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Fishing Cold Fronts...Snacks or Buffets.

By Terry Brown

Anglers across the country believe cold fronts are among the toughest conditions to figure out. In Florida, Texas and the most of the Southeast where Florida strain largemouth inhabit fisheries they completely shut down. Northern strain largemouth's, spotted bass and river bass seem to be less affected but they too are not are on their best feed when a cold front comes through. The severity of the front does not seem to matter as much as what follows the front. Is it a quick Northeaster that blows in on an 80-degree day and drops the temperature to 55 or is it a 55 degree day in the early spring that quickly is replaced with freezing temperatures and drops the water temperatures by as much as 20 degrees? The savvy angler has to be able to recognize these variances and react to what the fish may do in each type of fishery. Are the techniques altered, are the speeds adjusted and are the fishing areas changed based on the front?

Bass are cold-blooded creatures and creatures of their habitat. They are very hearty and live in all but one state (Alaska) in the United States. They live in both shallow and deep-water impoundments and can live in a variety of temperature ranges but cold fronts, weather fluxuations and rising and falling water all can adversely impact catch rates. Bass always seek an optimum temperature for everything they do in all ecosystems. They do two things very well…they eat and they spawn. Those two things they do their entire lifetime and without question the elements dictate and determine when they do each. During the spawn and post-spawn periods seemingly when the weather is quick to change, cold fronts have the greatest impact. Spring and early summer are the times when harsh cold fronts have the greatest impact and anglers must look for clues to locate and catch bass. The bass will tell the angler what they are doing and what they will bite and when.

Techniques for cold front conditions vary but generally are closely aligned with the type of cover present. Lakes and rivers that have abundant structure can still be tamed and those that have little or no cover tend to see the bass suspend and make catching them the more difficult. Most anglers prefer lakes with cover such as emergent vegetation, bushes and blow downs. During cold fronts bass can still be patterned and without question these same bass will relate to that cover more readily sometimes burying deep and other times laying directly on the bottom in and around that cover. On a recent trip to Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas during a mid-week cold front we saw bass move from a very hard spawning pattern to holding tightly to buck brush in 6-7 foot of water and flipping was the only technique that was able to coax the leery bass into biting. These bass positioned themselves deep into the bush and the bait had to be placed into the center of the bush and shaken to get the strike. Rattles, scents and casting accuracy were crucial. The days before the cold front bass would chase a topwater or spinnerbait when properly presented adjacent to the bush or bed and during the days following the front that same bite was non-existent. They were not chasing bait but rather looking for an easy meal. The bedding bass didn't travel long distances to deeper water as many believe because of the cold front but rather situated themselves in the first available structure next to "deeper" water. Isolated bushes on the edge of the old bank or just away from it seemed the best. They went from the chase mode to a positioning one only taking advantage of an easy meal if it was indeed "easy."

"Cold front bass like heavy cover and a slower presentation is a must," states Elite Series pro Denny Brauer. "Dissecting a bush or tree and carefully hitting every nook and cranny is crucial during these conditions. I have seen one bush hold multiple fish and by dropping a jig or large profile bait directly into the tree-top or bush seems to work the best." Most anglers believe that downsizing during a front is critical but others believe presentation is actually the key to the bite. Cloudy days after a front can position the bass in several places in the bush or blow down but bring out a high blue bird sky and the fish will almost always be in the center of the bush or willow. Bass will also position themselves based on water temperature and seasonal period facing away from the sun but in the spring they are less impacted by direct sunlight and will actually look to the warming rays of the sun for positioning.

Noted flipper and jig fisherman Gary Klein from Texas likes to find warm stained water in these conditions and believes that stained water that is in the warmest temperature range actually is best. Cold muddy water is not good during these conditions though. "I may be one of the only anglers on the Tour who actually looks for stained water in the spring, notes Klein. I firmly believe I can get closer to the bass and actually am not afraid to bump a bush or tree during this type of condition. Bass will usually hold tight to the cover and by properly placing the lure in the cover I can usually catch them. It seems that when conditions get like this is when I do the best. I like this type of conditions for a tournament as it adds a mental approach that many anglers may not feel comfortable with".

Finding the bass and letting them tell you how they want to eat is the key. Finding the pattern even in cold front conditions is like taking a fat guy to a buffet, they will eat if it is presented properly and you know what they like. Anglers need to dial in to what the bass tell you and know the seasonal patterns as well. Success in cold front conditions is a matter of slowing down, finding the proper depth and structure and presenting the bait directly to the fish.