I feel you on the wind. It's hard casting light lures when it's an unrelenting 12-15mph winds with heavier gusts, and especially so being a novice.

Since I'm confined to the bank until the water warms enough to safely be out on the kayak, I keep trying small, sheltered coves on the local big reservoir. None of those new spots have worked out, however, so I keep finding myself back and the usual haunt, which unfortunately face directly into the predominate winds.