Post Frontal Fishing Tips 

    These are some of the toughest days to fish.  Here are some general tips that will help under these conditions:

    <>< Fish vertical - Meaning boat docks, stumps and trees.  The bass will be tight to cover and you will almost have to drop it on their heads to get bit.  A vertical presentation will get the lure right next to the structure where they have their noses.

    <>< Fish any structure tight, setting the bait right next to it.

    <>< If it is windy, pitch to the back of the structure or the side protected from the wind.  You may find them on the windy side but it is rare.

    <>< Use smaller profile lures since the fish will be non aggressive.

    <>< Small jigs/chunks are good but often a tube pitched instead of a jig will out produce under these conditions as it is more compact and will fall different.

    <>< You can also catch bass by running a double blade Colorado spinner bait right along the cover/structure slow or a crank bait fished slow and bumping into the cover.

    <>< Some bass will be suspended over deep bluffs, creeks and sharp points that drop off into deep water.  They are harder to catch but often will be bigger fish.  Try suspending cranks, jerk baits and spoons.

    <>< Any areas that are deep and covered with stumps/brush can be worked with a Carolina rig with a small bait like a GYCB Hula grub.  If the water is stained heavy, use a shorter leader.  Clearer water, use a longer leader.  Tubes, Hula grubs (twin tail) and small 4" finesse worms work well also.  Work it as slow as possible.  When you feel it hit or go over a stump or brush, let it sit still for a while since the bass will be right on the cover and the bait will settle down right next to it slowly.

    <>< Boat docks have won many, many post frontal tournaments since they have vertical structure and offer plenty of cover for year round fishing.  The ones with metal roofs will hold warmer water under them since it heats faster and stays longer.

    <>< Deep structure will often be the key if boat docks are not.  Normally a vertical presentation and a deep structure pattern will work best in post front situations.

    For any of the lures you use, keep them tight to cover, real tight.  It is hard to pinpoint a presentation when the bass are non aggressive because you might be right on top of them and not know it because they are not biting.  This is where patience comes in real handy.  You will have to make numerous casts under these conditions to draw a strike often on the same object.  You will have to determine whether the bass are there and take extra effort to get bit or they are not there and move on.

    If you have no idea where the bass had been prior to the front, pitch a jig/tube to every post on every boat dock about 5 times only to docks near deep water channels and/or creeks.  These will hold bass year round and the biggest bass will almost always be on the last boathouse nearest the deeper water or steepest slope.  You can also draw a few strikes from semi aggressive bass along these docks when the sun has warmed the water by around 12 or 1 o'clock (if it comes out at all) by slow rolling lipless cranks along the posts and the double willow spinner baits.