Spring winds on the water

HOOD OUTDOORS

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, but my recent trips to the lake happen to land on days when the wind has been strong.  Fishing in the wind requires a lot more effort, but if you stay focused you can put fish in the boat.

I normally try to avoid getting on the water with wind speeds greater than 20 mph.  Many times, the actual winds are much stronger than predicted (north Texas weather is hard to predict).  If you are out on the water and trying to make the best of the windy conditions, you will of course have to work a little harder controlling the boat, but persistence will and can pay off.     

Anchoring the old way with a metal anchor is still a good option and may be your best option at times.  Most lakes have sufficient bottom structure to anchor, but some areas on many lakes may be difficult to stick an anchor especially in substantial winds.  You might need several hundred feet of rope out before the anchor will catch and you may have to try several times.  Other areas may be real easy to set an anchor.  Getting the anchor back up in strong winds is another story.

Whether you get an anchor out or not, you will have work hard in the wind.  It is a good idea to toss a buoy marker as soon as you locate some fish or structure that you want to work so you can keep a good reference point to go back to just in case you drift off. 

Having a strong trolling motor is a plus. The newer GPS-controlled trolling motors are preferred of course to tossing a real anchor, but I have had to resort to the old style anchor on occasion when the trolling motor batteries get weak. It’s good to keep the old option.   

Fishing in high winds can be dangerous as well.  Working on the bow with waves bouncing you around can knock you out of the boat.  Getting wet from the water spray is common also.  Be careful when out there. 

I have noticed over the years that drastic ups and downs while fishing in the wind can affect the bite.  If your bait is bouncing hard just due to the boat rising and falling in the waves, this is not natural and if the bite is finicky, the predators may resist biting.  If this happens to be the case on the water, work your presentations off the back of the boat where the ups and downs are less than on the bow (if you have your nose pointed into the wind). 

The only reason to fish in the wind or on a windy area is, of course, that is where the fish are located.  It is desirable to locate a wind break or protected area where there are fish to catch and where you won’t be beat up by the wind.  However, many times the fish are usually on those windy points and you may have to take on the wind’s challenge to get your bait where it will work best.  Winds stir up the water/oxygen, which will concentrate the baitfish and of course the predators will not be far behind.

Another technique when fishing in the wind is to use a drift sock or two to slow the drift of the boat.  This is a great alternative as you can slow your presentation down and work a large area.  Once feeding fish are located, you may want to stop and work that area or you can go back and drift over the area repeatedly.

We all wish for those beautiful days with light winds and active fish, but in reality those don’t necessarily show their face too often.  Actually a little chop on the water with cloud cover can make for a better fishing day, as many anglers know.  Really high winds on the water can take the fun out of the trip and they can be dangerous.  When lake advisories are out, it is best to stay off the water.

HOOD COUNTY FISHING REPORT

Lake Granbury water temperatures are in the middle 60s.  Golden alga is still plaguing many areas of the lake.  Sand bass action in the river near Tin Top continues to be good on small roadrunners and minnows. Crappie action under docks is good to excellent in the backs of major coves.  Largemouth bass are good in the river above Hunter Park.  Best bass lures include spinners, soft plastics and crankbaits.  Blue catfish are fair to good on cut bait fished on the upper ends and near DeCordova.  Striped bass are slow to fair to 9 pounds on jigs and live shad fished on the lower ends. 

Comanche Creek continues to boast on numbers of largemouth bass and channel catfish.  Channel catfish are good on worms, cut shad, or prepared baits.  Largemouth are good on poppers, soft plastics and crankbaits on many areas of the lake.  I do not have a tilapia report. 

On other reservoirs, Lake Whitney striped bass limits are common on jigs and live shad fished near the McCown flats and near Steel Creek.

michael.acosta@att.net | 254-396-4855