Windy by name windy by nature. With 60km/hr winds forecast we had to grit our teeth and find a way to work in with the wind.
These three simple tips ensured we still ran into a few portly perch on our annual pig pilgrimage.
Lock and Unload
There is no greater tip than to use the superpowers of your electric motor to hold you in place in a wicked wind. In the horrid Windamere windstorm we had to forgo the luxury of simply cruising banks casting for fish.
Unfortunately, if you try and take on the wind you’re fighting a losing battle, especially if winds exceed 50km/hr.
For our electric motor, the Minn Kota Terova, we use the Spot-Lock function on every bank. This allows all anglers, including the captain, to cast without having one hand on the electric motor remote and adjusting the direction every 8 seconds – nightmare!
Next up, we scan an area with the Humminbird Helix 10 to identify fish to target. We then point the front-mounted Minn Kota into the breeze and let the ass of the boat hang back a full cast length from the target area.
Then, if we want to move along a bank, we use the Spot lock Jog function that, with a press of the remote, propels you 5ft at a time along your chosen route – pure genius!
It’s now about staying straight and stacking the odds in your favour.
Staying Straight
In a blustery breeze, your biggest nemesis can be the bow in your line generated by the wind. This is further exasperated when you cast across the breeze.
Not only do you lose contact with your bait but you miss the valuable feel needed to detect if a wily perch has plucked at your bait.
Contrasting the workman like whack of a Murray cod on thick string, yellowbelly can be one of our most finicky feeders in the fresh. If you miss these telltale taps you could easily pick up your bait and fling it in the opposite direction – opportunity missed!
To maintain your connection in the wind we try to follow a simple rule after locking in the spot lock of our Minn Kota electric motor. Once locked we only cast either straight into the teeth of the breeze or with the wind – never against it! While simple this is a deadly tip to feel more small bumps and plucks and stack the odds in your favour.
That Sinking Feeling
Another fairly common sense windy weather tip is to opt for a heavier bait with a slender profile. While a few grams between mates might not sound like a lot it can have a huge impact on your fishing results.
For instance, the sink rate of a 13gm Jackall TN60 versus a 20gm slim profile Jackall Transam is significantly different. With wind wreaking havoc, having a bait hit the bottom 2-3 seconds quicker is hugely valuable, as the more time it takes to sink the more chance the wind can grab it and whisk it out of the strike zone.
