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Greytfish · Finger Mullet Joined: 05 Sep 2015 Posts: 30 Location: Rios

Hey folks, what's the best wind direction for ULM and Baffin Bay.....west wind?

ironmanstan · Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 12:32 pm Post subject:

SE wind is our prevailing wind and our best fishing wind. Except for today.
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Greytfish · Finger Mullet Joined: 05 Sep 2015 Posts: 30 Location: Rios

Thanks. I'm fairly new to fishing the area. So just a light south east wind is the best. Thanks

Oil Field Trash II · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 25 Mar 2008 Posts: 1560

I prefer about 10-15 MPH winds. I think the fishing is better with some wind than it is on a calm day. SE is most common, and when it changes, it throws off bait patterns and kicks up sediment and muddies the water.

TroutSupport · Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 7:49 am Post subject:

light south and SE are the best for the upper laguna. Baffin has very little tidal exchange so it's actually beneficial to have a little more wind. The wind will cause wind driven current on the flats and when the tides are really weak then the fish will use them as much or more.

Heres' a little more info that I had posted on another board and I'll just share it here. it has reference to both boat and kayak.

Wind Patterns. This will somewhat apply all year except for the summer.

Starting with a cold front approaching.
A few hours before the leading edge of a cold air mass (think dense air ...high pressure or high barometer) the wind will go from S to SW - this is usually a calm - ish time with light winds. It's also known as the pre - frontal bite window.

As the front hits, the wind will switch from SW to Northwest in a matter 15 - 30 minutes (usually) and wind velocity will increase just about as fast.. going from light SW to 18 - 25 mph or more NW and N. -This period can still be good for fishing for about 3 hours as long as you already have a predetermined safe route back to your parking / launch.

-If you have a front approaching fast, your best plan would be fishing the areas that will give you the protected paddle / boat ride back. So before the front you would be wise to fish the north bank. Some call this the wind driven bank, technically its the Lee Shore. It's from sailing terminology. The lee shore is the shore that is on the same side of the calm side of the sale boat. Doesn't really matter but as soon as you say this is wrong some sailer or boating junky will correct you LOL. The lee shore is usually better fishing anyway because of wind driven current.

3 days after a cold front passage (passage of the leading edge) you'll have a calm day with light or no wind. It could start with a light north wind under 8mph and then calm for a short period and then go to the east and then south east light less than 10. This calm day can be good for sight casting reds, but not the best trout fishing except under the lights or predawn or night fishing.

The wind during this time will either be NW turning to North and then NE or it could just begin from the NE. It all depends on where the high pressure is actually situated in relation to where we are on the coast. Wind blows from high pressure to low or lower pressure in general. An East wind is typically a weak high pressure and if the tide holds up it can still be good for big trout. But it has to be a light NE or E for this to remain decent trout fishing is shallow protected areas with a higher tide.. (this is mostly winter and spring)..

The next day begins the the period of better fishing.

The wind should be southeast or south and be lite typically at first, and can be gusty at times.. if another front is approaching. It could be 10 -14 during stable weather conditions, in the spring it will be 18 - 22. High winds are a good time to fish the marsh if you can find access from areas, a short paddle from a launch. Kayak fisherman will also paddle out into the wind but in shallower water, then use the wind to come back. I would not venture into open water greater than 2-3ft in a kayak unless its just to cross a canal. The ICW in 22 mph is still pretty choppy. If you can plan a route along a protected (windward shoreline - the side of the boat that the wind is coming to is the windward side of the boat and that calm protected shoreline is the windward shoreline... go figure) then I'd try to do that so your paddle will be protected and less tasking. If you're in a boat, just know you're own safe navigation limits.

For Kayakers, if you get in trouble.. paddle back with the wind (if wind and waves are bigger or you are about to get exhausted or if you start freaking out) Turn around and paddle with the wind back to shore and pull your yak out of the water and call for help. Don't paddle sideways to the wind in rough water you'll drive yourself nuts, become off balance, and possibly turtle.

Wind will remain south east or south until the next approaching cold front.

These increased spring winds will continue until the land and water warms. Its the difference in temperature (and relative air flows (updrafts or warming air) that causes the onshore winds. So it will continue until the land and gulf warm closer to 90 degrees surface temp or better. The last 3 summers there have only been a handfull of calm days... so don't wait forever.. Learn to use the wind in your favor like above fishing wind driven current, dirtier water always tends to have more fish in it anyway. I tend to not fish the calm areas unless I have to, even then I'll fish where the wind is just starting to dirty something up.

SW wind in summer is a little different. A high pressure in summer is related to a weak high pressure system moving in and it can stay windy from the SW for days with high pressure. typically the SW wind will drop the tides in our are due to their orientation to the bays. If you can catch the wind switching to sw and fish this dropping tide correctly then it can be great for reds. The SW in the summer can be horrible trout fishing for numerous reasons. Better time to redfish than trout.

T

ironmanstan · Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 5:37 pm Post subject:

Excellent explanation TS . I just put it there as fast as I can. I need to be more patient with my typing. Very Happy

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Greytfish · Finger Mullet Joined: 05 Sep 2015 Posts: 30 Location: Rios

Great advice and I will give it a try

landlocked beachbum · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:46 am Post subject:

Yes, very nice write up, and also very nice to see windward and leeward shores used in the correct context for a change!!!!! Cool

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landlocked beachbum · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:32 am Post subject:

Yes, very nice write up, and also very nice to see windward and leeward shores used in the correct context for a change!!!!! Cool

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Dave

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits". Albert Einstein

TroutSupport · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:22 am Post subject:

landlocked beachbum · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:40 pm Post subject:

I only complemented you because fisherman get this backwards 99.999% of the time, and then want to ARGUE that THEY are right! Rolling Eyes

Once again, very well done, and thanks. Even though I rarely get down there, this will surely help me out! Wink

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Dave

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits". Albert Einstein