Wind (when to stay and when to go)

If your fishing and wind gets up when do you stay and when you leave?
I like a little wind but when does it get too windy that you just don't go?
I like the wind from the west, south, and southwest best do you all?
I know 2-5 mph is good but what about 5-8 mph, 5-10 mph, 10-20 mph?
If wind is a little too strong how do you fish ( spider, vertical cast, horizontal cast, pulling, etc.)?
Would it be best to anchor and just cast if wind is real bad?
I hardly ever use anchors as I have found that they run fish off for me sometimes but it may not matter if wind blowing?
What do you do on windy days fishing for crappie?
Thanks for everyones feedback on this.

one of the best days i every had i was single pole jigging at the rez. my feet were wet cause water was coming over the bow. i guess it just depends on whether or not their biting. i will say they're not as spooky when the wind is blowing and if there is more than about 6inches of chop drift fishing is near impossible

Out of the west they bite the best. Find a lee shore.

I like to vertical jig live Cypress this time of year. More days than not the lake is white-capping. It doesnt seem to bother the fish at all, you just gotta know how to make it work to your advantage. I get directly down wind from the tree, as close as i can without bumping it, and pitch my jig past the tree. I let it swing around the tree with the wind-current and they usually slam it as it comes around the lee side. Lots of fun!!
Open water, on the other hand, is much more difficult to handle in my 16ft flat bottom.

It all depends on the boat for sure. I have a jon and I don't go out in anything more than 10 mph. I troll back channels blocked from the wind if there is any or I troll wind protected banks and drop offs with success.

I have caught fish in some heavy wind, but I prefer to not fight wind over 15mph ... at which times I will find a less windy area. Problem with me is, no matter where I go to get out of the wind ... by the time I get there and start fishing, the wind has changed directions and is now making it difficult for me to fish :banghead where it was calm not 5mins before !!

A lot of the lakes I fish have high hills around the lake ... and the wind funnels down into the valley and follows the waterway, regardless of which direction the wind is coming from.

Over 20mph sustained winds and I usually don't bother to go.
If I'm already there & the wind gets bad, I'll either find a semi-protected (calmer) area or head to the ramp.

Now, I have caught Crappie in main lake whitecaps ... once ... down on Douglas Lake (Tenn) ... dragging minnows (hook/sinker rig) about 50-60ft out from the boat (but probably only running a few feet deep, at best) ... and I have fished a tourney .... once ... down on Watts Bar Lake (Tenn) ... when the winds were blowing 30mph "sustained" ... and those that caught fish could only do so by getting in "behind" docks & shooting the docks from there (as opposed to being on the front/lakeside of the docks). But that was long ago ... I'm retired now, so I can pick and choose & not have to depend on "days off" to coincide with good weather or plan a trip months in advance.

... cp :kewl

I don't fight the wind. Instead I go with it. Drifting in 10 - 20 mph wind with white caps has produced some fantastic catches for me over the last two seasons. I just drift with the wind, long-lining 1/16 & 1/8 oz. jigs dressed with various plastics. Over some 5 hr. periods, we have caught between 50 - 80 crappie, bluegill and even yellow perch using this drifting method. I love the wind! :)

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/the-n...tes/290009-73/

Depends on direction on certain lakes , some places offer enough protection when you really want to fish even in 20+mph winds.

I hate the wind but have fished in 25 - 30 mph and gusty. I always verticle jig when it's windy and I'm exposed. Just set the spot lock on i pilot and let it work. Gusts will knock me 20 feet off my spot but the motor will make it back. Since I fish water that is rarely over 20 feet deep the chop of the wind can really help to make the fish less shy. Anything over 15 gets uncomfortable but the fish seem to like it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tony the Tiger

Out of the west they bite the best. Find a lee shore.

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Wind from the east, they bite like a beast. :biggrin

By the future weather reports looks like I may have to try fishing in windy weather. Looks like April is going to be windier than March was here in Mississippi. But the temperatures are to climb in the low to mid. 80's. So with the waters warming looks like if I am to fish the spawn I will have to fight the wind. Thanks for all the information on wind.

just bought two 60in drift socks and two 7ft 3/8in chains to drag if it gets windy:biggrin

Wind is age related.

Depends on the lake im on. Last weekend I was at Truman and the wind was sustained 15mph with gust up to 30 we fished for 9am-6pm and caught a limit. If I was down in MS I wouldn't even launch my boat in a 15mph wind let alone fish for 9 hours.

I discovered how catch them on windy days by accident. I was in the back of my buddy's boat, the wind was steady 15-20 and gusting I'd say 25-30, he was working his butt off trying to get us to protected 3 finger cove where we could fish , Now this is a trolling motor only lake. Mean while my ADHD was getting the best of me in back so I started pulling a rooster tail and adding weight , finally I was able to get down about 5-6 feet below the chop and bam fish on. So he has no idea I'm in the back loading the live well, he can't hear anything going on in the back and it was a steady hard bite. 30 -40 minutes later he gets us to the cove and he says what's were you doing back there I kept hearing some banging lol I said it was the live well slamming shut as I was tossing slabs in. He calls me on it and then freaks out Holy cow man . We fished the cove he caught a few more then we left the cove went back out to the main lake And I got to fight the wind while he fished from the back, all and all a good fun day catching in the wind. And yes he got his limit on the second pass. We just got lucky they were stacked along that side of the lake hugging the drop offs.

Well looks like the wind will win again.:dono Wind South 17 mph and gusts to 33 mph
Thats too strong for me. I will just smoke that turkey and boston butts for Easter today.:biggrin Everyone have a good Easter Sunday.

Wind
S 17 mphgusts to 33 mph

I'll fish in the wind but have to search for the sheltered creek banks. If it's over 15 I stay off of the river though. Learned my lesson 2 years ago. Thought I was going to swamp the boat. Will never take that chance again. I love to fish but it's not worth dying for.

Well the boy got a new rod&reel so we went out. Way too windy no luck today

We fished Sardis in that wind Thursday and on Friday I just couldn't do it again. When you get 15 to 20mph wind on Sardis you really have to want to fish. We packed up and came home on Friday rather than fish. Still had a great time down there and thanks to all the local folks who make us feel so welcome.

I don't mind the wind, 20-30mph is about my limit, unless I can make it work for me. When the swells get 2'-3' I'm packing it in.

Every lake will have a lee side, if your concerned about the fish it. Me I like the wind from 10-20 mph. Find a bar where the fish are and anchor up wind and use a slip bobber and let the wind take your bait into the point. Never found using an anchor scaring the fish. The lakes I fish you can see down to 8-10 feet in the right circustance. I use an anchor the majority of the time. Or another method is to just let the wind push you across the lake using the wind to your advatange. When the fish are up on the flats it's my prefered method. Just a jig+tail+minnow and let the wind move the boat across the flat. The bait is presented to more fish if they are scattered.

The wind will limit you fishing certain spots because of the type of boat your using. A flat bottom is harder to fish from in a strong wind, a semi v not so much. I fished a tourney one year where the waves were between 3-4 feet. Had to use over 60# of anchor weight to stay in position, I was using an 18 foot walleye boat with high sides. I seldom see flat bottom boats on the lakes where I fish. semi V's are choice of anglers up here.