A logged pattern is a hypothesis, not a catch guarantee
Accounts of a better bite before a pressure change can be useful observations, but they do not isolate pressure from everything else happening at the same time. Time, location, species, water conditions and effort can change together. Do not turn an anecdote into a forecast percentage or a universal rule.
If you keep a log, record unsuccessful sessions as carefully as successful ones and keep the units and time consistent. That makes comparison more honest. It still does not validate a causal model, and this page does not claim that a particular hPa reading has been scientifically established as the best time to fish.
The weather verdict answers a different question
A high GO score is not a feeding forecast. It means the listed weather inputs fit the current application’s planning rules. The model does not receive species, depth, bait, water temperature, tides or catch records. Those missing factors must not be treated as favourable just because a number is displayed.
The pressure examples below deliberately leave the actual scored weather unchanged. Their equal results are the point: pressure is contextual information rather than a hidden bonus. Adding a storm to an attractive pressure story changes the weather result because storms are explicitly scored.
Worked examples from the existing scorer
These complete hypothetical hours run through the same scoring functions used by the live tool. They are not observations or forecasts. The displayed effective score includes any cap.
| Example | Effective score | Verdict | Model reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illustrated pressure 1,000 hPa | 100/100 | GO | No model penalties |
| Same weather, 1,025 hPa | 100/100 | GO | No model penalties |
| Storm despite pressure story | 15/100 | NO-GO | thunderstorms — get off the water · NOGO cap |
Exact example inputs and units
temp and feels: °C; wind and gust: km/h; precipitation: mm/h; visibility: m; rain probability, cloud and humidity: %. Weather code is WMO; UV is an index. Pressure, where shown, is context in hPa and does not affect this scorer.
[
{
"example": "Illustrated pressure 1,000 hPa",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 15,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1000
}
},
{
"example": "Same weather, 1,025 hPa",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 15,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1025
}
},
{
"example": "Storm despite pressure story",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 15,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 95,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
}
]Planning bands and the limits of the number
The existing model starts at 100, subtracts its condition penalties and applies critical caps. GO is 70–100, MAYBE 45–69 and NO-GO 0–44. A MAYBE cap limits the effective score to 64, and a NO-GO cap to 40. These are application suitability bands, not certified safe operating limits.
Rain branches are alternatives: matching probability, intensity and weather-code triggers do not mean adding the same rain penalty repeatedly. Separate factors can combine. A cap prevents benign temperature or dry weather from cancelling a critical flagged condition. Use the reasons beside the result to understand what changed.
The model requires complete numeric weather inputs. Missing visibility, rain probability or another required value returns Insufficient data; it is never filled with an invented favourable value. Local warnings, closures, equipment instructions and actual observations can change your decision even when the model returns GO.
Read the full fishing methodology and thresholds. The model and these examples were cross-checked on 18 October 2026. No physical field-test or safety certification is claimed.
Equipment and an alternative plan
Plan access, shelter and a practical return first, then use local fishing knowledge without presenting it as certainty. Keep any pressure hypothesis separate from the weather decision. Check regulations and water conditions from the relevant local authority; this tool does not establish permission or a likely catch.
Questions about Barometric pressure and fishing: evidence, experience and limits
What is the best pressure for fishing?
This site has no evidence-based universal pressure threshold to offer.
Does falling pressure increase the score?
No. Pressure is not used by the fishing scorer.
Does GO mean the fish will bite?
No. It is a weather-suitability score, not a catch prediction.
Sources and limits
The numeric application bands come from the existing GoNoGo scorer and methodology. External guidance is linked for its stated context; it is not presented as endorsement of this model.
Live forecast data is supplied by Open-Meteo. An illustrative model output is different from a live forecast, and a forecast is different from a local observation.