Cold fronts slow down 2 largemouth bass

The cold fronts that sweep through South Florida in February have a dramatic effect on the fishing for largemouth bass.

Like locals who stay indoors when temperatures drop to the 40s and 50s, bass slow down and move as little as possible in chilly water. That’s when Team Yo-Zuri bass pro Mike Surman of Boca Raton said anglers have two choices.

“One is to flip heavy cover,” Surman said. “Two is to try to get
some type of reaction bite.

“That’s essentially the only way you can catch them in Florida,
They’re so used to warm weather, they just shut down. The
water is so shallow, it can cool down 10 degrees overnight.”

Over the past 30 years, Surman has been one of the most successful tournament pros in South Florida and won countless
tournaments.

He won the very first FLW Tour tournament in 1996, which was held on Lake Okeechobee during cold front conditions.

Back then, Surman flipped heavy mats of vegetation and that is still a productive cold front tactic. He especially likes to flip in hydrilla, an exotic aquatic plant that offers bass food and shelter.

“During a cold front, the hydrilla stays warm and they feel secure,” said Surman, who flips the middle of a hydrilla mat during a cold front. “They don’t have to go anywhere if they want to eat, but they also don’t have to move. They’re not afraid of predators, they’re holed up in their home, so to speak.

“Hyacinths are my second favorite. There’s a canopy over the top and it’s open underneath. When the bass are a little more active, they can move around.”

Flipping involves dropping a soft-plastic creature bait through the vegetation and, hopefully, right in front of a fish’s mouth. Even if they’re cold and not hungry, bass can’t help but grab the lure. It’s like putting a fudge brownie in front of a person who is cold and doesn’t feel like eating. That brownie is going to disappear.

Back in the 1990s, bass anglers used 1-ounce weights to punch through thick vegetation. Now they can use 2-ounce weights.

“In the old days we didn’t even have a fishing rod that could hold a 2-ounce weight. Now the rods are so good,” Surman said. “I always try to get by with the lightest weight I can use to get through the cover.

“If it’s totally canopied and there are hyacinths on top of hydrilla, that’s when I use a 2-ounce weight.”

Surman, who flips with 65-pound Yo-Zuri braided fishing line, explained that he likes a slower fall for his lure instead of having it plummet in front of a fish.

His “all-time favorite” flipping lure is a Gambler Crawdaddy, which looks like a crawfish. In severe cold front conditions, he’ll use the smaller Gambler BB Cricket.

“Sometimes that little cricket is easier to get into that real thick cover where they are,” Surman said. “There are all kinds of little grass shrimp and crawdads in there, so downsizing is definitely a good thing to try. But if I can get them to bite the Crawdaddy, I’ll use that.”

In the Everglades, Surman said there is not a lot of vegetation to flip, so he uses a square bill crankbait, which he reels so it hits rocks, downed trees, and other structures.

“That works all over the country,” said Surman, who uses Yo-Zuri Hardcore Crank crankbaits. “It bangs into the rocks, then goes up on its side until it starts tracking again. That’s usually when you’re going to get a bite.”

He fishes the crankbait on a 12-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon line to help the lure get down and uses a Witch Doctor 50G crankbait rod that he helped design. It’s half fiberglass and half graphite, so it’s lighter than the old all-fiberglass crankbait rods.

Surman added that fishing is usually much better two or three days after a cold front because the water is warming and bass start feeding.

By then, the fish have moved out of the thick stuff and Surman locates them by making long casts with a Gambler Big EZ swimbait.

Once he finds the fish, he’ll pitch a Texas-rigged Fat Ace into holes in the grass or fish a wacky rigged plastic worm in open water.

In cold front conditions and after cold fronts, the chances of catching a big bass are excellent. Bass in southern Florida spawn during the winter months, so it’s common to catch female bass filled with eggs. If you catch a big female, handle her carefully and release her quickly so she can pass on her good genetics.

Warming weather conditions after a strong cold front resulted in a record-breaking professional bass tournament catch a little more than 20 years ago. A Bassmaster tournament was being held at Lake Toho in Kissimmee, where the water temperatures had been frigid for several days.

