Fish Don't Mind The Rain, They're Already Wet!

I remember the day my Dad drove us through pounding rain to Truman Lake and he had to stop a couple of times because it was raining so hard that he couldn’t see the road. We eventually made it to the lake where we launched our boat in a downpour and headed to an old inundated fence row. As the rain continued to pour, I pitched my plastic worm into a bush along the fence row and felt a tap. I immediately set the hook and as the big fish swirled near the surface my fingers kept slipping off the wet reel handle. After struggling to keep my soaked hands on the wet rod and reel, I landed the 6 3/4-pound largemouth bass, the biggest bass I had ever caught up to that time.

A fair-weather angler probably would have canceled fishing that day, but we discovered fishing in the rain can be rewarding. Throughout the years fishing in the rain has produced good numbers of trout, bass, and crappie for me and lunkers including a 13-pound brown trout I caught at Lake Taneycomo while fishing in a mixture of sleet and snow.

Fishing in the rain can be productive because it adds oxygen to the water and washes insects and other terrestrials into the water providing forage for bass and trout. Fish also become more active when the barometric pressure drops, which occurs when a storm front and rain arrives at a fishery.

Spinnerbaits For The Win

Pro angler Jimmy Houston always suggests throwing a spinnerbait whenever it rains, which is sound advice because bass are active then and in the mood to chase moving baits including crankbaits, jerkbaits, and noisy topwater lures. However, I have also caught two of my biggest bass ever fishing in the rain with a plastic worm and a jig.

Investing in quality rain gear will help you stay dry and comfortable while fishing in the rain. If I am fishing in a downpour, I avoid running my boat much because it increases the chances of rainwater blowing into any openings of my rain suit. I tend to stay in one spot and make a run when the rain diminishes.

When it starts raining, don your foul weather gear and be prepared for some fun fishing because the fish will be biting.

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