Cold weather causes many problems when on the water. For one, the colder temperatures add a whole new aspect of trying to stay warm and fish efficiently. That's just for us bass anglers standing and casting for bass; imagine the bass swimming in the cold temperatures. Generally, it's going cause fishing to be a little more of a challenge to trick a cold-blooded fish into biting.
Professional bass angler Mark Davis has had a long and storied career, including Angler of the Year titles, a Bassmaster Classic win, and many more accolades. He's still competing on the Bass Pro Tour and has seen many things over his long career, including plenty of cold fronts.
His approach to battling these challenging conditions is relatively straightforward and full of common sense that has worked for him for decades.
Putting it Into Context
According to Davis, a cold front can mean vastly different things based on the time of year and the species you are targeting. The first thing to consider is what's happening while you are fishing.
"Cold fronts are a big topic and something we have to deal with as anglers," he said. "Bass are just like humans and want to be comfortable. That means they look forward to cooling down a little bit if it's been hot out, so cold fronts in the fall can be good."
The most challenging cold fronts are those in the late winter and spring months. "That can lead to some tough fishing, and usually it's harder to get a fish to bite when it's cold and gets colder," he said. "It's crazy how it works, but it happens yearly, and each bass species can be more sensitive to them."
Of all notable bass species, Davis counts Florida-strain largemouth as the most affected by colder conditions.
"The worst is Florida largemouth, a cold front can hurt the bite with them, and they'll get into the thickest cover they can find," he said. "Northern largemouth are affected, but not nearly as bad, and spotted bass don't seem to care, and many times they'll still bite. Smallmouth can go either way, and I've seen it turn them off and times when they still bite like crazy. Knowing the different species and how they are affected gives you an idea of what you are getting into."
Another component of fishing a cold front is the time of day and understanding that specific windows will open up, no matter the conditions.
"There will usually still be a window where they bite in the morning, and you can get a few bites before the bright sun comes out," he said. "The midday can be some of the toughest times to fish when bass get tight into thick cover. But, then, the mid-afternoon can turn into another window after the fish have had a chance to warm up a little bit."
Get a Reaction
Most would immediately think a less active fish would want something fished slowly during a cold front, but Davis says the opposite can be true sometimes.
"If the fish are cold and not wanting to feed, sometimes you have to trick them into biting," he shared. "That could be with a lipless crankbait or diving crankbait that will get a reaction from them as you fish it past them quickly."
While "reaction baits" is often used generically for fast-moving lures like crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and vibrating jigs, Davis says it doesn't have to be.
"You can get a fish to react to any lure if you fish it a little differently," said Davis. "To me, it's more about how you fish it. For example, it could be a big worm or jig that you hop up or move faster. Sometimes this is the only way to get a fish to react during cold conditions."
Slow it Down
One of the easiest ways to battle a cold front is to slow down your lures. Davis will do this and scale his offerings to be more finesse.
"One of the first things I'll try is to use a smaller bait and slow down my retrieve," he said. "The other thing is to fish a little deeper than you were before the front came in. The big pressure changes from the colder conditions will move the fish, but sometimes they won't be too far away, and going slightly deeper may be all you need to do."
Davis has several baits that produce for him during cold conditions, including finesse baits, craw imitators, and creature baits.
"One of my favorites is a 3-inch Strike King KVD Baby Rodent on a 2/0 hook with a Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten swing football head," he said. "It's a great little compact bite that catches them after a big cold front. It doesn't have much action, which can be the difference when the fish are not very aggressive."
He'll also often pick up a Carolina Rig and slowly drag a finesse worm or Strike King Rage Scounbug.
A Cold Front Mindset
Trying the fast and slow approaches are two ways that Davis stays in the game when faced when harsh fishing conditions.
"The main thing to remember is that you have to do something different if you expect to get bites," he shared. "Trying one of those two things is usually your best bet. Then, going into the day, you'll be better off if you understand that you might not get as many bites. I try not to panic and will stay the course and be more methodical with every cast."
Fishing during a cold front can be a challenge, but not one that is impossible to overcome. Instead, you will generally find more success by tempering your expectations for the day and being willing to slow down or attempt to trigger a reaction. It's an approach that has worked for Bass Fishing Hall of Fame member Mark Davis for decades and is something he keeps in mind whenever the weather forecast calls for a cold front.
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