Windy Condition Fishing

[cjac]

How does everyone approach a day where the wind picks up to a decent clip? While it can help to identify areas to key on, it also complicates things like boat control, casting, etc. I should mention I've had 2 back surgeries, so reducing the pounding of waves and water conditions is a factor for me.

I look to points and humps, fishing both the upside and downside of them, along with the parallel edges. Pending on time of day/year, I'll throw a topwater like a LOWrider over shallow water, and look to "castable" lures like the heavier Mag Dawgs, bullet-shaped jigs, or gliders like a Hellhound. I tend to steer away from bucktails with the blades that'll catch the wind on a cast.

Tuesday the wind was up, so we hit an outside weedline and worked it with the wind, throwing Mag Dawgs primarily. Moved a few, with no takers.

How do others approach windy conditions without taking a physical beating? Wind can be a friend and an enemy at the same time... I swear if it wasn't for a few spine pounding days on Mille Lacs I'd be a couple inches taller....

[DHanson]

If it is really really windy, I tend to fish structure that is more flat like a long straight weed flat. That way boat control isn't much of a factor. I will drift-cast and I have been known to use a drift sock a time or two and that really helps as well.

[HugoBox]

Yep - What he ^^^^^ said.

Also, I'm pretty lazy and if the fish appear to be in the windy areas why not sit down and troll? I get bored fast, but I figure I can way more effectively and efficiently cover the water. Also,if I am only focused on the electronics instead of casting and driving and trying not to fall in and not blocking the guy in back I think I stand a better chance.

I think its going to be really windy and chitty tomorrow so we'll see how it all goes...

[cjac]

Quote:

I think its going to be really windy and chitty tomorrow so we'll see how it all goes...

Hence the reason I posted this!! Great minds think alike!

I like DHanson and his idea of "coasting" a long flat, similar to what I did Tuesday.

[HugoBox]

Any chance your going to be on a metro lake on the East side?

[cjac]

I was considering that but the "Honey Do" list is more than likely going to keep me close to home on the West side.

[HugoBox]

i'll try to get a report up in the PM if there's anything going on.

good luck

[MUSKY18]

If the wind blows tomorrow like it is right now, you won't even need a motor to speed troll!!!! Not sure that wind socks will even help in this stuff!

[Muskiefool]

If its too windy I don't fish alone for a few reasons, its hard to release fish safely for them and myself and it could suck if you went in, otherwise I use a drift sock, the kicker and the bowmount sometimes at the same time, also if I'm in a nasty spot I'll raise the big motor and keep the kicker idling just in case.

[Quackaddict9]

I dont think I'm going fishing in windy conditions no more!!!!

this happened today..funny thing is the neighbors jet skies/lift and boat were fine. Wind must have got trapped under the canope and lifted it up or some funnel/strong winds came through. Electric was working fine when we pumped out the water but taking in the boat to get checked in tomorrow. I'm thinking maybe new motor is needed?

You can't really see but the motor head was in the water.

[goblueM]

So my buddy and I decided we'd fish Calhoun in the canoe yesterday... whew that was an adventure. Few waves broke over the gunwhales, we paddled our butts off and made it over to Lake of the Isles. Almost no waves on the lee side so we decided to grab a couple suckers rather than risk open water. Not much action but he was messing around with his snack and a fish grabbed his sucker when it was literally 3 feet from the boat. Kinda exciting. Lesson learned though : no fishing from the canoe when the wind is over 10 MPH

[Tippman]

That sucks quack! Must have taken a pretty good wind.

[cjac]

Yes, you'll want to check the motor for sure....it's the long term issues from sand and sediment getting into the motor that's the concern.

Sorry to see the situation and your mess! Good news is its all replaceable.

[cjac]

Wind kicked our rears today......

Fished Eagle Lake in Maple Grove, no fish. Tough to keep boat control, balance, an eye on other boats, and still focus on a retrieve. No excuse, but it sure didn't help!

That launch area is such a treat, I'm seriously just happy the boat is on the trailer period, let alone how straight it is. How these guys with the Rangers get in and out is beyond me.....

[50inchpig]

We were in the Bemidji area during the wind last week, not much fun at all. Debo did a dang good job running the gas motor and back trolling down a few spots, kicking it in and out of gear, read about it but never seen it but it worked beautifully. Ultimately, didn't matter, not a good trip.

[b1gf1sh1]

Quote:

How does everyone approach a day where the wind picks up to a decent clip?

this is where my style comes in. i just shore fish. something my grandpappy Amos beat into my head early on was don't limit myself to a boat. sometimes it's better to just go off shore. then he commenced to show me how, where, and why. i've personally got around 500 different spots off shore around the cities within an hour or so where i go fishing for different reasons like wind, rain, heat, shallow water, etc.. mostly the rivers but also some lakes too. i'm not shy about it in part because my personal bests, muskie of 51 1/2 inches, 40'' northern, 33'' wally, 24'' smallie, and 23'' largemouth all came off shore. when your in a boat and that wind picks up, consider mooring and casting from the shorelines with waders. i do it all the time and it's a great time. better than ridin' the storm out. good luck

[Quackaddict9]

Quote:

Edited by b1gf1sh1 (24 minutes 44 seconds ago)

Edit Reason: wrong size smallie.

or was it really 20"??? by the way that sounds like fun, walking in waders and fish for muskies!

