This is a weird time of year for bass fishing and if I’m being totally honest, I’m not a gigantic fan of it. The deep, summertime bass aren’t really grouped up like they have been for the last several months and the shallow bite is dwindling as the bluegill begin vacating the shallows. Some folks call this a transitional stage but I just call it downright frustrating. It’s just not very fun to go fishing for a full day and catch a 12-pound limit of bass. It may be different in your area but where I live, this time of year is a real snoozer.
But something beautiful happened last week. Standing on the front deck of my old bass boat, with sweat dripping down my back, I felt the first cool breeze I’ve felt since March. As the wind hit my face, swayed the pinetrees and nearly blew the ballcap off of my head, I knew the first cold front system of the year was approaching. I hadn’t even checked the weather lately, so it was a total surprise to me. But some sort of front was coming and I could tell it was going to change the bass fishing in a big way.
In retrospect, it was a tease as it always seems to be in September. We enjoyed a beautiful three or four days of 50-degree nights and you couldn’t have peeled me off my front porch in the evenings; it was such a relief from the relentless Georgia heat.
Although short-lived, this cold front made the bite very different. So I started making a list of things that I think will help you when you experience that first cold front of the early fall. I won’t be too wordy with things, so hang with me and try these little tips the next time Mother Nature randomly whacks you in the face with cooler weather.