the un-hooked fish is Always Much Bigger.
Why can't I hook the big one first and let all the smaller ones follow that one ?
"Look - there's a huge fish following it !"
A-Jay
O-M-G ! These is an absolute lock. I have never seen a smaller fish following a bigger hooked fish.
I guess they know better, not to mess with them. Because when the big-un gets released, the little one's got some explaining to do.
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