Prevailing Winds

[LrgmouthShad]

Do you notice any marked, general difference in productivity between spots that are directly affected by prevailing winds and those that are not? 

[Mobasser]

In bright sun I've done better with some wind. Not much, but, a chop on the water can help. Overcast days the wind helps again, but not as much. .

[LrgmouthShad]

6 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

In bright sun I've done better with some wind. Not much, but, a chop on the water can help. Overcast days the wind helps again, but not as much. .

I’m talking about this:

https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Prevailing_winds
So for instance, here where I am in TX, our winds tend to come from the South

 

Basically my question is, for someone like me where prevailing winds are from the South, are spots on North shores or structure that faces the South at all more productive, generally speaking, and not at all in absolutely terms. There’s lots of stuff that I think are more important, but I just had this random thought this morning

[Bankbeater]

I’m in the Midwest. We get slammed from all directions.  I don’t worry about the direction. I worry more about how hard it’s blowing. 

[WRB]

All our local bass lakes are man made reservoirs with dams at the mouth of canyons. The prevailing winds are down canyon northeast towards the dam. Occasionally we get off shore winds from the ocean or westerly.

Winds create current and wave erosion mud lines that position the bass into the current. 

So anything but prevailing winds changes bass location and where you fish.

Tom

[A-Jay]

Prevailing winds here are North Westerly 

Usually prefer more West than North if I have a choice.

Then I do this ..  . . .  . . 

A-Jay

[king fisher]

      I was a kid I would fish for trout, off a small dock at the only boat launch on my local lake.  My mom would drop me off in the morning and come pick me up sometime before dark.

      In the summer on a normal day the wind would blow lightly out of the south west.  Once in awhile high pressure would move in and the wind would blow strong out of the North East.  The fishing for trout of the dock was always better with the prevailing South West breeze.

    There was a small shallow bay about an hour walk away, that was known as one of the best places to catch bass on the lake.  Some days in the afternoon the wind would make a small shift, and blow more from the West than the South.  From this direction the wind would blow directly in to the bay.  The bass would move from the deeper water outside the bay into the three foot deep water in the bay.  When the wind would make this shift, my friends and I would instantly reel in our rods, take the bobber and worms off, tie on whatever bass plug we had, and take off running across the cow pasture to the only place we could access the bay from the shore.  We had to make long casts, and lost many of our few bass plugs, but if the cast was long enough, we would hook a bass.  providing me with for some of my best child hood memories.

      We would always wonder why the few bass fisherman with the fancy boats, and giant tackle boxes, who could fish the whole lake, would bother to fish that bay when the wind wasn't right.  They would come back to the launch and ask us if we thought the bay was good fishing.  Usually they had heard rumors of great bass fishing there, and were wondering why they didn't have any luck when they fished it.  I couldn't keep a secret and would always tell them why.  Most would just blow the advice off as coming from some kid with a Zebco, bobber and worm outfit who didn't know anything about bass fishing.

      One day an older couple launched their boat and asked me where I thought they could catch some bass.  The wind was blowing perfectly and I told them about the bay.  They asked if I would like to join them.  As quick as a cat I was in their boat rod, and tackle in hand.  Fishing the bay from a boat was way better than from shore.  A person cold access the whole bay, and we caught bass every cast for about a half hour.  My only lure was an old Heddon River Runt, and they had the first spinnerbaits I had ever seen.  My River Runt worked ok, but that was the day I became hooked on spinnerbaits.  They were like magical baits, and I still give one a try every time the wind blows.  

     Since that time I have found other places where the right wind strength and direction can improve the bite, but I have never found a place that is as magical as that bay, when the wind blows directly out of the West, on a hot summer day.

[T-Billy]

Yep. Especially spring and fall, and especially if we get some wind from the same direction for a couple days or more. It can really stack the fish up on shallow structure.

[Tennessee Boy]

In the spring the sun warms the water at the surface and the wind blows that warm water.  So in the spring I would expect your lakes to warm up on the north side first due to your prevailing winds from the south.  
 

Fish prefer to spawn in sheltered locations so spots that are sheltered from the prevailing winds from the south would be preferred.

[Team9nine]

I can tell you that in smaller bodies of water, the only thing more important than fishing the prevailing winds is to fish the heavy rainstorms. It’s pretty high up the list IME 

[casts_by_fly]

I use the Jason Christie method.  When all else fails, grab a spinnerbait and start going down the bank that the wind is blowing onto.  Wind creates current.  Current moves algae/insects/biomass.  Biomass pulls baitfish.  Bass follow bait.  If the wind has been sustained for a day or more, then fish the back sides of points that are windswept.  Think of it like a current break in a river and the fish stack up behind it waiting for batifish to pass.  

