Can someone please give me a quick 101 on winds and fishing? I see you guys talk about an easterly wind and a northeasterly. I am lost here other than the fact that i hate trying to hook an anchor when it blowing. Do certain winds mean better fishing or just clearer water? Also when you guys are fishing reds or any fish for that matter do you find clearer water better than murky? Sorry if this is a stupid question but I have only been saltwater fishing about 2 years and only get to go when I drag the boat down from greenville. I do pretty well but always love to learn something new. Thanks!
“Wind from west fish bite best, wind from east fish bite least.” An old saying, but pretty darn true I have found. Although, there are always exceptions. Like one time i was largemouth fishing at a small lake near Valdosta GA and the wind was ripping out of the east. We literally caught fish on every cast w a rattle trap for a long time. I like clear water if there is a such thing in Charleston. If the water is stained and I am fishing artificials, I like to use lures w some flash to em. I am no expert on water clarity and red fish but it seems like a good idea to use bright or flashy lures in stained water. I seem to believe wind and tide play more of a role in water clarity than say rainfall. I am interested to hear the responses here on the water clarity thing as I am sure I will learn a few things as well. It is an area that i am just beginning to learn my self. Good luck to you next time you are in the Lowcountry!
I’d rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave.
Keeping in mind that there are always exceptions, here is what I have found from 45+ years of fishing (25 inshore Charleston area).
Strong wind out of the east or NE just after a cold front tends to shut them down for a day or 2. The first couple of days after a strong cold front passes, even if the wind is out of the NW, tends to not be so good for me. There is something about when a new high pressure arrives that makes them not so active. I have had good days with an east or NE, but only after it had been set in for a few days.
The bottom line for most of us is that we go when we can. Sometimes the conditions aren’t ideal, but we make the best of it. Last weekend I took relatives from upstate both days after that front came through and it was tough and hard to find fish. We moved a lot, but managed to find enough to have 2 decent days.
The more you go, the more you know.
I have found no link between wind and catching fish. I am still learning as much as I can, but I have caught limits one day, and gone out on another with the same conditions and caught nothing but pin fish. It seems to me the the days that “feel” the best are my worst, and the days where I just convince myself to go are the best. Maybe my fish sense isnt calibrated properly.
Oh well, I’d rather be out there than at work.
I find the wind to be more of an issue for the fisherman than the fish.
While there is something to be said in my experience for bites turning “on” or “off” as pressure systems move, there is some scientific research that shows fish just aren’t able to distinguish any changes in air pressure. (Personally, I think the “scientific” data is not taking everything into consideration, such as the release of gases from marsh mud. It’s been merely limited to fishes abilities to sense actual pressure changes, not its side effects.)
The bigger issue is that high wind in certain directions just makes it a pain getting to certain places I want to fish at a particular time. And other areas that I might know at the time are active and holding fish might be just plain Not Fun for the folks on board.
Most importantly it takes a positive attitude to stand on the dock, surveying a windy blown out creek and say, “yeah, we can do this” and knowing where you’re going to go to get out of the mess and still have a good time!
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The “Old Salts” know which side of the creek to fish on based on the wind and tide. They are routinely successful because they believe the “You never know until you go” part of hunting and fishing success. For what it’s worth wind generally sucks in one way or another, except when the green flies are biting. That 'Ol North Wind makes me cringe a little bit more, and I spend too much time setting anchors, changing weights and generally not fishing to achieve any rate of success. Give me a nice variable breeze out of the South any day, and I’ll relax and catch more fish.
