I don't remember winds being much of a deterrent in my younger days... since they've built the many windmill farms in my part of the country it's become crazy windy.

It’s no secret that wind can make the fish bite better, but it can make it more difficult to present your bait effectively. It’s a balancing act. A windblown point may hold a greater concentration of fish than a protected cove, but if you can’t present your bait to the point fish because of the wind, it may not increase your catch rate from fishing around less fish in the cove but you’re able to get the bait to the fish effectively. I’m always looking to increase my skill in the wind. The last several years I’ve made it a point to not head for that protected cove and maybe try to

withstand the wind on the main lake a little more. 
 

I love the wind at my back, especially when I’m using a spinnerbait. When those blades catch the wind, you can make absolute bomb casts. Great for covering a flat.  

Some lakes seem to be more windy than others. My fishing buddy hates it no matter where we go. He will complain about it nonstop.  It makes for a rough day sometimes. 

 

To me, wind is just part of fishing.  You adapt to it, change your lure or presentation as needed and fish on. 

I'd say mastering the art of holding your boat position in an effective location for presenting baits is basically the essence of fishing in the wind. Anchors can be nice out deep and up shallow and now it is people have power poles  things like that make fishing in the wind a whole new world.

Hate/hate 

 

luckily it’s rare here 

I want to like wind. Truth is, I just don't like it at all. I usually have someone in the boat with me and I spend all of my time trying to keep them where they can fish, fighting the trolling motor. I don't have anchors or spot lock. Sometimes it is a futile attempt at best. When I am by myself, I am so used to hating the wind that I avoid it. I have got to start throwing a spinnerbait on windy points/banks. 

1 hour ago, jbmaine said:

Overnite tonight the temps and wind are supposed to drop. Temps down to 34 where we fish.

 

I know! And yet I'm launching tomorrow morning. 

 

1 hour ago, Bird said:

I love throwing a spinnerbait which is the only reason I'm somewhat tolerant of a little wind.

 

I prefer my underspin on a windy day. It cuts through the wind better than my spinnerbaits. 

2 hours ago, Koz said:

And I can't imagine how the paddle kayak anglers contend with it.

We don’t… 😂😂

 

Currently, I have a very expensive truck paperweight sitting in the back of my truck. From about Mar to Sep, my kayak lives in the back of my truck pretty much 24/7. Kinda hoping someone will take it so I can buy a pedal kayak!

3 hours ago, Koz said:

And I can't imagine how the paddle kayak anglers contend with it.

 

I always carry two paddles in case the wind blows one out of my hand, which is more much likely with my featherweight carbon fiber paddle. 

7 minutes ago, Benny Liu said:

I didn’t even know what Spot-Lock was until now (just Googled it 😅).

 

I also didn't know what Spot-Lock was three years ago. Fishing is soooo much more complicated than when I first fished half a century ago. 

 

I also love fishing in Canada. 

 

9 minutes ago, Benny Liu said:

Would love to learn more from you I’ve got about a million newbie questions, and your experience sounds gold.

 

I'm happy to answer any question I can, but to be frank, a lot of the guys at Bass Resource know more than me.

 

I'm a quiet angler. I fish from a canoe and use stealth so that the bass won't know I'm there. I fished Monday morning and as I was returning to my dock, I had to paddle up an inlet. As I entered the inlet, five bass swirled in front of my canoe. Sometimes, I even bump a bass with my canoe because they didn't hear me coming. 

 

The water I fish looks a lot like Canada:

 

 

I catch some thick bass too:

 

 

And I generally walk through the woods to reach water, which I love. Here's a pic of the path to my pond:

 

 

Anyway, welcome to Bass Resource and ask away!

I like to sail and I like to fish. I almost always have the wrong boat.

FM

6 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Do you hate the wind more than you love it? Or vice-versa?

 

Having success fishing for big brown bass here in northern lower Michigan,

some wind is almost mandatory.

Regardless of time of year.

So I will say I love the wind more than hate it.

 However as most experienced Bassheads know, there's a line in the sand when it comes to wind.

Actually there is TWO lines in the sand - too little wind and of course, everybody's  favorite,

Too Much Dang wind !

I have a serious addiction to fishing moving baits so flat calm water makes my brain hurt.

Conversely, gale force events are no picnic either.

During the entire open water season here, I am a weather forecast Hawk.

I stalk the 3 different weather channels several times a day.

I plan where, when and what I'll fish when I get there mostly by the wind speed & direction,

as well as percentage of cloud cover. 

It's just part of my shtick and where I get some of the most satisfaction out of this bass fishing deal.

When I can pick a date, day & time to be at a certain lake, on a certain spot, fishing a specific bait,

and have it result in a trophy brown bass in my net, I feel like I have a clue.

It's just how I have evolved in the sport.

It works out far less than it doesn't, but I manage to get a few. 

Although the wind was right on the edge of fishable,

it workout out pretty good 2 days ago.