By the time the tournament started, the water had warmed for a couple of days and the bass moved onto the spawning beds in
the shallow creeks and canals feeding into the lake.

Dean Rojas of Arizona was one of the few fishermen who saw that the bass had moved onto their beds. On the first day, he set a Bassmaster record that still stands by catching five fish weighing a total of 45 pounds, 2 ounces. His catch included fish weighing 10 pounds, 13 ounces, 10-0, 9-0, 8-2, and 7-3, and he went on to win the four-day tournament.

You, too, can make a difference

What if one day you woke up and said to yourself:

  • I am going to do something good for others by forming a charity and
    creating a fundraising event that raises money for sick children.
  • I am going to raise money by hosting a Whiffle Ball Tournament as the
    flagship event.
  • I will coordinate food trucks, live entertainment, and a Home Run Derby.
  •  People will love it!

Now imagine telling your altruistic and lofty plans to your significant other and family and friends …And that is where the story usually ends.

The naysayers will quickly rain on your parade by reminding you: (1) you have no experience starting a charity; (2) you do not have a team of organizers or volunteers to help you run this charity; (3) it will take dozens, if not hundreds of hours, to set up this charity; and (4) you have a full-time job with three young children.

But you are not Todd Rodman. 

Todd Rodman is the president of Sports Chiropractic and Natural Health Solutions. Todd lives in Parkland with his wife Lorin, the “do-it-all” wife who writes a lifestyle and fashion blog, “Styled as a Mother” and his three children, Jack (11), Reese (9) and Austin (7).

The Rodmans are the family that wear elaborate costumes for Halloween, constantly post funny videos to social media, and hold impromptu driveway musicals for their neighbors’ enjoyment. They are Parkland’s version of the social media darlings, the Holderness Family.

In 2017, Todd, in conjunction with the Jason Taylor Foundation, organized the Inaugural “Whiffle Blast,” which took place at Pine Trails Park in Parkland.

Todd, a college baseball player, came up with the idea for a Wiffleball tournament while playing a pick-up game with his family. Now going on their fifth year, Whiffle Blast has raised over $125,000 for children battling cancer and other pediatric emergencies. Every penny donated goes toward charity.

Whiffle Blast, a Whiffleball round-robin tournament, may be the most fun charity event you will ever attend. It is super competitive, but all for a good cause. Last year, 30 teams battled it out to be crowned champion.

Hundreds cheered on the Home Run derby.

Who knew Wiffleball could be so intense?

Having no experience planning a fundraising event, all while running a successful business, the first year was challenging at times. Todd and Lorin cobbled together their plans on scraps of notebook paper.

They relied on grassroots efforts to promote the event and procure entertainment and raffle items.

They spent sleepless nights calling restaurants for gift certificates, coordinating food trucks, making DIY signs, and baking cookies to make sure the event was not a failure. Even their children contributed by getting their friends to work as volunteers.

Friends and family were so inspired by Todd’s desire to give back to his community, that they also chipped in and tapped their connections to make the event a success.

When I asked Todd why he started a charity he said, “Giving back to our community is so important to me because I understand what it’s like to be on the other side of the fence. I was inspired by the people before me who I look up to in the philanthropic community to pay it forward.”

Todd’s advice to anyone who wants to give back to their community: “Just do it. Yes, it is hard. Yes, it is a lot of work. And yes, it is the single most rewarding thing you can do with both your time and money. Your community will rally around you – they will not let you fail.”

Be inspired by Todd. Anyone can make a  difference – it is never too late. Do not get caught up in negativity. Do not be afraid to take chances. Parkland / Coral Springs is a resilient community that rallies around each other. To quote the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, he will come.” Todd Rodman built “Whiffle Blast” – that is his community legacy. What will you build? What will be your community legacy?

To learn more about Whiffle Blast check out https://jasontaylorfoundation.com/events/ whiffle-blast/. Start practicing hitting curve balls now as Whiffle Blast is on January 23, 2021.

Philip Snyder, Esq. is a partner at Lyons and Snyder, a Plantation law firm specializing in personal injury.