# Keep in mind why you're there



## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

I wouldn't have posted this, but there is a lesson that may help someone catch a few more fish. We are having a charity dinner at our house tomorrow night, and I still have a lot of work to do, so once again I didn't have long.

The wind was down to a solid, but pleasant breeze this morning, and the water was beautiful. Clear, but not too clear - and no whitecaps for the first time in what seems like a month. I decided on a spot where the breeze was blowing down the shoreline, and creating a nice wind-blown current. The bottom line on the fish is that I caught 7 respectable fish, and one that was barely over the limit. [Note to Kevin: I only had five when I talked to you on the phone - I caught three more after that.] It was a fun morning, and not bad for a short session with a late start. I will throw up a picture later, just because "without pictures it never happened."

Here's the point, though. A guy fishing very close to me only caught a single little trout. I'm sure he thinks it's because I was in a better spot, and the next time he fishes there, he will be in the exact spot where I caught these fish - I can almost guarantee it. The real reason (I believe) why I caught fish and he didn't? I was casting up-current, dead into the wind. He was casting downwind - because it's easier, I'm sure.

The last time I said something about this subject here, I got jumped on by a couple of guys. One of them told me, "I fish downwind all the time, and I catch plenty of fish." Okay, I don't doubt that. And I'm not saying that there is only one way to do things. But think about it... you set up on a spot, counting on a wind-blown current to push bait fish. Doesn't it make sense to try and make your lure look as much as possible like a baitfish being pushed by that wind-blown current? Maybe the other guy didn't really have a specific reason for being in that spot. But when you're specifically working a wind-blown current, consider throwing upwind a little more. It's not always practical, but this particular morning I think it made the difference between catching fish and going home empty.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

Great post....its the little things....ask the guy catching fish for suggested adjustments. Nature tells us why if we pay attn.

I catch fish down wind too.


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

sgrem said:


> Great post....its the little things....ask the guy catching fish for suggested adjustments. Nature tells us why if we pay attn.
> 
> *I catch fish down wind too.*


Heh. I don't know why, but that guy got so mad at me over that. Like he thought I was talking specifically to him or something.

One of the things I learned from floundering is that there are times/places where almost all of the flounder we get are pointing in the same direction, because of current bringing them bait fish to ambush. It just makes sense to pull a lure from that direction. We work a lot to try and pick a lure that matches what the fish are already feeding on, but not much gets said about _how_ those fish are feeding.

My yard guy wants fish, so I had to get a quick picture and get them fileted for him. They aren't as big as most that I've been catching lately, but it's always enjoyable to catch fish. I would say that I don't care how big they are, but people always roll their eyes when you say, "Size doesn't matter."


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## schoalbeast101 (Oct 23, 2014)

pocjetty, thanks for the post and the reminder of this great tip. It's true most of us boat "drifters" cast using the wind. If can get your lure further away from the boat and it avoids the dreaded back lash. If the fish are in a pretty aggressive feeding mode, the fish will often turn around and hit your offering, but not all the time. Many people forget or don't pay attention to the tide movement. Many times "the current" is moving the opposite way then the wind. This is especially true on some of the bigger deep reefs. I only know this because I have experienced it quite a few times. And yes sometime it is moving the same way where you have to cast against the wind to get bite. One of my biggest 10 fish stringers was caught throwing against the wind anchored up on a big deep reef. We caught a few trout drifting but it wasn't until we anchored and threw against the wind before we really started catching them good. Thanks pocjetty for the post. Also thanks for the posts on the troutsupport lure. I will be throwing it more due to your post.


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## ReelaxFishin (Mar 15, 2018)

Accurate. I have my best luck fishing lures either with the current or across it.ive heard trout and reds prefer to swallow prey head first and the bait swims or drifts with the current. Trout and reds often face into it. Head on collision of bait and predator results in a meal.


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## WillieT (Aug 25, 2010)

This is not wind related but your presentation is supported by what I have seen at night in the green lights. Several times we rented a home on a cut that goes from Copano into Salt Lake. When the current was strong every fish we could see in the green lights (underwater) was facing into the current, and many times there were many many fish, both trout and reds. I really canâ€™t think of any exceptions. So in my opinion, if the current you are fishing is wind created, it only makes sense to throw up wind.


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

That is a very good and accurate observation. Thanks for always providing good information to help others.
My observations are very similar. I fish a lot of channels, creeks, and cuts, which usually have stronger currents than the open bay. When fishing these areas I have always caught more fish throwing up current and working my bait with the current, verses working it against or across the current.
Most predatory fish will take advantage of a current, weather tidal or wind driven, by facing into the current and let they bait come to them, rather then expend valuable energy chasing bait down.
Now, in areas with little or no current I almost always cast with my drift or with the wind. This allows me to cast farther, which in turn allows me to cover more water. I believe when there is little or no current the fish tend to be more spread out and actively hunting, rather then staying in one place waiting for bait to come to them.
Another thing I would like to add that is along the same lines as casting with or against the wind is the position of the sun.
Any time your fishing early morning or late evening, the position of the sun comes into play. Anytime I'm in this situation I try to fish areas where I'm casting into the sun. If the sun is in your eyes, making it hard for you to see, it means that it's not in the fish's eye's, which makes it easier for them to see your lure. 
Didn't mean to hijack your thread, just wanted to add to your already good advice.


