Rain is something that can make or break virtually any outdoor activity, whether it be camping, hiking, shooting, hunting, or whatever else. One particular outdoor activity that it cannot break, however, is fishing. In fact, there are many fishermen (and women) who prefer to fish in the middle of a torrential downpour.

But while rain may not be a threat or anything, it definitely isn’t the most fun thing in the world to sit in one location for an extended period of time and become soaking wet. This is why it’s not only important that you invest in high-quality waterproof clothing, but also that you select fishing gear such as lures that will increase your chances of making a catch so you can then limit the amount of time that you have to spend outside.

In this article, we will discuss specific advantages to fishing in the rain and then talk about how to select a lure for fishing in the rain.

WHY FISH IN THE RAIN?

There are multiple reasons why many people prefer to fish during the rain instead of more mild weather conditions. One of these reasons is that there will be fewer other people fishing when it rains. As we noted in the introduction, no one likes to spend several hours outside only to get their clothes soaked. As a result, when fishing in the rain you’ll be competing with far fewer people and boost your chances of making a catch.

But the biggest reason to fish during the rain is that fish such as bass are always more active during this time. For example, most fish are very sensitive towards sunlight and as a result, will often hide in cover. But when it’s cloudy and raining and the sunlight is blocked, they’ll be swimming out and about throughout the lake or pond, with further increases your odds of a successful fishing session.

Finally, when the rain hits the water it helps to conceal any noise or vibrations in the water that you make. While fish are sensitive to light, they are also sensitive to disturbances and will swim away at the first signal of danger. In other words, rain simply helps to camouflage your presence.

In short, fish are simply more active and comfortable during the rain and you’ll also have fewer people to compete with. But that being said, simply fishing during the rain will not guarantee you a successful catch. You still have to purchase the appropriate gear, one of the most important of which is the lure.

SELECTING A LURE FOR RAIN FISHING

The purpose of a lure is to attract the attention of a fish in the first place. While it’s the bait that compels the fish to bite your hook, they may not even notice your bait to begin with if you don’t have the right lure. By fishing without a lure or a poor quality one, you are making a big mistake.
One of the factors that fishermen seem to put the most emphasis on when it comes to selecting a lure is the color. Lures are currently available in practically every color, shade, and combination that you can think of, and decades of fishing have proven that certain colors and types of lures work better or worse than others.

What these decades have also shown us is that different situations or conditions require different kinds of lures as well, meaning that the lure you want to rain is not the same one you would want when it’s warm and sunny out.

In general, the best piece of advice that can be given to you in regards to choosing a lure for rainy conditions is to go with a darker lure. This does not mean that your lure has to be dark black (as some fishermen may tell you), but it should definitely be a dark shade. Examples of what work include black, opaque, dark green, dark grey, dark brown, or dark blue. A particular color that seems to be very effective for those who fish in the rain is a black and dark blue combination.

That being said, you would still be wise to experiment with your own shades and color combination to see what works best for you. Different kinds of fish will respond better to different kinds of colors; for example, the black and dark blue combination works best with bass.

So why the darker colors and shades? The reason why is because fish will have much greater difficulty spotting a lure when the rain is falling, so the darker colors create a silhouette for a fish to zone in on and simply stand out better.

While the color of your lure is an important factor to consider for fishing, it is certainly not the only consideration. The specific type of lure that you choose as well. In general, the best type of lure to use for the rain will be spinner bait. Spinnerbait is any type of lure that is so named from the metal blades attached to it that will spin when the lure moves, creating vibration in the water to attract the attention of a fish.

While a lure is intended to attract the attention of a fish, keep in mind that the sight of a lure is not the only thing that will attract it. Fish are also attracted to the ripples or vibrations in the water, which the spinnerbait effortlessly creates.

A spinner bait with a dark blue and black color combination should prove to be highly effective for you to use since they can attract a fish in the rain by both their vibrations and their colors.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, there is no specific set of rules to follow when selecting a lure for fishing in the rain. You’ll ultimately want to purchase a variety and see what works best for you, but spinner baits coated in a black and blue color combination seem to work the best for most people.