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Old 11-01-10, 10:14 PM   #1
96ecss
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Default Fishing On Windy Days

I was wondering how you guys fish on windy days. I mean very windy, not just a little breezy. I'm looking for all the help I can get because I always have trouble fishing when it's very windy.

Please feel free to give opinions about any time of year, or any type of lake or river. Any specific lures or techniques? If you have some advice about fishing when it's windy, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks,

Dave
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Old 11-01-10, 10:38 PM   #2
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In 15-20 mph winds, I either get off the water or try to find a little cove where it isn't windy. My trolling motor isn't no where near strong enough to keep me where I want to be or out of the grass and banks with wind that strong. I watch the weather reports just for the wind conditions.
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Old 11-01-10, 10:47 PM   #3
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In 15-20 mph winds, i either get off the water or try to find a little cove whre it isn't windy. My trolling motor isn't no where near strong enough to keep me where i want to be or out of the grass and banks with wind that strong. I watch the weather reports just for the wind conditions.
Hi Bama, thanks for the reply.

Sometimes I don't have a choice about when I can go fishing. If it's windy and it's the only day I can go that week, I go. Many of the small lakes I fish don't have any sheltered coves.

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Old 11-01-10, 10:39 PM   #4
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I usually stay home....

Ok, seriously...I'm assuming you're in a boat, not shorebound. If you are a bank fisherman, please ignore the rest of this post. Nothing to see here....move along.....move along....

Usually, the tendency is for us fishermen to find a wind break of some kind to get out of the wind. After all, it's hard keeping the boat in the right spot, hard to cast into the wind, hard to cast across the wind, the boat is rocking, etc. But some of the best fishing can be found at or close to the bank the wind is blowing against. In other words, if you've got a wind out of the west, go to the east bank. The wind pushes the plankton, algae, etc. up against that bank, the small baitfish follow, and the big fish follow them. Spinnerbaits with double willow blades can absolutely kill in situations like this, especially if there's a little cloud cover to go along with it.
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Old 11-01-10, 10:54 PM   #5
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I usually stay home....

Ok, seriously...I'm assuming you're in a boat, not shorebound. If you are a bank fisherman, please ignore the rest of this post. Nothing to see here....move along.....move along....

Usually, the tendency is for us fishermen to find a wind break of some kind to get out of the wind. After all, it's hard keeping the boat in the right spot, hard to cast into the wind, hard to cast across the wind, the boat is rocking, etc. But some of the best fishing can be found at or close to the bank the wind is blowing against. In other words, if you've got a wind out of the west, go to the east bank. The wind pushes the plankton, algae, etc. up against that bank, the small baitfish follow, and the big fish follow them. Spinnerbaits with double willow blades can absolutely kill in situations like this, especially if there's a little cloud cover to go along with it.
Hi Mississippi, I do have a boat. I've tried fishing the bank the wind is blowing against. I've tried spinnerbaits and everything else I have. It must be my technique or lack of patience and confidence because I usually don't do very well when it's windy. I've even seen pods of baitfish in the water and matched my bait selection to the available forage without much success. I guess everybody has their weakness. One of my many weaknesses is fishing in the wind.

Dave
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Old 11-01-10, 11:00 PM   #6
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How about this buddy, tie on a DEEP diving crank and get out on the ledge. Or tie on a 10-12 inch carolina rigged worm. Jigs too.
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Old 11-01-10, 11:15 PM   #7
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When I'm faced with a windy day, I head straight for the wind blown banks as Mississippi Boy already said, and start banging the banks, weedbeds and wood with both spinnerbaits, and t-rigged beavers with a peged 3/8oz tungsten weight. I can't tell you how many times I've been faced with this and caught large numbers of quality bass on the wind blown banks, and as soon as I got out of the wind the bite dropped dramatically.
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Old 11-01-10, 11:18 PM   #8
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Try finding coves, or other windbreaks if at all possible, position your boat on the upwind side, so you are casting with the wind, I throw swimbaits or jigs, they are fairly aerodynamic and they have good weight to them, so they are easier to cast. I stay away frow weightless t-rigs, and spinnerbaits on very windy days, just tuff to cast. We have been know to have a little wind here in KS.
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Old 11-02-10, 12:21 AM   #9
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Yep, Kansas has some wind. One problem with boat fishing in wind is that you will be concentrating on controlling the boat instead of concentrating on fishing. Until you can control the boat without missing a beat on the fishing, you should take that out of the equation. Many anglers think they need to keep moving to catch fish, the truth is that if the area and conditions indicate that fish should be there, then they probably are. Get a good anchor and have it handy at the front of the boat, fish into the wind at a good spot and drop the anchor. when the rope goes tight, settle back and fish the heck out of that spot. Saturate that area with different baits, if you catch a few don't be in a hurry to move. Many tournaments are won by anglers that sat in one spot all day. If you don't get any fish there, or if you don't find any decent size, then after 15 to 20 minutes, move to the next promising area and try it. I often anchor the bow into the wind in front of a wind blown bank or point and then sit in the rear seat where with the wind at my back I can keep the line tight as I work my baits with confidence instead of fighting the trolling motor and making haphazard casts and retrieves.
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Old 11-02-10, 02:10 AM   #10
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High wind = Miller time.
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Old 11-02-10, 07:31 AM   #11
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Thanks for all the replies and the very good advice. I usually do anchor when it’s windy. But I never stay in one place for very long.

