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Do you use the wind to control the drift of your boat and cast the spot according to how the wind moves you, or does the importance of cast angle on the spot always trump wind direction ?
Is casting into a robust wind preferred over casting with the wind (think horrible backlash), if one believes that musky will always position themselves into the current given that wind will create current in a spot ?
I usually work the boat into the wind and cast sideways with the wind. I guess there are several reasons for this but a few of the main ones are boat control, hookset strength, and returning on a fish that followed. The first two kind of explain themselves but the returning to a fish that followed one is hard to explain other than to say if you are drifting with the wind and you have a follow you confuse the fish more than anything when you drift over him when he starts to return to where he follows from. I'd guess that educates a fish more than a boat that is motionless facing into the wind with the trolling motor running.
Years back everyone used to drift Petes bar. I think Corey Meyer and I were some of the first to go against the grain so to speak on Petes and fish into the wind and not drift. I'm pretty sure Corey Meyer and I both ticked off a lot of people and educated a lot of people on running the edge of Petes for better boat control. You still see people fishing both ways and I'm not saying one is better than the other for everybody, but for me, I can outfish myself probably four to one if I go against the wind compared to drifting with the wind. That's pretty funny to say, "I can outfish myself".
I'll stop rambling.
Keep on rambling ! That is the objective, to stimulate educational and/or interesting dialog here. I might be able to provide the interesting (maybe) part, but I depend on smart folks to do the educatin' ! Wheeee ! I would encourage EVERYBODY to engage.
I don't think I would give myself as much credit as Ty wrote, but thanks. Way back when I had my Tuffy Esox with oars I would row into the wind when guiding and noticed I could work spots better than just drifting with the wind. If we had a fish up I would just drift back a few boat lengths and start into the wind again. After I figured this out I started to do the same thing when fishing alone or with friends, but instead of rowing I used the trolling motor on the bow. I still do wind drift on occasion but when you see me doing this it usually means the wind is too strong for the trolling motor or my batteries are on the downslide. If I wind drift I am still using my trolling motor to work the boat in and out to work the weed edge. The big tiger muskie I got a couple years ago was wind drifting so it still does produce and it was too windy to work into the wind that day.
Corey Meyer
I prefer to use the trolling motor and work into the wind. It helps me slow down and try and fish a spot more effectivly. I do drift with the wind if there is a slight to slow wind that you can still fish a spot to pick apart effectivly. I feel if you are drifting with the wind on some days all you are doing is cranking the reel to keep up with the cast. And more times than not I have missed where I want my casts to be. Which also with going into the wind I can control the speed of my lure better and have the speed if needed instead of trying to keep up with the retrive as the boat is drifting along.
Ok. So then, does the direction of the wind change the movements on a spot such as Pete's ? Do y'all fish a weed bed according to the day's wind, thinking the Musky have positioned themselves according to wind direction that favors feeding opportunity for them ?
Usually I like to fish spots a certain way, based on structure, and depth. I do not like casting into the wind, and cross wind is better but I like to have the wind at my back somewhat. It's difficult to cast into the wind, plus I feel the bait does not work as well, especially topwaters.
If the wind is intense I may have to fish a spot a few times. I might make a few drifts giving the trolling motor a couple hits to keep the boat straight. The only problem with this is a following fish. If this happens I finish the drift and set up again. One fish stayed right where it dropped off, so I set up the drift farther back each time. It came three times before it hit. If it is a really big fish, I will point the boat into the wind and hold it.
I think on the first day of wind after a couple calm days the fish really stack up on the windblown edge of Pete's. After a couple days of wind from the same direction I don't think location is as important on Pete's. That's when I try to target the fish that haven't got pressure on the leeward side.
I have always drifted and fished with the wind. It wasn't until I purchased an actual fishing rig, (Alumacraft 165), that I actually started to use the trolling motor in conjunction with the wind to position the boat. I have caught tigers, regular musky, and big pike using this method.