Fishing after a strong cold front
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Fishing after a strong cold front
Earlier this week a strong cold front moved in and brought some near freezing temperatures with it. Whats the normal protocol for fishing a few days after the front? The front came through monday/tuesday and I'm planning on going out Thursday/Friday. Temps will warm to lower 60's on Thursday and upper 60's on Friday with light winds and minimal cloud cover. I fish the corpus area and have had success sightfishing near some islands of the ICW, however I've never took the kayak out in post front conditions. What structure/water depth should I be focusing on? I'm curious since I'm not sure if the reds will be up shallow with these cooler temps. Also wouldn't mind trying to find some decent trout and maybe some flounder. Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance!
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
You should be in for great fishing.
The bitter cold will drive fish into deeper water. We've pounded reds stacked up in California Hole when it was 40-degrees, so 4 or 5 feet of water is all they need.
I would be looking for hungry fish moving out of the deeper water back into their normal stomping grounds.
Also note, nothing wrong with moderately cool water - it's hyper aerated, so fish are breathing really well and very active.
The bitter cold will drive fish into deeper water. We've pounded reds stacked up in California Hole when it was 40-degrees, so 4 or 5 feet of water is all they need.
I would be looking for hungry fish moving out of the deeper water back into their normal stomping grounds.
Also note, nothing wrong with moderately cool water - it's hyper aerated, so fish are breathing really well and very active.
Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
I was down at LHL area around 3pm today. The water was pretty low but bait fish were moving about. I did not fish, just took some pictures for my blog. Clarity was excellent in that area and back in the Rockport harbor area. Good luck.
Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stati ... id=8774770
The link shows the water in Rockport, early Thursday morning, is running a little under a foot below the predicted levels. The predicted astronomical tide levels are not particularly high at the moment to begin with. The volume of water has greatly shrunk for the time being. Some of your productive flats might be nearly dry. Those fish that were on the flats might be still close by hanging out in a drain, or the ICW, or some edge of a channel, or a gut, or a river.
I like to think of it as a big lung. The water or marsh just took a big exhale. Fish moved out of the little alveoli and into bronchi. I like to Fish channel edges in low water, the edge of the ICW, bigger marsh drains, bulkheads, rip rap, partially submerged reefs edging deeper water exposed to the sun. Fish can find food in these places plus warm up a little. You can still get some sight casting in. Redfish will pop up on the edge of channels near flats or even when there’s no flat adjacent. Water has cleared in places so you might be able to see fish a little deeper.
I hope to get out this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon. There ought to be some good opportunities to find some fish concentrations out there. I would bet redfish and others will be gorging on shrimp and bait that have been forced out of the marsh by low water. Water temperatures have plunged, but I bet this afternoon and or tomorrow afternoon the fish will be active and feeding.
There’s probably a lot of good things happening on the bigger bays, too. I have a lot more fishing experience in shallow secondary bays and marshes. Maybe people will chime in on what could be the scenario in the big open water spots. Those bays have lost water volume, but they are a whole lot deeper to begin with. There’s been enough fresh water in many to move some fish, that’s been what I’ve been reading on the forums.
The link shows the water in Rockport, early Thursday morning, is running a little under a foot below the predicted levels. The predicted astronomical tide levels are not particularly high at the moment to begin with. The volume of water has greatly shrunk for the time being. Some of your productive flats might be nearly dry. Those fish that were on the flats might be still close by hanging out in a drain, or the ICW, or some edge of a channel, or a gut, or a river.
I like to think of it as a big lung. The water or marsh just took a big exhale. Fish moved out of the little alveoli and into bronchi. I like to Fish channel edges in low water, the edge of the ICW, bigger marsh drains, bulkheads, rip rap, partially submerged reefs edging deeper water exposed to the sun. Fish can find food in these places plus warm up a little. You can still get some sight casting in. Redfish will pop up on the edge of channels near flats or even when there’s no flat adjacent. Water has cleared in places so you might be able to see fish a little deeper.
