I was out fishing the yesterday and last week and noticed that the fish are super finicky. they were down there but did not bite at all. is this due to the cold snap that we had? or am I just not presenting the bait right.
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I was out fishing the yesterday and last week and noticed that the fish are super finicky. they were down there but did not bite at all. is this due to the cold snap that we had? or am I just not presenting the bait right.
Good luck figuring that one out! We’ve all been there though. Barometric pressure in the form of a cold & warm front is a key factor. But understand that there are multiple factors that play into that magical equation such as water temperature, level, clarity, flow rate, oxygen content, predator/prey relationship, fishing pressure….and the list goes on. To narrow down and say ONE factor was the ulitmate root cause of lock jaw syndrome is nearly impossible to prove out. All though, I’ve sat on a bucket the day after a monster cold front raced across the region and caught absolutely nothing. Yet the day before the front passed – in the exact same spot I caught plenty of fish. It only goes to show….
As for presentation – experiment. For instance, if I’m not getting a bite or marking fish checking out my offering within 10 minutes – I’m changing jigs. Hopefully sooner or later I’ll drop something down the hole that entices a bite.
goodluck –
Right now I’d say the moon phase has a lot to do with it. If I could, I’d be out there right now and head back in when everyone else is heading out.
Some waters can be notorius for having a night bite. The fish in that particular water could have been transitional or they maybe were under a weather hex. As mentioned, the moon can play havoc at times too. Another consideration is the size of the water. Larger bodies of water tend to see less influence on the fish during weather roller coasters. River waters tend to stay more stable than lakes during rough periods too.
I tend to watch for random blips somewhere between where the bulk of the fish are being located [near bottom] and the surface below the ice. These fish, or blips, are active fish. If I can see a patter to those random blips at a certain depth band in the water, I fish it even when there are no marks….the fish are moving hence the “here and gone” natural of the marks.
Great advice herb 
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