Cloudy vs Sunny: When Do Fish Bite MORE?

Quick Overview

The experiment concluded that the theory that cloudy, windy, and rainy days encourage fish to feed more is inconclusive, as the angler caught the same amount of fish, if not more, during the initial sunny day compared to the rough weather day, leading to the final advice that anglers should just get their lines in the water whenever they can.

Key Points: The central theory tested was whether cloudy, cold, and rainy weather encourages fish to feed more than clear, sunny days, but the result was inconclusive. On the sunny day with clear water, the angler caught solid fish, including a red drum and a black drum, and surprisingly caught a large pompano. The angler stated, "I caught the same amount of fish, if not more during a sunny day," challenging the initial hypothesis about rough weather being superior. During the cold, rainy test day, the angler landed two big red fish and noted that the fish seemed to get "really fired up when it was raining and windy and cold." The angler observed that as soon as the sun came back out after the rain passed, the bites started to die down, supporting the theory somewhat. The final conclusion reached was, "I think it's inconclusive. I can't really say that it's much better on a windy, cloudy day than it would be on a on a bright, clear, sunshiny day." The best advice given was, "I think the consensus is just go out when you can. Go out when you can and get your lines in the water and try it."

Context: The video tests a long-standing fishing theory by comparing catch rates and action between two completely opposite weather conditions: a clear, sunny day with calm winds and a cold, dark, windy, and rainy day. The experiment utilized the same rods, rigs, location, tide, and bait for both tests to isolate weather as the sole variable, focusing specifically on catching fish like red drum and black drum off the beach.

Detailed Analysis

The fishing experiment directly compared fishing success under clear blue skies versus dark, cold, rainy conditions to determine which weather encourages fish to feed more, ultimately deeming the outcome inconclusive. On the sunny day, the angler had good success catching red drum, black drum, and an unexpected pompano, but felt the fish were cautious because predators could see them easily, causing them to stay deeper. When the cold front moved in with rain and wind, the angler immediately caught a big fish, leading to a productive period where they landed two large red fish; however, when the sun reappeared, the action slowed down again. Despite catching a good amount of fish on both days, the primary angler admitted, "I caught the same amount of fish, if not more during a sunny day," leading to the verdict that it is not necessarily better or worse in one condition over the other, and the best approach is simply to go fishing whenever possible. Following the fishing trip, the angler took the fresh red fish to Nomu Isa restaurant where the owner, Vince, prepared the fish in two different ways, concluding the adventure with fresh seafood and good company.