Bass Fishing In The Wind

Fishing in the wind is really a pain sometimes, you get backlashes and you throw your lure out and it lands about 10 feet in front of you. Fishing in the wind is just horrible... or is it? A friend and I went fishing in California one time after I told him about a little lake I liked to fish. When we started out to the lake it was a little chilly but by the time we got there it was freezing. I don't ever remember of it being so cold before and the wind had to be blowing 30 miles an hour.

I wasn't dressed real warm but my friend was wearing a coat. I started to get out of the truck and that wind and cold hit me and about froze me to death in a matter of a second. He said he was going ahead and try fishing since he had a coat and we drove to the lake. I sat in the truck thinking how he has to be freezing and what a waste of time fishing would be especially in all this wind. Well, about 5 minutes later, here he comes hauling this bass in that went over 5 pounds. You can understand my amazement in seeing that bass he's holding. He was a happy fisherman and I was warm but no fish. So, let talk about what the wind really does besides being a pain and giving you backlashes.

First, a wind will will shake larva from the weeds and grass. This is the baitfish's prime food. The bait fish will be eating and guess what? So, will the bass. Wind will make the waves hit the shore and cause muddy water. Bass will use the muddy water as an ambush point. They usually stay at the different color water edge where it turns from muddy to stained.

Wind can move warm water to a different location or if it's a northern wind can move the cold water to a warm water location. If the warm water is moved then you're in luck. Visa-versa isn't the best for catching bass. Light will be lower in the water as wind reduces light penetration. The same reason we fish in early morning or at dusk will be a benefit to our fishing. One other thing the wind does is puts oxygen in the water which in turn can cause the fish to start biting.

So, as you can see there are many advantages to fishing in the wind. Here's something I see all the time, even by some pro's. They take their boat and go as far as they can then drift back using the wind to bring them back to a point where they started. This is a mistake, you want to fish in the wind. The reason being is you want to fish slower not letting the wind blow you past your lure before it even lands in the water.

I like to fish spinnerbaits when the wind is blowing hard, for one thing it is easier to detect a strike. I fish it more like a worm though then the usual method of a spinnerbait. I let it drop and use the tip of my rod to move it then let it fall again. I work it just fast enough to keep it from dragging the bottom. The next time you want to catch some bass and you think the wind is blowing too hard, just think of some of the advantages it produces.