Fishing beds on stained, windy water

[senile1]

I'm curious about how the rest of you fish spawning beds on a very stained lake under windy conditions that make site fishing absolutely impossible.  I'm sure a number of t-rigged plastics and jigs would be good in these situations, but under very high winds (20 - 35 mph) how heavy of a weight do you use for beds in say 3 - 6 feet of water?  I toss these onto flats where I know the bass spawn and hope that I drag them into a bed.

I don't know if it is just me or what, but this spring has been windier than any I can remember.  I fished a small 55 acre lake yesterday and the temps were in the lower to mid 60s depending on my location.  I was catching fish in bedding areas with t-rigged tubes and Fat Ikas.  It was so windy I couldn't fish the Fat Ika weightless, except in areas protected from the wind.  

[flyphisher #]

Unless there is a coldfront a 1/2 or bigger jig or T-rig creature bait. I always use at least a 3/8 oz tungsten weight when the wind is up. If the fish have lockjaw due to weather and spawn I will go to a T-rigged 4-6" senko knockoff w/ a 1/2 oz. tungsten wt and drag it really slow.

[Catt]

Ever think of an anchor?  

Then you can fish with lighter weights, anchor fan cast the area, lift anchor letting the wind move you, anchor and fan cast again.  

[senile1]

An anchor is a great idea, normally.  I was using one this weekend but the bottom was mucky and the wind blowing against my boat was pulling the anchor through the muck until it would dig deep enough to hold.  So it was very difficult to hold the position I wanted.  Even when anchored though, I was curious what most of you use as weights in high winds.  I was catching fish but I just wondered what I could do different to improve.  I don't normally fish in winds as high as they were yesterday but, due to long work hours over the last two months, I'm having to fish when I can get out and if that means fishing in wind gusts of 35 mph or higher then I'm going.  That's why I chose a smaller lake so it wouldn't be so dangerous.  

[hi_steel_basser]

C-rigged lizards and critters work well in the conditions you described, as well as jigs. Unless there is alot of moss in the area. I don't know what you should do then.

[northgabassfisher]

i like to use chatterbaits or a fishhead spin some type of reaction bait

[Catt]

I carry a 20 lb River Anchor designed especially for rivers and mud bottom lakes. Ideal for pontoon and bass boats. Cast iron construction with a vinyl coating.

[dink]

I fish a very stained lake alot.  During the spawn, I throw T-rigged plastics with 3/16 or 1/4 even when the wind ISN'T blowing.  My lake has only 1-2 feet of visibility which makes the fish much less spooky.  So, I can't see why you couldn't use a weight big enough to feel what is going on down there.  One other thing I do when the wind is in the bedding areas is throw a big spinnerbait with huge willows bringing it directly through the beds.

[Catt]

Wind limits the directions you can throw so boat positioning becomes important, since you're fishing a lake with a soft bottom you might want to consider a Marsh Anchor/Throw Down Pole.

These are easily built by using a 4' long - ½ diameter piece of steel with a steel nut welded to one end and the other end is pointed. The rope is tied to the nut and the other end is tied to your boat, once in position simply throw the pole straight down.

You are now anchored solidly in position!  

[senile1]

C-rigged lizards and critters work well in the conditions you described, as well as jigs. Unless there is alot of moss in the area. I don't know what you should do then.

Thanks, HSB.  I like lizards too.  There is alot of mucky vegetation on this lake though it hasn't grown too deep yet, but it was deep enough to foul my baits on numerous casts.  I was having the best luck pitching into cover and shaking my tubes and the Ika.  I didn't move them much because they would foul.  I read an article on this site about dropshotting beds by J T Bagwell and I'm thinking that I could've used a heavy enough dropshot weight to handle the wind, and yet I could keep the lure just above the muck.  

Dink stated:

So, I can't see why you couldn't use a weight big enough to feel what is going on down there.  One other thing I do when the wind is in the bedding areas is throw a big spinnerbait with huge willows bringing it directly through the beds.

Good point about the weight, Dink.  I did try throwing a spinnerbait with willowleaf blades as you suggested.  I caught two fish that way, but then nothing.  The fish that were willing to strike a bait other than plastics seemed to prefer a rat'l'trap to the spinnerbait.  These were smaller fish though.

[jomatty]

i was in a similar situation yesterday but the wind wasnt nearly as bad as what you describe, although it was a factor.  i caught most of my fish on a fat ika and some on a paca craw t-rigged with a 3/8th tungsten weight.  seeing the fish was impossible but i could see the beds easily enough.  i would fish the bait slowly on and around the beds and watch the line very closely.  it can be tricky becasue they will pick it up and blow it out off the bed so quick.