Thursday, March 28, 2024

Wind, more wind: Make the most of it

Posted

HOOD OUTDOORS

MICHAEL ACOSTA

As a licensed professional fishing guide, Michael Acosta shows you how to find them. A Granbury resident of more than 35 years, he has been fishing all of his life, and has been a licensed guide since 1998.

I don’t know about you folks, but these winds can go away. Trying to find a day without wind has been tough lately. With really high winds you should not be on the water. However, there are times when you are out there and you need to make the best of it. 

Big open-water lakes are the most dangerous.  High winds can make swells too large for fishing for most any angler.  Lakes that are more like a river (like Lake Granbury and Possum Kingdom Lake) or that have an abundance of creeks and sloughs may be a saving grace if you are caught in the wind. 

Of course, if you can find an area where there are fish located and it is blocked or partially blocked by the wind then you have done well.  However, many times the places where the fish are located are not out of the wind.

Bait fish will be pushed to those windy sides of the lake that are typically the most difficult to fish in the wind. However, that is more than likely where the predators will be.  If you are a structure fishing person such as a striped bass angler, many of the places where the fish are located are on the main lake in open water.  So how do you make the most of it? 

Anchoring is a good choice if you are trying to fish a certain location or spot on the main lake.  GPS-controlled trolling motors will hold you for a while, but depending on the wind and your battery life you might have to opt for the old real anchor. 

Boat control is difficult in high winds, and getting your bait to where it needs to be will be easier when anchored.  Bass anglers can always find a slough partially out of the wind to locate shallow water bass; however that will not always work for the open-water angler.

Having the boat “bobbing” up and down may not help your cause either.  You may need to hold your rod to try to keep the bait steady in the strike zone.  Unnatural movement due to excessive bobbing in the wind may keep the fish away from your bait.

If you are to drift a large area, a drift sock can slow your drift where you can control your bait better at a certain depth. 

If you are working a windy point, anchor out and let you presentation float in with the wind under a balloon or float to where you desire to fish. If you are casting you can use the wind to your advantage (cast with the wind).   Another good idea is to keep your rod tip low when casting or retrieving which will help you to keep in contact with your line if you do get a bite.

Heavier lures will obviously work better in the wind.  Heavy jigs and crankbaits may be a better choice than trying to cast something light, which may be impossible.

There are some advantages to having some wind.  Wind will actually allow you to get closer to shallow fish.  The wind will essentially “camouflage” your boat.  Some wind will also stir the bite as well as provide more oxygenated water for the fish.

I definitely prefer to avoid high winds, as it can be dangerous on the water.  Dead calm is nice, but the fishing is not always the greatest.  A little chop on the water can be good.  If you can learn to manage the wind, you can make a day of it.

HOOD COUNTY

FISHING REPORT

Spring fishing on Lake Granbury and many other North Texas lakes has been excellent.  Granbury Black bass are good to 7 pounds near bedding areas and near creek entrances and main lake points.  Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics, crankbaits and top water early.  Crappie action continues to be good to excellent on jigs and small minnows in the backs of creeks and sloughs.  Some great crappie reports are coming in from the creeks off of the main river above Hunter Park.  Catfish continue to be good to 20 pounds on cut bait fished on shallow flats on the upper ends.  Striped bass are good to excellent to 11 pounds on live bait from DeCordova to Indian Harbor.  Best sand bass reports continue to come from the river near Tin Top.  Some post spawn sand bass are returning to the main lake. 

OTHER AREAS

On other reservoirs, Possum Kingdom Lake striped bass are good on live bait and trolling jigs near Costello Island and the Peanut Patch.  Whitney striped bass continue to be excellent to 16 pounds on live bait near the Katy Bridge and in the backs of major creeks. Sand bass continue to be reported as good on the Brazos River near Hamm’s Creek.