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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | Well, i posted this question on a few of the "other" boards, but people either didn't know, where to busy talking about beer, marketing something, or some other such thing they just couldn't respond.
Here's my question: When it comes to frontal conditions, say cold fronts like we are facing now, if you could pick any type of water to fish, river, deep flowage, shallow flowage, small lake, deep lake, clear water or stained, what would you choose? Assuming rivers are the least suseptable to cold front conditions, what would be your next choice and why?
I ask this as I stand on the precipice we call the musky opener and I prepare to head up to NW WI. I can fish any type of water I want for the next 4 days, probably not rivers though, so what do I choose?
What would you do?
Steve |
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | First choice: Rivers / Flowages (resivoir), two reasons...typically stained water, and at least for me they have been a little less suseptable to severe reactions to fronts, however they are still affected.
Second choice: smaller stained lake systems: A little easier to disect and concentrate on given/known areas with various presentations.
Basic rules:
Downsize your baits.
Slower Presentation.
Get tight to cover, they are usually snuggled in with the remote and blanket..:) just like us on a cold day... But they will eat, you just need to be patient and methodical in your approach.
If that doesn't work...throw the rule book out the window and keep mixing it up to see if you can get them them to go. |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | I will say just the opposite of Mark. I would go to the deep, clear lakes. Reason being is during a cold front the shallows cool down the fastest. Deep clear lake don't have the water temp fluctuations like a smaller lake may have. I use regular size baits for the most part, but fish them slow and deep. Deep water muskies and suspended muskies don't seem to be affected by cold fronts like the shallow water fish are. Just my observations. |
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Travis,
Interesting thought... Tell your brother "Krappie" I said hello.
I agree with your theory during summer months...but we are in very recent post spawn and most of the fish I would think be located in transition areas and haven't yet moved out to deep/suspended locations. They might be on the breaks at best. I know last weekend when I was chasing walleye's and pike in the weeds I saw a few muskies porposing up tight which is where the warmest water was.
Now ya got me think'n... I may have to hit on of my favorite suspendo lakes on Sunday, just to see what's up. Stained water tomorrow though..
Like I say in my seminars...there is no right or wrong, gotta keep an open mind...cuz the muskies don't read the books and attend the seminars.
Ok Phoenix.... Now that we have you totally confused, have a good weekend...  Report back to us on Tuesday. |
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Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | Thanks guys,
I am going to target some shallow stained flowage water on the theory that it is most like a river. The shallower the better here. I also might try and take 1/2 a day and go down a stretch of river. never done it beore but it looks pretty nice.
I may end up pitching 5-6" creek chubs (live bait) into the weeds if artificials don't get any action. That would be another new tactic for me as well.
I find the clear deep lake theory interesting too. I will look forward to hearing how that works out.
Nice to get some feedback, even if the points of view differ.
Best of luck to everyone!
Steve |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Steve,
most of the lakes I fish during a cold front will have fish pulled out of the shallows and burried in the weeds or deeper weed edges. I like to start in the weeds and work out from there.
Gliders and pull baits first in the morning and then go from there. I also use small suckers on quick-strike rigs both on a float and hanging over the side of the boat. Most of the time cold fronts will drop the fish and make them lazy. Suckers and gliders will get the most action.
Don't forget crank baits worked down the outer edges of the weeds. This is a very effective method to get lazy fish to move during a cold front. Weed contact is very inportant, tick the weeds and let the bait back out and continue.
Its true that deeper lakes will have less effect with cold fronts but if the fish are shallow, they will pull back into the weeds or even the first breaks. |
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Posts: 15
| I've been pondering the same questions as you and I think I am going to stick with my typical spring approach. I fish smaller lakes around 1200-1400 acres. These are moderately clear lakes with lots of rock islands just off of sandy bottom points with bulrushes. The fish might be sluggish but at least the weather has been stable for most of the month with a slight warming trend (very slight). The few sunny days and the amount of rushes in these lakes produce good warmer shallow water temperatures. Stick with the winded side of the lake because the warmer surface water accumalates on these shorelines. I've notice the pressure is dropping and I will assume there will be slightly warmer air and rain coming right behind this cool front. Don't know if this is the best approach but we usually produce some action every opener. Some better than others of course.
Good Luck and only 4 more days!
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i read the post and immediately had my thoughts in mind .... go to the river and work current and baitfish in dark, stained water. then i read cisco's post on deep clear water and it makes perfect sense to me after reading the logic. i usually do well on the river pattern after a major cold-front comes through but only if there is current, without current it's been a bust for me, but consistent regardless of weather if there is current available and the more current the better fishing. i'm going to try the deep, clear idea and see what happens. |
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