Weather stations are observatory posts that monitor and record weather forecasts, climate, meteorological, and atmospheric conditions of a city or a state. Weather station can either be on land or sea, based on the what geographical area it is intended to monitor.
Weather stations at sea measure the atmospheric conditions and climate using ships. They measure certain different parameters such as sea surface temperature, wind speed and wind period. Weather buoys measure parameters such as sea surface temperature or wind speeds.
The weather stations use different type of sensors such as hygrometer, which measures relative humidity, barometer that measures atmospheric pressure. Anemometer measures wind speed and thermometer that measures temperature.
Weather stations of bigger capacities have ceilometer that measure the cloud height (from the surface). Visibility sensors that measure the extent of visibility when its foggy or when it is raining. Rain gauge measures the liquid equivalent precipitation. Disdrometer is used to measure the (rain) drop size distribution. Some other sophisticated instruments are also used that measure unusual parameters like ultra violet index, leaf temperature, soil moisture and soil temperature.
Weather stations at snowy areas have ultrasonic snow depth sensors that measure thickness of the ice that might have formed in a lake or any other waterbody. Pyranometer measures the amount of solar radiation.
If the weather station has instruments that need to be in direct exposure of atmosphere, they should be covered or sheltered in a ventilated box. Instruments such as thermometer are kept away from direct sunlight as it might record false temperature other than atmospheric temperature. Hygrometers are kept away from direct wind as they might record false humidity readings.
Based on their geographical locations, weather stations can be of many types, some of them are;
Dedicated ships
Dedicated ships came into existence during world war II. They were introduced by International civil aviation organization (ICAO). 13 of them were deployed in the ocean in 1948. Of the 12 left in operation, 9 were deployed in the Atlantic Ocean and 3 of them in Pacific. These dedicated ships were later replaced by satellites and Ocean Buoys.
Ocean Buoys
Called as weather buoys or dedicated buoys, they collect data from oceans, lakes or whatever waterbodies they’ve been deployed in. Moored buoys and drifting boys have been in use from the year 1950 and 1970 respectively. Moored buoys are connected with the sea beds either using nylon chains or polypropylene. They are 1.5 meters to 12 meters large and are comparatively bigger than drifting buoys. Dedicated buoys generate less errors in weather forecasting as compared to dedicated ships.
Personal weather stations have instruments to measure various weather parameters that are operated by an individual, group, organization or an association. These personal weather stations come with digital consoles that display the updated weather data and some of them are interfaced with personal computer.
If you are looking to go fishing, Texas is probably the best place for you to go try out your luck. It becomes the best state for fishing as it has almost all varieties of fish. If you are looking for a saltwater fish or a freshwater fish, you can go to Texas for fishing. The state has all types of fish for everyone’s needs. Some of the hotspots in the state are outstanding in terms of quantity, quality, and in some cases both. The ideal way to go about fishing in any part of the country is to keep an eye out for the peak times. Read along to find out what to find in spring and summer according to the fishing reports of Texas.
Spring (March, April, May)
Spring is fairly the best time for you to go fishing for largemouth fish, according to the fishing reports of Texas. Out of the 50 biggest largemouth fish that are available in Texas, 34 can be found in Lake Fork. The record for the biggest largemouth fish is 18.18 pounds, which was also found in Lake Fork in March. If you go to the mid-term of Spring, you would have to move to Lake Buchanan and get your hands on the blue catfish. Lake Buchanan also has a good number of channel cats and flatheads. Lake Texoma if where you would want to be towards the end of the season. The Stripers that have migrated during Feb and March start to show up in the open water areas.
Summer (June, July, August)
Red snapper is the primary fish to be found during the initial stages of summer in the Gulf of Mexico. However, it is an issue among the fishery officials due to the quotas and season dates. The fishing reports of Texas also state the fish to be the most wanted fish as well as one of the tastiest fish in Texas. Lake Tawakoni is the home for Channel Catfish that are found in abundance during the mid-term of the summer. West Tawakoni is also deemed as the “Catfish Capital of Texas.” The annual catfish haul takes place during the summer and it is an event you must not miss out on. August would bring in the end of the summer and Laguna Madre is the place to be so that you can get your hands on some fresh Speckled Trout. Fishing reports of Texas have shown that the “Mother Lagoon” is one of the best places for you to go fishing during this period.
If you are looking to go fishing on a Sunday afternoon, there is one thing you must keep an eye on before heading out of home the fishing report. A fishing report is written by people who go fishing, it essentially talks about the type of fish available in a certain area, the weather conditions, tidal waves, and the intensity of the ocean current. A fishing report is ideally used by fishermen to know where they can find a certain type of fish they are looking for. It helps them determine where to cast their lines.
The water temperature can define the activeness of the fish in that area. If the temperature is high, then the fish would not move around a lot as it will be significantly hot. Similarly, if it is cold, then they will not move at all. To sum it up, unless the temperature of the water is pleasant, the fish will not indulge in a significant amount of movement. It is difficult to lure resting fish as they will not bite or chase the lure.
Another important component of a fishing report is the water conditions. Whether the water is still or moving, the pace of the movement (if any), if the water is muddy or full of debris are factors to be kept in mind. If the water is moving too quickly or there is a significant amount of mud in the water, then it will be a bad day to go fishing. The fish will not be able to exercise complete control on their movement and will not be able to see the bait if it is too muddy.
These reports are made according to different regions which help the fishermen decide when and where to go fishing. For example, fishing reports of Texas, Washington state, green bay etc. A fishing report of Texas would broadly include the weather condition, wind speed, when the fish are biting, where they are biting, and the types of bait that are effective.
Fishing report of Texas
Texas is home for Saltwater fish like Black Drum, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, and many others. If you are going out fishing in this season you will come across Snapper (red), Spotted Seatrout, Flounder, Redfish, and Black Drum. The best time to go fishing during spring is late-afternoon and early evenings. The fish bite due to a high metabolism and digestion. The sun overhead helps the fish move around adequately.