Bass Fishing News Articles, Reports & Tips

Wheeler Lake proved stingier than Pickwick — and the leaderboard showed it.

The ALA-TENN Bass Club hit Wheeler on August 8th, shortly after a Pickwick Lake tournament where 13.79 pounds was enough to win with a three-fish limit. On Wheeler, it was more of a grind.

Wheeler Lake Sections Map

Think your choice of lure is the most important factor in catching bass? Think again.

Long before a bass ever spots your crankbait, its behavior is being dictated by an invisible force from above: atmospheric pressure.

To a bass, a moving weather front isn’t just a change in scenery—it is a physical pressure shift that alters their bodies, changes their depth, and acts as nature’s ultimate dinner bell.

Bass possess a built-in biological pressure gauge called a swim bladder, making them hyper-sensitive to every micro-drop in the barometer. By learning how these pressure shifts dictate fish biology, you can stop guessing where the bass are hiding and start predicting exactly when they will strike

There is a golden window in fishing when the sky darkens, the wind kicks up, and every bass in the lake suddenly turns into a reckless predator. This isn’t luck; it’s the power of a falling barometer. If you are still staying home when a storm rolls in, you are missing out on the fastest, most aggressive bites of the season.

WHAT IS BAROMETRIC PRESSURE?
Weather barometer. Barometric pressure, or atmospheric pressure, is the weight of the air pressing down on the Earth. Yes, air does have weight.

HOW A BAROMETER WORKS
• Vacuum Tube: A sealed glass tube sits upside down in a reservoir of liquid mercury.
• Air Weight: Atmospheric pressure pushes down directly on the exposed surface of the reservoir.
• Liquid Column: Higher air pressure forces the mercury up into the tube to a higher level.
• Falling Level: Lower air pressure lets the weight of the mercury drop down lower.

READING THE PRESSURE
• High Pressure: Cool air sinks, bringing calm and sunny days.
• Low Pressure: Warm air rises, forming clouds, wind, and rain.
• Fast Changes: Rapid drops mean a storm is on the way.

HOW BAROMETRIC PRESSURE AFFECTS FISH BEHAVIOR
Fish are sensitive to pressure changes. Shallow water species feel them the most. Fish feed aggressively when the pressure is falling, but may become sluggish under high or very low pressure.
• High Pressure (30.50+ inHg) — Clear Skies Post-Front
Fish Behavior: Lethargic, slow, and uncomfortable due to expanding swim bladders. Location: Fish sink to deeper water, tightly hug heavy cover, or bury themselves into thick weeds. Angler Strategy: Slow down your presentation. Use smaller, finesse baits (like drop-shots or Ned rigs) and fish them directly inside deep cover.

• Rising Pressure  (30.10 to 30.40 inHg) — Fair Weather
Fish Behavior: Fairly active and comfortable. Location: Cruising outside deep cover, transition ledges, or mid-depth flats.Angler Strategy: Use a mix of search baits and slower plastics. Pay close attention to changing conditions as the day progresses.

• Steady Pressure (29.90 to 30.10 inHg) — Normal Weather.
Fish Behavior: Standard, predictable behavior. Fish feed according to normal seasonal patterns and daily light cycles. Location: Normal seasonal structures (e.g., points, docks, weed edges).Angler Strategy: Use your standard confidence lures. Target typical holding areas based on water temperature and time of day.

• Falling Pressure (29.60 to 29.90 inHg) — Pre-Front (The Golden Hour)
Fish Behavior: Highly aggressive frenzy. Fish sense the approaching storm and feed heavily before the discomfort of low pressure sets in. Location: Moving aggressively into shallow water, flats, and primary feeding structures.Angler Strategy: Tie on fast, loud search baits. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, topwaters, and chatterbaits will trigger fierce reaction strikes.

• Low Pressure (Sub-29.60 inHg) — Stormy/Rainy Weather
Fish Behavior: Spooked and inactive. The initial feeding frenzy is over, and the dropping pressure makes movement uncomfortable. Location: Hiding in deep water, under thick vegetation mats, or behind major wind breaks.Angler Strategy: Focus on dark, high-contrast colors if the water is muddy from runoff. Move baits incredibly slowly right along the bottom.

Fish Bladder

HOW FISH FEEL PRESSURE SHIFTS
Fish are highly sensitive to barometric shifts because of their swim bladder. This internal, gas-filled organ controls their buoyancy. High Pressure: Compresses the swim bladder, relieving internal discomfort and making fish active. Low Pressure: Allows the bladder to expand, causing physical bloating and lethargy. Lateral Line: Fish also use this specialized fluid-filled canal along their flanks to sense minute pressure vibrations in the surrounding water.

