Catching fish post cold front can be tricky
Late winter and early spring can be challenging times to fish. On a weekly basis, the passage of a strong cold front impacts the fishing. Catching fish post cold front can be tough. However, anglers that adjust to the conditions will usually catch fish.
Sunday morning dawned with clear blue skies, a stiff breeze out of the northwest and a rapidly rising barometer. Classic post cold-front conditions. Given the situation, I planned to fish deeper water with lighter tackle and smaller lures. The tide was half way out when I launched the skiff. The wind was much stronger than the forecast (usually the case in late winter and early spring). So I headed to the first tree-lined and wind-sheltered bank in Beresford Creek. Upon my arrival, I used the depth finder to look around and noticed fish holding in 12 feet of water. So I picked up a rod rigged with a Z-Man mushroom head jig and a TRD TubeZ (a small finesse lure I have been experimenting with). When fishing in these conditions, smaller lures fished in deeper water can be deadly for Trout. After a few casts, I felt the subtle tick of a Trout inhaling the TRD TubeZ. For the next hour or so, I enjoyed steady action and was able to release a bunch of fish (many were keeper size).
When the tide bottomed out, the Trout bite stopped. So I switched my attention to Redfish in the shallows. The wind made spotting the Reds very difficult. Even when I saw them early and presented the lure well, the Redfish were not willing to eat. Rather than fight the wind and uncooperative fish, I moved to a sheltered creek channel (between five and 10 feet deep). It took a bit of looking but I eventually found a school of slot-size Redfish holding on the deeper side of the channel. These guys were hungry and inhaled the TubeZ on pretty much every cast.
Fishing in post cold front conditions can be tough. However, if you downsize your lures and fish deeper water, there is a good chance you will meet with success.
Contact Capt. Greg at: captgregp@gmail.com and (843) 224-0099.