Bluebird skies and wind (%$@#$@%)

If you haven't figured it out from the topic title, I hate fishing on a windy day when there are clear blue skies. I never know when, where to find fish. Wind fishing in general, I have a hard time being able to feel the fish if I am throwing a worm or jig.

I know the science, wind blows plankton to the wind blown shore, little fish follow, big fish follow, but I end up catching the little fish and not the big ones I want.

Just wondering, what do people throw on these types of days, and what kind of spots on a lake do you generally look for. I have never been a spinner bait or a crank bait guy. Can count on one hand the number of crank bait fish I have caught... and NEVER caught a fish on a swim bait or a swim jig... But if it is time to change, then it is what it is... Just curious what some of you more experienced guys would have to say.

Crank baits on wind blow points dragging bottom or bouncing of scattered cover. If you ever gain confidence in them you'll have a hard time putting them down on windy days. I've always been big on a chartreus black back, but I've had lot's of luck this year on the pearl splatter back KVD 1.5 and Bandit 200

A crankbait works pretty well in those conditions, so does a swimbait, spinnerbait, and a swim jig. All of your favorites... haha. In those conditions I try as hard as I can to fish slow and deeper with a worm or a jig, but sometimes it's just impossible. If it's one of those times when I can't fish slow then I pick up a reaction bait and cover water until I find fish or get bit.

Key word confidence right... all I have ever really fished is worms and jigs... and the occasional spinner bait. I am terribly one dimensional. I need to get out and fish with people who fish differently than I do...

I'm right there with you on the wind, mainly because I have a 17' aluminum boat without and ultrex so it is hard to stay put. But my go to technique is crankbait fishing.

If the wind isn't awful, I can stay out on deeper points and crank. If they might be shallow, I look for about 7 ft of water and can drop my power pole and stay positioned pretty well.

When the wind is too bad, I just have to put in on protected coves and fish what's available. I do that rather than fighting a losing battle. Yesterday in 15' I was able to get in a cove and flip/pitch, picking up three 3 pounders on isolated cover.

When it's blue bird days the wind is what you need. Without it they get in that same blah mood as everything else. So, when it's windy look for an edge at the depth the fish are holding. A grass edge, bushes, funnel point into a pocket, the edge of point that the wind is blowing over, something that creates an ambush point for the fish to catch the bait as it blows into the area. I dont know if people remeber but Christie fished a frog in 3' waves on rayburn in the haygrass. They would use the waves to bring the bait to them. It worked to because we did it. I would have never thought those fish would be that shallow in that much wave action but they were. We laughed the whole time because of how crazy it was to do it. Go to an area where you know fish live. Pick out the spots that the wind is blowing in to and the pick the edges of the cover or structure that will allow them to ambush the bait. Don't assume it's the back side of a point because I find them on the front most of the time. When you do catch one or two it usually means there is a school there using the same spot.

Be thankful for wind on bluebird days.

Excellent advice here. I will add that feeling the bite is not as important as feeling the load. I pitch and flip baits like your Worm and Jig on slack line. As soon as it hits next to the heavy cover or in a bush I strip two runs of line quickly. Then just as quick I pick up that slack and feel for pressure. It takes time to learn the difference between a fish loading up and a branch or grass. I set the hook many times during the day on the cover. Many times it is a fish. Also become a line watcher. You will see it jump or move away from the bush without feeling the bite. You will up your ratio on big fish as they do not like any pressure on that bait when they pick it up. Use heavy scent every 30 mins., so they will hold on to it longer and it will sew the deal up on a big fish.

Sounds pretty ideal to me!

Wow, overwhelming responses. Fishing is such a science.. you kind of need to have some knowledge of fish behavior, meteorology, geology, biology... freakin crazy. I have so far to go... I thank you all for the great advice.

You wouldn't think it to listen to my fishing habits but I probably have 50+ crank baits lol... What's the saying, lures catch more fisherman than they do fish.. I am GUILTY!!!

Great advice above, you have the crankbaits so invest in a decent Cranking Rod and good 15# Fluorocarbon line, leave everything else at home, find a good point set up on it with your boat facing into the wind, it's easier to control your boat if you stay facing into the wind I like to start on one side of the point and fish all the way around then turn around and fish it all the way around from the other direction , keep your crankbait in contact with the bottom if your not keep changing to deeper divers until you are and then fish, hit every point in your lake from every direction it can possibly be fished , you'll start catching fish and then you can start trying creek channel bends and humps and move on to Square Bills in the stumps and Brush
Nothing like banging a crankbait off of a rock and having a Big Gal hit it so hard she almost rips it out of your hands
Good Luck and stay with it, once you get that confidence you'll love cranking

The biggest annoyance for me on a windy day was I felt like I was always drifting to fast to fish effectively. I saved up and got a trolling motor with spot lock and now I pray for the wind to blow. It is so nice to be able to hit a button and focus on fishing. I though all the same baits as listed above but feel like my focus is so much better when I am not worried about the boat hitting the rocks or drifting across the point at 5 knots.

I absolutely hate the wind for the type of fishing I like to do. However on blue bird days I pray for wind!! Pretty much blue bird calm days you can bank on a really good morning bite that will last an hour or so and then you gonna have to work your tail off after that to put fish in the boat. With a little bit of wind you just gotta shift gears and pick up the moving baits and roll with the flow.

You are missing out on a ton and I mean TONS of bites by not throwing key moving baits like a square bill, spinner bait or chatter bait. At one time you weren’t confident throwing worms or jigs so apply the same discipline it took for them when throwing those moving baits. You WILL catch a lot more fish simply because you are appealing more towards the bass’ predatory nature with a reaction strike. I catch more big fish on squares and spinners this spawning season more than I do ANYTHING else.

Stay with your chartreuse baits on blue bird days, brush piles or rock..chartreuse/blue back, chartreuse sexy shad, chartreuse chrome, chartreuse pepper. Be amazed the big fish you will catch on those conditions staying with those colors.

if you want to get some confidence in cranks, keep it simple, tie on a 1.5 squarebill in a shad or chartreuse color, get on the TM and throw it around every piece of cover you see in 6' or less.

And bang them off the cover. Those squarebills will come thru some junk.

Good stuff here. I will add that a C-Rig with big weight depending on depth is great on windy days. Also will say that a TM with digital anchor changed everything for me. Set the anchor and focus on fishing. I have the OG model Minn Kota powerdrive 2 24 volt and it still gets the job done.

When it gets windy, I like to fish the wind currents where they snake through visible cover. Works for the salt and the freshwater.

I can handle blue bird and windy. Blue bird and calm I cannot. I prefer too windy over not windy enough any day. Calm days just seem to be a waste of time or maybe I just talk myself out of catching fish because of the conditions.

If it's going to be bluebird, give me SOME breeze!!! Bluebird and calm is pure poison to me.