OPTIMAL BAROMETRIC PRESSURE RANGES
Although fish respond primarily to changes in barometric pressure rather than absolute values, angling data and field observations indicate that the most favorable fishing conditions often occur when atmospheric pressure remains within a moderate range:
• 29.7–30.4 inHg — Conditions frequently associated with stable weather systems and increased catch rates
• Below 29.7 inHg — Typically linked to low‑pressure systems; fish behavior becomes variable and often less predictable
• Above 30.4 inHg — High‑pressure systems may suppress fish activity, particularly following rapid pressure increases

These ranges should be interpreted as general tendencies rather than strict biological thresholds.

CONCLUSION: STOP GUESSING, START TIMING
The next time you head out to the lake, check the barometer before you ever select your first lure. While you cannot control the weather fronts moving across your local waters, understanding the barometer blueprint allows you to predict exactly how the fish will react to them.

Stop throwing random baits at empty banks during a high-pressure post-front slump. Instead, learn to capitalize on falling-pressure windows and adapt your presentation when the skies clear up. Once you align your fishing strategy with the biological reality of the swim bladder, you will spend less time guessing and more time reeling in heavy bass.

IN A NUTSHELL
Barometric pressure influences fish behavior primarily through pressure trends rather than fixed numerical thresholds. Moderate, stable pressure supports predictable activity, falling pressure often enhances feeding, and rising pressure produces variable responses depending on the preceding conditions.

Post Presented By Southern Fishing News
Veteran-Owned & Fishing Experienced

And These Sponsors:
Slider Lures (www.sliderfishing.com)
Neese Waterfront Real Estate (www.neesere.com)
Bass Assassin Lures (http://bassassassin.com)
EGO Fishing (https://egofishing.com)
Motley Fishing (https://motleyfishing.com)
Frankey & Monica Marine (https://www.facebook.com/FrankeysMarineService)
Bo’s Jigs (http://bosjigs.com)
RipaLip (http://ripalip.com?AFFID=702162) (http://ripalipuniversity.com)

Nine Bass, 3.03‑lb. Average — A Consistent Day of Heavy Fish Worth The July Grind

The Alabama–Tennessee Bass Club hit Pickwick Lake on July 11, launching from the Waterloo ramp and finding the kind of steady, three‑limit bass that make summer tournaments worth the grind.

Jeff Kersteins and Hunter Brewer. Photo provided

By weigh‑in, the top three teams had stacked some impressive Pickwick bags.

The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries’ Go Fish, Alabama! Program provides adults and families with little-to-no fishing experience an opportunity to fish under the guidance and instruction of a skilled fishing mentor.

Here are the complete pages of Issue 3, 2000, of Southern Fishing News) tabloid newspaper. Fun to read and see the photos from back then.

2000 Issue 1

Complete issue linked here.
Issue 1 Volume 7 2000 complete

Post Presented By Southern Fishing News
Veteran-Owned & Fishing Experienced

And These Sponsors:
Slider Lures (www.sliderfishing.com)
Neese Waterfront Real Estate (www.neesere.com)
Bass Assassin Lures (http://bassassassin.com)
EGO Fishing (https://egofishing.com)
Motley Fishing (https://motleyfishing.com)
Frankey & Monica Marine (https://www.facebook.com/FrankeysMarineService)
Bo’s Jigs (http://bosjigs.com)
RipaLip (http://ripalip.com?AFFID=702162) (http://ripalipuniversity.com)

Let’s make sure they know about you.

Southern Fishing News offers targeted, direct visibility to a massive fishing audience that’s actively seeking new products, gear, and innovations.

If you want to increase brand awareness, drive product interest, or reach more anglers, we’re ready to help.

If you’re interested in exploring sponsorship or product feature opportunities, send us a note at publisher@southernfishingnews.com. We can also schedule a call whenever it works best for you.

Looking forward to connecting.

EGO® Fishing marks a decade-plus of its patented S2 Slider landing net system — still unmatched

More than a decade after the S2 Slider’s patented handle-extension design first launched, nobody in the landing net category has topped it.

This week’s been textbook North Alabama summer heat — and the water’s showing it. Guntersville is the warmest of the three, running right at that 88-degree mark you saw — surface readings coming in at 88.3°F on the latest guide update. That’s peak summer, grass-mat hot.