The Curse Of The Unlucky Fishing Tackle Part 6 

Nature: Water Condition – Salinity, Temperature, Pressure, and Health Of Water

By The Angler

We live in a world together with millions of things. All of these things, together with us, humans have an effect on each other. As an example; we eat lots of ginger and onions, and we’ll get gassy and fart. Folks around us will smell the stink that is made up of various chemicals and gasses; they may feel disgusted (but most try not to show). That’s human farts; a mixture of chemicals that sometimes stink up a place. What’s worse is cow farts. Cow farts contains large amounts of methane. While Carbon dioxide has well been established as the main culprit of climate change, methane is claimed to be 85 times more powerful at trapping heat in our atmosphere. And that is just farts; a natural solution to digestive systems.

Atmospheric Change Affects Us All

Changes in the atmosphere does have an effect on us and all other living things. Let us just take pressure as an example. Do you know that the same food we eat at ground level loses its taste at high altitudes; hence why many complain that airplane food sucks. Air pressure, dryness of air, annoying noises, etc. does affect us how food taste at 30,000 feet above sea level. I have traveled with friends who do not eat their in-flight meals even during long flights. They survive on biscuits and chocolates. Good for me. I get more food to eat. So what has all these got to do with a fishing related article?

Well, changes in conditions does have an effect on fish too. But most anglers do not point a finger on changes. They instead blame the bait, the fishing tackle, and even the pond owner. Well, sometimes the pond owner is at fault. He claims to have released 100 fishes but in reality he missed out on one of the zeroes. So, before we go about thinking that our fishing tackle has been cursed; let us take a look at how changes to the environment can affect our fishing.

Heat And Mood

Have you noticed that when the temperature gets hot, you start to feel lethargic. The hotter it gets, the more lethargic you feel. Sometimes the heat causes you to lose your appetite and you may decide to miss a meal. As an angler, I am sure you would have experienced this before, especially if you’re a angler that loves heading out to sea. I love to eat. I live to eat. But when I am fishing out at sea, I can go without lunch sometimes and I don’t feel hungry.

Fishes too are affected by temperature, water conditions such as salinity levels, microbe levels, barometric pressure. When the water becomes hotter than usual, fishes feel it too. They become lethargic. No more mood to hunt or roam about. Dating fishes may hang-out with their dates but that is all they’ll probably do; hangout and not make out. A change in the salinity of water does have an effect on some fishes too. When salinity changes, they may lose interest in eating.

Unseen But Deadly

Microbes is an issue too. Every pond, lake, stream, etc. are home to microbes. We cannot see them with just our eyes. These unseen “things” are part of a balance ecosystem. If the balance is lost, microbes can become an issue. Fishes and other creatures in waters that is affected by high level of microbes will likely fall sick and eventually die. This is the same to humans. Microbes can kill us too. So, of the health of the water that you are fishing in is bad, fishes are most like to be uninterested in taking your bait. You’ll see them around but they’ll give your bait a miss. After all, a sick fish will not have the appetite to eat. The same with a person who has fallen ill.

Pressure And Senses

Another reason not to blame your tackle should fish not take your bait is barometric pressure. Barometric pressure is hardly felt by most humans. Folks that love the outdoors can like sense a change in barometric pressure better than one who spends more time indoors. I am sure you would have experience this too. You are fishing and suddenly you sense that it is about to rain. Then you shift your focus from your rod tip to the skies only to see that the white cotton candy clouds have been sprinkled with a bit of coffee.

You felt a change that triggered you to look up and check the condition of the sky. What you felt is a change in barometric pressure. This pressure may not mean much to us other than that a change in weather just happened and we are either going to get wet, or enjoy fishing in the cool (or cold). This pressure affects fish a lot more than most anglers think.

The Fishes Feel Them Too

Fishes can sense a change in pressure far better than we humans can. Their lateral line is a very power sensor. It can not only sense vibrations in water. It can sense a change in pressure too. That is not all. Changes in barometric pressure also changes the conditions in the water. particles may start to rise from the bottom of the lakes of ponds, plankton is effected, the pressure pushing down on the water changes as well. Gravity is affected in an amount that is small to us. Too small, we don’t even notice. But this small change results in a change of conditions underwater.

This change in pressure and the conditions underwater does have an effect on certain fishes. These fishes will likely decide not to eat. Some fishes however go into a frenzy and start eating like crazy. I have experienced this on many occasions. There used to be (not sure if it’s still in operation) a pond in Hulu Langat (Selangor, Malaysia) that my friends and I will go to only when the weather report predicts rain. If it rains, we are guaranteed a cooler box full of patins. If it does not rain, we’ll probably go home with a fish or two. On hot days we left the pond empty handed.

The Key

There you go. Your fishing tackle may not necessarily be cursed. There are many other factors involved when you don’t catch fish. The key is to put some thinking outside of the box and wonder why the fishes are giving your offering a miss. But if you still insist that your fishing tackle is cursed to never fight a fish; stay tuned for our next issue. The key to unlocking the curse may be in there.

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