Spring cold fronts kill the bite

Hey, Keith here.

Every spring, just when you think it's finally warming up for good, Mother Nature pulls a 180 and kicks your fishing plans right in the teeth! 

What was working yesterday suddenly won't produce a single bite.

Adjusting your strategy after a cold front is crucial.

Why, you ask?

When that high-pressure system moves in, bass retreat to cover or pull off the shallows to slightly deeper water, becoming extremely inactive.

This is where the best anglers distinguish themselves from the weekend warriors.

Most anglers make two critical mistakes after a spring cold front: 

• they don't slow down enough

• they fish the same locations

Today I’m going to show you numerous adjustments to help you put more bass on the bank.

Fellow Fishing Fanatic of the Week 🔥

Will Stowell is the Fishing Fanatic of the Week with his nice smallie! 

Thanks for sharing, Will! I bet it put up a heck of a fight, as they always do!

Want to show off your awesome catch? Then reply to this email with your favorite fishing picture, a little about yourself, and how you caught the stud!

BEST LINKS

What I watched this week

• The effects of cold fronts on bass (In-Fisherman)

• Spring cold front? No worries (Bassmaster)

• Taking your spring cold front fishing to the next level (Bass n’ Edge)

• Bass do two things after a cold front (Jimmy Houston Outdoors)

• Where Cold Front Bass Go – UNDERWATER PROOF (Steve Rogers Outdoors)

Deal of the week

• FishUSA is running sales of up to 50% off on select bass fishing items. Shop discounted rods like the St. Croix Bass X Spinning Rods and lures like Z-Man ChatterBaits.
  

• Tackle Warehouse is selling the 13 Fishing Origin F1 Casting Reel for $39.97, down $30 from $69.99.
  

• Fish and Save is offering the Powerbait Gilly Swimbait for $4.99. A savings of 50%!

DEEP DIVE 

The "adapt and overcome" approach to cold-front bass

I was fishing my local lake last spring when a nasty front hit overnight. The day before, I'd caught over 20 fish by working spinnerbaits along weed edges. After the front, I returned to the same spot and got absolutely nothing for two hours.

That's when I switched to a small jig with a 3" trailer and started working it painfully slow around the thickest cover I could find.

My third cast into a submerged brush pile produced a solid three-pounder. That fish taught me everything I needed to know about post-front fishing.

1. Slow down your presentation.

Cold-front bass require extreme patience. Here's how to dial it back:

• Texas rig modification: Instead of using peg weights on your Texas rig, try a tungsten sliding weight instead. It creates a natural, gliding action as it falls.

I've had great success with a ⅜ oz Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten weight paired with a Zoom 6.5-inch Trick Worm in green pumpkin or junebug.

• Deadsticking: After a cast, let your bait sit completely motionless for up to 30 seconds. When you think you've waited long enough, wait another 10 seconds. This technique works wonders after a cold front, when bass are lethargic and the last thing they want to do is chase after fast-swimming lures.

I like a Senko-style bait like the 5" YUM Dinger or the 4" Yamamoto Senko in watermelon/red flake.

• Jerkbait cadence: Extend your pauses between jerks to 10–15 seconds, or even longer. The pause in between entices lethargic bass to strike. Remember, not only are these fish affected by the cold weather, they are not as hungry because of the rising barometric pressure after the front. 

The Strike King KVD 300 Deep Jerkbait in chrome/blue or the Megabass Vision 110 in Tennessee shad have been my go-to cold front producers when fished this way. Use 10–12 lb Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line for better action and invisibility.

2. Refine your location.

Bass reposition themselves after cold fronts. Here's where to look:

• The depth change: Stop casting along the bank and focus on that first depth change—typically 8–12 feet of water. During a recent cold snap, I found a school of bass sitting exactly 12 feet deep, right off the shallow flat where they'd been the day before.

• Targeting thick cover: Target the densest cover you can find. Largemouth will bury themselves in the middle of thick brush piles, deep in flooded timber, or under the darkest sections of docks. 

A ⅜ oz Arkie jig with a Strike King Rage Craw trailer in black/blue works perfectly for penetrating these dense hideouts. I fish this on 16–20 lb Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon.

• Hitting spots repeatedly: Don't be afraid to milk a productive area throughout the day. Cold-front bass have small feeding windows, so returning every hour or so increases your chances of arriving during their brief activity period. I've had days where a spot produced nothing for three visits, then suddenly yielded five quality fish on the fourth try.

3. Choose your weapons wisely.

Mastering cold front conditions is all about tactical approach:

• The vertical advantage: Vertical presentations keep your bait in the strike zone longer. 

A ¼ oz VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig with a 3" Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Nose Minnow stays in front of a bass's face much longer than a moving bait. Fish this on 8-pound Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon for superior sensitivity.

• Jig selection: Remember, in murky water you can afford to take it up a notch as far as the thickness of your line goes, but clear water requires a bit more subtlety. 

For clear water, use natural colors like green pumpkin or watermelon on a ¼ oz finesse jig. For stained or muddy water after rain, switch to a heavier ½ oz jig in black/blue or brown/orange on 17-pound P-Line Tactical fluorocarbon.

• The reaction option: When all else fails, sometimes triggering reaction strikes with a heavy jig works miracles. The key is making precise, quiet entries and letting the weight do the work. 

I've caught stubborn cold-front bass by pitching a ¾ oz Strike King Structure Jig into thick cover with a quick fall. 

• The jerkbait secret: Jerkbaits are absolute gold during cold fronts, especially in windy conditions, which distorts the profile just enough to hide any unnatural characteristics. 

The SPRO McStick 110 in clear chartreuse shad or the Rapala Shadow Rap in bone are perfect choices. Fish these on 10–12 lb Sunline Super FC Sniper for optimal action.

4. Don’t forget seasonal behavior.

Spring cold fronts require special attention:

• Pre-spawn adjustments: During spring cold fronts, bass won't abandon their spawning agenda entirely—they'll just pause it. Find transition areas between spawning flats and deeper water about 10–15 feet off the shoreline. 

The Strike King Coffee Tube in green pumpkin on a ⅛ oz tube head is deadly here.

• Temperature triggers: Keep a close eye on your water temperature. When it drops below 58°F after a front, focus on north banks that warm fastest in the afternoon sun. Once it climbs back to 60°F, start working back to your pre-front patterns with slightly slower retrieves.

Barometric pressure: High pressure makes bass less eager to chase. When your weather app shows pressure above 30.10 inHg, it's time to downsize. Most jig companies offer a “junior” version of their lures. I love to use the Baby Brushhog Jr in high-pressure situations.