Thread: Fall Bite and Cold Fronts

I'm no pro, but I'll offer my advice at no charge. I fish slower, deeper, and tighter to cover for the first day or so behind front. Also, I don't hit the water without minners for the first day or so after the front. If that don't work, then I go deer hunting ! It's not been my personal experience, but I have been told seasonal Fall Fronts seem to have lesser effect on fish than fronts in other times of the year. Not sure why that would be true or if there is any truth to it. Minner UP !

If I go I will be pulling cranks

Cold front signals that crappie season is over. They go into hibernation and will not eat again until the spring thaw just like humans do.

Guess I'd fish deeper and tight to cover with less expectations . If I was smart I'd sleep in . It has been slower all week here anyway .

Put on more clothes! !!!!

I'm no pro but I will share this with you. The weather here for the two weeks prior to last Friday had been mild and stable. Low wind,70 to 80 or so in the day,50's at night. BUT last Friday a mild cold front blew in with daytime high about 50 something maybe right at 60 and North wind about 10 steady with occasional higher gust and squall lines of rain pretty much the whole day,overcast all day. Well guess what....the ONLY day I could work out to go fishing was that Friday.Sooooo...I started out looking for baitfish on creek channels.I found them and birds dipping the water but could not find the fish.Finally decided to find some other boats and when I did they were fishing under a bridge road crossing using long poles and fishing in 12 to 15 ft of water or so.They were catching an occasional fish so I just waited off to the side until they were done.While I waited I kept seeing fish rising on shad around the boat.I tried to get bit but was having trouble...I turned to the bank and cast to the riprap on the bank and WHAM,them fish were pushing them shad fry against the rock and when you threw it up tight against the rock they would nail it. Ended up catching about 60 crappie,25 bluegill,10 largemouth,2 whitebass,and about 20 dink hybrids.Only had about 20 crappie that went 10" or more though.But the limit on this lake is no more than 10 crappie more than 10" anyway.

And that's a true fishing story. And I ain't a pro and I ain't even from Arkansas.I'm from Missouri and I was fishing in Illinois.



BUT...the water was still 68 degrees and sometimes fish like that wobbly barometer during a squall. Now if the water had been colder probably a much different story.And I have found post cold front crappie don't mind the high pressure associated with it that much,but they will pull tight to cover and bite for shorter periods during the day.And typically seek out deeper water unless you just happen to be on a really shallow body of water.Bright bluebird days post frontal can be tough,you have to put it right in front of them at the right time of day,whenever they decide that is for that day.

I am just talkin on that dang ol internet and I don't know nothing

The first serious cold fronts of the fall...are my absolute favorite times to Whack Them, Remember crappie are allot like people and they welcome the cooling waters after being in a sauna all summer long. The water temp's take time to cool down and even tho it may feel freezing out to you...The fish are enjoying the gradual cooling water temps and get fired up. I don't believe the first cold fronts do anything but put the fish into a feeding frenzy as they know the real Freezing cold fronts are just around the corner. You can take that from A Pro.

Originally Posted by CrappiePro

The first serious cold fronts of the fall...are my absolute favorite times to Whack Them, Remember crappie are allot like people and they welcome the cooling waters after being in a sauna all summer long. The water temp's take time to cool down and even tho it may feel freezing out to you...The fish are enjoying the gradual cooling water temps and get fired up. I don't believe the first cold fronts do anything but put the fish into a feeding frenzy as they know the real Freezing cold fronts are just around the corner. You can take that from A Pro.

Please come to Grenada and show me this!!!