Don't Break Wind

I've written before about weather's affect on fishing, and there's no denying that it has an effect.  However, I honestly don't think there's any weather situation that completely kills your fishing chances, except severe weather.  I think it's more a matter of using the weather to your advantage.

If you look at today's forecast for my area, which element is most important?

I'll give you a clue.  It's not the temperature.  It's winter.  It's cool if you're lucky and cold if you're not.

I think the single most important element is wind.  I'm not talking about wind speed either.  If you waited for a low wind day in West Texas, you might only fish a couple of days a year.

What's important is wind *direction.*  It's especially important on playa lakes to set up on the side that will put the wind to your back.  It should be blowing in the same direction you cast.  So in the example above, I would set up on the southwest side of the playa lake.

This does a few things for you.  First, you're able to cast much, much further than you would even on a calm day.  The wind carries the line and literally does some of the work for you.  

Casting distance on playas is critical in the winter, because the deepest part is usually toward the middle.  That's also where the water is warmest.  Thus it's where you'll find the fish.

Setting up with your back to the wind does another critical thing for you.  It keeps you warm.  Wind blowing over land is always warmer than wind coming off ice cold water.  This is true even of a north wind.

Last but not least, setting up with the wind to your back maximizes the effect of your chumming.  Especially on smaller bodies of water like playa lakes, the wind moves the water a lot. Observe the top of the lake and watch the ripples.  If you're set up at the right place, they should be moving away from you.  Thus when you "ring the dinner bell" by pouring that sweetcorn juice into the water, it is almost immediately dispersed out toward the center of the lake, and that's what you want.

Today's catch was a small carp.  It probably weighed in at a couple pounds, but I didn't check.  I caught it on corn just thirty or so feet off shore.

Here's a shot of it on my tackle box to give you an idea of length.

As usual, the fish was released unharmed.  Check your rules and regs to make sure sweetcorn's legal in your area.  Remember to cast with the wind instead of trying to slice through or "break" it.  What did you think I was referring to??

Tight lines!