Imagine this. You and your family are getting ready for a perfect day of fishing, you've looked forward to it all week, only to sit out on the boat watching the day go by without a single bite. “Where did we go wrong?” you ask yourself. You're not alone, this happens to countless anglers every year. But fear not, the answer, more often than not, lies in how the weather affects fishing. And today, you’re going to learn some basics every angler should know about how fish react in all kinds of weather.

Fish are just like people in that they prefer certain kinds of weather over others. Some fish don't like the rain and will go deeper underwater. Other fish love a good downpour. When it rains, insects get knocked into the water, so these fish will stay close to the surface looking for a meal.

Fish like largemouth bass will come closer to shore on windy days. This is because small panfish like bluegill and sunfish will be pushed toward the bank with the wind, or will follow insects that are blown to the bank. The bass eats those small fish so naturally follow along.

Contrary to popular belief, a nice sunny day is not always the best day for fishing. When it's too hot, fish can become lethargic. To beat the heat, fish usually go deeper into cooler waters. This is one of the reasons why people tend to fish early in the morning or early in the evening during the summer when the temperatures are a little cooler. Fish will bite more during a cold front, as that front displaces the heat they were attempting to avoid.

There are many weather factors that play into a successful day of fishing. In this video, our expert angler goes through some of those factors as our Into The Outdoors crew attempts to catch the big one.

As you’ll discover in our video library of Getting Families Fishing episodes and the related educational topic videos, fishing, and boating are fantastic ways to spend time with family, learn about conservation, enjoy the outdoors, AND learn about aquatic science and yourself.

So take a moment and explore the dozens of videos on fishing and aquatic science here. The custom learning videos you'll find there are designed to share with your entire classroom. You’ll also find other educational content, including custom lesson activities that blend peer-driven learning and hands-on activities. Now go learn to catch fish!

And for even more information and resources related to fishing and boating, head to TakeMeFishing.org and DiscoverBoating.com. To learn more about America's Getting Families Fishing Initiative, head to the Future Angler Foundation.