The last little bit I've had good success figuring out the summer bite, then a cold front came through and bam, it's about as tough as I've ever seen it.

 

Up until now, I don't know that I've ever even noticed the effects of a front because I was used to getting skunked. Today, I worked hard to get 1 bite from shore, in about 4 hours. That came on a fluke. I had another swipe at the trap.

 

I don't know a whole lot about fishing post front conditions, but I remembered that bass hold tight to cover, and often bite similar but slower presentations as they had previously bit. 

 

What's everyone's secret post frontal condition lures and tactics?

Pre spawn fronts are the only ones that get my attention.  The rest of the time wind speed and direction are where I focus.

Never paid a ton of attention to a front. I treat it the same as any other day. Water clarity, wind, clouds and such. Different retrieve and lure profile till I get a bite. That said I fish a lot of smaller finesse stuff anyway. 

When confronted with a front, I start thinking “slow”. Slow rolling a spinnerbait is the fastest I will go, basically deadsticking a floating jerkbait is effective as well. My mainstays though are dragging a hula grub on a football head around the nearest cover, or switch over to the dropshot, with a short dropper and a reaper or 3”-4” worm. Again, basically just drag it. 
 

If you can get your hands on them, a purple or black/yellow Westy worm are absolute killers on post frontal fish.

Edited August 26, 2025Aug 26 by ElGuapo928
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When you say a front killed the bite, I assume it was a cold front. Am I right?

 

I launched yesterday at four in the afternoon and the temp was 64 degrees. The other cold front symptoms were there too: clouds, rain, and wind. I fished off-shore and six times, while trolling two rods, I had two bass hit at once. The key yesterday was fishing off-shore. I think bass hunker under cold fronts, so you have to fish in their lairs. Sadly, this doesn't help you, well not until you launch your boat again, Mr. Bazoo. 

IME Post front = Buried up in thick cover, sometimes a little deeper. 

19 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

When you say a front killed the bite, I assume it was a cold front. Am I right?

 

I launched yesterday at four in the afternoon and the temp was 64 degrees. The other cold front symptoms were there too: clouds, rain, and wind. I fished off-shore and six times, while trolling two rods, I had two bass hit at once. The key yesterday was fishing off-shore. I think bass hunker under cold fronts, so you have to fish in their lairs. Sadly, this doesn't help you, well not until you launch your boat again, Mr. Bazoo. 

Yes, a cold front.

Pre-cold front can be incredible. Fishing the very worst of a cold front, I.e. a wind-pounded shoreline, can also be incredible. So can the sudden arrival of a warm front. These conditions can activate more than just bass: I've caught muskies, lake trout, walleye, etc. when the weather is dynamic. 

Expect to be fishing the leading edge of a rapidly approaching front tomorrow morning.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Might not be a slam dunk, but it's often better than FAC.

A-Jay

You can pay attention to barometric pressure also and how a front changes that. It triggers feeding or hunkering down not to say fish don’t bite. You just have to find them. I don’t believe the lock jaw deal. Ya just have to find them. But leading up to a front that rain and wind and awful conditions as others have said. Turn the bite on amazing. Some of my best days ever were miserable conditions 

7 minutes ago, Joedodge said:

You can pay attention to barometric pressure also and how a front changes that. It triggers feeding or hunkering down not to say fish don’t bite. You just have to find them. I don’t believe the lock jaw deal. Ya just have to find them. But leading up to a front that rain and wind and awful conditions as others have said. Turn the bite on amazing. Some of my best days ever were miserable conditions 

Pre frontal conditions are quite often of my best fishing of the season. An incoming low pressure system that is pushing out days of high pressure can create an aggressive feeding window just prior to arrival. These rapid weather changes send the barometric pressure plummeting. I’ve learned to recognize these time periods based on my experience targeting muskies. The window is often very short to target the apex predator.

 

Its important to be safe during these conditions too. Rain is fine, but lightning, gusty winds, and hail are not something you want to be caught in.

 

Cold air behind the front is usually not very good. I try to avoid fishing that time period based on lack of success in the past.

31 minutes ago, gim said:

Pre frontal conditions are quite often of my best fishing of the season. An incoming low pressure system that is pushing out days of high pressure can create an aggressive feeding window just prior to arrival. These rapid weather changes send the barometric pressure plummeting. I’ve learned to recognize these time periods based on my experience targeting muskies. The window is often very short to target the apex predator.

 

Its important to be safe during these conditions too. Rain is fine, but lightning, gusty winds, and hail are not something you want to be caught in.

