Thread: Cold Fronts and Fall fishing

Just a question for you all, How will a major cold front as we are fixing to experience affect the fishing in general? Will they shut down, fire up, disappear? Mainly interested in the reds, flounder, whiting, etc... Usually deer hunting by now, but fishing a little later in the year this time! May come down this weekend or possibly the next weekend, not sure. Just wondering what to expect. Thanks!!!

That's a good question, unfortunately without a short, direct answer ~~

IMHO an early season front like this one, usually has a bigger effect on the fishermen than the fish.
Look at the temp forecast and marine forecast...
NOAA National Weather Service
http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtb.../gm/gmz650.txt

For the first time this year the forecast references the wind chill...

Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early

The wind is expected to gust near or over 40 mph Wed and Thur am.
However by the end of the week the air temps will moderate back to 'seasonal' with a slight chance of showers. (short-lived cold snap)
Again, the fishermen might be more concerned than the fish (cuz they're already wet ;-)

Still, the water temp (in the surf) should drop into the 60s as it already has @ Mobile Bay and Perdido Pass...
NDBC - 5-day plot - Ocean Temperature at PPTA1

And it will likely dip below 70 even out at the 12 mile bouy in the Gulf...
NDBC - 5-day plot - Water Temperature at 42012

By the time the air warms over the weekend we should have an east-SE wind that will kick up the surf enough to make beach (front) fishing a challenge if not a downright PITA, especially with a rising tide during the afternoons this weekend.
Fishing for bull reds, flounder, croaker and whiting (even bluefish and some pompano) can be good at the pier during periods like that though. But it will likely be 'episodic' and even more so as the water temp continues its 'stairstep descent' for the rest of the year.

Hope that helps!