Wind is your friend

[airborne_angler]

Ive heard this many times and cant figure out what makes wind your friend. I do know it can save on your TM battery when you want to drift somewhere,but it can also be a killer when trolling into it or trying to steady your boat.

I bring this up because yesterday I went to the lake and it was stupid windy. Normally I give up in the wind and go home,but I wasnt so determined to catch fish,I was just out there tooling around.

The bite wasnt "hot" but I did manage to boat and release a total of 9 fish. None were huge,biggest about 2#.

I dont know if it was the wind,or if it was because I dedicated my day to pretty much only throwing a Dropshot that made it pay off. Was weird,the wind didnt bother me as much as it normally does and it was blowing pretty hard.

So I guess when fishing in the wind,dont let the wind defeat you. Lots of money has been won in tourneys where wind was a terrible deterrent.

Keep this in mind,when the tourney pros go to a lake,they dont have an on/off switch to dictate the wind or any other weather. They gotta fish in the conditions that are handed to them.

Lot of times they do real well even in horrible conditions. If they can tough it out and be successful...So can you (and I). Ive decided not to give up when the weather turns(with the exception of when the weather gets hazardous)

Try to remember this:

NO EXPECTATIONS....NO DISAPPOINTMENTS

[MichiganFisherman]

Fishing in the wind (or other unfavorable conditions) for a chance to win money and fishing in the wind with no chance to make money are two different things, I think.

I hate the wind.

[Jig Man]

I like a good stiff breeze to bucking and bouncing if I am fishing swimjigs, spinnerbaits or cranks.

Best of all is a wind that has blown from the same direction for at least 3 days.  In that amount of time algae will be moved to the bank on the water currents, zooplankton will follow the algae, bait fish which feed on the zooplankton will follow the zooplankton and bait fish eaters will position themselves at attack points for easy meals.

From early September until early December I wait for the weatherman to say 15 mph or higher then I pick my banks and hook up the boat.

[FL_Sharpshooter]

For some reason, I always get a hit every single time I fish a lizard as a topwater bait when it is windy.  I just use those zoom chartreuse/blk pepper lizards, or lizards that have some sort of color flaked in them.  Try that out, just toss them on top of the water weightless and fish them fast enough to keep breaking the surface of the water.

[Matt Fly]

Wind creates a current, it positions zoo planktons (micro-organism) which are what shad and other bait fish eat.

   Wind can break the mirror image or glassed effect that cause fish on fairly clear lakes to go deep into cover on days like this, wind breaks up the surface and allows fish to move to the edges or open waters.

[A-Jay]

When the wind gets up, really burning a white on white spinner bait in clear water, just under the surface, over/around wind blown points can be a dynamite way to hammer smb in early fall. The strike is vicious.

A-Jay

[OHIO]

Ive heard this many times and cant figure out what makes wind your friend. I do know it can save on your TM battery when you want to drift somewhere,but it can also be a killer when trolling into it or trying to steady your boat.

I bring this up because yesterday I went to the lake and it was stupid windy. Normally I give up in the wind and go home,but I wasnt so determined to catch fish,I was just out there tooling around.

The bite wasnt "hot" but I did manage to boat and release a total of 9 fish. None were huge,biggest about 2#.

I dont know if it was the wind,or if it was because I dedicated my day to pretty much only throwing a Dropshot that made it pay off. Was weird,the wind didnt bother me as much as it normally does and it was blowing pretty hard.

So I guess when fishing in the wind,dont let the wind defeat you. Lots of money has been won in tourneys where wind was a terrible deterrent.

Keep this in mind,when the tourney pros go to a lake,they dont have an on/off switch to dictate the wind or any other weather. They gotta fish in the conditions that are handed to them.

Lot of times they do real well even in horrible conditions. If they can tough it out and be successful...So can you (and I). Ive decided not to give up when the weather turns(with the exception of when the weather gets hazardous)

Try to remember this:

NO EXPECTATIONS....NO DISAPPOINTMENTS

This statement reminds me of the Mike Iaconelli video with Glenn. In the video he says that if you learn to fun fish, you will most likely become a better fisherman. Maybe this had something to do with you catching fish (just a guess).

[roadwarrior]

I can appreciate some of the positive comments,

I don't doubt the benefits a bit, but wind has never

been a friend of mine.

I hate fishing in the wind.

[Hellbenderman]

All of the above, especially providing currents around structure, stacking up bait, and making light less direct. For me the most important thing is that the choppy water breaks up the light under the water. Check out a swimming pool on a calm day and on a windy day. On the calm day, the bottom is uniformly blue because the light is not refracted much, but on a windy day the light is broken up and patterns form on the bottom as the light goes through each little wavelet. This pattern also appears on your lures and makes it generally less "lure looking". A calm day on my lake is the kiss of death, and a day of fishing very slowly in 20 -30 feet.