 

Cold air behind the front is usually not very good. I try to avoid fishing that time period based on lack of success in the past.

Exactly. Some of my best ever days chasing saltwater in shore fish were those exact conditions. When I lived in Florida the bays and passes would be loaded with guys out on the water. Magical times really when nature opens up like that. 

I appreciate the input. I'll definitely have to start paying attention to the fronts coming and see if I can get on some hot bites, but conversely, I want to learn the tough post front bite.

14 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

I appreciate the input. I'll definitely have to start paying attention to the fronts coming and see if I can get on some hot bites, but conversely, I want to learn the tough post front bite.

Best advice I can give you. A old guide buddy in Florida gave me. I used to track the tides, moon, barometric pressure. All of that. We went out together one time flats fishing on our kayaks. He was a kayak guide. He said Joe. Just fish. Bring the coupe lures ya wana fish and fish. Pay attention to what’s going on at that moment. Don’t worry about all that stuff fish that moment. Look for birds, chop, bait busting. Just enjoy and fish that moment and be confident. Then you will catch them 

When just about all I was fishing was moving baits, I used to care more about fronts, weather conditions, etc.  Grey days, windy, gross, pre-frontal and during the front were what I was looking for.  Those were my best days really and it makes sense- those are the times when the fish are chasing, exploring away from cover a little more (lower light), often looking up, etc.  Then you realize that the fish have to eat.  All the time and especially in summer when their metabolisms are in full swing.  Watch the tournament pros and see that days when I’d think were tough days they were just banging fish.  You come to realize that more days than not fish can be caught.  You just have to adjust where you are on the lake, where in the water column you’re fishing, and the size/profile/speed of your bait but there are fish eating somewhere.

52 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

When just about all I was fishing was moving baits, I used to care more about fronts, weather conditions, etc.  Grey days, windy, gross, pre-frontal and during the front were what I was looking for.  Those were my best days really and it makes sense- those are the times when the fish are chasing, exploring away from cover a little more (lower light), often looking up, etc.  Then you realize that the fish have to eat.  All the time and especially in summer when their metabolisms are in full swing.  Watch the tournament pros and see that days when I’d think were tough days they were just banging fish.  You come to realize that more days than not fish can be caught.  You just have to adjust where you are on the lake, where in the water column you’re fishing, and the size/profile/speed of your bait but there are fish eating somewhere.

Yes, I realize this. And that is what I want to do, become an angler that can change with the weather, go where the bass are, and catch them consistently.

 

This sky/front killed the bite yesterday. It announced pelting rain:

 

 

However, I'll launch tomorrow morning and I expect to catch some good bass. It won't be the clear skies/calm that Glenn mentioned in the video, which can clamp bass mouths. It will be a 4 mph to 9 mph wind and overcast. In other words, the perfect sky for me and today's clear skies will probably suppress their feeding and have them hungry for me tomorrow morning. Even better, it'll be cloudy all night tonight, so my fingers won't be freezing tomorrow morning and the pretty steady temps should encourage even more feeding. 

My best days of fishing have been cooler days (and nights) after long hot stretches. Not quite a cold front - where the bite usually dies off.

Just when you think you have the answer the bass change the question.

On 8/26/2025 at 5:01 PM, Joedodge said:

Never paid a ton of attention to a front. I treat it the same as any other day. Water clarity, wind, clouds and such. Different retrieve and lure profile till I get a bite. That said I fish a lot of smaller finesse stuff anyway. 

I do what Joe does. I simply go fishing and adapt to the conditions like clarity, temp, wind and the like. It makes a front a lot less scary. 
 

If all else fails and it seems the front has really given them lockjaw, I’ll go to deeper water (12-18’) and starting slow rolling a spinnerbait on bottom. Only a matter of time before it gets bit. 

4 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

I’ll go to deeper water (12-18’) and starting slow rolling a spinnerbait on bottom.

 

Good to know. Thanks!

Learning to adapt to the post frontal conditions is what my post is all about. It is certainly going to be a fun challenge.

Cold front may be the most misunderstood term in bass fishing.

Cold front actually follows a low pressure front that brought in clouds and possible rain, the weather in front of a high pressure system following the Low pressure creating clearing skies and windy conditions.

How to fish frontal conditions during the windy brighter skies….slow down and either fish deeper breaks near where the bass were before the front or tight to cover.

Tom

No one south of Chicago is allowed to say the phrase “cold front” until at least mid September