Angler takes advantage of wintry weather | News, Sports, Jobs

The warnings came early and often. The weather forecasters’ words were ominous. Another polar cold front would blitz our region soon. Everyone was talking about it. The homeless should seek shelter. People were advised to bring their pets indoors and prepare themselves for the bitter weather.

So I went fishing.

Not much in nature can trigger a hot fishing bite better than the impending arrival of bad weather. The thinking is that fish and other animals sense the big change in conditions–including the barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and cloud cover–and associate them with a period of food scarcity. Many anglers theorize that fish react to oncoming storms and fronts by feeding aggressively to build reserves for the hard times ahead.

Some call it a feeding frenzy. I suppose it’s like sitting down to a big pasta dinner knowing tomorrow you will be shoveling a path to your car.

The forecast for the weekend ranged from bad to worse, so I decided to test the theory. Would the bass be excited about eating my topwater lures before the thermometer bottoms out tomorrow?

My test waters for this fishing trip were not my normal Northeast Ohio lakes, but instead in Naples, Fla., where weather forecasters were expecting historically low temperatures, howling wind and other cataclysmic conditions.

Before you laugh off the “plight” of such dire circumstances, understand that the lakes where I was going to fish rarely see the air temperature drop below 50 degrees. Southwest Florida bass are finicky just like their northern cousins. They lapse into a funk when cold fronts arrive, preferring to hunker down in cover to wait for the return of better times.

“Cold” is a relative term. In a place where winter days’ highs are 75 to 80 degrees, frost and freeze warnings are akin to below-zero weather in Ohio.

The front was a day away when I decided to tie on a Pop-R and head to the lake.

Tomorrow I would be wearing a hoodie to ward off the chill, but my fishing day featured comfortable shorts-and-T-shirt weather. Apparently the largemouths were comfortable, too.

Bass after bass bit the topwater popper as it gurgled over hard-bottom points and clumps of hydrilla. Some blasted the lure with the ferocity of an aim-to-kill predator. Others sipped it like it was a hot cup of tea.

The stretch of shoreline delivering the day’s best action has especially clear water. I was able to see fish turn to inspect the chugging lure and watch as they tensed to attack.

It was obvious when an individual was convinced the lure was food: The bass would turn its nose directly toward the lure, feather its fins to gain an advantageous line of attack, then accelerate its tail motions and dart to the bait with mouth agape.

The test proved positive. What fun my fishing trip turned out to be. My tally was 12 when I decided I’d had enough fun.

Next time the forecast shows bad weather on the way, I will be ready to cash in again on some pretty fast action.

Jack Wollitz’s book, “The Common Angler,” dives into the experiences that combine to make fishing a passion for so many people. He likes emails from readers. Send a note to [email protected].