Cold Fronts

[William Snee]

I plan on going bass fishing 2 days after a cold front. Is that a good day to go? I always heard it's best to fish right before a front. A little help is appreciated.

[Catch and Grease]

Any day is a good day to go, the only real 100% full proof way to tell if the bite will be good is to go fish the lake....

[Felix77]

I'm with C&G ... get out there and fish.  If the bite is tough then finesse your way through them.  

[Logan S]

It could be tough...Rule of thumb I've found to be pretty accurate is below.

 

1st Day/Day of the front:  Toss up, can be really good or bad or anything in between depending on conditions.  

 

2nd Day:  Typically the tougher day, but fish are there to be caught.  

 

3rd Day:  Starts to rebound, fishing usually average or better.  

 

 

 

Take what the conditions give you and keep an open mind, better than sitting at home.  High skies and wind are probably going to greet you at the lake, just fish accordingly.  

[einscodek]

I look for Spring and Summer fronts to fish in.. during and post.

However, the first day after a front is alil "tougher" to figure out and they "generally" arent as aggressive but believe me u can catch fish first day after cold front and if you figure them out you can have a field day

last front I fished 1st day after I landed over 10 fish.. they are usually bunched up.. u find em yer in for a treat

2nd day after a front imo theres no difference

 

*caveat: I am not talking about massive Fall season cold fronts (like a tropical storm or hurricane) where temperatures drop drastically.. I skip a couple of days after those

[BassThumbAddict]

Any day is a good day to go, the only real 100% full proof way to tell if the bite will be good is to go fish the lake....

x2

[RoLo]

I plan on going bass fishing 2 days after a cold front. Is that a good day to go? I always heard it's best to fish right before a front. A little help is appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forum:

 

It's true that good fishing generally precedes a cold-front, and may continue 'into' the front,

but of course, the angler is usually routed out by lightning, high winds & rain.

 

Two days after a cold-front 'might' be a good time to fish if you're dealing with northern-strain bass.

If you're dealing with Florida-strain bass (your location isn't displayed), the 2nd day after a major cold-front

is very rarely a barn-burner.

 

Roger

[Violinguy]

There's a huge cold front coming to much of the eastern US starting tomorrow.  Lows in GA will be in the 50s for the first time since early May and highs maybe reaching 80.  For July, that is frigid around here.

 

 I had already planned on going fishing tomorrow, so I'll see what's what.

[RiverFisher13]

The front is what often gets associated to fish being turned off. But really what is important to look at is the barometric pressure. After a big jump up or down fish will be sluggish do to the affect on their swim blatter. Once pressure has re-stabilized fishing begins to pick back up. The reason this is import is most fronts will effect the Barometric pressure, though some do not there for having no effect on the fishing. 

[RoLo]

The front is what often gets associated to fish being turned off. But really what is important to look at is the barometric pressure. After a big jump up or down fish will be sluggish do to the affect on their swim blatter. Once pressure has re-stabilized fishing begins to pick back up. The reason this is import is most fronts will effect the Barometric pressure, though some do not there for having no effect on the fishing. 

 

I have to respectfully disagree, as my opinion is quite the opposite. If there could ever be a broad swing in barometric

pressure without an accompanying change in Light Level, I wouldn't expect a discernible effect on fishing.

 

To my mind, barometric pressure is actually a lagging indicator, like driving your car

while looking in the rear-view mirror. I believe that a more timely reference is the “Current Light Level”

which is causal rather than coincidental. A passing cold-front or warm-front without any corresponding change

in light level is unheard-of, but should it ever take place, I would not expect to see a perceptible effect on fishing.

 

Atmospheric pressure is 14.7 lb per square inch, which varies ‘somewhat’ with each passing front (be it a High or Low).

Unlike air which is highly compressible, water is virtually incompressible. When a fish swims down

and increases its depth by a few feet, it can create an overall pressure equivalent to 2 atmospheres;

pressures never attained by meteorological events

 

Roger

[Logan S]

I have to respectfully disagree, as my opinion is quite the opposite. If there was ever a broad swing in barometric

pressure, without an accompanying change in Light Level, I would not expect a discernible effect on fishing.

