By Bob Jensen

Anglers, to be successful, need to able to adjust to any weather condition that Mother Nature might choose to create. Some weather conditions make the fish want to bite; other weather conditions make the fish very fussy. Wind can make boat control more difficult, but it also, in some situations, makes the fish, especially walleyes, more willing to eat. Here’s how you can use the wind to your advantage in catching fish.

The wind can have a very strong influence on where the fish will be feeding most heavily on a body of water. Walleyes really like wind-blown areas. They will usually be most aggressive on the structures, or areas on a structure, that are receiving the most wind. For instance, if there are two points of land in the section of lake that you’re fishing, and one is wind-blown and the other isn’t, you can expect the wind-blown point to be a better bet for getting bit.

Now let’s break it down even more. Only one side of that point will be wind-blown. You should be fishing on that side. Boat control will be tougher, but that’s where you’re going to find the walleyes that will be easiest to catch.

Putting a bait in front of the fish is the important thing once you’ve found them. A wide variety of baits will work this time of the year. The key is to effectively present your bait, and you can’t do that if you’re constantly fighting the boat. When fishing in the wind, there are a couple of ways to effectively control your boat.

Anchoring is a great way to fish in the wind. Get the anchor set upwind from the area you want to fish, then simply fan-cast the area. One angler should throw a three inch Power Grub on a Mimic Minnow Jighead, the other should try a crankbait, or maybe a slip-bobber set up. Once the area has been gone over pretty good, turn the motor on your outboard. This will make the boat swing into another position and allow you to fish new water.

Some anglers prefer to use their electric motor to position the boat in the wind. Modern electrics have lots of thrust, so holding in the wind is not the challenge that it used to be. Some Minn Kota electrics have a feature called Auto Pilot. Point the bow of the boat into the wind, push the Auto Pilot button, and it will automatically keep the bow pointed into the wind. It’s kind of like anchoring without putting an anchor into the water. Again, the anglers should try different baits until the productive one is found.

In many fishing situations the wind, in moderate amounts, will be your friend. It breaks up the light entering the water, which encourages the fish to eat even during the middle of the day. Use the wind effectively and you’re going to catch more fish.

For more fish-catching information, visit fishingthemidwest.com