Fishing after a cold front/ East Wind?? Opinions

I’ve always wondered and searched for the answer to this online and other sources, but I figured this is the best place to get the true answer.
I’ve always heard that “never go fishing with an East wind” or after a “Cold front” moves through.
Is there any truth to this??
I could and have personally sat in a boat all day long no matter which direction it’s blowing but I guess those were younger days and never paid any attention to the direction of the wind.
Is there much truth to this wind direction and to fishing after a cold front moves through??
Just a curiousity of mine. I’ll still go out on those days anyway if time allows .

Absolutely not true. It does change how they behave and how intense they bite. Plus, some species are more “touchy” when it comes to weather changes.
There was some great discussion on high/low pressure systems and how fish change their behavior.
Here is one of them
Pressure systems

I believe Randy is right as he references pressure as it pertains to an east wind. East winds normally signal abnormal weather patterns; This CAN rapidly change pressure which of course can put fish in a bad mood.

I’ve put the heat to fish in east winds. I’ve also struggled terribly with east winds. Catching fish is much different than fish being totally NUTS!! I believe the bite being good or bad has more to do with the pressure changes associated with the particular weather system your dealing with and a bit tough to generalize.

As for cold fronts. Everyone wants to be a hero and say they crush the fish during and/or after a cold front. Though I’ve caught my share of fish during them………I certainly wouldn’t be the guy to wish for one!!

There are a couple ways of looking at it. Before I was guiding nearly everyday I would fish in sideways Rain/Sleet and fish 40 mph winds and ENJOY IT!! Now if there is an obvious condition that will normally hinder an active bite…….I’ll tip my hat(On an Off day) and lace them up the next.

Just my 2 cents……OR 3!!!

RE:
Absolutely not true.
It does change how they behave and how intense they bite.

Really, not true, then you give evidence that it is true??

Anyways, I have noticed that it is usually true and has to do with the barometric pressure sensitivity of the fish.
It even holds true thru the ice.
But seems to be less of an impact on rivers than lakes.

I always fish wind blown areas after fronts. That’s for bass though.

i’ve noticed that the bite is a bit better on the build than on the fall. Changes do effect it, but not necessarily in a bad fashion. One thing i will do is fish the down wind shore, the fish seem to congregate there for forage. If i find a scum line, I”ll put a board into it with a deep diving lure and have excellent luck. Hard to find on Michigan and not sure it works the same on MilleLacs, LOW, etc.

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RE:
Absolutely not true.
It does change how they behave and how intense they bite.

Really, not true, then you give evidence that it is true??

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The bite changes and you need to change your presentation. The fish don’t stop “biting” just because of an East wind. The east wind is from the change/location of a pressure zone. Understanding the trend in pressure zones and adapting to the changes will bring you success. You may not be “slaughtering” them, but catching some fish is a heck of a lot better than NO fish. Also, most people don’t have the liberty to fish on any given day when the conditions are perfect. Many are restricted to a given day(s) and that’s all they have to work with. So isn’t better to learn and adapt to the situation then running from it? Also, you need to factor in moon phase, light intensity,….and so much more than just the direction of wind. Low Pressure zone report Here was a report from last summer when we had back-to-back low pressure zones blasting through and EAST winds. Its a matter of making the adjustments and giving a presentation that matches the situation.

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RE:
Absolutely not true.
It does change how they behave and how intense they bite.

Really, not true, then you give evidence that it is true??

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The bite changes and you need to change your presentation. The fish don’t stop “biting” just because of an East wind. The east wind is from the change/location of a pressure zone. Understanding the trend in pressure zones and adapting to the changes will bring you success. You may not be “slaughtering” them, but catching some fish is a heck of a lot better than NO fish. Also, most people don’t have the liberty to fish on any given day when the conditions are perfect. Many are restricted to a given day(s) and that’s all they have to work with. So isn’t better to learn and adapt to the situation then running from it? Also, you need to factor in moon phase, light intensity,….and so much more than just the direction of wind. Low Pressure zone report Here was a report from last summer when we had back-to-back low pressure zones blasting through and EAST winds. Its a matter of making the adjustments and giving a presentation that matches the situation.

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Very Well Spoken!! That makes a ton of sense

Yup….what everyone else said.

Someone mentioned fishing the windy side for bass, that typically holds true for walleyes too. The waves break up the light penetration giving the walleyes a better advantage over their prey.
Personally I would take wind and weather changes over flat calm anyday.

Not to mention a even fishless day on the water is still WAY better than workin.

Being versatile in any condition make a great fisherman. Tipically slow and downsize down after cold front. That is not always the case. Many times going faster or larger has put fish in the boat for me. Versatile that’s it.

I have had some great fishing on east winds, can think of one particular spot that fishes best when the wind is from the east.

Come to think of it, I can think of some great days when the wind was from the north.

And we all know the fishing is best when the wind is from the west and wind from the south blows the bait to the fish’s mouth.

Whatever.

The best time to go fishing is whenever you have time. If you are trying to isolate one weather variable, wind direction, temperature, barometer, cloud cover, etc., etc., etc. and say that is THE key to predicting fish behavior. Well, you are fooling yourself. There are so many variables and they all interact and change at the same time–you cannot isolate any of those variables and say they are THE KEY. Even if you did, if you went to a different body of water and or a different species of fish, you might find the opposite to be true.

I am still waiting to see the research that proves that any weather variable by itself is an accurate predictor of fish behavior.

Generally, fishing is best when weather conditions are stable and generally the bite will stay good and even get better right up until the point when a front blows through and conditions change. When that happens the fish may not feed as heavily for awhile until they are hungry again or seemingly until the front has passed and conditions have started to stabilize again. Or perhaps they never quit feeding, but they changed locations and behavior with the changing conditions?

It all depends . . . for example, you might have some structures that are best when the wind is blowing into them and that wind might be from the east or from the north. Now was it the south wind that was supposed to be best? No wait, it was a west wind. Whatever. If you do not fish those structures at the right time, because some rhyme says the wind is not right, you will never know.

The only thing I know for sure is that you cannot catch anything sitting at home on the couch!

Daryl Bauer
Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
[email protected]
Bauer’s Barbs and Backlashes

Personally, I like an east wind; makes fishing the dams real nice at places like Harlan, Calamus and Sherman.

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I have had some great fishing on east winds, can think of one particular spot that fishes best when the wind is from the east.

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Exactly, I actually love a southeast wind for one lake I frequent. Daryl’s post is right on based upon my experience. I will say very light east winds the morning after a cold front seem to be very slow, but even then I have found as the day went on either the fishing got better or I did, probably the the first one.

It was not good today!