Cold fronts come and go all winter long and into the early spring. Along the Atlantic coast, that means winds shifting to the south, then coming from onshore (west, then turning eventually to the north and northeast. Fishing a creek before a cold front can be tricky, but savvy anglers know just where they can fish in the high wind conditions that these fronts bring with them. The fish tend to “feed up” on the pressure drop that an approaching front brings. So, fishing a creek before a cold front is definitely possible. Here are some tips to do just that.
What are the Wind and Weather Changes of a Cold Front?
- The winds will coming out of the south at fifteen to twenty knots or more and during the day, they will shift to the southwest.
- Rain may threatened for a part of the day and will probably start later in the afternoon.
- The sky will be overcast and cloudy, and the temperature will be a bit cool.
- The boat ramp will be empty because most people stay home on a day like this.
- But, you can catch fish on a day like this!
Which Tide is Right?
- On an incoming tide, look for baitfish entering the creekmouth
- On an outgoing tide, look for baitfish leaving a creek.
- Find the creek that holds the most water that also has baitfish working.
- Seatrout will feed right at and after the high tide in creeks that have baitfish.
- Fish the deeper water on an outside bend in the creek.
Watch the Tide Level
- All creek mouths will have a shallow “hump” at the mouth.
- Make a mental note of the depth of the creek at the mouth when you enter.
- Watch the water level as the tide drops
- Be prepared to leave as soon as you know the water at the entrance has reached a critical point.
- Some creeks can only be fished from about two hours before until about two hours after high tide.
- If you stay too long, you will be stuck there until the tide comes back in – about 6 hours!
Why the Small Creeks?
- A small creek is a channel for fish that roam the surrounding oyster flats to use exiting those flats.
- Fish sense the water dropping, and move into the deeper channel and eventually out into the ICW.
- Baitfish move out with the tide as well.
- Seatrout and other species like to hang in the deeper holes and feed on these baitfish.
- Seatrout like to eat right at and after high tide for about an hour.
- Experience helps – find the creek you have caught fish in on a good day.
Which Baits are Good?
- Topwater baits include lipped stick baits (hot pink Spinanas and red and white Yozuris) are good.
- Freshwater lures will work - bass tackle and lures are good.
- Soft plastic baits like swimtail grubs – flukes work very well.
- Switching baits sometimes re-energizes the fish to start feeding again
Move to Find More Fish
- Sometimes small moves mean more fish.
- Look for small feeder creeks in the system and move to them.
- The fish can be concentrated into an area as small as twenty yards long.
Know When to Get Out
- Watch the tide drop!
- Move out to the mouth and set up there when the tide gets too low.
- Try drifting along with the tide, banging the bank with your lures.
- Other species like jack crevalle, bluefish and Spanish mackerel can be caught as well.
The Bottom Line
The leading edge of a front can be awesome fishing. It can also mean a lot of wind. But, if you use these tips to plan your trip, fish in protected waters and just go with the flow, you can catch those fish that are hungry enough to feed up as the barometric pressure drops.
