Entry 70-2

Mark Rose On Fishing Specific Types Of Weather

Cold Front Fishing

Editor's Note: Thirty-one-year-old Mark Rose of Marion, Arkansas, fishes professionally, but in the past, he's worked as a district executive for the Boy Scouts of America's national office. This week Rose shares with us how he succeeds in situations where other fishermen are ready to pull in their rods.

Question: Mark, what do you do when a cold front hits?

Rose: How I fish when a cold front hits depends on where I’m fishing. Up north a cold front won't affect the bass at all. In the central part of the U.S., the fish may pull out a little and sometimes be a little less aggressive if the region has a cold front. Even in the central part of the U.S., I have seen bass still turn on and feed aggressively, but, typically they will slow down somewhat.

In the southern part of the U.S., a cold front will completely shut off the bass. Thus, in the South, whenever you think you’re fishing slowly, you need to slow down even more. You have to make methodical pitches or flips. Also, don’t get over-aggressive with a Diamond Shad or a spinner bait. Instead, throw something smaller like a Wild Thang Jr. or a Kevin VanDam tube. Always use a light lead so your bait will fall slowly, and stay away from the target area so you don't put too much pressure on the bass with your boat.

Question: What do you do if you start getting pressure from other boats on the water or spectators?

Rose: Spectator pressure is good in one sense because you know you’re doing well in the tournament or else no one will be watching you. So, you have to stay focused, block the spectators out and keep your nose to the grindstone. If the boat pressure gets bad, you may want to downsize your lure a little bit. Another tactic is to try to veer the spectator boats off. To make the fish bite, you need to downsize, because the fish are still there. They may have repositioned, but you can still catch them.




 

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