I always joke that I am going to sell my boat and buy a sailboat. It seems Mother Nature and i just cannot get on the same page when it comes time for me to fish. I am sure I am not the only angler that feels this way as I hear many of my friends complaining about the weather on their days off. I have some good news for those of you that have my luck when it comes to windy days off. You can still catch some nice fish, in our inshore waters, in the wind.
Before I get too far into this conversation, just let me say that I take weather advisories very serious and when small craft advisories are issued, you will find me at the house working on my never ending honey-do list. On days where there is enough wind to make fishing tough, but not dangerous, you will find the wind can actually make it easier to find fish.
As we move into the winter we have plenty of days with fairly steady winds and the fish will use the wind to their advantage any chance they can get. Smaller fish, like finger mullet and mudminnows normally stay close to the bank, where they can reach protection quickly. Many times when we fish our natural inclination is to fish the side of the river or creek that is sheltered from the wind. Let’s face it, that bank is normally a little more comfortable, especially on a cold day. While you may stay comfortable this way and may even catch a few fish, the real chance for success is that bank across with river with the wind pushing up on it.
In the winter fish are not as active and are trying to conserve energy and get a meal at the same time. The smaller bait fish are in the same mode. They are not trying to fight current or the wind. On those days where the wind stays steady eventually most of those bait fish will find themselves pushed up against the bank, more or less herded up by the wind. The larger fish understand this and will be right there to take advantage of an easy meal.
Next time you think about heading out to get that sailboat, think instead of where you may be able to find fish a