How Is This Rainy Summer Effecting Fishing?

We've all come to realize that this summer surely isn't like the last. Or the one before that. In fact, in some regions, this is the rainiest summer in decades. 

Typically by Mid-June, we're fishing anywhere from shore to boat, tank top on, sunglasses ready to give us the batman tan...and with that typical habit, follows the habit of where and how we typically fish! So that got me wondering...how is this unusually rainy summer effecting the fish, and which tactics do we need to change to sufficiently target them? 

To look at the tactics we have for summer fishing, we must first understand why those tactics exist. Typically, the water warms up quite significantly in the summer months. Regardless of if the water remains cold, the temperature change remains relevant. This change causes the amount of dissolved oxygen within your lake/pond to become lower. The lack of rain prevents proper aeration, which plays a large factor as well. Less dissolved oxygen = more lethargic fish. More lethargic fish= in search of easier food sources. To make up for this, we tend to go from deeper water fishing with tubes, jigs or other "deeper" water baits, to shallower water fishing using spinners, worms and top-water baits. 

This year is proving to be a lot different. The consistent rain and lower temperatures are not only causing lower water temp and higher water, delaying spawns of spring spawn fish,  but also making the dissolved oxygen availability in the water a lot higher, thus preventing fish from becoming more lethargic. The barometric pressure change often associated with the stormy, rainy weather will also affect the bait fish, meaning a consistently rainy summer may not be bad news for the true fisherman after all. 

Does this mean we get fall fishing without the bitter wind and winding down of summer? Not exactly. However, I would recommend that you keep an open mind as to how and where you target your fish this summer. If you are having a hard time finding them, think outside of the box while considering the differences this summer has presented over past summers. And most importantly, be sure to bring some deeper water baits in case you find them where you've come to least expect!