How much wind is too much?

[crypticstatic]

As i'm keeping my eye on the weather reports on a daily basis I'm wondering if fishing in 15 mph winds is too much wind. What do you guys think??

I was out on a lake at one point where we had wind gusts up to 25 mph which was WAY too much wind....

How windy of a day will you guys go out on?

[j-bass]

It all depends on how you are fishing.  If you are shore-bound and the wind is blowing against you at 25mph you might have some problems.  If your are throwing with the wind.......well, that much further of a cast.  For me, the most frustrating things about the wind: when it blows your line into a tree.  and when you have a small jon boat like me and the wind keeps blowing your boat all over the place.

[flechero]

2 things to look at....  

1.  Are you having to cross large open areas which will get really rough? (is the launch protected?)

2.  Is your weatherman better than mine?  ...lol  A Belton 10mph "breeze" as reported by our weatherman is normally in the 20+ range on the lake, with sizeable swells to go with it.  Also how does your lake set up?  Our's is a deep, rocky, river lake with many canyon-like walls that funnel any available wind...  

I guess that's really more than 2 things but you get the idea.

Some lakes we fish are no trouble until you get into the high 20's mph and some are brutal when the wind is only up to 10 mph.  It has more to do with the specific lake than the actual wind speed, most times.

[Guest avid]

15 mph is not uncommon here on the SE Florida coast.  I'll fish it.  When it starts gusting up past 20 mph you better be reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel careful and confident of your boating skills and equipment.

At 20 mph waves will crest (whitecaps) on most lakes.  Better not to risk it.

[Siebert Outdoors]

About 30 is where I start looking at maybe not going.  There are alot of factors.  

The way the lake sits and the direction of the wind.

Type of boat

Experience in driving in larger waves

Are the fish bitting or am I wasting time

Just to name a few.  

One of my mottos is "If you wait for the perfect day to fish you will never get to go"

[YankeesWin]

15 mph is not uncommon here on the SE Florida coast.  I'll fish it.  When it starts gusting up past 20 mph you better be reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel careful and confident of your boating skills and equipment.

At 20 mph waves will crest (whitecaps) on most lakes.  Better not to risk it.

I agree 15mph isn't too bad, and most times if the weather man says 10-15 you had better know it will be 15 on the lake.  At 20 mph and higher things start getting pretty hairy.  That's when I consider finding something else to do.  Like grabbin' a cold one and catching the game.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

15 is fine

20 is uncomfortable

25 I am off the lake

[Glenn]

15 is annoying

20 I seek protected areas (unless the bass are slamming baits in open water)

25 I show off how my Ranger can handle it.    (...as I head for the ramp)

30 I stay home. (Unless it's a tournament, then I stick to protected areas near the ramp)

35 I'm putting the boat on the trailer no matter what time the weigh-in is!

[tbird]

As posted earlier the type of lake you are fishing has a lot to do with it. I have a lake 20 minutes from the house where I can fish with 25 mph wind because it is narrow and windy. I have another lake about an hour away and this lake is very difficult to fish with 15 mph wind. I will usually pack it up when I am on fish and I can't keep the trolling motor prop in the water.

[Randall]

The fish will bite in the wind. Its just a matter of boat handling and what your boat will handle. My all electric rig will do pretty well up to about 35 mph. After that I have to stay in protected areas or its dangerous because I cant pump out the water as fast as its coming in. This past Feburary I had two days with 35 mph winds from the South and we caught five fish limits weighing over twenty five pounds both days burning rattle traps. It wasnt easy to control the boat but the fish were biting. I wore waders one of those days to keep my legs dry from the waves coming over the front of the boat. LOL. I have also seen three 14 foot jonboats sink at 30 mph.

[Al Wolbach]

Fished a tournament earlier this year. Fish I had located in practice were way under docks hitting weightless flukes. The flukes had to be skipped under the docks to reach the fish. Day of tournament wind 25-30 mph. I had a great time. Boat control nearly impossible, lure control totally impossible. No backup plan. Only caught three finished 1 place out of the money but learned a lesson.

The real bottom line is if you don't feel safe get off the water.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

2 words that can change the opinion of everyone above (except Randall due to pumping limitations)

DRIFT ANCHOR

We use these commonly in salt water but I got one for a 14 ft boat that works like a charm on my 12.  My ability to fish in weather has doubled.

[Matt Fly]

The wind is your friend.     Learn to use it safely.

[flechero]

Quote

2 words that can change the opinion of everyone above (except Randall due to pumping limitations)

DRIFT ANCHOR

We use these commonly in salt water but I got one for a 14 ft boat that works like a charm on my 12. My ability to fish in weather has doubled.

