How Do You Fish Shallow When It's Windy?

[tcbass]

I'm a fisher of the shallows from my boat. I go down the shoreline and normally throw a Ragetail Toad in the open areas (sometimes small cranks, spinnerbaits, or jigs), and then when reach the docks in between the open spots I'll throw a wacky rigged Senko.

When it gets windy out the Senko is still fine but obviously any topwater doesn't work nearly as well.

So what do you do when fishing shallow and it's fairly windy (I don't mean huge swells, but fairly choppy and windy)? Do you use different lures or fish deeper?

[MarkH024]

I'm a fisher of the shallows from my boat. I go down the shoreline and normally throw a Ragetail Toad in the open areas (sometimes small cranks, spinnerbaits, or jigs), and then when reach the docks in between the open spots I'll throw a wacky rigged Senko.

When it gets windy out the Senko is still fine but obviously any topwater doesn't work nearly as well.

So what do you do when fishing shallow and it's fairly windy (I don't mean huge swells, but fairly choppy and windy)? Do you use different lures or fish deeper?

Using a spook, popper, frog, buzzbait in chop is just fine. There is no written rule that the water should be glass in order for it to perform.  I probably get more action in choppy water than glass because any disturbance in glass like conditions can spook the turd out of them. 

 

Other bait options would be a swim jig, spinner bait, chatterbait, squarebill, lipless cranks. 

 

Wind and shallow isn't a bad thing, you should fish how you'd normally fish in that circumstance.

[dday07]

Spooks work best for me with ripples and some chop on surface.

[MassBass]

I like a spinnerbait in the wind.

[A-Jay]

I like a spinnerbait in the wind.

^^^^^

X2 ~ Exactly.

 

A Double willow blade or a Willow / Colorado blade combo - keep it moving and Hold On.

 

A-Jay

[einscodek]

I like a spinnerbait in the wind.

X3

[river-rat]

Usually the fish will be active on a windy bank so I'm most likely to throw a spinnerbait or a shallow crankbait. I've also had luck with a buzzbait, spook, and a Devil's Horse.

[Raul]

When it's windy and when it's not windy for fishing shallow: spinnerbaits, lipless cranks, shallow and super shallow running crankbaits, hard jerkbaits, topwater baits like prop baits and poppers, do not avoid the windblown zone, heck, the windier, the choppiest, the waviest the better !!!!

[Catt]

Texas Rig & Jig-n-Craw

[jtharris3]

I like a spinnerbait in the wind.

X4!

[PersicoTrotaVA]

I like a spinnerbait in the wind.

X5

 

or a chatter bait, anything with flash and a lot of vibration.

[primetime]

Perfect time for a floating jerkbait likea bomber Long a, Bagleys bang o lure (the one with the back prop is also good) buzz baits work better for me in the wind, but I like throwing something heavy and for distance, and the Long A is my favorite by far andI work it with a few twitches and then let it float on surface where it gets 95% of strikes and I am 100% convinced that Jerkbaits 4.5" or larger flat out catch bigger fish and still get action from the small ones....one tip.....If you are getting them on the back treble or missing strikes, that means you are still missing part of the puzzle. If post spawn, downsizing often works, but usually some yellow, chart, or orange on the belly helps out or some flash tape on the belly if shad are a main forrage and school. 

 

I always keep one in bone/chart top with an orange patch I added with a sharpie under the head, and a clown prism or gold prism color and I often use Pink nailpolish on the top if really windy so I can see the bait, any missed swirls, if a fish is under the lure by ,noticing larger wakes when twitched, and you can cast it a mile and cover a ton of water on a wind blown bank....Jerkbaits and color seem to make a big difference and I usually am not a color guy, I stick to just a few, but for jerkbaits and topwaters which a floating jerkbait is, I always carry a dozen sharpies, some reflective tape, glitter markers, rattles, and a finishing nail to heat and fill lure with some water if I need to kill action a bit and keep bait from rolling in wind, and make it look more natural and "Dying"....I know thats alot but learn to love floating jerkbaits, suspending, and slow sinking and you will love it as it usually will work anywhere.....Chatterbaits, Spinnerbaits, Rattle traps, and throw the frog in the wind, it should still work, but I would add some sound or a prop of some kind....Double prop baits like the Luhr Jensen Woodchopper, and xap double prop, devils horse actually work best in wind, and I rarely use topwater if water is glass as I dont like creating too much disturbance unless the fish are active....I would rather not spook fish and throwing a rapala flat rap, j-9 or f-9 balsa minnow in glass water is a good topwater that is subtle, and so is a small rebel pop-r worked slow and easy......Learn to love the wind, I find it creates active bass on many days.

[Bankbeater]

Shallow running crankbait or swim a jig.  Spinnerbaits and real gusty winds are not a good combination for me.

[Zach Dunham]

As soon as that wind picks up, pick up the spinnerbait!

[frogflogger]

furbit until it almost whitecaps then spinnerbait

[deadadrift89]

Chatterbait

[CWB]

"I'm a fisher of the shallows from my boat. I go down the shoreline and normally throw a Ragetail Toad in the open areas (sometimes small cranks, spinnerbaits, or jigs), and then when reach the docks in between the open spots I'll throw a wacky rigged Senko.

When it gets windy out the Senko is still fine but obviously any topwater doesn't work nearly as well.

So what do you do when fishing shallow and it's fairly windy (I don't mean huge swells, but fairly choppy and windy)? Do you use different lures or fish deeper?"

 

 

 

 

How shallow is shallow?

Would depend on depth and cover for me. Squarebills, Spinnerbaits and/or Chatterbaits would all see action.

I think Catt would be throwing a Texas rig in a Tsunami.

 

 

[greentrout]

When it's windy and very windy, the spinnerbait for me is king. Cast into the wind or cross wind. Not down wind. If you're on the

bank at a pond or other small body of water, use your baitcaster with at least 1/4 of an once and up. I like white with gold Indiana

blades. Mann's old Hank Parker Classic still works for me. Terminator, too. And Academy Sports has some good ones at a good price.

 

Good fishing.