How do you fish East winds?

[TOP SECRET]

Quick question... you get to your boat in the morning knowing there were east winds yesterday continuing today... how do you approach fishing?

I've just never had much luck after/during East winds... always seems to shut the fishing down...

Nick

[Big Dave]

Go deeper to find stable water temps. East wind sometimes brings in the Cold water that changes everything

[waterlogged]

Turn around and go home

Wind from the East fish bite the least

[TOP SECRET]

That's my usual approach (turn around and go home) hence I'm looking for advice

Nick

[Gill-T]

Never had much luck either in East winds, so usually I don't fish. During tournaments you have no choice, so fish the temps which usually change. In the spring and early summer east winds usually roll colder water west so I end up fishing higher. One of these days, I will get an O2 sensor and record what happens during an east wind reversal. I imagine the cold deeper water that rolls up has less dissolved O2 so it makes the fish lethargic. I don't have proof it happens but I witnessed hundreds of Lakers at the bar surfacing and gulping air during an east wind one spring.

[rustyrat]

A few years back we had a huge east blow and we were just wackin and stackin the kings in 20 to 30 FOW! Talk about combat fishing!

RR

[Shade]

East is lease................West is best

Shade

[on the lam]

Buy , sit at the dock, drink , and wait for it to change direction.

[Landshark]

To be honest I have never noticed a difference

[CBish]

Out of our port when you get a sustained east wind the cold water rises in the water column. If you can stick with the fish (trolling south usually) you can continue to catch them. One of the very best east wind spoons is the pirate M & M white back or the new DW peels M & M silver back, lemon ice has also been good the past several years.

Back to staying with the fish, if you are out there when the water is moving and you are not able to stay with the fish you will have a long troll. So if you are near the end of your day pull and run south then set up and check out temps if the cold water is there fish it you will do well.

If you arrive to a lake that has cold water 30' down in 30' check out that depth, like Rustyrat said it can be great. If the fish have vacated then do what Dave says and head out - until you find the 58 degree water down about 50'. Watch for current breaks or rips on your way out if you see them fish 'em.

No doubt as a rule the east wind is more of a challenge, but the situation is the fish are moving due to unstable conditions in the temp/current -- not a change in behavior affecting diet.

CC

[jimski2]

East and North winds are usually accompanied low humidity conditions. The sun's ultra violet rays drive the fish deep to protect themselves. The deep waters have lower dissolved oxygen in them and the metabolic rate of the fish shut down. They quit eating simply, so your hooks are out of the fish catching equation. A "good fisherman" knows when to go fishing and when to stay home and get things ready for good fishing conditions. If the East wind conditions happen on your day off, take your medicine and make other plans. If you have chartered a trip, enjoy the day and ride, be happy you are away from all the honey do's and co workers.