Where should I start my search for crappie in a north wind?
Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
Printable View
Where should I start my search for crappie in a north wind?
Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
Depends upon how strong of a wind. Too strong and it limits the places you can fish.
I fish 2 lakes less than 20 miles apart. One is ideal for a north wind perfect for drifting the other anything over 15 mph makes for a very rough outing. Both have causeways. So either fish near the causeway or find places to get out of the wind.
I never let a north wind stop me from fishing yet I place safety first. As for methods it doesn't matter which directions the wind is coming from. Find what the fish want and go from there.
I'd pay less attention to the wind direction, and more attention to the location & depth of the baitfish in your waters. Fish are still pretty much in a Summer pattern of open water cruising around schools of baitfish, and will likely stay in that pattern until the temps begin to drop in earnest. Then the baitfish will begin a run up into the back of creeks, and the fish will follow or position themselves to ambush them coming & going.
Baitfish are not as hardy as their predators, so they tend to react to conditions to a greater degree ... going shallower or deeper, staying stationary or making long treks ... and the fish will follow suit. Find the area with the greater concentration of baitfish & you'll "usually" find the greater concentration of predator fish.
North side of lake . If it's too rough on the north the south side will really be tough . :twocents
North winds, means high pressure & that means the fish will be deeper. During the summer I welcome north winds because, that means - a little cooler here! Otherwise, It is not a problem for me.
I've always been told that the shore where the wind is blowing into (down wind side of the lake) suppose to produce better than the upwind end. Theory being that plankton is blown down wind and so follow the baitfish and consequently, our game fish species. However, over the past 3 seasons we've noticed just the opposite to be the case with crappie. I can't explain it, but our results as solid.
That being said, I find no difference in what the direction of the wind is coming from. Cold front and post cold frontal conditions don't seem to affect our crappie up here (New England) as much as it's been purported to be. But, wind is vital to the "bite". A breezy/windy day far outproduces calm conditions - up here at least. Nothing with fishing is cast in stone however.....probably why they call it fishing. :)
I usually start looking where wind direction is from , even more so if over 10mph . Nothing worse than fighting the wind .
Quote:
Originally Posted by NIMROD
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way!