Cold Front Bite?

[Bucketcastle]

Just couldn't get anything to bite with multiple baits; shiners, rainbows, minnow heads, plastics.  Luckily I was comfy in the insulated pop up.  Any advice on a coldfront bite?  Was in a shallow bay then moved into 20'.  Just one tiny bluegill on my panfish rod.  Did not get skunked, I make it my mission to at least get one of anything.

[IceHawk]

Fish are doable in cold fronts but can be tough. One of the keys I have found that works is downsizeing everything. If fishing eyes try small fatheads or crappie minnows small spoons light line etc. For panfish going down to 3 mm tungstens and a single spike can be killer. Look towards deeper water and fish tighter to bottom. 

[Tom Sawyer]

Slow way down, and even deadsticking presentations

[Wanderer]

My best crappie yesterday came on a tungsten jig/wax worm dead sticking on a noodle rod.  I could just see the pressure on the rod tip.  Let the rod lay on the ice so my hand couldn’t even shake it the slightest.

[Kettle]

Did well yesterday with similar presentation of wanderer. Super small tungsten jig with either waxies or small plastics. I would lift the jig above the fish half a foot and just hold it and watch the spring bobber. Ended with 9 crappies and a bluegill for two guys so a solid meal

[Bucketcastle]

Thank you for all the tips guys.  I most likely was using to big of presentations, and wasted half the day in a shallow bay.

[gim]

Just remember that sometimes you can't make a fish bite no matter what you do.  Cold fronts often shut off the bite during open water season too.

[Rick]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

Just remember that sometimes you can't make a fish bite no matter what you do.  Cold fronts often shut off the bite during open water season too.

I always disliked the word can't. Usually when I heard that word I'd find someone who could.

[eyeguy 54]

yep, tiny and slow.  sometimes I have set my old rod with the spring bobber across the bucket and just watch it. Then grab it when it moves.  one euro or a really small piece of plastic. fussy buggers. 

[monstermoose78]

17 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

yep, tiny and slow.  sometimes I have set my old rod with the spring bobber across the bucket and just watch it. Then grab it when it moves.  one euro or a really small piece of plastic. fussy buggers. 

After watching some amazing anglers from here you can get fish to bite. Icehawk, RickG, Borch, Eyeguy, Tom, and many others I have met over the years. When watching these experts watch how they work the jig to get bites. I have gained so much knowledge from these guys and will continue to learn in the future. 

[eyeguy 54]

They are good teachers. The main thing I learned was to fish more than two holes. Find the fish!  Lol. Many many times I stared at and wiggled two bobbers all day.

[Wanderer]

There’s always stuff to learn from others who spend as much time in the ice as you guys do.  Things that have become second nature to some that make total sense once revealed but never considered beyond maybe an idea before.

Really change baits and colors and watch how fast and how close the non-biters investigate.  Even they give you clues.

 

My best piece of advice for most people I’ve fished with is lighten up your line.  3 lb test is the heaviest I have rigged currently and for more aggressive presentations.  My go to rods are lined with 2 lb test.  Haven’t been bold enough to go lighter than that yet.  It’s been amazing how many pike I’ve landed on 2 lb micro ice.

[eyeguy 54]

I have 1Ospools of one pound

Sunline premium ice flourish if any body wants some. I can hardly see it. I use 3 pound micro ice high vis green and love it. 

Edited December 17, 2019 by eyeguy 54

[eyeguy 54]

8 left

[jigginjim]

I have gone to using trout flies on a dropper line, during cold fronts. A size 16 or 14 pheasant nymph,  you could sweeten it up with a euro on there, dead stick it.  I have a 1/4" screen box that I use for sorting crappie minnows. Use a 2 1/2 gallon bucket with water. throw the minnows in the box, the tiny minnows can swim thru the screen, those become my cold front minnows.  Bigger minnows are then used after dark, with a red glow jig.

[smurfy]

13 hours ago, eyeguy 54 said:

I have 1Ospools of one pound

Sunline premium ice flourish if any body wants some. I can hardly see it. I use 3 pound micro ice high vis green and love it. 

so??????? i guess what you guys are trying to say is..........my 15 lb tipup line wont work so well!!!!!!!!!!!

 

on my "lite" panfish rods i have 4 lb test...........crappie and eye rods are 6 lb.

[Borch]

Switch it up or find new fish.  When looking for panfish I'm looking for fish up un the water column.   Those hugging bottom can be really tough to convince to bite.   When it's tough, color, size, line, bait, scent, profile, material,  jigging pattern can all make a difference.  I'd add movement, as I can usually pluck at least 2-4 out of a school before it gets really tough.  I often move to find fresh fish to work. 

 

Don't underestimate going big and aggressive at times.  Sometimes the reaction bite is the easiest bite to get.

[jigginjim]

9 hours ago, smurfy said:

so??????? i guess what you guys are trying to say is..........my 15 lb tipup line wont work so well!!!!!!!!!!!

 

on my "lite" panfish rods i have 4 lb test...........crappie and eye rods are 6 lb.

 4 lb flouro may help, but I would also be looking at 2.5 - 3 lb trout tippet lines for panfish,  6#  flouro for walleyes is good I have caught walleyes in Lake Harriet on 4lb test on cold mornings. Scaling down on the bait size sometimes helps big time.  Also look at different lakes may help get you more hook ups.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Had a PM asking what I meant by saying "slow down". To start I would say this doesn't only apply to your cadence. That's pretty obvious, but I see people over working fish all the time. Keep things as "natural' as possible. Small to micro sized forage, rarely make fast or a huge movements in the water column. With every presentation, and every species, remember you are attempting to create an illusion of the natural world.

Jeff that was important to share the "change up" idea. As an avid tackle tier, time and time again, I've seen the more settle movement of hair, fur, or feather seal the deal on a tough bite, or a good bite turning ballistic. Compared to the harder movements of plastics, "materials"  are a huge part of my arsenal, both hard and soft water. 

Lastly, consider that (old) other material, that has been getting all chipped up and dull laying on the bottom of your box. Lead is far from dead guys, next time your on a tough bite and fish are relatively shallow, get the lead out. Remember the key of slowing down, lead does it better than tungsten......

 

Those gills were taken after work yesterday, pressure rising .....

Edited December 18, 2019 by Tom Sawyer

[Rick]

@Tom Sawyer....well said buddy!!!

[Tom Sawyer]

Another thing I forgot to mention that has worked on negative fish is going vertical vs horizontal with your presentation. Less of a big and bold looking profile makes a difference when fish don't feel like biting. 

[Bucketcastle]

Tons of great advice on here. Thank you all.

[Wanderer]

On 12/19/2019 at 5:49 PM, Tom Sawyer said:

Another thing I forgot to mention that has worked on negative fish is going vertical vs horizontal with your presentation. Less of a big and bold looking profile makes a difference when fish don't feel like biting. 

I did exactly this last night on negative fish and picked up a few more after they shut off.