Andrew Ragas It’s early May, and we’re just a few days removed from Wisconsin’s gamefish season opener. The snow banks and memories winter left behind are yet to melt, ice-out on many northwoods lakes is only starting, and fish haven’t woken up from their winter slumber. The anticipated future forecast for the month is cold, and water temperatures are unlikely to reach the mid 50’s by Memorial Day weekend. Given these below-average conditions that will now delay spring spawning movements for several weeks, this has suddenly become a peculiar transitional time for smallmouth as well as other species. Thanks to winter’s unwillingness to relent, smallmouth are confused about when to wake up, when to move, and when to feed. Bites and catch rates during a cold and below-average spring are unquestionably fewer and slower due to a multitude of reactions.   Causes and Effects of Cold Spring Cold water and below average temperatures are a byproduct of the cold and record-setting winter that commenced first. Winter 2019 was the epitome of brutality. Cold sub-zero days, heavy snowfall of up to 100 inches, ice buildup of up to 3 ft. resulting in winter kills and