[brushhoggin]

good pep talk airborne.

[airborne_angler]

Guess I just went in to "fun Fish" yesterday because with the weather and wind I wasnt expecting to catch ANYTHING. When I did it was a very welcomed surprise.

I was less uptight yesterday,and normally I get easily frustrated when my hook gets into one of my other poles and such.

Ive also been trying to keep a Strike King Professional in mind. Clay Dyer. He truely is an inspiration. Thinking of him when I get flustered can seriously calm me down.Hes got so much going against him but he still keeps on keeping on. Heck,if he can fish with his condition,become a pro and place in Tourneys,why should I let a little ol day of fun fishing get me all worked up when things dont go right.

Clay Dyer might even be able to put some of us to shame with his abilities,and for some of us,hed whoop the pants off of in a fishing contest...

[EastTexasBassin]

When it comes to windy days, I've had some really great ones and some really bad ones.  Fast moving lures and topwaters are still easy to fish in the wind and when the fish are active its a blast.  I've had some of my most exciting days fishing buzzbaits and ragetail shads along wind-blown banks.

When the fish are inactive, the wind makes it hard for me to slow down.  I'll usually fish a heavy c-rig or a jig and even then it can be hard to detect a bite when the wind is blowing my line into a big arch.

When it's windy, I use an anchor.  I'm not interested in fighting it with the trolling motor.  I find some structure that I want to fish, drop the anchor, and fish it over as well as I can.

[salmicropterus]

Anytime you can make tough adverse conditions be your friend, you have a leg up on a lot of people who will mentally check out. My biggest issue is trying to worm/finesse fish in it as I lose contact with any feel. I am totally amazed and in awe when I see someone drop shopping on Lake Erie and they can barely stand up on the front of the boat I guess the lesson here is to try and power fish and hope that the wind has broken up the water enough that the fish get aggressive.

[hogrustler]

Good stuff here.

Over the past four days I have stuck some really nice fish while battling a stout wind.

Fishing parallel with the bank into the wind when possible is effective method. 8-)

salmicropterus made a good point "alot of people mentally check out" in adverse conditions. I realize this years ago and took it as a challenge along with having the choice of the prime spots without the pressure.

[scbassin]

The wind is your friend, all the reasons above have stated why. I know it is tough to cast into it but with practice you will get better at it.  If you can afford one a Shimano DC reel is very useful on windy day. You can catch some big stringers on windy days, I did last week 35lbs 4 oz. with a best 5 fish.

[Red]

I hate the freakin wind.  As far as I am concerned it is no help to me.  If I can't keep my boat where I want, to catch fish, then what good is it doing me?  I don't care if it is 110 degrees or 25 outside, if it is calm, I am fishin!

[Casca]

in wind i like to throw reaction baits (spinner baits,cranks). i'll burn those spinner baits. also i'll throw big top water plugs(swimbaits).

[fishfordollars]

I like a good stiff breeze to bucking and bouncing if I am fishing swimjigs, spinnerbaits or cranks.

Best of all is a wind that has blown from the same direction for at least 3 days. In that amount of time algae will be moved to the bank on the water currents, zooplankton will follow the algae, bait fish which feed on the zooplankton will follow the zooplankton and bait fish eaters will position themselves at attack points for easy meals.

From early September until early December I wait for the weatherman to say 15 mph or higher then I pick my banks and hook up the boat.

X2, and usually everyone has run from the wind so that area has been untouched since the wind got up.

[Dave P]

A little isn't bad, but a ton of wind can be a PITA.

[Volman482]

Wind = Spinner bait action Yee Haw!!!!!!

[southtexasbassin]

Fishing wind over 10mph on Falcon Lake can be very crazy.  Id rather stay home.  But I agree that some wind is good. 

[pad slammer]

Bring on the Wind anything under 30mph I'm game. Have had some of my best days in winds that I'm the only fisher on the water. Maybe it has something to do with no pressure or no expectations. Anytime I can have the whole lake to myself is a good day!

[BIG M]

I love throwing cranks to a wind blown bank.   

[Taylor Fishin 4 life]

Wind doesnt bother me I like it more in the Summer when the water is nasty and un oxygenated.  It stirs up the water colum and makes the bass a little more active.

[MaxumBass]

Wind is why I'm saving my pennies for a Power Pole ! I fish mostly shallow and it would be awesome to be able to stop and fish a spot without fighting with the trolling motor.