I have decided to
write a series of blogs offering tips on how to fish when Mother
Nature is less than agreeable. They are going to topicalized by the
four elements - Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire.
Today's blog will be about Wind.
High winds and
choppy waves can wreak havoc on any fishing trip, especially when
trying to troll or cast. You'll get blown off course and it's
difficult to achieve a consistent pattern of fishing. Bottom line.
However, there is
a way you can use the wind to your advantage.
During one such
blustery day my buddy Tyler Reid and I were attempting to fish in
high wind. We were losing the battle - trolling was next to
impossible and casting was proving just as cumbersome. Finally, a
thought came to me.
?We should try
jigging,? I said, ?just go with the drift and jig.?
It turned out to
be a brilliant idea if I do say so myself. And props must go out to
Reid for coming up with the presentation that led to us hooking a
boat-load of fish.
Instead of using
jig heads and a Twister Tail he suggested we use 7? Berkley Power
Worms and hook them texas-rigged style. His reasoning being that
since the baits would be weed-less, we were less likely to get
snagged on the bottom or in structure. Also, by using either a
split-shot or bullet weight and by varying the amount of line let
out, we would be able to control our lure depths.
Both of our luck
improved instantly. Not even five minutes had passed before Reid
hooked the first largemouth and shortly thereafter, I boated a
decent smallmouth as Reid set the hook on what would be a two-pound
walleye.
Over the next few
hours we drifted all over the lake hooking into bass, walleye, and
pike. We began to experiment with different jigs (Figure 1).
A black,
single-tailed Mr. Twister with a white jig head appealed to a few
walleye; Berkley Power Lizards, Worms, and Jerk Shads Texas-Rig style
with a bullet weight produced second-to-none; even a Lunkerhunt Goby
Grub baited by a regular worm hook seduced a few fish lying in our
drifting path.
We had a lot of
fun that day and since then I've had plenty of time to perfect the
art of drift-jigging. I no longer frown upon the sight of a choppy
lake - I embrace it.
Here are a few
tips that can make this technique work for you:
- Identify the
wind direction and recognize related lake-current patterns ?
position the boat so you are able to drift in unison with these
variables.
- Know your
water. Know your structure ? knowledge of the lake you're fishing
allows you to locate weed-beds, shoals, and drop-offs that
coordinate with your drift.
- Make the
weight choice ? PERSONALLY, I prefer bullet weights for fast
drifts, split-shots for moderate drifts, and weightless for slow
drifts.
- Split-Shot
weights are a Catch 22 ? if crimped too tight, they create a weak
spot in your line.
- The speed of
your drift determines your weight choice ? faster means heavier
while slower means lighter.
- Choppy waves
make the fish 'hunker down' ? often times fish will suspend closer
to the bottom of the lake or bunker themselves next to structure
during windy weather.
- It's
all about the presentation ? once you have achieved the desired
depth jig, twitch, and pause your bait to make it as lifelike as
possible.
Thanks for reading and happy angling folks!
Remember, always follow the laws set forth in your area of fishing. This means keeping fish within their allotted slot size, proper quantities, and
so on. Let's make it possible to fish for life!
