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John N. Felsher's Bass Fishing Adventures
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Frequently, a good breeze could
mean great largemouth bass action
mean great largemouth bass action
Mark Davis, a professional bass fisherman from Mount Ida, Ark.,
shows off a bass he caught on a spinnerbait. Often, spinnerbaits
produce better results than other lures on windy days.
shows off a bass he caught on a spinnerbait. Often, spinnerbaits
produce better results than other lures on windy days.
When winds whip lakes into froth, many anglers look for shelter along
the lee shoreline or in protected coves, but they might also run from the
fish.
“Wind can hurt, but as a general rule, wind is usually your friend,” said
Mark Davis, a bass pro from Mount Ida, Ark. “Often, fish feed best when
the wind blows. When I fish points or other structure, I always fish the windy
side first. Wind creates current. Fish usually position themselves facing
into the wind or current. They look for bait coming toward them.”
Wind driven waves aerate water by dissolving oxygen and concentrate
bait. Winds move plankton-rich waters. Shad and other baitfish gather to
feed upon plankton as it stacks up along windward shores. However,
waves sometimes break up schools and disorient baitfish. Often, lunker
bass hide on the lee side of wind-swept points or other chokepoints and
ambush anything currents might drive past their noses. As morsels appear,
bass dash out, gobble a few helpings and retreat to slack water to conserve
their energy. Therefore, baits that mimic shad, including spinnerbaits,
produce better than other baits on windy days.
“On a windy day, a spinnerbait is usually my first lure of choice,” Davis
said. “I like to throw white or some form of white such as pearl or a shad
type pattern. In slightly off-color water, it’s tough to beat white and
chartreuse. Another favorite of mine is black and yellow. I also use blue
and chartreuse.”
Breakers pounding shorelines also rip crawfish or other creatures from
their lairs. Waves smashing through cover hurl clinging morsels into open
water. In addition, winds can knock insects, lizards, frogs and other
creatures into the water. Soft plastics that simulate lizards, frogs or
crawfish might also work on windy days.
Wind also serves as excellent natural camouflage for anglers. On calm
days, fish can see shadows or outlines silhouetted against a bright sky.
When these images fall on a placid surface in clear water, they can spook
wise old bass. Ripples help break up the surface, making objects more
difficult to see.
By creating noise from waves hitting the shore, logs and rocks, a good
breeze muffles unnatural sounds. Bass grow accustomed to hearing
breaking waves. In effect, wind noise “jams” manmade noises the way
military forces send signals to disrupt enemy sensors. Unnatural noises,
such as electric motor propellers whirring in still water, can easily spook big
bass, particularly in heavily pressured lakes.
“It’s impossible to keep from making noise in a boat,” said Alton Jones,
a bass pro from Waco, Texas. “On a windy day, bass don’t care as much
about noise. On a calm, sunny day, almost any small noise might spook a
bass. Wind makes bass less aware of human presence. Wind is almost
like wearing camouflage for fishing.”
To sneak up on fish, use wind power to drift across a flat, a point or
along a productive channel whenever possible. Only use electric motors
sparingly for directional control. In some shallow grassy flats or coves,
anglers can run boats upwind to the far shoreline, raise their motors and
drift.
Once they hit the far side of the pond or flat, boaters can crank their
outboards, run through already fished waters to avoid disturbing unfished
waters and return to the far shoreline for another drift. If people plan drifts
successfully, they can zigzag across highly productive waters with little
effort almost undetected.
On rare occasions, wind blows directly down a shoreline, allowing
anglers to drift quietly through productive waters. For extra directional
control, leave the outboard down like a rudder and cock it in the direction
that provides the best boat movement. Hit the trolling motor switch
occasionally to maintain position or momentum.
Sometimes, winds blow too strongly to allow good drifting. A mighty
wind might propel a boat too rapidly across productive waters to allow
anglers to work an area thoroughly. A simple plastic five-gallon bucket
dragged on a rope behind a boat fills with water and creates a magnificent
drag.
“More often than not, I want some wind, but too much wind can be
bad,” Davis said. “In shallow water with a lot of silt, wind can hurt. In a
clear, deep lake with a hard bottom, a little kicked-up silt can be good. Its
stirs up crawfish and gets them moving.”
