242 Fish Behavior and Angling 



was illustrated during the 1943 early summer flood on the Salt Fork of 

 the Vermilion River (east central Illinois) when the river overflowed 

 the stripmine lakes owned by the South Pollywog Association. Club mem- 

 bers who fished the stripmine lakes during the flood period of several 

 weeks caught almost nothing. After the high water had subsided, so that 

 it no longer entered the lakes, and these lakes had an opportunity to clear, 

 largemouth bass were caught in large numbers in all parts of the area. 

 This very unusual fishing lasted for about a week; after this length of 

 time, bass fishing dropped to the "normal" low rate of catch. The excep- 

 tional fishing was probably due to the fact that bass had trouble finding 

 sufficient food in the highly turbid flood waters. 



During the months of May, June, July, and August, the catch of fish 

 per fisherman-day in Lake Chautauqua, a 3600-acre lake in the flood 

 plain of the Illinois River (Illinois), paralleled rather closely the highs 

 and lows of the lake level (Figure 8.2).^- Here the catch was composed 

 largely of yellow bass, black and white crappies, bluegills, channel catfish 

 and freshwater drum, and all of these species apparently were stimulated 

 to bite by a rise in lake level. This was not true for largemouth bass where 

 the situation was reversed, i.e., greater numbers were caught when the 

 lake level was low than when high. 



Barometric Pressures and Fishing Tables. There is a great deal that 

 is inexplicable about the biting of fishes, and it is natural that man should 

 develop a wide variety of theories to supply himself with answers. So 

 far, none of these theories has passed scientific testing. 



Several years ago fishermen were interested in barometric pressures 

 because fish were supposed to bite best on a rising or high barometer 

 and poorest on a falling or low barometer. In order to test this theory 

 Dr. David H. Thompson compared a 10-year fishing record of the Rinaker 

 Lake Fishing Club near Carlinville, Illinois, with barometric records from 

 two nearby weather stations. Fishermen making the record were not aware 

 that the fish were supposed to be influenced by barometric pressures. 

 Thompson found periods of high, intermediate, and low rates of catch, but 

 they could not be correlated with any levels or changes of barometric 

 pressures. He concluded that the change in pressure on a fish moving 

 from the surface to the bottom of a pond was so many times greater than 

 the effect of changes of atmospheric pressure that the latter certainly 

 might be hidden. However, stormy weather (usually with a low barom- 

 eter) might keep fishermen from going out on large lakes. 



Tests of the Solunar Tables theory of John Alden Knight ^^ showed 

 that catches made with hook-and-line and with gill nets ^^ were not 

 demonstrably better during solunar periods than at other times.^^ 



Several investigators have tested the effect of moonlight on rate of 



