Taking the confusion out of the wind

[Ima Bass Ninja]

Ok so i've heard several different places conflicting statements. One time i will hear "man when the wind started to blow the bass really lit up and started biting".

Then another instance i will hear" man they were biting good till the wind started to blow".

Mostly i hear this from pro's on fishing shows so my question is what conditions will wind help the fishing and what conditions will the wind hurt?

[FD.]

It has been my experience the fishing the wind blown bank produces fish.  Up to about 15 mph.  Then it get to hard to feel a bite.  I have read that wind stirs up the food source for bait fish which causes them to feed which causes bass to feed on the bait fish.  I don't know if that is true but all other things being equal, I will take the wind.

[BassChaser57]

Also in the spring a windblown bank should be a few degrees warmer.

The wind is your friend.

[bassman31783]

Now I have no facts to back what I'm about to write but here we go. I usually find that winds really only effects shallow water fishing or fish that are high in the water column. As long as I can stay on the deeper water fish the bite doesn't really change in my experience. Weather it be that the wind stirs up what the bait fish feed on, oxygenates the water, provides a little camouflage I don't know. What I do know is that when the wind picks up significantly it generally makes our jobs as fishermen harder. Between boat control, and working the lure we have more things that are consuming our attention other then fishing, causing us (me) to rush and not be as affective. This in turn makes me sometimes think that the bit has turned off rather then realizing that I'm probably working the lure different/faster/not as effective as I was before. Just my 2cents.

Generally though I like it to be breezy.  I have more confidence with the wind blowing a little just not a lot.

[Bass Dude]

I think of the wind just like I do current.  It positions them in fairly predictable places and it usually gets them feeding more actively.

and---some current is productive and some isn't.

[fmoore]

One thing to remember is that when the wind starts to blow a storm system/front may be associated with that wind. That would explain the 'they turned on/they turned off' discrepancy.

As has been said, wind is your friend. Learn how to use it to your advantage and you'll become a better fisherman.

[piscicidal]

Ok so i've heard several different places conflicting statements. One time i will hear "man when the wind started to blow the bass really lit up and started biting".

Then another instance i will hear" man they were biting good till the wind started to blow".

Mostly i hear this from pro's on fishing shows so my question is what conditions will wind help the fishing and what conditions will the wind hurt?

I think it depends on the type of lake you are fishing. If you are fishign a lake with relatively clear water and structure, I think the better fishing will be had on points/banks on the downwind side, where bait congregates. On the other hand a shallow muddy lake like Okeechobee...the downwind side can get really muddy which will certainly turn off the fishing. When fishing Okeechobee, I will always target a portion of the lake which has the cleanest water, and start refining my search from there.

[senile1]

The wind moves the plankton and the baitfish follow, thus, positioning the bass to feed.  There's no mystery there.  This is why a windblown bank can be good.  However, there are more factors to consider.  If one is fishing deep and the wind and boat traffic create waves that are high enough to pitch the boat up and down, lure depth control can become a real problem.  As has been already stated, boat control can become a problem as well.  Generally though, I like wind if it isn't too blustery. 

[roadwarrior]

Wind has never been a friend of mine.

[Fish Chris]

I freaking despise wind  > > > >

However, this is mostly because of my own comfort.

As far as the fish are concerned, I think a little chop on the water is probably a +..... most of the time.

One thing I will say though, in our area, the prevailing winds are from the West. This is what's "normal" for our area. Normal wqind / weather = normal fish feeding activity. However, any time we have some weird, oddball East, Or North wind blow through, it flat shuts the fish down in a heart beat !

I heard an old timers saying that says, "Wind from the West, fish bite the best, Wind from the East, fish bite the least". And I have to believe their is a lot of truyth to that saying.

Peace,

Fish

PS, With sight fishing, a 1 mph hour breeze is the most hideous thing on the planet ! ....okay, well 2 mph is twice as bad ! ....and so on

[WRB]

It depends on the strength of the wind and size/shape of the waterway.

A light chop or small waves help to break up the suns light rays creating lighter and darker bands within the water column and bass can use this to help camouflage them.

Wind also creates a current and this helps to activate prey and bass take advantage of the water movement.

High sustained winds can move water on large waterways like a tidal current, dropping or raising the water level.

Wind can be both good and bad depending on it's velocity, temperature and where you fish.

I hate fighting high wind and like fishing in light wind.

Tom

[dulouz]

Does anyone still beleive the old wive's tales about which way the wind blows?   

[RoLo]

As collectively mentioned above, wind produces three favorable conditions:

1) Wind blows phytoplankton toward downwind shorelines and baitfish will be in tow.

Adult bass are not pelagic, but are essentially residential fish that lie in ambush.

All the same, bass are opportunistic predators, and when a school

of bloom-following baitfish enters their domain it'll typically trigger a feeding binge.

Needless to say, this does not apply to riverine situations.

2) The light refraction caused by broken water surface downgrades the vision of game fish.

In essence, wind offers the same benefit as dingy water or an overcast sky.

3) Warm water weighs less than cold water, so it naturally rises to the top of the lake.

During robust and sustained winds, the warm upper layer is shifted toward

downwind shorelines where it tends to build up. Meanwhile, due to the rotary action

of wind on the lake, the water along upwind shores will be replaced by cooler water from beneath.

All that said, I prefer to fish in calm water where I have better control and better feel

Roger

[Raul]

Does anyone still beleive the old wive's tales about which way the wind blows?

Not me.

[Jig Man]

I have used the wind in the fall for many years.  I rarely go unless the wind is blowing.  If it comes from a different direction every day as it sometimes does in the fall in is not necessarily a good thing as the food chain moves around too much.

The absolute best fishing for me has been when has come from the same direction for at least 3 consecutive days.  That definitely has the food chain moved to windy banks.  That is the main reason I have a long heavy boat with a strong trolling motor and extra shaft length on it.

I have seen the wind switch to the north and stop the bite dead dog dead.  But it usually is accompanied by a cold front.

[SirSnookalot]

I like wind and lots of it, agree about fishing the bank getting the wind.   For me it's all about baitfish, that's where there is a better chance of gamefish.

[WRB]

Living on the west coast wind from the west is onshore and usually not strong, usually a approaching low pressure front. Wind blowing off shore is typically a Santana; very strong wind out the east or northeast is usually a high pressure front.

The old saying wind from the west fishing is best and wind from the east fishing was least is right on target. You can fish in a light west wind a lot easier and should stay home for safety reasons if the wind is strong out of the east.

Tom

PS; bet those midwest circular winds can be interesting.

[SirSnookalot]

Opposite here in Florida, west wind stay at home, 20 mph ne wind with a 4' groundswell...................I'm there !