Wind and Fishing Assateague

[Sam]

I've had a few folks ask me why I have "pray for East Wind" in my signature. I thought I would explain and hopefully get some different opinions on wind conditions and how they effect surf fishing in general.

I like having an East wind during the spring and fall simply because it blows in baitfish and the water remains temperature remains more constant. It also tends to churn things up a bit (which is good for striper fishing). Unfortunately, it also can bring seaweed and put a layer of salty mist on everything.

A constant west wind will flatten the ocean, cool the water (upwelling) and is not, in my experience, ideal for surf fishing. I have caught nice stripers on a west wind, but many more when off the ocean.

Summer time is good for west wind if you like shark fishing. They seem to like calm waters and it makes for easy kayaking and casting. Just look out for bugs if you fish Assateague.

[Coop]

I like standing on the beach, facing the ocean, and having the wind right in my face. I prefer this then any other wind for striper fishing...east, southeast wind

I also like a prolonged east fetch (couple days) and then the wind gets calm or even a slight west wind...not hard west, like 10-15 where the ocean cleans up and settles down a bit. I love those conditions as well, nice moderate swell, and able to cast further.

Drum, I like the wind more out of the south.

Shark, a slight onshore wind, only because of sqeeters, otherwise, west wind.

Skate...West,SW wind and dirty water.

[Pier_man0909]

I think it is also a location and personal experience thing. down here on an east wind I will have a hard time finding bait anywgere close to shore, even in a boat or kayak. however, if it is west or SW usually I see bunker everywhere at the bar and beyond, and am looking for those who made it in the slough. I made one trip to AI this summer and was there for about 2 hours before I got a fish call from home and had to leave, lol. it was blowing sw that day and the whole time on the beach there was a pretty decent schol of menhaden that were inside the slough just out of cast net range, and they seemed to stay there the whole 2 hours I was there.it seems that on certain beaches where people drive around looking for bait pods to cast into W-SW makes for better drum fishing in the fall, which is contrary to everything people have said for years. everyone says NE, NE, NE, the harder the better! I am not contesting that those are better or worse conditions but the way I see it is that different methods are better in different conditions. I also know that the fish will bite whenever they want to, I dont think they care about the wind, they live in the water. it is the conditions that are favorable that make them bite. I also think my whole post is about useless because I actually dont fish by the conditions much. a lot of the time I go on my gut and confidence. my connfidence > conditions, although sometimes confidence can come from conditions (confusing isnt it). many people underestimate it but I think confidence trumps conditions anyday. especially drum fishing, you ever wonder why sometimes the new guys seem to catch a lot of fish. its becasue "they dont know they cant". think about it, how many times do verteran anglers say "ehhh, wind is out of the wrong direction", or "the water is too cold". those are unconfident statements and you will most likely not catch a fish like that, probably because you wont fish or even if you do with very little effort. on one of the piers this fall, there were 3 "leaders". on of them caught 6 drum the whole fall off the pier, with I think 5 in one day 4 of them back to back. I think there were like 2 others caught ibetween those 4, with like 10-15 guys fishing. other than him, one guy who has never been saltwater fishing before caught 3in a night and 1 the next afternoon. the 3 he caught in the night were in the middle of a big crowdprobably 30-35 people on the end and he was fishing close, since he has never casted a surf rod. there was another guy out that night pretty much in the same boat that caught 2. the next day one of the kids caught 1 and the other caught 2. there were like 5 people fishing on the end bacause it was the "wrong wind" and only the newbies were out. they both had 4 in 2 days with no drum fishing experience. and I think there was like 15-20 caught on the pier during those 2 days. 2 newbs caught almost half of the fish out of 30 + people. one of those guys, montana dan, caught 2 cobias in 2 days back in the summer, 69 and 79 pounds, and had multiple bites and lost fish while no one else caught anything. he wasnt doing anything different than anyone else, so what gives? I believe it was that he "didnt know he couldnt catch a fish". what about all the drum on AI this fall. werent they on a NE-NW wind? I dont think there were near that mny caught on a SE this year. damn, I have typed a lot. I dont know if what I have typed is the best way to put what I think, and remember it is just my opinion. I have seen many fish caught in the wrong conditions and many of the experienced anglers were not there because they knew it was the wrong conditions. I have seen people in the middle of a blitz get skunked and people catch fish and be the only one of many people. just couple weeks ago a friend of mine said he thought there were schools of rock in the ocean. people didnt believe it. well he rode from OI all the way up to VA without seeing a thing but on the way back, I think off kitty hawk or kill devil hills, they saw a school of fish working and it was big blues. they caught some blues and then the first ocean stripers of the seaso, and left them biting beause it was getting dark. wthin days everyone was catching oean rockfish, even the guys who didnt try to get them before becasue it was not time yet.