Way to use the noodle!! ...lol You'd think I would have rememebered to suggest that since I carry one. ...lol

 

[BassChaser57]

Some of the best fishing we had this year in Canada was when we were coming out of a protected cove and the wind was howling. The trolling motor could not handle it and we were blowing backward but we started catching fish like CRAZY! I started the engine, motored into the wind, shut it off then put the trolling motor on high to slow our backward drift speed and again POW, the fish were kamakazies. We looked at it and guessed the wind was stacking up baitfish and stirring up goodies from the bottom, the buffet was on.

I have heard "the wind is your friend" and on this day it sure was as we went to a protected cove and never got a strike--back out into the wind we went. Just be safe!

8-)

[Rattlinrogue]

Although I'll fish in worse conditions,I prefer fishing with a nice little ripple.

[George Welcome]

30-35: electric boat - waders to try and stay dry - Over the last 5 years I have been witness to 3 bodies being removed from the lake - If your boat isn't made for it, get off the water: no one will consider you brave or heroic as they stand over your coffin.

[senile1]

2 words that can change the opinion of everyone above (except Randall due to pumping limitations)

DRIFT ANCHOR

We use these commonly in salt water but I got one for a 14 ft boat that works like a charm on my 12.  My ability to fish in weather has doubled.

I've been planning on getting a drift sock for this very reason.  I'll fish water with winds up to 25 mph, but on wide sections where the wind can create big whitecaps my little 15 and a half foot boat is not up to it.  I have to choose carefully where I'm going to be on the lake when the winds are this high, as Flechero stated in his earlier post.    

[Guest the_muddy_man]

When there are whitecaps on the lake, and the water is coming over the gunwalls into the boat ITS TOO WINDY

[Randall]

30-35: electric boat - waders to try and stay dry - Over the last 5 years I have been witness to 3 bodies being removed from the lake - If your boat isn't made for it, get off the water: no one will consider you brave or heroic as they stand over your coffin.

Even though I had on waders the boat was never in danger of going down. I looked back at my post and saw how it read. It should have read more like water was  splashing over the front as I hit the waves. The front of my boat was hitting the waves but a whole wave never came over the front.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I guess I never really answered. I'll fish to 20ish if it's triggering a bite. I won't try and tough it out. Depends on the direction also with my lake. I'm assuming we are talking about "out in the open" though. With a north wind, many of our coves are fishable, south is the opposite. (duh) Ithe main lake body is just that and it doesn't matter, wide open.

I'm only in a 12 ft jon and although it's extra wide and deep (1964), anything over 20 and I drift way too fast and it's not safe to use the sock over the side. If I tie it off the bow,I drift too fast also.

I think I'll get the next size sock up for that. Does anyone know of any inherent dangers in using an over-sized sock than is rated for your boat? I use a sock for a 14 ft and I think the next one is for a 20'.

GW- Thanks for the wake up poke. I've been around a few of those in salt water but not fresh. We have a sand bar that drunks like to try and carve through after the bars close and they race up the bay in their little weiny boats. Usually very ugly.

[KYbass1276]

The fish will bite in the wind. Its just a matter of boat handling and what your boat will handle. My all electric rig will do pretty well up to about 35 mph. After that I have to stay in protected areas or its dangerous because I cant pump out the water as fast as its coming in. This past Feburary I had two days with 35 mph winds from the South and we caught five fish limits weighing over twenty five pounds both days burning rattle traps. It wasnt easy to control the boat but the fish were biting. I wore waders one of those days to keep my legs dry from the waves coming over the front of the boat. LOL. I have also seen three 14 foot jonboats sink at 30 mph.

Sorry Bro ain't no fish worth that risk.  By the way do you know how fast someone thats been thrown over board sinks to the bottom wearing waders.  I don't probally because no one has lived to tell.  No offense not trying to be mean or anything just hate to see you get hurt or killed

[Randall]

The fish will bite in the wind. Its just a matter of boat handling and what your boat will handle. My all electric rig will do pretty well up to about 35 mph. After that I have to stay in protected areas or its dangerous because I cant pump out the water as fast as its coming in. This past Feburary I had two days with 35 mph winds from the South and we caught five fish limits weighing over twenty five pounds both days burning rattle traps. It wasnt easy to control the boat but the fish were biting. I wore waders one of those days to keep my legs dry from the waves coming over the front of the boat. LOL. I have also seen three 14 foot jonboats sink at 30 mph.

Sorry Bro ain't no fish worth that risk. By the way do you know how fast someone thats been thrown over board sinks to the bottom wearing waders. I don't probally because no one has lived to tell. No offense not trying to be mean or anything just hate to see you get hurt or killed

You wont sink if you have on a PFD.  ;)But in Feb its not sinking you worry about. Its the cold water. My boat handles 35 mph on the lakes I fish well. Theres a couple of guys on this board who have been with me in high winds and can tell you that I am not putting myself in danger with 35 mph wind. Its just hard to control the boat in the wind. Go over that and it dangerous and I am off the lake quick.

[George Welcome]

Increase the size of the sock Russ.