[HugoBox]

Fished FL on Saturday AM. Went to a windy shore and started out off the weedline - I was having some difficulty with boat control so I decided to get closer to emerging reeds (not so much cause I'm smart but because they gave me a decent point of reference while casting). It turned out to be a good move - boated two fish in about 10 casts. I got all excited thinking it would be the best day ever - not so much. We did have two more follows but 5 hours in that wind was enough for me - I guess I'm getting old.

[JRedig]

I fished last night from 5-midnight, not a darn thing! Heavy rec traffic right till dark though and really dirty water, FWIW.

[Tim_Anderson]

Chris,

In a big wind, I do an awful lot of drift fishing. I use my gps and watch my trails closely. Run upwind and set up a drift that will keep me in "virgin" water. In most cases, I'm fishing a big weedy flat or sprawling rock pile. In the case of a weedline, I use my electric to "slip drift" along the break. I usually try to fish spots where the wind is blowing parallel to the break. I make sure my boat is in position to cast to any irregularity...bumps, inside or outside turns, thicker weeds, etc. In my mind, worst thing you can do is "run over" the area you want to fish, but that is awfully easy to do in a big wind...it happens way too much, so anything I can do to minimize that is crucial.

BTW just got a brand new Terrova 101. OMG do I love that motor! It has as much power as my 9.9 kicker...will pull a 620 fully loaded 4 mph in a pretty stiff wind. A huge plus when it's windy.

In the case of Mille Lacs, I always launch either in the leeward side of the lake, or at a private harbor. If it's 25mph or more, I go somewhere else.

On Sunday in that big West/Northwest wind, I put in on the west side of Alex, and drifted all the way to the east access without once starting my engine. Definitely the longest drift I've ever done! Caught one musky, saw a bunch more that we came back and worked later, and caught two more. Caught a pile of pike and bass too. Lots of fun had on an ugly windy day. I'll be posting some pics under the Mille Lacs and Brainerd forum soon.

Chris...done the back surgery thing...know how you feel there. Musky fishing long hours is challenging enough the way it is without adding a huge wind on top of it all, but those are definitely the days when you feel it most.

Tim

[b1gf1sh1]

Quote:

or was it really 20"??? by the way that sounds like fun, walking in waders and fish for muskies!

maybe, lol. was in 94 durring the big flood in the mississippi by the minnehaha creek mouth. i typed 244''s lmbo. was as pretty as a peach, all fat and feisty.

as far as muskies in waders, why not? little tough to see the follows but otherwise , your right, it's a great time. besides if you pull up to shore and stay in the water you can fish where ever you are or walk in the water legally. those heavy hit areas don't get fished from there often, or at all, and it gives the fish a different angle they haven't seen before, imho and others.. plus sometimes those muskie are in ambush position and may be in a spot they can't see, or care if a bait is going away from shore, instead of toward or angled into it, imho. try it. you might be surprised even after pounding an area several times. best time for me is after a follow. hot or indifferent. good luck

[HugoBox]

b1g -

How hard do you pound an area after a follow or blow-up? I've normally thrown a handlful of quick casts then left fairly quickly to come back later - is that the right thing to do?

[cjac]

It's not as much how hard rather "how" in general.

Jonny P had a great example a couple years ago, moved a fish on WBL a few times, figured he'd hit her later. Next boat slid in behind him, different presentation going into the weeds more if I recall correctly, and they hooked up.

I agree with b1g and the idea of a different angle, kind of like what I call jumping the wall and going inside shallow and casting back (outward) to the weedline. North shore Mille Lacs, I've gone into the 3 fow and cast back to where the weeds start, coming over the top from inside going out with success, while the other boats are outside casting in.

Hamernick and partner won the Mille MMTT event a couple years ago fishing skinny water on the north end burning small bucks. Something different......

[DHanson]

[cjac]

Great stuff in responces on this post!

Here's a lesson I picked up.... Tim Anderson has been fishing 20+ years and tried something he'd admittedly not done before, a 7 mile drift basically on a known lake and a lake he's fished many times before. He boated three fish.....I didn't even see a fish on Sunday!

Point is...Tim worked with the conditions and leveraged his knowledge of the expansive weed flats. Sounds pretty simple in hindsight, but a great call on adapting to the conditions on his part. Simply put, he didn't make it harder than it had to be....

Tim: Thanks for the info! Yeah, back issues suck, I can just feel my endurance and patience go down-hill in tough conditions. I try to get the most out of it I can while the gettin' is good. Of course a Ranger would lesson my issues....I'll run that by the doctor and the Mrs!