I discussed some of the reactions of bass to cold fronts, and some of the problems cold fronts cause for fishermen in another article. That was the bad news. There is some good news, though. Some tactics and techniques will help you improve your odds of catching cold front bass during and right after a cold front.
What To To To Catch Bass After A Cold Front
Bass and other fish react to the bright sky and high pressure by going deep or getting real tight to cover. They also get inactive. Responding to those changes will improve your odds.
To catch them, try three tactics. Go deeper, go slower, and fish in the cover, not just close to it!.
Go Deep After A Cold Front
Jigging spoons is a good way to entice deep water fish. You can get right over them and put the spoon right in their face repeatedly. If you can find a deep brush pile, jig right in it. It may take a while but it is a good way to get a bite. Also try a worm, but downsize. Fish a Finesse worm slowly in deep water, dragging it along until you hit a rock, stump or brush. Then slow it down and work it around the cover.
Go Slow After A Cold Front
Go slower with anything you fish, and downsize your bait. Choose a suspending crankbait in a small size and fish it very slowly. Crank it down and then work it with frequent pauses, letting is sit in place to make inactive fish hit. Use a small spinnerbait and slow roll it, crawling it along the bottom.
Go To Heavy Cover After A Cold Front
Probably the best way to catch bass after a cold front is it flip a jig into heavy cover, bounce it up and down repeatedly in the thick suff, working it as slowly as you can. Going up river to find flowing water may also help. Fish in moving water tend to stay more active, so flipping heavy cover upriver may be the way to go.
Spotted bass seem less affected by cold fronts, so if there is a population of them in the lake you are fishing, target them. Fish the kinds of places they like, and improve your odds!
How do you fish after a cold front? Have any suggestions or tips to offer? You can also post information about it for others on my message board - you must register to post but can read the board as a guest. Also, if you have thoughts you want to share about this topic, let me know about it at fishing.guide@about.com for a "Fishtale". Tell others what you like.
