I don't understand, I don't have any idea where the fish will be after this?

Pre-spawn pattern, water temp in the 50*'s

several days (about 6) of increasing temps approaching the 60*'s most days

HUGE drop in temp for three days, into the 30*'s

HUGE increase for two days, one day 50*-60*, next next upwards of 70*

You're fishing on the 70* degree day.

Welcome to bass fishing, frontal conditions are common during the winter to spring transitional weather.

The water the bass live doesn't change temperature very fast, it take time. The frontal conditions bother the bass fisherman more than the bass. It's tough to fish in cold windy weather, dress warm and try to remember the basics. Pre-spawn bass are feeding well and located on the deeper breaks near the spawning areas.

WRB

Concentrate on prespawn and staging fish on points and along edges of flats or creek channels. Areas with submerged vegetation (primarily Hydrilla, milfoil or coontail moss) for cover will typically have the most active fish.

It stands to reason that the coves that hold the most spawning fish in early spring will have the most prespawn fish. Main lake grass beds near the mouths of these coves, main and secondary points inside the coves, provided there is deep water nearby. During warming trends, follow bass back into the creeks and check the edges of grass flats and creek channels.

Keep in mind, too, that the absolute water temperature is not nearly as important now as the recent water temperature trend. For instance, water temps that are showing 52 degrees can result in slow fishing if the temps were 58 a couple days ago. In contrast, fishing can be great if the temps warm up to 50 while they were 44 a few days before. In general, look for bass on the flats and farther back in creeks during warming trends; conversely, drop back to points and main lake grass beds after cold fronts.

Finally, the day of and the day after cold fronts can be absolutely miserable to fish, but these frontal days after a long warming trend are usually the most productive times to fish.

I'm still trying to figure out cold fronts too. From all the reading I'd done over the years I'd had it practically ingrained in me to FEAR cold fronts. And it's true that fishing is tougher for many species, (or many waters) after a front has blown through. But, after assessing my observations over the years (I keep a detailed journal) I've begun to look at cold fronts much more critically. I'm not convinced of anything anymore.

It's interesting that:

1). There are some interesting observations out there that indicate that drops in water temperature (of 5F) do not affect bass willingness to feed (in a high food availability situation). In this particular case (bass hand fed in a pond long term), it took a 10F drop to put them down. Five degrees, btw, is a lot, requiring a strong front, considering how well water retains heat.

I had an interesting day last year (post spawn/early summer) when I fished through a 16F air temperature drop, with rain. I measured a 3 degree drop in surface temp in a half hour. I began to feel the cold front fears creeping in, Hmmmm...falling water tempsMaybe I should slow down my retrieve. Maybe they'll shut down, and be really difficult It started to rain and I got soaked, and miserable; I started to shut down!

But I was armed with two pieces of knowledge: That the temp drop wouldn't really penetrate the thermal mass of that pond too quickly, and the info from above pond bass feeding study. So, I warmed up in the car and then headed back out, and had a great day of catching. But the story doesn't end here.

I went out again, on purpose, two days later, after the front had passed, and fished the same pond and even duplicated my techniques (swimming a jig, and a topwater). What an opportunity! The front was a strong one (30F over night). The following days were warm and sunny and I found the surface temps back to normal (although it's possible the depths had gained some slightly colder water). I REFUSED to psyche myself out, (confidence it HUGE), and I caught bass just fine.

2). Bass, and other fish, can be darn hard to catch in bright sun period. I used to fish a rip-rap lined canal for smallmouths and walleyes. It was darn hard to catch them after a front or in bright sun, period. One day I was fishing on a brilliant blue post frontal day, and could not catch a fish and was frustrated. I decided to fish in the deep shade of a road bridge, and found the smallmouths perfectly willing! Back in the sun it was no go. In fact, I could stand at the edge of the shade/sun and cast into shade and catch a bass, and cast into the sun and fail scattering minnows and sunfish in the process. It was that event, 20 some years ago, that started to put a crack into what I'd assumed was the gospel on post cold frontal conditions and fishing.

I get to see this change daily as Colorado's front range weather commonly offers brilliant sun in the AM giving way to overcast in the afternoons. The difference in bass' catchability is enormous.

Bass in current are supposedly much less affected by post frontal conditions. In fact, many anglers suggest that river bass remain unaffected. Because of my fear of, and experience, trying to catch bass under bright sun, I often chose to fish for stream smallies or stream trout on those bluebird days, avoiding my bass ponds like they were plagued. But I found that even the trout and smallies, in stillwater pools or ponds, were also darn hard to catch under that sun. So I kept to the broken water offered by current, and to deep shade. The mysterious post-frontal conditions seemed not to be a factor.

So...I'm skeptical. I'm not saying it's all a myth, but nothing is holding up really well.

What are the possibilities? Food chain disruptions (zooplankton/insect behavior)? Temperature drops coupled with decreased food availability? Barometric pressure? If you do the calculations, (Google Terry Battisti Cold Front Myths) this really shouldn't affect a fish's buoyancy very much. Or does it? Would even a slight compromise in a bass' ability to capture prey effectively put them off? I have to say I'm very skeptical about this, but I don't have any specific info on it. And I've been able to catch to catch surface oriented post frontal bass in early spring, and I even choose those days for the rapid heating they offer. Buoyancy does not appear to be an issue with them, or with the multitudes of bluegills and carp lying all over the surface on these days soaking up that glorious sunshine. Maybe the denser water in spring affects buoyancy less? But I would expect the opposite.

Does season matter? This would be fascinating to know because it would offer potential physiological leads. Anyone have any observations to offer on seasonality of post cold front fishing?

Thoughts? Comments? Observations?

Cold fronts do not necessarily make bass stop feeding but rather it repositions on structure and positions them tighter to cover.

Example the 2008 Bassmater Classic LAKE HARTWELL, SC was held during cold frontal conditions yet bass were caught shallow-deep and every were in between.

Friday 22nd 38 degrees and raining

Saturday 23rd clear skies and 60 degree temperatures It was a lot warmer than yesterday, but the fishing was a little colder," Brent Chapman said.

Catt, what I'm wondering is: Was that second day of fishing due to some as-yet-unexplained physiological response, or just plain spooky bass?

If memory serves me correctly the front hit on or about Wednesday or Wednesday night, Glenn and other who were there could shed more light on the exact conditions.

Wednesday 20th started out cold but warmed up as the day went along but was windy

Thursday 21st 38 degrees windy with a steady rain

Friday 22nd 38 degrees and raining

Saturday 23rd clear skies and 60 degree

The passing of the front coupled with blue bird skies reduced the strike zone of the bass but it did not stop them from biting.

Jason,

I don't want to hear it. I still haven't been on a "real" outing for the year yet. Its either been too cold, too windy, snowing or too rainy to get the boat out of storage. In some cases all of these at the same time.

This week I think thurs or fri I might get to go for the first time.

i used to not like cold fronts but i found out that you can get some big fish . even when its snowing , not all the time. but at dark an , an hour to two hours after .few times longer . than the bottom drops out. my penny