I guess what I am trying to say is you can have favorable conditions but without confidence you are lost and that you will be suprised what you can catch in the wrong conditions if you are confident. its a lot to read but I hope you all understant what I am trying to say.

[Steve]

It's ok Matt, now we can see how your mind operates.

But it's true, it's all luck forecasting.

[Pier_man0909]

not that wind and such dont matter, I just dont think it matter as much as people think. I see a lot of people that dont go fishing unless it is a certain wind, and they miss out on a lot.

[esoxangler]

Well I am not worried by the wind anymore. I have seen way too many big stripers/drum landed in west winds. If I have a choice I would fish the east for stripers. But I would never cancel a trip because of a wind forecast. As long as I can hold. I don't mind the west wind. I believe that with smaller lead and longer casts you can reach fish that may be just out of your range at most times.

Now sharkin I want no wind at all or west! Bugs will be bad but the sharks will be in close and hungry!

[asr2288]

thanks for the info...someone always told me the east wind is the beast and the west is best for fishing.......whenever I went during a west wind, fishing was no different then the east wind

[esoxangler]

Another funny thing about wind. In the surf east is best usually for gamefish. But in freshwater I know guys who won't go fishing in east wind.

Wind from the west, fishing is best.
Wind from the south, blows the bait in the fishes mouth
Wind from the east fish bite the least

I think I got that right. Something that freshwater guys throw around. There is a little saying about the north too but I can't remember it.

I don't pay any attention to it however.

[ffemtreed]

I usually don't let wind stop me from fishing. However I do use it to pick my days.

Example, I get off work Friday evening and know I can fish either Saturday or Sunday..... what do I do..... that's when I start looking at wind and weather forecasts. What I don't do is not go either day because the wind is out of the west.

In the summer I like the slightest east breeze, just enough to keep the bugs at bay.

Since i havn't caught my drum just yet, i'll keep my wind comments to myself for those September days.

Now in the fall and early spring I love a stiff east wind blowing right in my face, esp during a rapidly falling barometer.

[Steve]

Phil,
Wind from the north, fishermen not go forth..

[esoxangler]

Thanks Steve! I guess what I'm saying is if I lived close to the ocean I would play the wind more. But from 3 hours away I just go when I can.

[Coop]

Thanks Steve! I guess what I'm saying is if I lived close to the ocean I would play the wind more. But from 3 hours away I just go when I can.

I think thats why many who don't live here have a huge disadvantage. They just can't take advantage of ideal conditions. You cetainly can catch fish in any conditions, but IMO, there are days that your percentage of catching will increase when the weather is ideal.

If you plan a weekend in advance, you may end up fishing in dirty water, grass, ripping current, blow out tides, skate infested waters, etc....

[Pier_man0909]

If you plan a weekend in advance, you may end up fishing in dirty water, grass, ripping current, blow out tides, skate infested waters, etc....

doesnt that happen to you locals too, lol

[Coop]

doesnt that happen to you locals too, lol

Sure does, but I just go back home and try another day...

[SteveZ]

If you plan a weekend in advance, you may end up fishing in dirty water, grass, ripping current, blow out tides, skate infested waters, etc....

Or a month...

Seems lately I always run into bad stuff...like a month of NW winds...