I think my biggest problem is lack of confidence because of past problems on windy days. Next time I’m out when it’s windy, I’m gonna be more patient and try all the things you guys suggested. I’ll work the windblown shore harder and stay on each spot a little longer.

Bama, I will also give the Carolina rig a try. If none of that works, I’ll follow John’s advice, it’s Miller Time.

Dave
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Old 11-02-10, 08:59 AM   #12
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One thing that helps is a steady wind over a period of time.....for example, if you go out in or near the evening and the wind has been in the same direction all day. This gives the zooplankton etc. time enough to gang up on the windblown side of the lake, drawing the minnows and larger bait fish to the area and concentrating the bass. I watched a fellow fish such a windblown bank making one pass along it's length and weighing each fish as he went along.....his first fish was 3 pounds, his second was 5.2 and his third....7.1 He was using a chartreuse and white skirted spinnerbait with a turtleback silver blade........the turtleback is a wide version of a willowleaf blade. Such a wind also creates favorable currents as it hits the sides of points and pushes water around the ends making eddies of sorts on the downwind side.....another place to try.

I watched him carefully and sometimes he'd cast at a 45 degree angle to the bank, bringing it out ten to fifteen feet and pausing long enough for it to drop.....when it got fairly deep on the drop seemed to be when the fish would hit, at least they were on that particular day. Windy and somewhat overcast.
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Old 11-03-10, 04:41 PM   #13
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If I know I am going to fish in the wind, I throw in my 18 lb. Anchor/anchors find a good point or hump and position the boat so that I can cast to the windward side with a 1 oz weighted C-rig and proceed to look for the fish to be bunched up on the side facing the wind. Sometimes the point or hump can be shallow, sometimes deep (factor in seasonal changes and water temps for this one). Some of the best "stacked up fish" patterns I can remember came from just these sort of days in Texas (where it seems like the wind is blowing all the time). Another good tactic is to throw the big flutter spoons and horizontal jig those puppies, or crawl a big jig/crawl combo. Just remember to cast into the wind and drag it up those slopes.
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Old 11-03-10, 06:00 PM   #14
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That is great advise bob. I was watching KVD on bassmasters last saturday, it wasn't REAL windy, but he won on this lake in wind using a deep diving crank coming off the ledges like you are saying bob. That is why i said try that techinque. Hope i was right. Might try it myself IF i ever get to go again this year.
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Old 11-03-10, 06:05 PM   #15
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More great advice. Thanks guys. I have to spend some time with a Carolina rig and get comfortable throwing it.

Dave
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Old 11-06-10, 10:15 AM   #16
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That is great advise bob. I was watching KVD on bassmasters last saturday, it wasn't REAL windy, but he won on this lake in wind using a deep diving crank coming off the ledges like you are saying bob. That is why i said try that techinque. Hope i was right. Might try it myself IF i ever get to go again this year.
Hey John, what chammel are you getting Bassmasters on? Our cable company only offers 2 channels for outdoors programming like Bassmasters. One of the ESPN channels and The Versus Channel. But all I can ever find is hunting shows which bore me to tears, lol.
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Old 11-06-10, 02:01 PM   #17
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Keithdog, i get it on ESPN. Don't have VERSUS channel no more. Cost too much to get 40 more channels JUST to watch 1 show.And yeah, understand about the hunting shows.........BORING! Bassmasters only comes on once over the weekend now.
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Old 11-15-10, 10:46 AM   #18
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well if its super windy find some points, and try tossing around a big spinnerbait, chatterbait,crankbait, or a big jig. Bass will usually feed more actively when it is windy, so don't give up. But after a while you may need to go find a windbreak or protected cove. A rule of thumb for me is match the sound of the air to the sound of the bait, so if its windy use something that makes a little extra noise. When its calm, try using something thats more quiet, and doesnt throw too much water. hope i helped
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Old 11-15-10, 04:23 PM   #19
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Thanks for adding more helpful tips.

Dave
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Old 11-19-10, 12:09 PM   #20
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Drift with a drift sock..
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