I hope to get out this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon. There ought to be some good opportunities to find some fish concentrations out there. I would bet redfish and others will be gorging on shrimp and bait that have been forced out of the marsh by low water. Water temperatures have plunged, but I bet this afternoon and or tomorrow afternoon the fish will be active and feeding.
There’s probably a lot of good things happening on the bigger bays, too. I have a lot more fishing experience in shallow secondary bays and marshes. Maybe people will chime in on what could be the scenario in the big open water spots. Those bays have lost water volume, but they are a whole lot deeper to begin with. There’s been enough fresh water in many to move some fish, that’s been what I’ve been reading on the forums.
Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
Got out into one of those low water post front places this afternoon. Found some redfish and small flounder. I cleaned 2 reds. One had a stuffed full tummy of tiny shrimp. The other had a stomach full of partially digested baitfish, not one being a mullet. Shad, blennies, unidentifiable others, all pretty large.
Caught the red in the photo on the fly pattern with the bent hook, bent curtesy of the redfish. Fish went just shy of 13# on the boga. I weigh the fish in the net, then subtract the weight of the net. That fish I let swim.
Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
That is a very nice fish
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
Sounds like a great day. I caught 2 reds early on at the intersection of 2 channels. One had a humongous belly and almost felt like dead weight pulling it in. Later on I got on some good fish and caught my best trout only due to the help I got from a kayaker I met out on the water. Headed out tomorrow again.karstopo wrote:
Got out into one of those low water post front places this afternoon. Found some redfish and small flounder. I cleaned 2 reds. One had a stuffed full tummy of tiny shrimp. The other had a stomach full of partially digested baitfish, not one being a mullet. Shad, blennies, unidentifiable others, all pretty large.
Caught the red in the photo on the fly pattern with the bent hook, bent curtesy of the redfish. Fish went just shy of 13# on the boga. I weigh the fish in the net, then subtract the weight of the net. That fish I let swim.
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
Attaboy karst. Beauty of a redfish there.
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
Thanks for the advice. Caught some good fish based off that advice. Gonna try to go do it again todayRon Mc wrote:You should be in for great fishing.
The bitter cold will drive fish into deeper water. We've pounded reds stacked up in California Hole when it was 40-degrees, so 4 or 5 feet of water is all they need.
I would be looking for hungry fish moving out of the deeper water back into their normal stomping grounds.
Also note, nothing wrong with moderately cool water - it's hyper aerated, so fish are breathing really well and very active.
- Cuervo Jones
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
Post up the report! Pass along the good karma, mang.
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
awesome - especially if you can muster a photo or two, post us a report.riskybiscuit wrote:Thanks for the advice. Caught some good fish based off that advice. Gonna try to go do it again todayRon Mc wrote:You should be in for great fishing.
The bitter cold will drive fish into deeper water. We've pounded reds stacked up in California Hole when it was 40-degrees, so 4 or 5 feet of water is all they need.
I would be looking for hungry fish moving out of the deeper water back into their normal stomping grounds.
Also note, nothing wrong with moderately cool water - it's hyper aerated, so fish are breathing really well and very active.
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
This was a cold snap but not a true winter period of several days of freezing temperatures. Fish will remain near where they were before this front, flounder will get kicked in gear a good bit and start concentrating and better size flounder are already being caught.
Air tempertures did 'plunge' and it was freakin cold LOL
Air tempertures did 'plunge' and it was freakin cold LOL
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
Excellent post and great information!
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
Posted, mangCuervo Jones wrote:Post up the report! Pass along the good karma, mang.
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Re: Fishing after a strong cold front
Posted!Ron Mc wrote:awesome - especially if you can muster a photo or two, post us a report.riskybiscuit wrote:Thanks for the advice. Caught some good fish based off that advice. Gonna try to go do it again todayRon Mc wrote:You should be in for great fishing.
The bitter cold will drive fish into deeper water. We've pounded reds stacked up in California Hole when it was 40-degrees, so 4 or 5 feet of water is all they need.
I would be looking for hungry fish moving out of the deeper water back into their normal stomping grounds.
Also note, nothing wrong with moderately cool water - it's hyper aerated, so fish are breathing really well and very active.
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