Cold fronts

[GoneFishingLTN]

What is a cold front exactly? Like a drop in temperature  by 5 degrees over night? If someone could explain in detail what it is exactly that would be perfect

[Scott F]

Generally, when a storm rolls in, the air pressure drops, the cold air of the front, meets warmer air and you have a storm. Once the front passes, with a cold front, the air pressure rises, the skies clear, and the air is cooler. That's when the fishing gets tough. 

[Sam]

Gone, Scott has given you the scientific explanation of a cold front.

 

Here is what happens when a cold front moves through your area:

1.  The wind blows out away from the storm in gusts

2.  As the storm approaches, the wind stops blowing

3.  When the storm is about to hit, the wind blows inward toward the storm's center and changes directions 180*

4.  The barometric pressure drops as the storm approaches and then reaches your area

5.  This barometric pressure drop has a direct impact on bass

6.  As the barometric pressure begins to drop, the bass feed, and feed hard

7.  When the storm is over your location, the bass still feed although the wind and rain keep you inside

8.  As the storm passes, the bass rest since they have a belly full of their favorite forage

9.  The storm clears out the clouds for the next day and you have "bluebird skies"

10. The bass get lockjaw the next day under "bluebird skies" which makes fishing difficult after a storm passes

11. Depending on how much the bass eat before and during the storm; the strength of the barometric pressure caused by the storm; when the barometric pressure begins to rise to its normal level after the storm passes; water clarity; water temperature; and how the bass feel about feeding again means you may not get any bites for one or two days after the storm passes

 

The best fishing you can do is right before the storm hits and during the storm with a sharp eye out for lightning and a good ear out for thunder. If you hear thunder, get off the water. If you see lightning, no matter how close or far away, get off the water. If the wind is kicking up whitecaps, get off the water or seek shelter in a cove or creek.

 

If you can't get off the water then seek shelter under a boat house.

 

The above gives you a base for fishing before, during, and after a storm has come and gone.

 

Always play it safe.

 

Have fun!

 

P.S.  One of the guys in my bass club many years ago was caught in a storm on Buggs Island during a club tournament and he pulled his boat into a cove to get out of the wind and rain. He decided to fish the cove during the storm as he had nothing else to do and he caught his five bass limit in about 15 minutes and won the tournament. He had not had a bite all day until he hit that cove during the storm. And he was on his way back to the ramp to give up but had to go into the cove as it was too rough to make it back to the ramp.

 

 

 

[Darren.]

With regard to thunder/lightning, remember River Monsters?  

 

 

 

[jbsoonerfan]

I fished post cold front today....TOUGH fishing. Three that would average about 2 lbs all on a baby brush hog fished SUPER slow and TIGHT to cover. Only fished about 2 hours because it was a COLD North wind.

[Bluebasser86]

I guided in a cold front yesterday. Temperatures dropped from highs of almost 80 the day before, to 32 when I got to the ramp and only made it to 57. Bluebird skies, high pressure, 20-30mph winds, Whitecaps, only boat on the lake. We were able to fish 1 long bank effectively so we fished down it 4 times. I had to point the boat into the waves and control our drift backwards. Took a bunch of waves over the front and almost fell out more than once, and caught a bunch of fish on small plastics, Ned rigs, and a jerkbait. 

 

It was a prime example of you don't know if you don't go.