It’s been a while since I’ve experienced weather whiplash like last week. A hot post-spawn bite borne on unseasonably warm days and stable weather was crushed when things suddenly went from record high temperatures to record low temperatures, all within a span of about 48 hours. The fish, needless to say, weren’t impressed with the sudden shift, and I shared their displeasure which continues into this stretch ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, with cold, rainy and windy conditions dominating the days ahead of the holiday. Changes in weather are bound to happen and double-barrel low pressure systems and wicked cold fronts can and do occur, even in summer. With that comes some adjusting, as anglers with trips planned, open afternoons and other opportunities to pursue their favorite species need to know how to shift their tactics in response to fronts and post-frontal conditions.

Slow it down

Fish react negatively to bad weather, particularly a rapid change in temperature and conditions, with cold rain and gusty north winds replacing those warmer days we’ve recently experienced. After a front, fish are funky. Changes in pressure, cooling water temperatures, and more turbid conditions can make walleyes, bass and other species a little less likely to bite. While we’ll never know the exact means as to the ends that generate their moods, we do know how to adjust to them, and one of those ways is by slowing down presentations.

Even on my best day of dieting, I’ve been known to grab a potato chip or two if the dish sits in front of me long enough. Fish are the same way, as they still remain creatures of opportunity, even after a shift in the weather. The longer a bite of food — a crawler, a fathead, or some other offering — sits in front of them, the more likely they are to snap it up, even if they’re in a funk. After a cold front, employ methods that put an offering in front of fish for longer. It may be slowing down a jigging presentation for walleyes or the creep of a bass tube for smallies. Consider using slip floats to keep a bait in place for longer, or switch over to a walking sinker and moving it slower when trolling a Lindy rig. The longer the proverbial potato chip sits on their kitchen counter, the more likely they are to eat it.

Go smaller

Like those well-designed snack foods for humans, having something smaller to put in front of fish can help connect with them after a cold front. Where you might have a choice between a full-sized fathead or its smaller “crappie minnow” variety at the bait shop, going with a selection of the smaller minnows can make a big difference if the fish are adjusting to the pattern. The same is true for pitching a bass tube, instead of that chunky four-inch bait, try downsizing to the three-inch version to connect with fish that just aren’t as aggressive or looking for a big meal. A half crawler or a smaller leech might do better than a full worm or a jumbo offering when trolled on a harness following a cold front, and even in the heart of summer downsizing a crankbait when things are cooler may help if you’re still trolling and covering water.

Stay live

Finally, live baits may be the ticket when cold fronts crush your plans of being aggressive. Instead of offering up jigs and plastics, switch over to a jig-and-minnow combination for walleyes, or even — gasp! — consider using live bait for other species such as largemouth or smallmouth bass. If the goal is to catch fish, post-frontal conditions may require putting your sportfishing pride aside if going slower and going smaller with artificial offerings aren’t getting the job done. You may have to do both in conjunction with the addition of live bait, but it’ll be worth it when you scratch out a limit and best the conditions with these tips for shifts in the weather like we’ve recently seen … in our outdoors.