Thread: Trolling on Windy Days

I haven't long lined very much at all, but I'm going to try it hot and heavy this spring! I've already tried a bit of it but haven't been successful yet.

But for bouncing bottom on windy days I use a drift sock on the back of the boat and the trolling motor on the front. The TM holds the front of the boat pretty good and the sock anchors the back of the boat. I troll with and against the wind when possible. I prefer with the wind, but that's not the way the fish always want it.

I plan to try this same setup with long line but I have to check my speed with the GPS, when I bounce bottom I do it at a crawl... long lining will be considerably faster.

I may just end up saying to heck with it and go to corks and minnows like everyone else!:D

Wind is not our friend when trolling,15 plus winds 8 to 12 rods out and now trying to stay within 2 tenths on speed with your gps.Back before gps it was a lot less work we just spit in the water and guessed.Trolling is alot easier than pushing by a long shot with variable speed trolling motors and gps for speed its never been easier to fight the wind, but gusty days are tough.As far as wind you have to go both ways but with todays equipment np.

My experience is that there's not a lot you can do. We always settled for finding the cove with the least amount of wind and if there wasn't one we went home. Never bothered me much because I always fished the back of the boat and my buddy had to fight the trolling motor. lol

Originally Posted by Pop Rivers

Alright guys, what are your tips and secrets for long line trolling on windy days. Wind is one of our main problems in the spring, and we all hate those windy days.
How do you handle the problem ??

Do you troll into the wind, use a wind sock anchor, drag a chain, stay in a windless cove, use special weights, etc. ???? or do you just stay home ?

I know you all have a story on this, so please share your thoughts... Help all the young and new anglers out with this common problem....

Thanks for posting this, I am looking forward to answers as it seems like it is windy ALOT at Weiss, guess because its a big flooded pasture...

If its windy I just get mad and go home after a few hours

The wind usually just takes away the enjoyment. I can always fish another day.:rolleyes::o

I can usually troll in certain creeks and/or coves, but sometimes the wind seems to follow me around, and then I have to try one of these techniques:

a . Put out a wind sock and go in the direction of wind.

B. Switch to heavier jigs 1/8 or 1/4 and go with wind - no wind sock

c. Put on 3" floats, use 1/8 oz. jigs behind boat and go into wind- slow
Trolling motor might only last 3 to 4 hrs this way.

My last resort: Stop trying to long line and switch to pushing.
Put out two 15' logging chains - tied to 15' heavy rope and then tie to tie
down eyes on back of boat. Go with wind, draging chains behind on
bottom - push from front of boat with 10' or 12' rods, 3/4 oz. bell sinker
with 1/8 hair jig about 18 inches below sinker. The chains will hold you
dead still in water up to 16 ft. deep, and the chains just slide along on
bottom and seldom if ever hang up. Use trolling motor to
move forward. Move till you see cover and fish, then stop by simply
taking foot of trolling motor switch, fish a few minutes and move on.. Tip
some of your jigs with a minnow .

Or give up and go home..... I still work and only get to fish on weekends, so I have try everything before quiting and waiting a week to try again...

I usually adjust the size of my jigs to a heavier one to keep my lures in the strike zone if the wind is pushing me faster than I want to go. I can adjust my speed fine when I am headed into the wind but when you catch one and take your foot off the trolling motor to deal with it you wind up in a mess with all of your rods twisted. I usually reduce the number of rods that I put out when it is super windy. Less fish but far less headaches when they get tangled up. You can handle it if you have a good GPS and a variable speed TM with a constant setting. Even better I guess would be an auto pilot. Or even better than that just get a friend to run the front of the boat and chew him out when he goes crooked.

ORNC.