Cold fronts are different depending on where in the country you live. When a cold front hits up north it will slowthe bite a little, but you can still catch them. A cold front in Florida can be devastating to the bite. When faced with frontal conditions, I would slow down and fish a jig, drop shot, tight wobble crankbait or a Rattl’n Vibe. All of these presentations should be slow and close to the bottom. Sometimes the best way to catch them is to get a reaction bite. For a reaction bite the Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe is my favorite. You can cover lots of water and fish the entire water column. The bite will almost always be when the bait is stopped and falling. The Vibe glides down and when ripped up again the fish react and bite. There is no better way to catch a cold front bass than with this technique.
I also throw the Yo-Zuri 3DR-X Flat and 3DR-XShad crankbaits. Both of these baits have a very tight wobble. This tight wobble looks very realistic to how the shad swim, when the water is cold. With the Rattl’n Vibe I am making the erratic movement, but with the crankbaits, I try to deflect them off the cover to get the bite. The colder the water, the more important it is to throw a tight wobbling, subtle style crankbait. I usually throw 16 lb T7 fluorocarbon on the Vibe, and 10-12 lb T7 fluorocarbon on the crankbaits.
I always first try to fish a moving bait during cold fronts. I’m looking to get a reaction bite, but if that fails, I switch to a jig or dropshot. The jig I fish really slow on the bottom. I will try slight hops, but generally it’s a slow drag presentation. For this, I usually throw 16 lb T7 fluorocarbon which is strong but invisible. Cold fronts can make the bass really finicky, which is why I downsize my line. When all else fails I will fish a drop shot. This presentation will be slow and methodical. I use 15 lb yellow SuperBraid for my main line and 8-12lb T7 fluorocarbon for my leader. Most of the time I just drag it on the bottom, trying to feel for structure. This presentation is usually my last resort but has saved the day many times.
Even though cold fronts can be fishermen’s worst nightmare, it doesn’t mean you can’t catch them. I have had some incredible bags offish on cold front days. Just remember to slow down and try to keep a positive attitude. Your goal is to see if you can get a reaction bite or do you have to slow down and finesse fish. Once you get a few bites the bass will tell you how to move forward. Remember even in Florida cold fronts, a big bag is possible.
