| Cold fronts are a fact of life that every bass | | | | not play a role in the bass funk. Other things that |
| fisherman must deal with for half of a year. This | | | | occur after the passage of the cold front are the |
| begin in the fall, usually October, and last through | | | | barometric pressure rises substantially and quickly. |
| April in most locations of the United States. You | | | | The wind blows from the North or Northwest and |
| can hang up your fishing gear and just wait until | | | | skies clear to brilliant blue and cloudless thus the |
| May to begin bass fishing but, what do you do on | | | | term "Bluebird Skies". If you go bass fishing now |
| those beautiful days in late October, November | | | | you will be lucky to get a bite. Why? |
| and March? Watch TV or go shopping with the | | | | Research and underwater photographers have |
| wife? I don't think so. | | | | documented that bass move in very tight to the |
| Let's take a look at what happens before and | | | | same cover they were on before the cold front |
| after a cold front passes. Generally 24 hours | | | | came through. They also have documented that |
| before the cold front passes, the weather is | | | | bass will not chase baits and appear to be very |
| beautiful - warm, sunshine, low or normal | | | | lethargic. The best theory as to why this happens |
| barometric readings and slight winds. Fishing usually | | | | is the substantial increase in the barometric |
| is pretty good and you can catch bass reasonably | | | | pressure. Under normal weather conditions, normal |
| consistently on a variety of baits. As it begins to | | | | barometric pressure, bass swim upright and in |
| approach, the skies may cloud up and the wind | | | | comfort due to many days of constant or very |
| may increase but, the temperatures are still | | | | slowly changing pressure. As it passes, the |
| comfortable and fishing may even get better. | | | | barometric rises substantially and quickly thus |
| Fish, especially bass, can sense the coming | | | | causing the bass's equilibrium to become disrupted. |
| weather change and may very well go on a | | | | Best guess is that it will take from 24 to 36 |
| feeding frenzy because they will stock for the | | | | hours for the bass to re-acclimate and become |
| upcoming period of reduced activity. The cold | | | | comfortably upright. |
| front arrives and the skies are very cloudy, may | | | | All indications from the research indicate that the |
| even rain or storm a little, wind generally kicks up | | | | bass do not leave the area and go to deep water |
| and changes direction from south or west to | | | | but, rather, they just go deeper into the prevailing |
| north or northwest. Fishing may still be pretty | | | | cover and become very inactive. The strike zone |
| good at this point unless you experience a lot of | | | | reduces to just a few inches, not feet as it was. |
| heavy thunder. As the front passes, skies begin | | | | If you use your electronics to find the structure |
| to clear, air temperatures begin to drop and the | | | | present, stumps, timber, moss or grass beds, |
| barometric pressure begins to climb. Fishing falls | | | | creek channels, ledges, or depressions, you should |
| off sharply to no bites or activity at all. Why? | | | | find the bass. You will have to fish baits very |
| The traditional way of thinking has always been | | | | slowly. Baits such as Texas-rigged worms, |
| that the falling temperatures cause the water to | | | | Senkos, pig and jigs, jigging spoons and slow rolled |
| cool thus putting the bass in a funk. Much | | | | spinnerbaits would be ideal for this situation. |
| research shows that in large or medium sized | | | | Remember to fish very slowly. Put the bait used |
| lakes or reservoirs that there is so much volume | | | | as close as possible to the middle of the cover |
| of water, the surface temperature may cool a | | | | with accurate pitching or flipping techniques. Fish |
| couple of degrees, may be caused by wind action, | | | | the bait very slowly and you may just catch |
| but 6 inches below the surface the temperature | | | | some cold front bass. |
| remains the same. So water temperature may | | | | |