Certainly, wind affects fishermen more than fish by making casting
more difficult. Therefore, top anglers often find themselves alone on winds-
swept shorelines full of fish.
the lee shoreline or in protected coves, but they might also run from the
fish.
“Wind can hurt, but as a general rule, wind is usually your friend,” said
Mark Davis, a bass pro from Mount Ida, Ark. “Often, fish feed best when
the wind blows. When I fish points or other structure, I always fish the windy
side first. Wind creates current. Fish usually position themselves facing
into the wind or current. They look for bait coming toward them.”
Wind driven waves aerate water by dissolving oxygen and concentrate
bait. Winds move plankton-rich waters. Shad and other baitfish gather to
feed upon plankton as it stacks up along windward shores. However,
waves sometimes break up schools and disorient baitfish. Often, lunker
bass hide on the lee side of wind-swept points or other chokepoints and
ambush anything currents might drive past their noses. As morsels appear,
bass dash out, gobble a few helpings and retreat to slack water to conserve
their energy. Therefore, baits that mimic shad, including spinnerbaits,
produce better than other baits on windy days.
“On a windy day, a spinnerbait is usually my first lure of choice,” Davis
said. “I like to throw white or some form of white such as pearl or a shad
type pattern. In slightly off-color water, it’s tough to beat white and
chartreuse. Another favorite of mine is black and yellow. I also use blue
and chartreuse.”
Breakers pounding shorelines also rip crawfish or other creatures from
their lairs. Waves smashing through cover hurl clinging morsels into open
water. In addition, winds can knock insects, lizards, frogs and other
creatures into the water. Soft plastics that simulate lizards, frogs or
crawfish might also work on windy days.
Wind also serves as excellent natural camouflage for anglers. On calm
days, fish can see shadows or outlines silhouetted against a bright sky.
When these images fall on a placid surface in clear water, they can spook
wise old bass. Ripples help break up the surface, making objects more
difficult to see.
By creating noise from waves hitting the shore, logs and rocks, a good
breeze muffles unnatural sounds. Bass grow accustomed to hearing
breaking waves. In effect, wind noise “jams” manmade noises the way
military forces send signals to disrupt enemy sensors. Unnatural noises,
such as electric motor propellers whirring in still water, can easily spook big
bass, particularly in heavily pressured lakes.
“It’s impossible to keep from making noise in a boat,” said Alton Jones,
a bass pro from Waco, Texas. “On a windy day, bass don’t care as much
about noise. On a calm, sunny day, almost any small noise might spook a
bass. Wind makes bass less aware of human presence. Wind is almost
like wearing camouflage for fishing.”
To sneak up on fish, use wind power to drift across a flat, a point or
along a productive channel whenever possible. Only use electric motors
sparingly for directional control. In some shallow grassy flats or coves,
anglers can run boats upwind to the far shoreline, raise their motors and
drift.
Once they hit the far side of the pond or flat, boaters can crank their
outboards, run through already fished waters to avoid disturbing unfished
waters and return to the far shoreline for another drift. If people plan drifts
successfully, they can zigzag across highly productive waters with little
effort almost undetected.
On rare occasions, wind blows directly down a shoreline, allowing
anglers to drift quietly through productive waters. For extra directional
control, leave the outboard down like a rudder and cock it in the direction
that provides the best boat movement. Hit the trolling motor switch
occasionally to maintain position or momentum.
Sometimes, winds blow too strongly to allow good drifting. A mighty
wind might propel a boat too rapidly across productive waters to allow
anglers to work an area thoroughly. A simple plastic five-gallon bucket
dragged on a rope behind a boat fills with water and creates a magnificent
drag.
“More often than not, I want some wind, but too much wind can be
bad,” Davis said. “In shallow water with a lot of silt, wind can hurt. In a
clear, deep lake with a hard bottom, a little kicked-up silt can be good. Its
stirs up crawfish and gets them moving.”
Certainly, wind affects fishermen more than fish by making casting
more difficult. Therefore, top anglers often find themselves alone on winds-
swept shorelines full of fish.