How To Catch Redfish, Snook, & Trout In High Winds And Cold Weather [VIDEO]

Imagine being able to head out in 15+ MPH chilly winds and consistently catch redfish, trout, and snook while everyone else is back at home complaining about the wind (and in many cases the cold wind)…

But first, let me ask you a question.

Do 15-25 mph winds and cold fronts ruin inshore fishing?

For many years, I would have quickly answered a confident “Heck Yes!” to that question.

I even used to cancel fishing trips if a winter time cold front pushed through the night before because of the high winds and cold weather that they bring…

My theory was simply that the fish were too cold to eat.

But as I began being a diligent student of inshore fishing, I began seeing trends in my trips around cold fronts that started showing different results when targeting redfish, snook, and trout.

In fact, some of my top days in terms of quality fish caught per hour of fishing have been during the winter on the cold mornings with high winds ripping from the North during and after a big cold front pushed through.

And some really active days have been logged even on the gloomy and windy days when the fronts are pushing through…

But the tactics used on these cold and windy days are completely different than what I do on a warm and calm day.

Best of all, once some fish are found on these cold and nasty days, they are often with many others so the fish catching can be very quick once they are found.

And the even better news is that the strategies used to locate the fish have proven to work in all regions because redfish, snook, and trout behave very similarly throughout the year regardless of the specific area.

To prove the case, I filmed a recent trip to an area that I’ve never fished before the day after a strong November cold front pushed through FL.

We were armed with nothing but about 15 minutes of online research prior to the trip and a hand-full of artificial lures.

Details and a fun video are below…

Where To Find Inshore Fish After Cold Fronts

Winter-time cold fronts almost always bring strong winds from the north along with a drastically colder temperature.

So we need to plan for both…

#1 – Strong Northerly Winds

Even on the windiest of days, there is going to be a shoreline, cove, or creek that is sheltered from the wind…

And this is important because calm areas are easier to fish since there is less wind drag on your line so casting and feeling bites is improved, and it’s easier to hold to a spot once fish are found to catch more (redfish, snook, and trout often hold in schools in winter months).

#2 – Temperature Drop

Just like all animals, fish become less active in cold water compared to the average temperate in their respective areas.

So when the water dips below the norm, they are quick to seek out the warmest sections of water.

But one important thing to keep in mind is that a dropping air temperature travels into the water fastest from wind resistance on the water (aka… waves created from wind)…

This means that the calmer water takes longer to cool down compared to rough water.

And an added tip is that a dark muddy bottom holds onto heat much longer than a sandy bottom.

Putting It Together

Since calm areas are the easiest to fish on a windy day along with the fact that calm areas have warmer water after cold fronts push through, it is clear that the wind-protected shorelines, coves, and/or creeks should be the focus on a cold and windy day after a cold front.

And for extreme (or extended) drop in temperature, seek out wind-protected areas with a dark muddy bottom.

How to Catch Redfish, Snook, & Trout On Windy Days After Cold Fronts

Now that we know the fish will be seeking warmer water, and that the calm areas with dark bottom will have the warmest water after a cold front pushes through, it’s time to use free online maps to find prime fishing grounds.

And to show exactly how I’ve used basic weather information along with free online maps to consistently find qualify redfish, snook, and trout, just watch the video below to see a recent trip where we fished an area we’ve never been to before the day after a strong cold front at the end of November.

Just wait until you hear how hard the wind was blowing at the end of the video!

In this video, you’ll see the following:

• My favorite type of structure after cold fronts [hint: docks]
• The top lure used to fish docks along with fish caught from it
• Video footage of our exploration fishing day right after a cold front pushed through
• [Best of all] – I’ll literally show you the exact locations where we caught the fish on Google maps so you can look for the same types of areas near you

Inshore Angler Membership Options

As described at the end of the video, we have some private membership options… first step is to start a 7 day trial of our popular Inshore Slammer Course…

Inshore Slammer Course

This is the online course covers everything you need to know and have to consistently catch quality redfish, snook, and trout throughout the year without being reliant on getting live bait.

Click here to sign up [100% guaranteed to help you catch more fish]

NOTE: If you haven’t read the hard-hitting (and somewhat controversial) “Inshore Fishing Manifesto” click here to be taken to the page where you can download the free PDF.

Top Lure For Fishing Docks

After years of testing out various lures for fishing docks, I have found that the basic 3″ Gulp shrimp rigged on a light jig head is hard to beat.

Typically, I use a 1/8th oz red jig head when fishing docks in the 1′ to 5′ depth range, and I’ll bump it up to a 1/4th oz jig head if it’s deeper than that or if the current is too strong to allow it to be bounced along the bottom.

For color, I continue to find that less is more and I’ll take no more than two options (one light and one dark). I most often take New Penny (dark) and white (light) with me and I start with dark in the winter and light in the summer.

On the trip shown above, I tested out Gulp’s “Natural” color scheme which is a green top and white belly, and it seemed to work great too.

Click here to see how to rig Gulp shrimp

Conclusion

Cold fronts don’t have to be our worst enemies in the winter when it comes to going after redfish, snook, and trout.

In fact, I often find them helpful because they often force fish to seek out the warmest water, so those who know to look for warm water get rewarded with a fun day of catching fish.

Best of all, having a successful day on the water in the winter doesn’t require years of local knowledge for the region or a huge livewell full of live bait…

All that is needed is a few lures and simply knowing where the fish are going to be holding.

P.S. – If you think your angler friends would like to see this post, please Tag them or Share this with them. It would mean a lot to me.

P.P.S. – Make sure to read our Inshore Fishing Manifesto to learn the 3 breakthroughs that skyrocketed the amount of quality fish per hour of fishing… click here for direct access.