East winds.

[badbrad]

If it's spring and the Crappie are already making some movement to shallower water, does wind direction itself have an effect on the fish? The old adage "winds from the east fish bit the least" is there anything to that? I would think that minus a north wind which is indicitive of a cold front that it wouldn't bother the bite if everything else was good.

[CrappiePappy]

If it's spring and the Crappie are already making some movement to shallower water, does wind direction itself have an effect on the fish? The old adage "winds from the east fish bit the least" is there anything to that? I would think that minus a north wind which is indicitive of a cold front that it wouldn't bother the bite if everything else was good.

While they may have some bit of truth to them, they're not usually "totally" accurate .....
Everything going on has an effect, to a degree. What's causing the wind to blow in a certain direction, is more important than the direction itself ... IMHO. I've caught fish in all wind direction scenarios. I don't think wind "direction", in and of itself, has any effect on the fish. Ever had a steady South wind blowing, while you were in a creek that ran East/West ... and the wind seemed to be blowing right straight into the creek .. just like it was coming out of the East or West Now, just how do the fish know which direction the wind is coming from :p (I doubt they do, or care). It's the reason why the wind is blowing in a certain direction, and the effects it may be creating, that are the more important factors.
To a lesser degree ... wind direction may create current, which can be a factor in the positioning of the fish (which way they are facing). It can also push warm surface water, across the lake, into a specific area.

In any event, whenever I go fishing, it seems as though the wind comes looking for me ... just so it can make it as difficult as possible, for me to position the boat or hold the boat, so that I can present my bait in the optimum way :D (or so it seems ) .......... cp

[slabbandit]

I have a couple flag banners hanging off the porch and when I look out and see an East wind blowing I know the fishing is going to be tough. Like CP said I don't think it is the wind direction itself as much as what has caused the wind to blow out of the East.
I have had good luck here on Lake Nimrod when we've had a S.West wind blowing.

[crappiefarmer]

Just because the wind is blowing east does not mean that you won't catch fish. The reason that old saying has some merit is because usually when a cold front has just moved through, the wind shifts form west to north to east and is when barometric pressure starts to rise. That is what the fish don't like. If there is another element in play causing an east wind then at those times the fishing would be fine. I fish places that are only 30 miles as the crow flies from the Atlantic Ocean and the dominant wind is east and catch crappie there all the time in an east wind but if a front comes through, stay home. But saying that, an east wind may blow water up into a creek or pull water out of a creek that you like to fish and that rise or fall of the water may move or turn the fish off. This is the tide I deal with most of the time even though my waters end up at an inlet to the ocean. We get mainly a wind tide and rising and falling water of just a foot can cut the fishing off or turn them on. I guess you could say that wind does play a factor but not like most would think. Barometric pressure is key. You want a stable barometer. If rising water turns the fish on in your area then use the winds as a tool to eliminate water and fish the water where the wind will be blowing up into creeks. If falling does the trick then fish where the wind will be sucking out water. The wind is your friend.....unless it is blowing 40 MPH !!!:D CF

[siscoken]

Wind from the north ...fishermen go forth
Wind from the west ....fish bite the best
Wind from the south...hook in the mouth
Wind from the east.....fish bite the least

This may only be a canadian set of rule
lol Ken