Activity Preferences Guide

Why Activity Type Matters for Your Forecasts

Fishing and hunting are fundamentally different outdoor activities that respond to weather and environmental conditions in unique ways. HuntFishSport's activity preferences feature personalizes your forecasts by adjusting how weather factors, solunar periods, and environmental conditions are weighted and interpreted based on whether you're fishing, hunting, or doing both.

By setting your activity preference, you will receive:

Activity-specific condition ratings tailored to your pursuit
Weather analysis focused on factors that matter most for your activity
Personalized recommendations and explanations
Optimized best day suggestions for maximum success

Activity Types Explained

🎣

Fishing

Optimized for anglers targeting fish in freshwater or saltwater environments.

Key Focus:

Barometric pressure changes (feeding triggers)
Moon phase and solunar periods
Light conditions and cloud cover
Water temperature stability
Wind-driven surface activity

🦌

Hunting

Optimized for hunters pursuing game animals in various terrains and seasons.

Key Focus:

Wind speed and direction (scent control)
Temperature changes (animal movement)
Cold fronts and weather transitions
Precipitation patterns (noise dampening)
Moderate barometric pressure effects

🎣🦌

Both

Balanced approach for multi-activity trips or when planning both fishing and hunting excursions.

Key Focus:

Balanced weather factor weights
General optimal condition patterns
Neutral condition thresholds
Mixed activity recommendations
Flexible planning options

How Weather Factors Are Weighted

Different weather conditions affect fishing and hunting success in different ways. Here's how HuntFishSport adjusts the importance of each factor based on your activity preference.

Weather Factor	🎣Fishing	🦌Hunting	🎣🦌Both
Solunar Periods	45%	35%	40%
Barometric Pressure	25%	15%	20%
Wind Conditions	15%	30%	20%
Temperature	15%	20%	20%

* Percentages represent the relative importance of each factor in calculating overall condition ratings. Higher percentages mean that factor has more influence on the final rating.

Species-Specific Optimization

Pro Feature

Go beyond general activity preferences with species-specific weight modifiers that fine-tune forecasts based on the unique behavior patterns and environmental triggers of your target species.

How Species Modifiers Work: Each species has multipliers that adjust the base activity weights. For example, a 1.5× temperature modifier means temperature is 50% more important for that species. When you select multiple species, their modifiers are averaged together.

Fishing Species (7 Available)

🎣 Bass

Largemouth & Smallmouth

Temp +40%

Pressure +30%

Moon +20%

Highly responsive to environmental triggers and temperature changes.

🐟 Panfish

Bluegill, Crappie, Perch

Temp +20%

Cloud +10%

Wind -10%

Temperature affects schooling behavior. Often in protected areas.

🐱 Catfish

Channel, Blue, Flathead

Moon +40%

Pressure +20%

Cloud -20%

Nocturnal feeders highly influenced by moon phases.

🌊 Trout

Rainbow, Brown, Brook

Temp +50%

Cloud +40%

Rain +20%

Cold water species sensitive to temperature and hatch conditions.

👁️ Walleye

Walleye & Sauger

Cloud +50%

Pressure +40%

Wind +30%

Low light specialists. Wind chop breaks surface glare.

🦈 Pike

Northern Pike & Muskie

Pressure +40%

Temp +30%

Cloud +30%

Ambush predators triggered by weather fronts.

🌴 Saltwater

Redfish, Snook, Tarpon

Pressure +40%

Wind +30%

Moon -20%

Tides more important than solunar. Pressure affects activity.

Hunting Species (7 Available)

🦌 Whitetail

Whitetail Deer

Wind +50%

Moon +30%

Temp +30%

Wind direction critical for scent control.

🦆 Waterfowl

Ducks & Geese

Wind +40%

Pressure +40%

Moon -10%

Weather fronts trigger migration pushes.

🦃 Turkey

Wild Turkey

Pressure +40%

Temp +30%

Rain -40%

Pressure affects gobbling. Rain suppresses activity.

🫎 Elk

Elk & Wapiti

Temp +50%

Moon +30%

Pressure +20%

Cool mornings trigger bugling and rut activity.

🐦 Upland Birds

Pheasant, Quail, Grouse

Temp +30%

Wind +20%

Cloud +20%

Light winds help dogs work scent effectively.

🐻 Bear

Black & Brown Bear

Temp +40%

Pressure +30%

Moon +20%

Cooler temps increase daytime activity.

🦌 Mule Deer

Mule Deer & Blacktail

Moon +30%

Temp +30%

Wind +20%

Similar to whitetail but less wind-dependent.

Multi-Species Selection: Pro users can select multiple target species at once. When you do, HuntFishSport averages the modifiers together to create a balanced forecast. For example, selecting both Bass and Walleye would blend their emphasis on temperature, pressure, and cloud cover.

Real-World Condition Examples

Falling Barometric Pressure

🎣 For Fishing:

Major feeding trigger! Fish sense pressure drops and often feed aggressively before storms. A 3-5 hPa drop over 24 hours can create excellent conditions, especially when combined with a solunar period.

🦌 For Hunting:

Moderate impact. Large game may move more before storms, but smaller pressure changes have less effect than wind and temperature. Focus on movement patterns rather than just pressure.

Wind: 10-15 mph

🎣 For Fishing:

Generally favorable! Moderate winds create surface chop that breaks up light penetration and can concentrate baitfish. Many species feed more actively in these conditions.

🦌 For Hunting:

Challenging conditions. Wind affects scent control significantly. Requires careful stand placement and approach strategies. Game movement patterns may change based on wind direction.

Cold Front Passing

🎣 For Fishing:

Before = Excellent, After = Difficult. Fish often feed heavily before cold fronts but become lethargic afterward as water temperatures stabilize. Best action is 6-24 hours before front arrival.

🦌 For Hunting:

Prime opportunity! Cold fronts trigger increased daytime movement in deer and other game. The 2-3 days following a significant cold front are often peak hunting conditions.

Light Rain/Snow

🎣 For Fishing:

Often beneficial! Light rain can trigger insect hatches and increase oxygen levels. Overcast skies make fish less wary. Winter: Light snow creates stable ice conditions.

🦌 For Hunting:

Stealth advantage. Light precipitation dampens noise from walking and provides cover for approach. Snow creates excellent tracking conditions. However, heavy rain/snow reduces visibility.

How to Use Activity Preferences

Changing Your Activity Preference

Your activity preference can be changed anytime and updates all forecasts instantly:

Menu: Click the activity badge in the left sidebar to open the selector
Settings Page: Adjust via the Activity Preferences section in Settings

Pro Tip: Keep your activity preference set to your primary pursuit for the most relevant daily forecasts. Switch to "Both" when planning mixed trips or comparing opportunities across activities.

Best Practices

✓ Do This

Set to your primary activity for daily planning
Switch activities when planning specific trips
Use Both for multi-day mixed activity trips
Pay attention to activity-specific reasons in forecasts
Combine with local knowledge and seasonal patterns

✗ Avoid This

Don't ignore activity-specific weather warnings
Don't use fishing preference for pure hunting trips
Don't rely solely on ratings without context
Don't forget to switch back after special trips
Don't overlook hourly forecast variations

Ready to Optimize Your Forecasts?

Set your activity preference now to start receiving personalized recommendations tailored to your outdoor pursuits.

Go to Settings

Weather Factor

🎣Fishing

🦌Hunting

🎣🦌Both

Solunar Periods

45%

35%

40%

Barometric Pressure

25%

15%

20%

Wind Conditions

15%

30%

20%

Temperature

15%

20%