Wind

[Erawk]

Hello all,

I have a tube and a toon (Daytripper & 9' Fishcat ). I always check the weather report for wind conditions before I go out. I am wondering where all of you draw the line when it comes to wind speed? Safety and comfort are primary concerns, of course. I don't mind a bit of chop as long as i don't risk capsizing [lol]. How big of swells would you tolerate?

I realize that the tubes are less susceptible to wind, but i do have the Daytripper which I've read sits high compared to others. I hope for answers from tubers & tooners alike.

I haven't yet registered my toon yet, so the MinnKota will sit in the closet until I do. []

To sum up my questions, what is the top windspeed you'll go out in
1. an unpowered tube
2. an unpowered toon
3. a powered toon (MK endura 46)

Obviously, a weather report doesn't give as much info as actually observing the conditions. And I will always heed what i see moreso than what I read on a weather report. But it's at least 1.5hrs round trip to any of the places I fish, so using the weather report as a guide is necessary.
I'm just trying to better understand how a given windspeed translates into getting blown around the lake & chop/swells. I mainly fish at Lake Meade, Mojave, Colorado River, Panguitch. Your guidance is appreciated and Thank you in advance. []
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[flygoddess]

I can tolerate some wind and chop but it also depends which way it is blowing. If it pulls me farther out to the middle, I head for shore.
I have been on water where the motor and rowing were the only choice and slow moving. At times the left oar was out of the water, due to the rolling.
My pontoon I will take allot more. Tube and fin only...not as much.
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[Erawk]

Thank you for your input, Flygoddess. I will fish in wind/chop as long as it's blowing into shore & I can grab bottom with the anchor. Direction is definitely a factor. Comfort isn't as important to me as safety, since I'm comfortable when I'm catchin fish. lol


When you say that you've been out in motor & paddle, slow rollin conditions, did you head out into it or did it change on ya after launch?
Doesn't sound like it bothered you too much []



As Bob Dylan sang (used loosely hehe) " You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows."
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[flygoddess]

It hit fast and hard while I was out. It bothered me that I had at two times, very large fish to net only to have to just quick release, to have to start rowing like crazy. These were dark cloudy, stormy days.
Clear sunny days don't put the fear of the almighty into me quite as bad.
I have been shocked good by a fly rod in that ugly weather.
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[IrishFloatTube]

There was a discussion here
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=337898"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=337898[/url]
which might be helpful on this subject.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Like most of us, I don't like spending a lot of money on gas...at today's prices...just to go someplace and watch the wind blow big waves across the lake. So, if there is a serious threat of wind, I don't go. But, I have also learned to not rely totally on any single weather forecast. Sometimes I look at at least two or three forecasts, and they are often all different. And, just as often, all three are wrong. I would love to have a job where I could be wrong all the time and still keep my job.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Different parts of the country have different weather patterns. And, most lakes seem to have their own weather, regardless of what local forecasts are for the closest cities. It helps to know your fishing holes well enough to know what the general patterns are and then plan accordingly. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For example, on some lakes, there will be a "morning breeze" blowing from one direction. Then, it might calm down at some point later in the day, before the wind direction changes and often blows harder from the other direction. I have a couple of lakes I fish that fit that description. I launch and then fish downwind along the shoreline until the wind changes...and then I fish downwind back to my vehicle. that works fine on most trips, but once in a while Mama Nature doesn't play fair. I have also had to kick my way back to the car in high winds that just kept blowing in from the same direction as the morning breeze.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When I plan a trip, I usually look for winds under 5 MPH. Anything forecast under that often means it will be almost calm. The forecasters leave some leeway in there for occasional breezes...and 5 MPH is not much. If the forecast is for 7-8 MPH or more, early in the morning, with winds building to over 10 MPH before noon, I stay home. Or, if the forecast is for higher winds early, calming in the afternoon, I do not go until later. But, in Utah, where I do most of my fishing these days, it is customary to have calm conditions in the morning and whitecaps by afternoon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I hate wind...not so much because it makes it tough to move and maneuver. I hate it because most of my fishing is light tackle "touch" fishing. I fish light rods and line, using small lures, and I need to be able to maintain a good feel for what is going on at the other end of my line. If the wind blows a big bow in the line, I never know if I get a bite. In some cases I try to position myself directly upwind from where I want to fish, and cast straight downwind. But, if the wind is heavy enough or has swirling breezes, that does not help much.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It all boils down to knowing your water and knowing your own limitations. Then, you have to find a weather forecasting service that you can trust. After that, you have to be able to interpret the information you get and decide whether you still want to go.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On my last trip to Utah Lake, the winds were supposed to be from the NW, after a calm morning. There was calm at daybreak and then a SE breeze started blowing...and blew for about two or three hours. It calmed for about an hour and then resumed, from the SE, and got progressively stronger so that TubeBabe and I had to kick back to our vehicle in a steady chop.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Same thing on my last trip to Willard Bay. The forecast was for 8 MPH winds from the east at daybreak, shifting to the south and then the SW at 10 MPH by late morning. Normally, that would have been "iffy" enough to keep me home. But, we went anyway. Turned out to be dead flat calm almost all day. Just enough breezes a couple of times to put a good "fishing ripple" on the water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have seen it go both ways...different from the forecast...so many times that I almost don't even rely on the forecasts any more.[/#0000ff]
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[flygoddess]

