How to catch crappie in windy conditions by Brad Wiegmann

Its springtime and the two things you can count on is crappie will be biting and the wind blowing. Crappie fishing guides Mike Meeks and Anthony Owens from Oklahoma knows all too well how strong winds can affect fishing trips in the springtime. Unfortunately having a busy guide schedule there is always days when the wind is blowing and they have to deal with it and still put clients on fish.



Both Meeks and Owens agree that the biggest thing to overcome with strong winds when fishing in the springtime is mentally. “Most anglers think that once the wind gets up that the bite is over, but if an angler is thinking that way,” Meeks owner of Slabbin’ Mike’s Crappie Fishing and Guide Service continued, “They already believe they won’t catch any fish because of the wind blowing.”

Meeks noted his boat sits lower in the water so it doesn’t catch the wind like other boats with high sides will. His boat is also a heavy fiberglass boat that keeps the bow of the boat from coming up easily.


“The wind doesn’t really bother me much. I guide over in Oklahoma and the wind blows almost every day,” Meeks continued, “Really, I think the wind bothers my clients more than me when it comes to fishing in windy conditions.”


Meeks revealed he would probably head to calmer areas if the wind is making fishing tough for his clients. He noted that fishing is a river system there is always a place where you can get out of the wind and still catch crappie. “Wind doesn’t really bother me and if I’m fishing in a tournament, I will stay where the big crappie are located even if it’s windy,” said Meeks.


Boat control is extremely important in windy conditions. “If you want to be a good crappie fisherman you have to be able to control your boat and that includes out on the water in windy conditions,” said Meeks. Meeks noted anglers could drag chains behind the boat to help slow it down or drifting away from where you want to cast your lure. Typically, an angler will make two dragging chains and tying them to the transom. They are made with a main line of rope with a 4- or 5-foot log chain tied to it. The log chain will drag behind and rarely snag along with storing it easy in the splash well.


Another option in assist with boat control in windy conditions is brakes made with trolling motors allowing the angler to stop or at least slow the boat up out fishing. Anglers have several choices when it comes to buying brakes. New brakes made to attach to Power-Poles or other shallow water anchor systems. Brakes that have a stand-alone with no power source to lift it up or down or brakes that are built from used trolling motor parts.


Owens uses Power-Brakes made over in Oklahoma to stop or control his boat. “Power-Brakes is a manual stow and deploy,” Owens went on, “They can be installed next to shallow water anchor systems or Power-Brakes Sidekick. Those brakes can be installed on Power Pole or Minn Kota Raptors and connected to a power source. Either one will help with controlling the speed of your boat.”


Besides being a crappie guide Mike Meeks also owns a trolling motor repair shop where he builds homemade brakes for boats. “By recycling old trolling motors to build brakes it keeps the cost down and are easy to install,” said Meeks.


Meeks pairs his 16-foot long spinning rod with a spinning reel lined with 17 pound fluorocarbon clear fishing line. The line has two bobber stops on each side of an egg weight to hold it in place above a 1/16-ounce jighead. “As for the egg weight I usually use a ½-ounce or ¾-ounce,” Meeks continued, “And almost always a 1/16-ounce jighead no matter how hard the wind is blowing.”


The last words of wisdom Meeks gave for fishing in windy conditions was to just go fishing. “Wind is always going to blow. You can count on that in Oklahoma,” Meeks went on, “But you can’t wait for the perfect day. It’s just not going to happen that often.”