Coldfront Question

[kayl.]

The temp right now is 68.  It's supposed to storm all night (thunderstorms) and be down to around 43 by sunrise tomorrow.  Should I even bother going out fishing tomorrow?  I fish a small lake, maybe 1 or 2 acres at most with tons of weeds.  The water level is currently down at least 4 or 5 feet.

Any advice?

[nwgabassmaster]

Anytime you can get to go fishing, take the opportunity.  

However, with the conditions that you spoke of, I would not waste my time on a small body of water after a front, or even after a series of storms rolling through.  The reason that I say this is because if you get a large amount of rain, there will be a huge influx of oxygen, which is not a bad nor a good thing.  Also, the pH of the water will change, and for some reason, causes the fish to bite less.  Give it a couple of days, and fish it after the water has the chance to get back to normal.

As for the cooler temps, unless the rain is cold, then, the water will only cool a few degrees, and might not be enough for the bass to realize that the water is cooling down.  Humans feel the change in the air a lot faster than the fish feel it in the water.

If you do go fishing, I would say to stay deeper than shallower, and fish slow.  

[Rebbasser]

If you do go fishing, I would say to stay deeper than shallower, and fish slow.

Or real tight to cover.  I'd say wait a day or so.  that same front is supposed to come through here tomorrow morning-finally-it is 101 degrees right now-so I'm going to wait until Saturday for the weather to stabilize.

[kayl.]

It's supposed to be back up to 67 on Friday and 73 on Saturday; will the fish still be lethargic?

By the way- if you're wondering where I am- I'm in West Michigan.

[Rebbasser]

They will probably be more active-they will sense the drop in water temp, the weather wil have stabilized, and they start feeding heavily for the winter.  Grab yourself a spinnerbait and head up into the backs of the creeks.  Fall can be some of the best action of the year.

[basser89]

If tonight is any indication of what tomorrow is to bring. OUCH! I tried fishing a small farm pond this afternoon. I thought maybe the bass might feed up before the front comes through here. Boy was I wrong! I managed two dinks! One on a 7" worm and one on a spinnerbait. Thinkin about taking the boat out saturday. Hopefully, they'll turn back on then! I do have to agree with Reb and nwga, if you get the chance to go, go! Try fishing deep and slow and tight to cover! Good luck if you go and let us know how you do!

[Yankee_Bassman]

It ain't (just) about the catching, it's about the fishing.....my choice for tomorrow is go to work, or go to work.....the cold front ain't gonna make people no easier or harder to deal with, neither...

[kayl.]

They will probably be more active-they will sense the drop in water temp, the weather wil have stabilized, and they start feeding heavily for the winter.  Grab yourself a spinnerbait and head up into the backs of the creeks.  Fall can be some of the best action of the year.

I'd love to head up into some creeks, but there aren't any...Unfortunately this lake is spring fed (I think)...and I don't have a boat.

[Chris]

Well, there are two things in your favor. One is that its around fall and the fish are not as effected by cold fronts as spring. In fall you will get many many cold fronts and fish are effected but not as bad. Second is if that is a spring fed lake that means there is a depth where the temperature is maintained and may never go up or down. Fish seek out places that either hold heat (the thickest weeds,rocks,logs,boatdocks)or in the case of a spring it maintains its temp around the spring. Small ponds are not as effected by cold fronts as much as a larger lake. You might need to slow down and fish tight (use a jig). I have had great days on small water under cold fronts just make sure you fish the bottom(shallow). Deep fish are far less effected by cold fronts and can be caught on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Afternoon heat up changes the mood of the fish.

[roadwarrior]

I fish several ponds throughout the year and have been successful before and during a storm, but never just after heavy rain. As others stated, things will stabilize in a day or two.

[Matt Fly]

I do not know your current lake conditions,  a mild cold front may not shut the bite off, Rebbasser is most correct,  it can position the fish tight to the cover.  They might have chased  or moved to a bait that was 2ft away, today they are tight and might move only 6 inches to hit a bait in front of them.

[Minuteman]

Let us know how you do. The same front is passing through Pennsylvania today (thurs AM). My son is coming home for the weekend and we plan on getting the boat out. It is supposed to warm up a bit for the weekend so I'm still planning on hitting the smaller 70 acre lake first.