Fighting the wind

[GoneFishingLTN]

I have a 18 foot bass tracker. I went out yesterday and the big motor handles the wind with ease but I can't seem to fish any spots on the main lake that I want because I just get blown right off or the wind is so strong even though the trolling motor is on 70 percent power on a 80lb thrust I go no where towards the spot or get there and get blown right off. So I guess what I'm asking is how do you work the trolling motor when trying to fix a certain spot you've found in strong winds?

[OkobojiEagle]

Anchor

 

oe

[Captain Phil]

Anchor or use a drift sock.

[scaleface]

I havent even been out on a boat this year because of the wind . Every time I have an open day the wind has been  blowing hard . Windiest spring I remember .

[Deleted account]

It's the old "don't fool with Mother Nature" thing. Don't fight the wind, use it, or try to find a compromise with it. I can rear naked choke out anything up to 25 without many gusts, anything over that, I'm keeping it on my feet and looking for a decision.

[lo n slo]

knowing your spots is one thing. dropping anchor and being in the perfect position, with the wind pushing you along, is another. it’s tough duty for sure. anchoring is a good option and that’s my approach in the little johnny. it’s alot of work, too much trouble for some, especially if you have a larger bass boat or really strong winds. i don’t anchor the Javelin out on the big lake, i’ll just pick slack water, maybe throwing at some fishable seams, shoreline, or docks. 

for me, fishing while anchored requires using heavier weights and/or casting with the wind. casting into or cross wind can be an exercise in futility, not to mention trying to work your presentation with a giant bow in your line. and getting hung up while anchored is maddening to say the least. it takes practice as well as patience.

[BigAngus752]

Does your TM have a GPS lock?  That is a gift from heaven.  Nose into the wind, spot lock, fish off the back of the boat.  Of course your batteries won't last forever so it can shorten your fishing day.  A good anchor will work as long as there aren't waves washing over into your boat.  Sometimes you just can't hit the good spots and you have to fish protected areas and hope for some resident fish in there.  

[Mobasser]

41 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I havent even been out on a boat this year because of the wind . Every time I have an open day the wind has been  blowing hard . Windiest spring I remember .

Same here. The strongest spring winds I can remember. The weatherman says wind at 10 to 15 mph. But the gust are at 30!

[Catt]

I fish Toledo Bend a lot & I fish it out of a small boat a lot.

 

Ya gotta know your boat's limitations & ya gotta accept them. 

 

[GoneFishingLTN]

1 minute ago, Catt said:

I fish Toledo Bend a lot & I fish it out of a small boat a lot.

 

Ya gotta know your boat's limitations & ya gotta accept them. 

 

Ok so on a windy day and you go out. You can’t hold your spot effectively do you just make a different game plan and try to force shallow fish?

[Jaderose]

I haven't been in my boat yet because of the unrelenting wind this spring.  I gotta bite the bullet and just deal with it because I need to fish.  I went out to my little lake last night and just sat there staring longingly at it

[A-Jay]

 Once there is open water here, my bass fishing Life, revolves around wind direction & speed.

It determines Where, when and especially IF I even go.

I almost always want to be fishing in at least 'some' wind.

My 'system' includes using either the 12 ft Talons or if I'm holding too deep for the shallow water anchors, I'll need to do the one legged trolling motor dance with the 112 Fortrex (no spot Lock).

Which is OK, if I'm getting bites, but can still be challenging and get fairly taxing (quickly) in actual 'waves".  Of course, there's a point of no return where it's just blowing too hard.

  So I try to pick bodies of water to fish that have spots or areas

that 'set up' the best for the prevailing wind conditions for that day. 

Clearly it's safety first and before any decision is made, I want to believe that I can be safe traveling back & forth from the launch.  When there are launch location options, wind speed & direction will also determine where I put in.  Being a one man show, there's really no option. 

 Really like having it in my face when presenting baits

but when that's not an option, I will totally fish off the back of the boat and often do. 

If & when the forecast is way off, it's a major bummer as many of these lakes

are a bit of a hike and several miles apart.

So the wind - can't live with it, can't live without it.

A-Jay

[E-rude dude]

1 hour ago, Captain Phil said:

Anchor or use a drift sock.

This

you won’t win if the wind can push you around. Learn to use it. A large drift sock that takes little room when folded can save a fishing trip from pack up and go home.

 

Set up and drift past your spot. It’s more work but it can be very helpful.

[Junk Fisherman]

30 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 Once there is open water here, my bass fishing Life, revolves around wind direction & speed.

It determines Where, when and especially IF I even go.

I almost always want to be fishing in at least 'some' wind.

My 'system' includes using either the 12 ft Talons or if I'm holding too deep for the shallow water anchors, I'll need to do the one legged trolling motor dance with the 112 Fortrex (no spot Lock).

Which is OK, if I'm getting bites, but can still be challenging and get fairly taxing (quickly) in actual 'waves".  Of course, there's a point of no return where it's just blowing too hard.

  So I try to pick bodies of water to fish that have spots or areas

that 'set up' the best for the prevailing wind conditions for that day. 

Clearly it's safety first and before any decision is made, I want to believe that I can be safe traveling back & forth from the launch.  When there are launch location options, wind speed & direction will also determine where I put in.  Being a one man show, there's really no option. 

