Best Fishing Barometers Buying Guide
Anglers are aware that there are several elements that influence the success rate of a fishing trip. Some of the most important ones are water temperature, the light level, the tide or moon phase.
Still, many times, a factor of utmost importance is undermined – namely the barometric pressure. While it is true that one cannot predict it, a certain device can help – namely a fishing barometer.
How Do Fishing Barometers Work?
To start with, we’ll clarify what a fishing barometer does, how it works and how it can help your fishing sessions. Most barometers feature a closed tube, which stands upside down in a bath of mercury. Mercury is preferred over water, primarily because water is less dense and, hence, less heavy.
Barometric pressure – also referred to as atmospheric or air pressure – represents the air of the weight, which presses down upon everything, fish and anglers included.
Even though humans cannot detect changes in barometric pressure, fish can. Truth be told, fish are in tune with their environment, far more than anglers realize. That is primarily due to their pressure-sensing systems – such as the lateral line. This allows them to grasp even the slightest atmospheric change.
The pressure exercised on the water’s surface affects the fish through the air bladder. Therefore, when the pressure is high (1018hPa or higher), this applies more pressure on the air bladder. This means that the fish are relaxed and comfortable – hence, their behavior is normal.
On the other side, when the pressure is low (1014hPa or less), the pressure is reduced. This causes the expansion of the air bladder, placing pressure on the fish’s stomachs. Evidently, this translates into a low rate of fishing success.
Key Features to Consider
- Build Quality
Assessing the built quality of the barometer is important. Otherwise, you’ll be buying a product that will need replacement, sooner or later. Therefore, make sure you analyze the construction and craftsmanship of the unit before buying it.
- Accuracy
Another aspect of critical significance is, evidently, a barometer’s accuracy. There’s no use in investing in a product whose accuracy is impaired. Make sure you check customer and expert reviews beforehand to determine if a barometer is, indeed, helpful and accurate.
- Budget
As a rule of thumb, we all have a budget whenever we’re in the market for something important. That being said, you should confirm your budget, and the characteristics you’re looking for in a fishing barometer. After doing that, you should get the one that has the best price-quality ratio for your budget.
Our Recommendations
Pros
- It is affordable
- It is fairly accurate
- Easy to read
Cons
- Many users received defective products
- The calibrating process is time-consuming
To start with, before you take this unit to your fishing trips, you should take the time to calibrate it to the current altitude setting. Once you do that, it should provide you with fairly accurate readings.
Bear in mind, though, that it might take a while to adjust and fine tune it. Nevertheless, this applies to all barometers, so it’s not an isolated case. If you follow the instructions, you’ll be on the right path.
At the same time, we found that it is easy to read. That is thanks to the design. The color-coded dial indicates the outdoor condition – if it’s good, great or poor for fishing. Moving on, the ABS plastic is easy to grip, whereas the braided lanyard definitely comes in handy.
On the other side, it appears that many clients have received defective products. Therefore, there might be an issue with the quality control of the products.
Overall, though, considering the price, it performs adequately. It would be a good option if you’re not willing to invest a significant sum of money in a fishing barometer.
Pros
- It can be used for several purposes
- It indicates barometric pressure, the humidity, and temperature
- It is easy to install
- Easy to read
Cons
- At times, the temperature information isn’t 100 percent accurate
This barometer is a functional and practical piece of equipment. Not only that it can help you to schedule your fishing trips more efficiently, but it is also useful for a wide range of applications. For example, you can use it for golf.
It indicates the barometric pressure, the humidity and the temperature outside. That is to say, you get the most important information regarding the weather.
For the most part, installing the barometer is quite easy – you’ll need AAA batteries in this respect. The good thing is that the weather sensors are already calibrated for accuracy.
The design of the unit is user-friendly as well, considering that you can assess the information from a considerable distance – of up to 6 feet. What is more, you may easily read the barometer with sunglasses on.
On the other hand, according to some reviewers, the weather information isn’t accurate at all times. It is close, but not 100 percent accurate.
Pros
- Compact, pocket-size
- Calibrating the barometer pressure is straightforward
- It provides a lot of weather information
- Useful for numerous applications
Cons
- The battery isn’t long-lasting
If you want to invest in a complex device that does a lot more than simply measuring the barometric pressure, then you’ve found your pick. This compact, pocket-sized unit measures wind speed and humidity, air temperature, dew point, heat index and altitude, alongside barometric pressure.
This makes it suitable for fishing, hiking, hunting, sailing, golfing, mountaineering, drones, and the list may go on. Before using it for the first time, you have to install the included coin cell battery.
Once you do that, you should press the power button, and the unit will start displaying information. You may choose to calibrate the anemometer – you can do that for all parameters. The user manual includes all the information you need in this respect.
The barometric pressure, which interests us the most, is rather easy to calibrate. On the other hand, calibrating the wind speed can be rather time-consuming – unless you have the appropriate equipment for that, you might not do it right.
Pros
- Simple and practical design
- Long battery life
- The 3-day historical data record
- It can record information of 6 different fishing places
Cons
- The instructions manual is available in two languages only
This is a small, yet capable fishing barometer that will become your fishing companion. It is battery-powered, and the good thing is that the battery lasts roughly 12 months, which is quite decent.
Since it is made of ABS plastic, this means it isn’t the most durable barometer out there – but it should be safe and sound if you store it in your tackle box.
We also like that it is waterproof, meaning that it is safe to use during the rainy season, as well. Not to mention that, when it comes to fishing, contact with water is quite inevitable, at the very least.
You can also use it at nighttime, due to the backlit option provided by the manufacturer. Moving on, the display includes information on the barometric pressure, as well as the weather forecast. Concurrently, the fact that it can record the information regarding pressure and temperature for three days can come in really handy.
Pros
- 8 in 1 unit
- It can be used for numerous applications
- Decent battery life
- Fairly-priced
Cons
- The durability of the item could do with some improvements
This item is our last recommendation, which comes at a decent price. As the name of the product already implies, this unit is 8 in 1, meaning that it is the definition of versatility and convenience.
For one thing, it works as an electronic compass, while being a thermometer and barometer as well. What is more, it indicates time and weather information – meaning that it is a handy unit to have – not only when it comes to fishing.
Since it is electronically backlight, you won’t have any trouble with reading the screen, whether it’s daytime or nighttime. Plus, it functions on 2 AAA batteries, which you can purchase anywhere.
Conclusion
To conclude, these are some of the main barometers on the market you can get at a fair price. We’ve tested their performance and we can assure you that they are dependable, for the most part. One thing is for sure – having a fishing barometer at hand can seriously up your game when it comes to fishing. Get yours today and you’ll see for yourself.