A-Jay

@A-Jay 

 

“…it’s a pretty good fish…” 

 

😂😂

Fishing from the bank?  I love it.  I’ll go out of my way to seek out a wind blown bank.

 

Fishing from the canoe?  I hate it.  I won’t launch if it means I’ll spend more time with a paddle in my hand than a rod.

I hated the wind when fishing in my old boat. Did not have spot lock, got blown around a lot, difficult to position boat and cast to spots.

 

New boat and spot-lock has really expanded my fishing opportunities. No problems fishing in windy conditions.

 

Last weekend the wind was blowing 25-30 MPH, with gusts to 35. I found some crappie stacked up on a submerged tree...hit spot lock and started catching them left and right. I could have never done that in the old boat.

 

I'm in the "love it" category...unless I'm on a big reservoir in South Dakota...and the chop is heavy. No likey.

I like the wind around 5 to 10 mph.  Anything harder than that and I have to change up the baits and weights that I am using. 

I used to joke around when I lived in Wichita, KS…. Growing up in Mississippi, the small craft wind advisory for the waters was like “everyone will die if you’re on a boat in the middle of the reservoir and the wind is blowing over 15mph”

 

Wichita waters were like “hold my beer and watch this” - then comes 70mph sustained - still see people fishing the river…

4 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

I hated the wind when fishing in my old boat. Did not have spot lock, got blown around a lot, difficult to position boat and cast to spots.

 

New boat and spot-lock has really expanded my fishing opportunities. No problems fishing in windy conditions.

 

Last weekend the wind was blowing 25-30 MPH, with gusts to 35. I found some crappie stacked up on a submerged tree...hit spot lock and started catching them left and right. I could have never done that in the old boat.

 

I'm in the "love it" category...unless I'm on a big reservoir in South Dakota...and the chop is heavy. No likey.

3’ to 4’ white caps with 30-35 mph wind in main lake areas, not good!

If you are out of the wind you are not in the wind.

Tom

I dislike any wind over 5mph, at least when I want to fish. Under 5 is good, it breaks up the surface, hides a little noise, and if I try I can use it for a slow drift across where I want to fish. Don’t think it’s ever helped me to get back to the put in, it always blows the wrong way, kind of like campfire smoke.

 

 Once it gets up around 10 I don’t launch, or I head back if I’m already on the water. Many Tim’s investors driven an hour only to find it a lot windier at the ponds in the hills then it was at home. I do try and watch the trees and flags I pass on the way, let’s me turn around early.

 

Very hard to fish a real weedy pond if there is much wind, it’s more work than I’m willing put into t.

 

Is it just here in Ma that it seems like a crazy windy winter and spring?

The two lakes closest to me (one about 9000 acres/one about 4800 acres) are pretty wide open (glacial lakes) - wind is omnipresent - so I have become (like @A-Jay) a forecast/weather hawk - if the wind is blowing in from the north I will make the short 10 minute drive and dunk in at the DNR ramp (located on the north side of the lake) - if the wind is blowing in from the south I take the 23 mile drive to get to the "Hobo" ramp area (located on the south side of the lake) - because once that wind and those waves travel all the way across the lake it can get very turbulent/rough, especially around the docks/ramps - My strongest preference is wind 10 mph or less, yet that rarely happens here - so 15 to 20mph is what I have to deal with the majority of the time, my tolerance for it has grown but I cannot say I fully enjoy it, it just is what it is - occasional gusts to 25/30 will keep me tucked in to the side of the lake the wind is coming from - once it's 25mph sustained/over 30mph gusts it becomes a bit unsafe (in my mind) and I will not head out at all or will head in - the DNR ramp/dock can present itself as a difficult spot to dock in heavy winds when the waves are crashing up and over the dock and the water is very turbulent - all this to say the wind is a factor here and dictates where I launch and land the boat

I don’t love it or hate the wind.  I have no control over it.  In some bodies of water wind can kill you.  I’m not a fan of slick calm unless there is current.  I’m convinced a broken surface is a benefit.  Wind impacts my fishing by blowing me off my spot and having to relocate is just a reality.  Current moves you off so being one trolling motor at all times can wear me out.  Who would have thought my feet would betray me.  I just haven’t been able to justify the expense for spot lock……..yet.

I like the wind but almost impossible to fish from my two boats in anything over ten mph. My little one man boat , it will get swamped. My wife wanted a deck boat and that thing blows around like an empty potato chip sack. When trying to fish in standing timber , it bounces around like a pin ball machine.  

10 hours ago, padlin said:

 

Is it just here in Ma that it seems like a crazy windy winter and spring?

Also in MA and confirm the last few years the wind has gotten out of hand.

Normally , if the wind is 13mph plus , I wade . If it is less I kayak . I have no use for pedals, motors or ffs. Commenting on what I like or do not like will fall on deaf ears . Wind to a point is good for me,  high water to a point is good for me. to a point........

I tend to like the wind. Others don't fish as much when it's windy, and the bass don't seem to mind it. Makes strikes harder to detect, but it also makes my presence less obvious.