[Bankc]

23 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I’m talking about this:

https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Prevailing_winds
So for instance, here where I am in TX, our winds tend to come from the South

 

Basically my question is, for someone like me where prevailing winds are from the South, are spots on North shores or structure that faces the South at all more productive, generally speaking, and not at all in absolutely terms. There’s lots of stuff that I think are more important, but I just had this random thought this morning

Maybe.  The only way to know for sure is to try.  

 

For the lakes I fish, it's not so cut and dry.  We tend to get a lot of stiff winds, and if the wind and current get strong enough, it'll keep the fish off those areas.  They'll spend too much energy fighting the winds and current to justify any enhanced feeding opportunities.  And the baitfish will just avoid the areas, as they're completely exposed and not strong enough to fight the current.  They tend to be good spots for large schools of white bass, which will push baitfish into those areas, but largemouth don't hunt in coordinated schools as much.  And even the white bass won't stay in an exposed area long.  They'll usually just push a school of baitfish into an area, feed off them for a bit, and then the baitfish will work free of the area and the white bass will follow.   

 

So often times, I find that protected areas like coves near windblown banks are the better option.  However, it depends on the lake and the wind strength and direction.  I tend to look for areas that the current will funnel bait fish into, and then look for the safest areas just off that for LMB.  Stuff like coves, the backside of a point, or even a channel deep enough to not be so affected by the wind can all be productive.  And if the wind isn't too strong, sometimes the windblown banks can be good as well.  

 

So it's definitely a factor to consider.  But it can work against you just as easily as it can work for you.  And it can change from day to day depending on conditions.  

[LrgmouthShad]

3 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

I use the Jason Christie method.  When all else fails, grab a spinnerbait and start going down the bank that the wind is blowing onto.  Wind creates current.  Current moves algae/insects/biomass.  Biomass pulls baitfish.  Bass follow bait.  If the wind has been sustained for a day or more, then fish the back sides of points that are windswept.  Think of it like a current break in a river and the fish stack up behind it waiting for batifish to pass.  

I’ve been known to just start chucking a spinnerbait when I have no idea what the heck is going on ?. Or just start graphing around looking at stuff and admiring the wildlife ?

[TnRiver46]

If the wind is blowing where I live, it’s time to get inside. 

[MickD]

On 7/30/2023 at 10:26 AM, LrgmouthShad said:

Basically my question is, for someone like me where prevailing winds are from the South, are spots on North shores or structure that faces the South at all more productive, generally speaking, and not at all in absolutely terms.

Yes.

[MassBass]

Wind from the south blows bait into the basses mouth

[Team9nine]

18 minutes ago, MassBass said:

Wind from the south blows bait into the basses mouth

wind from the east makes the bass feast.

wind from the north anglers better go forth.

wind from the west bass often bite best.

 

 

[Catt]

My records show 70% of the bass over 6#s were caught during southerly prevailing wind.

 

Those same records show I fish more during the summer when the prevailing winds are from a southerly direction.

 

Was it the wind!

Was it because of summer?

Was it because of the amount of time on the water?

 

Can't control the wind, if it ain't blowing me off the water, I'm going fishing!

[Captain Phil]

Here in Florida, our wind is fairly predictable.   When a cold front approaches, wind switches from the east to the south. As the front moves closer, our wind moves more westerly and the wind picks up. Our best fishing occurs when the wind is out of the west. I have seen some incredible fishing days with a west wind at 20 mph or more.  After the front passes, the wind moves toward the northwest and the temperature drops.  When a calm sets in, fishing can be very tough.   In March, April and May, we can have days or weeks of hard wind out of the east.  This is caused by high pressure over Bermuda.  Summer thunderstorms start in late June and can continue until early October.   I prefer fishing with a slight ripple on the water.  Luckily, the lakes where I fish always have some shoreline where I can pick and choose the conditions.  My best windy day bait by far is a spinnerbait.

[Pat Brown]

I really really like fishing when it's windy.  I don't care what direction or time of year, if it's windy, I'm going.

 

To expand on this just a little bit.

 

I fish a lowland reservoir that barely ever flows any sort of current what so ever.  When the wind blows, fish eat.  It's about as close to current as they ever experience in their lives.

[dodgeguy]

excuse my ignorance but does an easterly wind blow from west to east or east to west?

[MN Fisher]

50 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

excuse my ignorance but does an easterly wind blow from west to east or east to west?

Easterlies are winds that come from the east and blow toward the west.

[Catt]

pre·vail·ing wind:

a wind from the direction that is predominant at a particular place or season.

 

[WRB]

Beau-fort scale = wind speed.

Tom

[Mobasser]

7 hours ago, Team9nine said:

wind from the east makes the bass feast.

wind from the north anglers better go forth.

wind from the west bass often bite best.

 

 

Wind from the south, puts the hook in they're mouth.