Prevailing Winds

[dodgeguy]

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

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

Thank you. That's what I thought.

[papajoe222]

My club lake is only 120 acres and has many long islands, it’s an old strip mining pit. Those islands shores are on the east and west sides. 
What I’ve found from fishing this small body of water, I’ve also seen in most every lake I fish. After two or three days of wind from the same general direction, my catch rate is almost 50% higher on the wind blown shores and structural elements than on the calmer ones, even though they may be facing the sun for the majority of the day.  
This catch rate is slightly biased as I have been targeting the wind blown areas first whenever this happens. During the summer, the prevailing wind/breeze may last a week and I may never hit spots on the other side at all. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i tend to gravitate towards shorelines that are getting blown into from the water side.  i just seem to do better. 

[WRB]

I thought someone would post the Beaufort scale...

Here is a partial list related to prevailing winds.

O = calm

1 = light air, 1 to 3 mph

2 = light breeze, 4 to 7 mph

3 = gentle breeze, 8 to 12 mph

4 = moderate breeze, 13 to 18 mph

5 = fresh breeze, 19 to 24 mph

Anything wind speed higher isn’t prevailing, it’s a strong wind.

Tom

[papajoe222]

27 minutes ago, WRB said:

I thought someone would post the Beaufort scale...

Here is a partial list related to prevailing winds.

O = calm

1 = light air, 1 to 3 mph

2 = light breeze, 4 to 7 mph

3 = gentle breeze, 8 to 12 mph

4 = moderate breeze, 13 to 18 mph

5 = fresh breeze, 19 to 24 mph

Anything wind speed higher isn’t prevailing, it’s a strong wind.

Tom

I smiled when I read this. Not because I remember being taught it, but because I have my own scale for shooting bench rest.

0-8mph   = prime time

8-14mph = stick to 300yrds or less

15- ? mph= save the ammo and go fishing

[MassBass]

On 8/1/2023 at 10:29 AM, 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.

 

 

It's wind from the east, fishings least. 

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, MassBass said:

It's wind from the east, fishings least. 

For who? ? I like east winds 

[thediscochef]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:13 AM, LrgmouthShad said:

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

Yes, but it gets real evident when conditions suck (like right now). Following the bait at Ray Roberts, I have found that they school the most in the calm, protected areas from swell the vast majority of the time. The dam runs east-west, and with a south wind the bite is best up against the dam's rip rap, or in creek arms that have an east-west treeline. Right now, if I wake up to an easterly wind I am fishing the east side of the lake. I broke that pattern the last two days and blanked the whole way. The idea was the swell may churn up food for the forage. But I think right now it's all temperature related, and the places where the wind first hits the water seem to be doing the heavy lifting. I don't think a particular wind direction kills fishing altogether, I think it's more that certain winds kill certain spots.

[Catt]

On 8/2/2023 at 12:54 PM, papajoe222 said:

What I’ve found from fishing this small body of water, I’ve also seen in most every lake I fish. After two or three days of wind from the same general direction, my catch rate is almost 50% higher on the wind blown shores and structural elements than on the calmer ones, even though they may be facing the sun for the majority of the day.

 

Stable ?

 

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall I'm looking for stable weather conditions regardless of what they are.

[Darth-Baiter]

18 hours ago, WRB said:

I thought someone would post the Beaufort scale...

Here is a partial list related to prevailing winds.

O = calm

1 = light air, 1 to 3 mph

2 = light breeze, 4 to 7 mph

3 = gentle breeze, 8 to 12 mph

4 = moderate breeze, 13 to 18 mph

5 = fresh breeze, 19 to 24 mph

Anything wind speed higher isn’t prevailing, it’s a strong wind.

Tom

there is a 0.25 factor of safety if you are on a kayak.  I am out after #3.

[Columbia Craw]

I only know one certainty regarding the prevailing wind direction. If you fish in the back of the boat with me you will want the wind blowing from behind.  

 

[detroit1]

My catching is least when wind from the east.

[N Florida Mike]

My best numbers day came while fishing during a 20+ west wind that had blown already for a day or two. The fish were piled up on the east ( windward ) shoreline.

Caught my PB during a strong southeast wind .

All I know is I never go saltwater fishing with a southwest wind. It doesn’t seem to matter as much in freshwater…