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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | WHile on the water Tuesday this very question crossed my mind. I was fishing the east side of Pelican while a west wind swept the whole basin. There were 2-3 footers out there and I was fishing everything they were running into (with some success). Looking out across the lake I noticed I was the only one playing in the wind, everone else on the lake had taken shelter.
How many of you folks really fish the wind. I know its a pain in the hienie controlling the boat sometimes, but I think it really pays dividends. |
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | I do, ask slamr! |
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I pay attention to the wind everywhere I fish. Wind makes it harder to control the boat, so is somewhat of a negative but breaks up light penetration, and moves fish up on the structure, which is definitely a positive. The two fish we moved Tuesday were on the windy side of a bay on points that the wind was crossing.
I frequently will pull directly into the wind and use the boat side as a sail, going laterally into the wind on a controlled drift. |
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | I used to be one of those that didn't play the wind very much. Although it could have been the lakes I fished back then. They just didn't seem to be lakes that needed wind to turn spots on. But now I find myself playing the wind most of the time. I usually pick the lake I go to based on which direction the wind is going to be blowing. My best spots on one lake are best with a northerly wind pounding them. My best spots on another lake are best with a southerly wind pounding them. Makes my decisions on where to go a little easier than it used to be.
AWH |
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| It truly depends on the lake. In most of my Muskie fishing, the windward side of the lake, especially after a number of days of similar direction, was a vital key to Muskie location. But after moving to a new area for business reasons, I was shocked to learn on the new body of water I was now fishing that it was the opposite. I resisted the facts for a while, but after 4 seasons now, it has held consistently true. Although this sounds like an ideal situation, fighting the waterskiers etc. on the calm side is sometimes worse than fighting the wind and waves on the windward side. Try both extremes, you never know, but it does appear to be one way or the other.
Steve |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Sometimes I wont even fish if there isn't a wind. White caps are a good "Musky chop"! |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | I definitely find it worth while to fish the wind. It can take some getting used to, and some explicits may come out of my mouth when fighting the wind, but I have found that the fish will relate to the structure.
I think that some, may write a spot off after fishing it haphazardly letting the wind get the best. But it is worth the effort to practice the boat control. Last fall in Nov, every time out on a particular lake, the wind was pounding in on a specific area. Had I not worked it I would have missed out on some real good fish.
It may take the trolling motor, or even the outboard, but try to fish it. |
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Posts: 691
Location: nationwide | All I can say is I fished Tuesday evening in the wind/mist/cold, drifted a spot two times with wind quartering into it and on the second drift got a 48 inch, 23 inch girth muskie on a creepinstein. I love the wind and while it does not always produce - same spot last night and I pitched a no hitter!!! It seems to get the underwater world moving.
Corey Meyer
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 river 48.jpg (34KB - 56 downloads)
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| Okay, as a sidebar, how does fishing in moderate to heavy wind affect your lure selection? |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | I believe Musky rise in turbulant water....with the break in glare and light penetration, predators feel more comfy coming out of hiding. Depending on water depth I like shallow running baits that I can work irratically. I love making a 6" Slammer dance and dart with short hard taps on windy days. Dont be affraid to go shallow on windy days because Musky's will follow prey thats being tossed into the shallows by heavy winds..."matching the hatch" is a good bet..perch, walleye and minnow impersonations work well. |
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Posts: 699
Location: Hugo, MN | I worked some NASTY Wind earlier this summer with Lambeau thinking that would definitely be the ticket until I just got worn out we moved to calmer waters and saw way more fish. Sometimes they're just not where they're supposed to be!!! |
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Posts: 1245
Location: Madtown, WI | The question Mr. Marine...what was the wind doing 2-3 days before it blew the direction it was!!! Maybe a strong S-SW wind had been blowing for a couple days...then you hit the water the day the front moves in and was blowing like mad from the N/NW....Fish didn't race away from where they had bait stacked from the 3 days before...
Learned that valuable lesson from Mr. Pearson.
I rarely have an original though...but I am good at stealing everyone elses! 
Oh, and nice fish by the way Corey!!!
Cory
Edited by C.Painter 8/12/2004 12:39 PM
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| Wind is a good thing, and sometimes it is painful to be fishing in big rollers, but it gets the fish going because it churns up the whole underwater ecosystem. Especially with low light and dropping pressure, it seems to bring the muskies up in the water column where they are easier to catch on fast moving bucktails, spinnerbaits, and topwaters (but they have to be able to ride big waves).
Steve |
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Posts: 7036
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | I can attest to Tomyv's desires to fish the wind....it's a good thing I didnt listen to him on Eagle about staying in the wind, or he probably would have died in that wind. |
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Posts: 1438
| I try to fish the wind when possible. But, with a smaller boat I am sometimes forced elsewhere.
As far as the comment about seeing way more fish on the calmer side...I'm guessing you saw more because you were able to see better in the calmer water.
I think fishing windy areas is a lot like fishing suspendos. You have to believe or know they are there. You normally don't see many.
Scott |
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Posts: 670
Location: Minnetonka , MN. | When fishing by yourself the wind sucks  |
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Posts: 1185
Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | I fish the wind...it is a easy pattern to check.....when I fish a lake I break it into patterns....weed lines....humps....slop....suspended (over deep water....off structure)....wind shoreline....wind points....walls....sand bays....weed flats....inlets/outlets....current....sunrise....sunset....mid day...midnight... When I fish a lake I keep trying different patterns until I find something working....sometimes nothing works....then I blame the weather.
I am a firm believer that the weather from the previous few days influences the fish. |
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Posts: 1310
Location: Washington, PA | "Jesus Christ Cady you gotta get on top of em!" |
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Posts: 96
Location: Eden Prairie, Mn. |
Always fish the wind - drift sock if necassary. Wind = action. Exception is night fishing unless, unless you know exactly
what hazards you have.
All last weekend on Vermilion - not huge wind but, enough to keep 75% + of anglers off the water in Big bay.
8 follows - no biters.
Longer the duration of wind (2+ days and strong) - You must fish deep water to shallow structure areas - humps, points
reefs and small island and certain shorline.
The deep to shallow areas concentrate baitfish and limit visibility allowing predators a better feeding opportunity.
You can't be afraid to 'bottom' your boat on a drift- if so you're not gettin' into the top and the backside which can
be very productive. Your TM Batts can hold you only so long before they drop off and you may have a lot of water to work.
Controlled drifting through spots will save your batts for the the day or remaining weekend.
Mother |
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Posts: 3867
| EssoxManiac and I were fishing in strong wind at Cass, whitecaps that forced me to constantly use the 55# trolling motor to keep us from being blown into shore. I have a small 14' alum V. He was casting a Lil Earnie right to shore and hooked a big one next to a short dock. I had to drop and crank up the gas motor to hold the boat in position while he fought the fish. Nice fish, 44 or 45 as I recall.
I ain't skeert of no wind. Though I'll use common sense to stay out of danger in my small boat. |
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Posts: 32885
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | There is an exception for me, and that is moving water, warming water, and Great Lakes strian. I fish quiet, sunny, still bays associated with current breaks with good cover right at sun noon. It's uncomfortable, but that is where the big girls frequently are! |
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