 

To my mind, barometric pressure is actually a lagging indicator, like driving your car

while looking in the rear-view mirror. I believe that a more timely reference is the “Current Light Level”

which is causal rather than coincidental. A passing cold-front or warm-front without any corresponding change

in light level is unheard-of, but should it ever take place, I would not expect to see a perceptible effect on fishing.

 

Atmospheric pressure is 14.7 lb per square inch, which varies ‘somewhat’ with each passing front (be it a High or Low).

Unlike air which is highly compressible, water is virtually incompressible. When a fish swims down

and increases its depth by just a few feet, it can easily create an overall pressure equivalent to 2 atmospheres;

pressure that's never attained by meteorological events.

 

Roger

I will agree with this...I think the barometer is largely irrelevant in terms of fishing.  The most it's ever going to change is insignificant when dealing with things under the water's surface.  

 

You are a little off on atmospheric equivalent depths though, one ATM is equal to 33 feet of water.  The surface is 1 ATM, 33 feet is 2 ATM, 66 feet is 3 ATM and so on....

 

Still, your overall point is correct in my opinion.  Atmospheric pressure is largely irrelevant when you consider the effects under the surface of the water.  Surface pressure is on average 1013ish millibars, even the nastiest front will only drop it maybe 20ish millibars?  You're only talking about 1-2% of change....The same as moving up or down underwater less than 1 foot.  Think of how many times a day a fish does that...

 

When it comes to weather affecting the fishing I think there are 4 major players.  Cloud cover, wind, precipitation, and temperature....More or less in that order (with clouds/wind being very close).  You add in another whole host of variables when you consider what effect that has on the water clarity, current, level, etc....

 

 

It's a lot to think about, which is why I always think the best plan is to fish the conditions as presented and see what you figure out .  

[RoLo]

At sea level, the mean barometric pressure forces mercury 29.92 inches up the test tube,

which is expressed as 29.92 inHg (inches of mercury) or 'One Atmosphere' (i.e. barometric baseline).

During an average cold-front (clockwise high-pressure cell) the barometric pressure climbs to around 30.32 inHg,

a mean rise of 1-1/3% above normal. During an average warm-front (counterclockwise low-pressure cell)

the barometric pressure will fall to around 29.52 inHg, a mean drop of 1-1/3% below normal.

 

Water has a much higher specific gravity than air. At a depth of 34 feet, water exerts the same pressure per sq. in.

as our entire atmosphere, which is estimated to be around 100 miles high. So the total pressure at a depth

of 34 ft is 29.4 lb psi or 'Two Atmospheres'. Due to water's high specific gravity, when a fish moves just 5.4 inches

downward in the water column, the increase in pressure on the fish is equivalent to the pressure change

during an average high-pressure system (cold front). Conversely, when the same fish swims 5.4 inches

higher in the water column, the drop in pressure is equivalent to an average low-pressure system (warm front).

(You might want to do your own calculations:  1-foot column of water = 0.433 lb / sq. in. <> 1-foot cube of water = 62.35 lb)

 

Deep-sea fishing gives us the most graphic portrayal of water pressure as compared to barometric pressure.

When fish are winched from water depths over 100 ft (as I often have), there is no Catch-and-Release.

Due the dramatic drop in pressure, when the fish reaches topside its eyes are bulging out of its head

and its bladder is turned inside out and protruding from the fish's mouth.

 

Roger

[Dwight Hottle]

At sea level, the mean barometric pressure forces mercury 29.92 inches up the test tube,

which is expressed as 29.92 inHg (inches of mercury) or 'One Atmosphere' (i.e. barometric baseline).

During an average cold-front (clockwise high-pressure cell) the barometric pressure climbs to around 30.32 inHg,

a mean rise of 1-1/3% above normal. During an average warm-front (counterclockwise low-pressure cell)

the barometric pressure will fall to around 29.52 inHg, a mean drop of 1-1/3% below normal.