At Henry's the prediction was for 3 to 5 mile an hour winds, BUT!



The forecast (beside thunderstorms) doesn't really concern me in my Pontoon. I do agree with TD on the wind and line thing. I fly fish and at times I will get slack in the line from the wind. Specially with a fish on cause I use Barbless hooks. I have lost some HUGE fish trying to battle them with them going one way and the waves taking me the other.
I was spooled three times this trip, which means, change direction and go as fast as you can backwards toward the fish.
I love waves when I deep nymph, because I use an indicator and the fly is bouncing off the bottom, plus the fish aren't as spooked with some chop.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]You bring up another point to consider. That is that sometimes the wind forecast is for something like only 3-5 MPH, but that is in between gale force gusts when fronts move through. It can be almost calm for awhile and then you get blasted across the lake when the front comes through. It settles down after that but you might be stuck in the top of a tree on the other side of the lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I still prefer to time my trips for a day after at least two days of calm weather, with no approaching fronts. Often it takes a couple of days after a storm for some fish to stabilize again, and if there is good weather both in front of and behind your fishing day, chances are better that wind will not be a major factor.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Of course, when you have limited time to fish, and must go whenever you can get away, you gotta just go for it and hope for the best. And, sometimes you get a beautiful day in spite of a terrible weather forecast. Those weather dudes get it wrong both ways.[/#0000ff]
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[Erawk]

Very helpful indeed, IFT. I've spent some time reading old posts but didn't come across that one. This forum is a treasure trove of information, I Love it. Thank you.
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[tubeN2]

I have tubes, a toon and a pontube.

I have fished from my tube in 25-30mph but that is a lot of kicking. The 40-45mph gusts that accompanied it were no fun either.
My toon and pontube are more for ocean where I rely on the afternoon breeze to take me in with the incoming tide.

If I had my druthers, I would rather stay home and drink beer on a windy day. I catch the same amount of fish in a heavy wind as I do when I am at home.[cool]
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[Erawk]

Thank you TubeDude. Your answer is great. At least for Lake Meade, I can get forecasts for the actual recreation area rather than the nearest city (Las Vegas). Even then though, they're not always right. Forecast for tonight is 2-4mph, so I'm hoping it will be nice. We shall see. Thanks again.
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[Erawk]

Lightning Rod!! Whoa! [shocked]
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[Erawk]

Hey TubeN2. Those are some strong winds. Sounds like you may be what my friends refer to as "hardcore." That's what they call me. I'm always the first to say "let's go" and the last one to pack it up, regardless of weather or the football game that starts in a hour. I always tell my buddies when we're heading out, "even if we don't catch any fish, we'll probably catch a buzz." Thanks for your input.
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[tubeN2]

Some call it hard core, others may call it stupidity. During the time that I made my high wind adventure, I was working for the local County Fire Dept on the swift water team.

I would not recommend that kind of extreme tubing to everyone because it is dangerous to the average person.

I kicked for a little over 1/2 hour to move only 20feet in distance. If a persons life depended on that style of kicking under those conditions, not many people would survive.

My recommendation is not to attempt this kind of tubing when you are just starting out, don't have any backup resources to rescue you, or if you just plain tire out for no reason.[cool]
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