Spring West Winds

[Jeff Mick]

Good Morning Guys,  Hoping to get up to the big lake and do some spring brown trout fishing soon.  I have been keeping an eye on the weather lately and it seems like mother nature has been dishing out a fair number of small craft warning days.  With a fair amount of that west wind also.  

 

Me and my Dad have been fishing out of the Salmon River area the few times we have made it up over the last couple of years.  This past fall we took a pounding one day in our 17 foot Lund fishing Mexico Bay.  Not fun.  

 

So I have been looking at the Sodus bay area and Little Sodus also.  It looks like there are some shoreline stretches in those areas where the west wind can be avoided to an extent.  Wondering if we can hook into some fish if we actually stay inside the protected harbors themselves also?  

 

Since we are staying up around the Salmon River area we aren't that excited about pulling the boat to Irondequoit Bay.  But it looks like there is a nice stretch of shoreline that would be good in a west wind down there and the bay itself looks interesting.  Was thinking about Henderson Harbor also, but thinking that the water temp may be a bit chilly up there this time of the year. 

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Time to get the boats out!    

Edited March 22, 2022 by Jeff Mick

[Gill-T]

It helps to look at the hourly forecast on weather.com for the port you are fishing. The early in on the Saturday forecast looks like Saturday morning would be possible out of Sodus 

[tuffishooker]

Always get a marine weather report & watch the sky !

[Jeff Mick]

Morning Guys,  Appreciate the info. 

 

I am coming up from CT and the biggest lakes that we have fished in the past have been up in NH.  

 

The weather in NH can get a little narly on Winni, but nothing like Lake O. 

 

We are learning. 

 

 

- Tight Lines  

[J.D.]

Try this site out.

Drag the map with your mouse, and use your mouse wheel to zoom into the area you're going to fish, then pick the day and time from the bottom menu.. Next, click anywhere on the open water, the area of the lake you plan to fish. A wind forecast for that exact spot will pop up.

https://www.windfinder.com/#10/43.3761/-77.1556/2022-03-27T06:00Z

Edited March 24, 2022 by J.D.

[lrg355]

I fish the east end also from Sandy pond to Mexico area.  If it is a westerly wind and u are willing to take a bit of rough water to get there, the Catfish creek area offers some protection.  Doesn't help with NW, N etc winds.  I use a 17 1/2 Sea Nymph for Spring Browns.  If all else fails, u can trailer to Oswego and fish the harbor.

[Jeff Mick]

Appreciate the website and tip on catfish creek guys. Will check them both out and put them in our tool bag. Thanks for the help!

[Gill-T]

……and how quickly it changes.  My boat is staying on dry land today. 

[Jeff Mick]

Copy. For an aluminum boat like ours is there a forecast that u only go out in? We have an early 2000's lund 17 footer with a walk thru windshield. I mean do you only fish if the forecast is for up to 1 footers? 

[Fireredcannon]

Copy. For an aluminum boat like ours is there a forecast that u only go out in? We have an early 2000's lund 17 footer with a walk thru windshield. I mean do you only fish if the forecast is for up to 1 footers? 

I've comfortably fished 3-5s in the trench in Henderson in my tracker 165, you can't move to fast but it rolls right along with them.

Sent from my moto g play (XT2093DL) using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Jeff Mick]

Copy that.  Not so sure we would enjoy fishing in 3 to 5's.  

 

 

[J.D.]

I've been fishing out of a 17 foot tin boat since 1996.  Both wind speed and direction play into my decision to head out or not.  I assume approx. 1 foot wave per 5 mph. of wind, so a forecast for 5 to 15 mph. winds equals 1 to 3 foot waves.  Wind direction matters also. 5 to 15 mph. from the East is pushing against the natural lake current, so I expect more like 2 to 4 foot waves. Fishing close to shore in the spring, 5 to 15 winds from the South may only produce 1 footers near shore.... the farther out you go, the worse it gets. 

 

Consider what I believe is called "fetch",  the distance a wave travels before it gets to you. With a NE wind blowing out of Canada, a wave has approx. 60 miles to pick up speed and height before it hits the South shore.

A South wind doesn't have the time or distance to build like that, so wave heights are usually less.  

 

For me, as an old retired guy, once the waves start pushing 3 footers I'm back to the dock. The boat can handle the waves fine, but boat control becomes difficult and it's tough to keep your footing in a small tin boat bouncing around like a cork.  I have the luxury of picking my days so I don't have to lock in to just the weekends...... being old and retired does have some perks. 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by J.D.

[Jeff Mick]

That helps a lot JD!  I appreciate you taking the time to write that response.  

 

My dad is 73 and he doesn't like being out in the rough stuff.  To be honest neither do I for the most part.............unless we are into the fish big time!

 

 

[J.D.]

Jeff, another possible option is a move to Sodus Bay.  There is a bait shop and marina at the South end of the bay that has "fisherman's apartments" they rent out by the day or week. Docks available a few feet away. If the big lake acts up, there is plenty of fishing in the bay for a number of species. A few years back, a member of this site pulled his 17 footer up from Mass. and stayed at Catfish Creek. A great place for lake access, but they were blown off the big lake for 2 days. The next trip up they stayed at Sodus Bay and were able to fish every day regardless of wind.   Just something to think about...

https://baybridgesportshop.com/

[Jeff Mick]

I just picked up one of the south central hot spot maps and have been looking at the Sodus area.  Seems like with a west or south-west wind you may have some options near shore in the main lake?  Like the looks of that area.    

 

Do the browns run up into Sodus Bay also?  Or do they stay out in the main lake for the most part?