Whither Wind Blows

Forecasting...

So there I was, stuck at work. The monotonous drone of the scanners in the newsroom sounded off alongside the chitter-chatter of newsies talking about tonight's top story and some bad food they ate last weekend. Strangely the sounds of fingers on the keyboard typing reminded me of waves on a shoreline, and I was off daydreaming about big bass and summer sunshine.

My fishing dreams often look like this...

I had a little break and decided to tackle one of the Bassmasters Magazines I had sitting on my desk. It wasn't quite as good as the feeling of planing out on the water just minutes from fishing, or morning fog rising off a glassed-out lake, but for a workday it would have to do. Inside, I found an article with the old adage entitled "Whither Wind Blows." Here's how the saying goes:

"Wind from the West, fish bite the best.
Wind from the East, fish bite the least.
Wind from the North, do not go forth.
Wind from the South, blows bait in their mouth."

This nice Largemouth was caught on a mild south wind evening

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I was a fledgling weather nerd when I first heard that saying and wondered if it were true. Outdoorsmen know that every day is unique and different and no catchall saying is going to give you an adequate fishing forecast every day of the week. But I like the saying, did some research and it looks like we can break down some of the meteorological merit that makes this moral make sense.

First, lets start with the basics. Temperature and barometric pressure are arguably the biggest weather factors that influence fish feeding activity. Fish are cold-blooded, which means they derive their energy to function from the temperature of their environment and the food they eat. Cold weather fish are generally more sluggish and less responsive than warm weather fish. I'm talking about the feeding, not the fighting. Some of the toughest fighting fish I've caught have come through an 8 inch hole in the ice!

Barometric pressure fluctuates with the changing weather and usually small fluctuations have only small reflections in the weather and the fishing activity. Large fluctuations in barometric pressure such as a large storm system moving in often have substantial impacts to the temperatures and thus the fishing activity. It is my theory that the fish and wildlife have learned to "predict the weather" and adjust their feeding habits in advance of changing weather to better ensure their survival. Depending on what side of the storm you're on, the fishing activity will range as widely as the weather.

I don't know who enjoys fishing more, me or my dog Harley.

In my next blog, I'll break down this famous dictum with maps and graphs and show you why knowing the wind direction could be one of the biggest keys to fishing success.