What is the effect a lighting storm has on walleye fishing? Was fishing a Colorado lake this weekend and on one day the fishing was OK but not good. That night we had a huge thunder storm role over the lake. Lightning hail and rain came down heavy at times. The next day all fish seemed to be turned off for most of the day. The day started off overcast and a light breeze in the 60's and cleared late in the day and warmed up into the low 80's.

What effect does Lightning have on Walleye?


Thanks
JT

I am no expert, but I don't belive that the lightning was a factor as much as the storm itself and the change in barometric pressure. Quite commom for fish to be a little lock jawed in post frontal conditions.

Normally after a lightening storm I go deeper and fish slow with live bait like I would after a cold front. But this spring pre-fishing for a tournament we had storms almost every night and the fish stayed shallow.

JT,
I think that Lightning has a negligible effect on Walleye fishing as one of the other posts suggested.
However, if the lightning is part of a front, where there is a significant barometric change, then it is likely that the Walleyes will hunker down for a day or two and be semi inactive.

Conversely, I have seen quite a few cases where a thunder storm comes through, but it is simply part of an overall weather system, where the barometric pressure doesn NOT change much the next day, and the fishing remains good.

Keep a barometer handy, and check it on a daily basis, making notes, with respect to barometric pressure, lightning, cold, warm, and fishing results.

I expect that you will gradually begin to see a pretty stron corelation between the pressure and your fishing results.

Take care
REW

Thanks for the input.

A few years ago, I was night fishing, and ended up on the water longer than I would have liked, or should I say too close to a lightning storm.

I made an interesting observation that evening. When lightning was striking - probably 8-12 miles away, all the baitfish in shallow water would surface, make noise on the surface of the water for a second or two. Lightning would strike in the distance, and I could hear thousands of baitfish breaking the water surface for about 2 seconds. Evidently there is some effect on fish being in the water during a lightning storm, it effects them in some manner.

I reeled in and got off the lake immediately.