A LOT of Water Coming

It seems likely any creek fishing ideas I might have might need to be put on hold for a few days anyway. Streams in my area are certain to be blown out by this afternoon.

I haven’t seen an actual rain volume forecast for this one. I just know it’s supposed to hit hard, all at once, pour for a few hours, and continue raining at a more moderate rate for a few more hours.

It’s not a bad thing. Our streams in the northeastern corner of Georgia are low for March. Heavy rains refresh the systems in the big picture and moderate late summer warming. It just hampers immediate fishing plan. 

It’s also 60 degree outside now, and we might get flurries on the backside of the rain this afternoon. That has nothing to with fishing prospects. It’s just very interesting to me and pretty weird, even for March!

Open Window Weather?

Considering the cold that crashed through less than a week ago and the snow and ice that plagued southern roadways, it's kind hard to believe just how nice it is outside today. Local weather reports 63, and I'm confident it's every bit of that, with the sun shining brightly and only light breeze. Sadly, I'm mostly just weather watching through a window (an open window, if you can believe that) and haven't gone farther outside the house than the garbage can. I'd love to visit a creek this week, but next week's travel plans and stuff due collectively suggest that I probably need to sit right here and write fish stories.

Unless I do slip out somewhere for a few hours this week, my next fishing time will be spent on the ice in Northern Minnesota, where highs have hovered somewhere around zero and lows have gone way below that most days for the past few weeks. I am not complaining, though. It's my own choice to chase after ice-fishing stories and photos instead of going to Florida to fish for bass or snook this time of year, and in truth I don't mind the cold for ice-fishing.

Classic Attire

As I look toward the Bassmaster Classic travels, I'm not sure whether I'll need short sleeves and a ballcap or a parka and a beanie. Recent days' Tulsa temps have ranged from the low teens to the mid-70s, so there's really no saying what the weather will bring. I'm driving and can tote all the junk I want, so I'll be prepared either way.

I can't imagine trying to figure out whether the fish will be in a winter or spring pattern and knowing that what happens during practice could be completely different from what happens during competition days. Fish move a lot based on weather this time of year, and their behavior changes dramatically with passing fronts. Most pros I've talked with are going with a mindset of expecting cold and sort of planning for that, figuring they can more easily adjust to familiar and comfortable spring conditions than to expect spring and have to adjust the other way.

It's currently 48 in Tulsa. Lowest low in the 10-day is 26. Highest high is 64. The competition begins two weeks from today, so the 10-day brings us to the very beginning of Classic week, when official practice begins. I'm guessing most competitors are watching the Oklahoma weather every day, and with a lot more on their minds than what clothes to bring!

Fish Should be Biting

 

Two things about today's weather have me distracted this morning. First, the temperature is weirdly warm for January. We're in the high 40s right now, an hour before first light, and the forecast says we'll hit mid to upper 60s before the day is done. The same forecast tells of major storms that will arrive tonight, which tells me that the pressure will drop through the day. All that suggests that the fish should be biting this afternoon and makes me think that I might need to find a way to get out there and get after them.

I have fish story work that needs to get accomplished today, so my ability to focus and be productive this morning will impact my capacity to get out later. And there are other practical factors that could get in the way of an afternoon outing. Still, given Sunday's discovery that Nathaniel's boat will fit in the back of my truck and what the weather reports are telling me, it seems like this afternoon might be a better suited for fishing than for organizing the fishing basement.

The basement, by the way, is coming along really nicely, with better order than it has ever seen. However I think that's really another blog for another day. For now, I'd better get to writing fish stories in hopes of sneaking out this afternoon.