Water has a much higher specific gravity than air. At a depth of 34 feet, water exerts the same pressure per sq. in.

as our entire atmosphere, which is estimated to be around 100 miles high. So the total pressure at a depth

of 34 ft is 29.4 lb psi or 'Two Atmospheres'. Due to water's high specific gravity, when a fish moves just 5.4 inches

downward in the water column, the increase in pressure on the fish is equivalent to the pressure change

during an average high-pressure system (cold front). Conversely, when the same fish swims 5.4 inches

higher in the water column, the drop in pressure is equivalent to an average low-pressure system (warm front).

(You might want to do your own calculations: 1-foot column of water = 0.433 lb / sq. in. <> 1-foot cube of water = 62.35 lb)

Deep-sea fishing gives us the most graphic portrayal of water pressure as compared to barometric pressure.

When fish are winched from water depths over 100 ft (as I often have), there is no Catch-and-Release.

Due the dramatic drop in pressure, when the fish reaches topside its eyes are bulging out of its head

and its stomach is turned inside out and protruding from the fish's mouth.

Roger

Right on Roger.

The only exception in fresh water that I have experienced is lake trout who can equalize the bends pressure by burbing air as they come up from the depths. They are capable of equalizing their air bladders as they swim up in the water column with out harm. I have caught them as deep as 120 feet without stress.

[RoLo]

Right on Roger.

The only exception in fresh water that I have experienced is lake trout who can equalize the bends pressure by burbing air as they come up from the depths. They are capable of equalizing their air bladders as they swim up in the water column with out harm. I have caught them as deep as 120 feet without stress.

 

That's very interesting Dwight, I didn't know that about lake trout.

We've experienced this mainly with silver hake (whiting) and red hake (ling)

in New York Harbor (Scotland & Ambrose lightships).

My guess would be that the annual cycle of hake never finds them in shallow water,

whereas lake trout are shallow for a very brief period after ice-out.

In water as shallow as 90 feet, ling and whiting are pretty much beyond fizzing,

and in 150 ft of water their eyes are hanging on by the optic nerves. Needless to say, it was all catch-&-keep.

 

Roger

[Dwight Hottle]

That's very interesting Dwight, I didn't know that about lake trout.

We've experienced this mainly with silver hake (whiting) and red hake (ling)

in New York Harbor (Scotland & Ambrose lightships).

My guess would be that the annual cycle of hake never finds them in shallow water,

whereas lake trout are shallow for a very brief period after ice-out.

In water as shallow as 90 feet, ling and whiting are pretty much beyond fizzing,

and in 150 ft of water their eyes are hanging on by the optic nerves. Needless to say, it was all catch-&-keep.

Roger[/quote

The lake trout come shallow in the spring while water temps are low and again in the fall when they spawn shallow over rock reefs. Lake trout prefer 48-52 water temps when there are bait available. Find bait in those water temps and you will find lake trout ready to lunch.

[RoLo]

The lake trout come shallow in the spring while water temps are low and again in the fall when they spawn shallow over rock reefs.

Lake trout prefer 48-52 water temps when there are bait available. Find bait in those water temps and you will find lake trout ready to lunch.

 

Hmmm, that's sounds like July in Great Slave Lake 

[Dwight Hottle]

Yes very true. Also works for Lake Erie in the fall when we are chasing smallies at the end of the season. Trouble is when the lake trout start coming in the smallies are moving out. Bitter sweet.

My experience with cold fronts for northern strain bass is based on NE winds which actually lower the water temps from deeper colder water from the eastern basin (New York waters of Lake Erie)

Erie Pa sits on the dividing line between the eastern basin and the central basin of Lake Erie .

Fishing is better before the cold front and starts to deteriorate with the first day of the front. The second day is the worst day . The third day starts to improve. On big water systems with deep water a cold front has less of an effect than a smaller body of water with less depth. The sheer depth of the water insulates the water from temperature change. The more shallow water lakes are affected more greatly than the deeper lakes.

I know from winter experience in South Florida that cold front conditions affect florida strain bass much more than up north. The shallow water combined with Florida strain bass makes a big difference. Sometimes up to a week or maybe more from a consistent pattern preceding the cold front. Once again the day before is best & then the first day is better than the following days. Florida strain are very temperamental. I'm sure the shallow water has a big effect.