 Really like having it in my face when presenting baits

but when that's not an option, I will totally fish off the back of the boat and often do. 

If & when the forecast is way off, it's a major bummer as many of these lakes

are a bit of a hike and several miles apart.

So the wind - can't live with it, can't live without it.

A-Jay

 

This is perfectly stated.  My decision as to where to go and how to fish is always determined by the wind.  On the Great Lakes, wind direction and speed are everything.  But for inland lake fishing in strong winds, you have to position the boat into the wind.  Like BigAngus said, a spot-lock trolling motor makes all the difference.  It truly is a gamechanger.  Many times I have sat out on a reef fishing in 2' and the occasional 3' waves for hours while spot-locked.  Without the spot-lock motor I would either fight the waves like A-Jay mentioned or use a drift sock.  If you have a shallow water anchor, you can obviously do that as well.  Before I got the spot-lock motor, I often would put my Talon down and fish an area thoroughly if it was windy.  

 

Another thing you have to do is change up your tactics.  Heavy winds is when you powerfish.  I'll still throw some heavy dropshots, C-rigs, and jigs in the wind but my first thought is to powerfish.  I tend to cover more water and fish faster than I usually do.  Put the Ned rigs and senkos away unless you go find some protected water.      I would say that the biggest thing I have learned since when I started fishing from a boat is how to fish in the wind.  It used to ruin my day.  Nowadays, I put up with it and let technology work in my favor.  Good luck.  

[gim]

58 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Ok so on a windy day and you go out. You can’t hold your spot effectively do you just make a different game plan and try to force shallow fish?

 

If I know its going to be windy out, I avoid going to sizable bodies of water.  I know what my boat's limits are and I know that if its too windy, I won't be able to effective fish the areas I want to either.  So I either stay home or go to a lake (or river) that is smaller and more protected.  I don't have spot lock but I have fished in boats with it and there is a limit to its effectiveness too.  Its not the "end all be all" in any condition.

[OkobojiEagle]

1 hour ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Ok so on a windy day and you go out. You can’t hold your spot effectively do you just make a different game plan and try to force shallow fish?

Wind is usually less stiff around sun-up and sun-down, plan accordingly. 

 

A drift sox is a great tool, I have several different sizes, but more often than letting the wind push me in the direction it want's to take me, I prefer to throw the sock off the stern and use my trolling motor to pull it behind the boat.  This technique does a surprisingly good job of boat control providing you you don't stop.

 

oe

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

I havent even been out on a boat this year because of the wind . Every time I have an open day the wind has been  blowing hard . Windiest spring I remember .

I agree it seems windier than in my younger years... I attribute it to all of the windmills the "green energy" guys have built?...

 

oe

[Mobasser]

I've been wanting to launch my canoe. It's almost 4ft wide in the center, square back, and 17ft. But the winds have been so strong I've been bank fishing lately. I'm not complaining. I'm still fishing, so it's all good. Before long, we'll be more worried about the heat and humidity than the spring winds.

[scaleface]

3 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

But the winds have been so strong I've been bank fishing lately

Me too . I have caught a few bass in irrigation ditches and been tight-lining for rough fish in a flooded river .

[Bird]

I can also vouch for a windy spring. 

Love to fish as much as the next guy but excessive wind takes the enjoyment out of the way I like to fish.

 

Wind is the #1 determining factor on what days I fish or what days I accomplish something around the house. 

 

Add waves on the big waters that some here fish, it can get sketchy. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

This is an excellent conversation !

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, OkobojiEagle said:

I agree it seems windier than in my younger years... I attribute it to all of the windmills the "green energy" guys have built?...

Wind turbines actually reduce wind, but funny nontheless

[TOXIC]

My motto is “You can’t fight Mother Nature”.  Most all of the solutions that have been stated are valid and will work.  I have used them all, trolling motor, anchor, spot lock, power poles, drift sock, even used the big motor to hold a spot while someone fished up front.  The thing to remember is you have to use whatever is necessary and to not fight the conditions any more than you have to.  The less you fight the more you will succeed.?

[senile1]

8 hours ago, scaleface said:

I havent even been out on a boat this year because of the wind . Every time I have an open day the wind has been  blowing hard . Windiest spring I remember .       

 

It must be the entire northern half of Missouri.  We are having 35 to 50 mph gusts more often than not.  I don't recall a late winter/early spring period with this much wind.  I have been able to fish some but when winds exceed 35 mph I typically wait for another day.                                             

 

The tools for fishing in the wind have already been mentioned:  Talons or Power poles, spotlock trolling motors, anchors, and drift socks.  However all of these can leave something to be desired in terms of safety when trying to fish in high winds with large waves.  And just getting to a spot can be a harrowing ride.

[OkobojiEagle]

4 minutes ago, senile1 said:

The tools for fishing in the wind have already been mentioned:  Talons or Power poles, spotlock trolling motors, anchors, and drift socks.  

Let's include a dry pair of waders.  I'll often find a protected stretch of shoreline and wade it for a couple of hours.

 

oe

[Catt]

5 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Ok so on a windy day and you go out. You can’t hold your spot effectively do you just make a different game plan and try to force shallow fish?

 

Toledo Bend is 190,000 acres with 1,200 miles of shoreline. You don't have to "force" a shallow bite.