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Posts: 512
| Heading north to fish next week, and the few trips ive made in the past usually have mostly windy days. just wondered how others approach this. I have a hard time just standing in my boat when theres waves, and feels like my boat will fall apart just traveling from spot to spot! I usually try to fish into the wind.
would it be better to just troll in these situations??
any insight would be appreciated..
thanks
Dave |
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Posts: 3867
| Get a bigger boat or head toward smaller water.  Trolling is a decent option to me, though, when I otherwise can't cast and 8. In fact I'll be trolling crawler harnesses on the wind-blown drops this afternoon/evening.
I have a small boat and have had a couple very scary experiences getting caught out in too much wind. (Recall my S. Lake incident, Cisco?) Surfing 5' rollers back to the landing in my 14' boat taught me quick. So on a trip like yours I try to have a couple options (lakes/rivers), I have a small Radio Shack weather radio to track wind speed and direction, always carry a compass in the boat, am I'm careful to stay off the big water when it might not be safe for me.
Maybe contact the local DNR to get tips on where you might fish in high wind. Have a great trip. |
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Posts: 1287
Location: WI | I troll or stay off the water. I only have a 36lb thrust trolling motor so it's a nightmare trying to cast when it's windy (over 10mph). |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Hit the wind blown structure,, And hope you have enough juice to stay off of the rocks and shore line.
Live on the edge................. It may pay off............If the wind is REALly Strong go to your "fishy" Bays untill the wind dies down.
I have a 21ft. boat that handles big water better than most, so don't put yourself in any danger.............. be Wise, and Safe out there.
Jerome
Edited by Top H2O 8/2/2009 7:41 PM
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Hit the bar, it's never windy in there. |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | Depends on your rigs' capabilities. Here is what I try to do up in Canada on big water.
If it is blowing hard on big water, I plan on slipping spots if possible, meaning running the trolling motor to slow down the drift, not to fight into the wind. That way you aren't riding an elevator out of control up front.
If it is blowing harder but the waves aren't huge, and I have a partner, I'll have the kicker in gear and stear with the front trolling motor.
If it is really rough and I have a partner, I'll run the boat from the console and have him standing back by the motors. That is the smoothest ride. He then casts the best he can to the best spots as I hold the boat with the big motor.
Or you can try to troll, but again you need control. If you are tight to rocks and get a big fish on by yourself, your screwed unless you can drag the fish away from trouble. Not a scenario I'd like to be in.
Fishing the wind is something you learn over time. You try to do some of these things in less than brutal conditions to get an idea of what is involved. Then as the wind gets nasty you just do what you can safely do.
Sometimes it is just much better to sit in the cabin, have a few drinks and BS about past trips while it blows itself out. Been there and done that a couple times and never ever had any regrets. It is too easy to damage you rig if you lose control, or tear up equipment on snags or when your line finds the prop that is turning.
Last choice is find a place to fish from shore. Change species, change water, do whatever, but find a place you can enjoy fishing instead of pounding yourself to death in monster waves. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Pointer,
There is a lot of Hot windy air in most bars I've been in......... Be Very Careful my young friend.
Jerome |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Haha! I'm full of hot air sometimes and can share a BS story with the best of them. My degree is a BS degree, you didn't really think it stood for Bachelor of Science did you?? |
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Posts: 512
| i have a crestliner 1750 fishhawk, not a huge rig, but not small either..
Just know it can get frustrating trying to fish in these conditions.
thanks for the input
Dave |
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Posts: 699
Location: Hugo, MN | My best strategy is to try and fish with the wind. Use it to drift and the trolling motor to adjust and keep you on course. I also use a Beckman Drift Sock when it's really windy 20+. Save the trolling motor for you best spots that you feel you have to fish. |
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Posts: 3867
| Dave your electric motor seems way too small for that boat. I started with a smaller one, too, but then moved to a 65# MK Maxxum for my 14" alum. I bought an extension handle so I can stand, cast and move the boat.
I agree with all the great tips above, but again, be safe first. I try to remember that if I get my butt in serious trouble then rescue type people may also have to get out there, too. Search for the thread about last summer's missing fisherman on Mill Lac. Bad ending. |
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Location: Twin Cities | Two words, drift sock. |
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Posts: 100
Location: Bemidji/Cass Lake | Drift sock is absolutely the way to go. Hitch to the back cleat and run the motor off the front for positioning. I like fishing in 15-25mph in summer, the fish are active lots of times and I'm still comfortable on the lake. I cant effectively go into strong winds without burning up the juice, so this is my solution too. |
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Posts: 285
Location: Price County WI | Drift Sock and big trolling motor then let the wind blow |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | The wind is not uniform across any lake. You can get behind points to modify your exposure to the winds to fish the amount of wind that you are comfortable fishing. You can change shorelines to launch and fish from.
As has been said, I also strongly recommend oversizing your trolling motor. It also makes sense getting a longer shaft trolling motor of say 54" in lieu of one around 48" that would seem to be the right size for the boat. In bigger waves the longer shaft is far superior for boat control.
You have adjustability to use less power of the motor. Most motors give you adjustability with the amount of shaft that you have in the water.
I would much rather have un-used capasity and shaft length and not use it, than need capasity or length and not have it. |
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Posts: 512
| hey ranger, i never said what size trolling motor i have!! I too, have a 65# 24volt, auto pilot. Its usually just so hard casting in the wind, and waves and we are staying on a bigger lake, which is circular, so not many points to block the wind. actually looking into smaller bodies of water for back up plans on windy days.
I also have a smaller drift sock, but seems if i drift with a big wind, you still move to fast to effectively fish an area. thats why i usually try to go into it, but that does suck your batteries dry quick.
thanks again
Dave
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| Why not...? Find a big flat. Set yourself upwind of a likely area. And drift and cast with the wind. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | If possible cast INTO the wind, Most fish will be set up facing into the wind. But sometimes you just have to drift with it.............." Wind is your Friend Grasshopper"
A drift sock is a awsome tool for Big wind, as the others have said.
Jerome |
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Posts: 115
Location: Birch Run | Use two drift socks if necessary, kinda of sucks by yourself. But if you have partner, drift controls take about 2 seconds to pull in. I have pulled harnesses in 4-6ft waves, and have been able to keep speed somewhat steady and under 1.2mph while going with the waves. Someone also mentioned slipping, works great also. Just remember if you are drifting to fast, and you are casting downwind your going to drift over your follows and some lures will be impossible to use. |
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Posts: 21
| Drift socks work wonders. Go one size bigger than for your boat size. |
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Posts: 20
Location: N.E. Ohio | I always use the wind to drift cast... its fun to do this over new water. |
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Posts: 1716
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | I run two anchors to keep the boat how I want when there are 2 of us. Be sure to let out plenty of line and buy them heavier than you think. |
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Fishing in the wind