Northwest Fishing Reports

Wondering how you guy`s fish when the winds blowing or the pleasure boats are making the water choppy and churn? Do you continue the same pattern or change? Start fishing points and wind blown banks? Increase your weight on what your fishing? Or do you let the wind work to your advantage? I have a smaller boat and the wind makes it diffucult to stay put. Some wind is ok but not alot. When the pleasure boats come out I`m gone.

wind and waves = more active fish, lots of times because the waves stir up the bottom and the stuff along the banks and the weeds, causing little bugs and such fall into the water. Also can stir up the gravel and the crayfish and larvae and stuff will come out/get washed out/uncovered.

After a bit the waves are too much and the fish go away. They either are tired of the sloshing around, or the little critters are all eaten or back into hiding.

There is one lake I made it a point to be at a certain spot to fish the gravel when the speed limit goes up and the water skiers come out. No it isn't 'that lake'.

I think I know but I won`t tell:-" That ones to crazy for me.

Depends on the species for me,also how strong the wind is.
Often times I will fish near the shoreline or other structure such as downed logs
that the wind is blowing against....in theory,this is where the small bait fish will be pushed to.

Now with wake from other anglers/pleasure boaters. Again,depends on how bad.
Seems that a little bit of chop on the water doesn't seem to effect my fishing,infact,in some cases it improves. When it gets to hectic,I may opt out for calmer waters.I'm not sure if the fish follow suite but I tend to want to relax.
Other times I may stay in the same areas but try working baits a little deeper.
But this is only my experience,so don't take is as fact.

I also suppose that may depend on the lake too. Example,such as McIntosh or other less devoloped lakes. A boat's wake will hit the shoreline and most of the energy will
dispurse on the bank but other lakes such as Tapps that are primarily surrounded by concrete retaining walls don't,instead the wake smacks the wall and the energy is directed back out. Toss in a few more boats and you have the ultimate bathtub effect.
I've often wondered if fish get conditioned to this but I guess that is a whole other question in itself.....and now,deep thoughts.......

When the wind and waves start to pick up I'm usually heading right for a nice weedline with the wind blowing into it. My favorite is a big lily pad field where a submerged grass bed runs into it. Those bass sit right on that edge with something over their heads just like they like it, waiting for the bait to get blown out of the grass beds. A lot of times wind/waves can really concentrate the cruising bass in a huge lily field that are hard/impossible to pattern and make them very predictable. Especially if it was calm then the wind really picks up and gets a good chop going.

rjn cajun wrote:Wondering how you guy`s fish when the winds blowing or the pleasure boats are making the water choppy and churn? Do you continue the same pattern or change? Start fishing points and wind blown banks? Increase your weight on what your fishing? Or do you let the wind work to your advantage? I have a smaller boat and the wind makes it diffucult to stay put. Some wind is ok but not alot. When the pleasure boats come out I`m gone.

I LOVE the wind, it is my best time to fish. Nothing is better then a 12 to 14 inch chop on the water, nothing,

As for methods, well it depends on your skill/mechanics so I don't want to suggest something that might get you in trouble.

My old friend, WIND! I don't think there has been one day in the past two yrs the wind is'nt blowing while I'm tring to fish. I can leave the house with no wind get to the launch with a sheet of glass get the boat in, may move 60-100ft and there she blows!!With the Lk crusers and skiers, jetski's it can be tough but as every one said the fish will bite. You know when enough is enough. I still fish the same in the boat jamming to some hard rock as loud as it will go and sound good. BASS LOVE ROCK!!