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## Txredfish (Oct 27, 2010)

Pocjetty, another great posting. I learn a lot from your postings. I remember more than one time while drifting. When drifting I usually drift with boat going sideways into wind. A couple of time, I have caught fish throwing out bow ways (out the bow of boat or out rear of boat) instead of out the direction of the side drift and done well.


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## RockportRobert (Dec 29, 2006)

And that TS lure casts darn well into the wind!


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## habanerojooz (Dec 4, 2006)

Nice write up. Throwing upwind to present bait moving along with the wind current in a natural manner is a great tip. I carry multiple rods and always include a spinning rod or two for windy conditions.

To visualize how fish orient themselves relative to current, here's a couple of short clips that show fish holding in current and feeding 



 



.


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## EIGHTSKATE (Feb 19, 2016)

Great post. A little common sense goes a long way.


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

Echhh.... I've been posting too much lately. But this is probably also worth sharing.

I went to the same area this morning. This time, there was virtually no wind. There was the tiniest ripple on the surface here and there, with a lot of smooth water. That means the water was more clear than yesterday, and there was no wind-blown current. The results today were almost identical. A couple of better fish, and three that were 16" - 17", pluse 7-8 C&R. The big thing from today was that every single fish I caught was on a steady swimming retrieve. I didn't catch a single fish bouncing a jig. The bait wasn't fighting a current - the baitfish were just swimming up and down some structure. The trout were more in hunt mode than sit-and-ambush mode. And they weren't sitting at just a few ambush points - the were moving up and down the structure. I spent plenty of time experimenting with bouncing the jig, but the trout weren't having any of it.

This is a thing that I see from a lot of experienced fishermen: they just _have_ to bounce a jig along, and refuse to go to a simple steady retrieve. I have a couple of friends who are actually darn good fishermen, but they won't just steady-swim a jig. I've talked to them about it, and they both reluctantly admitted that they think they'll look like newbies doing that.

Yesterday I was at this spot specifically because of the wind-blown current. Today I was there because I caught fish there yesterday. I have a bunch of landscaping debris in the bed of the truck, and I had about an hour to fish before the landfill opened, so I went to someplace easy. I started out fishing pretty similar to the way I caught them yesterday. Near the end of one of my retrieves, I quit bouncing the jig and started just reeling and Bam! I probably would have gotten around to a steady retrieve eventually but that fish sped up the process. Sometimes it helps to be lucky.



EIGHTSKATE said:


> Great post. A little common sense goes a long way.


You know what they say, though. "If it was really that common, they wouldn't have a special name for it." :biggrin:


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## EIGHTSKATE (Feb 19, 2016)

No such thing as you posting to much. Your posts are always well written and great information. Keep it up.


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## barronj (Sep 30, 2013)

Good read pocjetty. Thanks for the reminders.


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## WillieT (Aug 25, 2010)

I learn something every time I read your posts. I hope you will continue to do so.


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## oakforestmx (Feb 9, 2011)

It's a little like dove hunting when one comes over fast from behind, most fish won't waste the extra effort and most hunters will save the shells.


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## SaltwaterSlick (Jun 11, 2012)

oakforestmx said:


> It's a little like dove hunting when one comes over fast from behind, most fish won't waste the extra effort and most hunters will save the shells.


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## bigjordy01 (Apr 10, 2015)

oakforestmx said:


> and most hunters will save the shells.


You and your's must be more discerning than my buddies and I.


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## Permit Rat (May 13, 2014)

I'm late at posting on this topic, but my recent experience simply expounds on what pocjetty has already stated. I am already well aware of what he is saying and it is really the rule when flats fishing, especially in So. Texas. But I am still in the "exploratory" stage of my tenure here and just the other day I pulled up on a fishy looking area and immediately noticed that according to the turtle grass, the wind and tide were together, which is quite normal here. The only question remaining, was what depth the fish were. As it turned out, they were at the same depth as the boat, which means I would have to cast downwind and down current to get a lure in front of them. There's the problem......because when doing this, you are running the lure up the fish's tail (coming in from behind them) and they do not like this. It's as if their prey was attacking them and this is not normal in the marine world. Result is that it often spooks the fish.

I'll fish that area again because I saw fish move out ahead of the boat. Also had a pair track my lure without hitting. Next time, I'll stop the boat further out in deeper water and cast IN and retrieve at least across current or quartering into the current and wind.

As far as swimming a jig goes, I do this all the time and actually prefer shallow running plugs, in lieu of a jig. This is in the absence of heavy turtle grass and the fish can usually see out laterally.


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

Permit Rat said:


> ... which means I would have to cast downwind and down current to get a lure in front of them. Next time, I'll stop the boat further out in deeper water and cast IN and retrieve at least across current or quartering into the current and wind.


This is definitely when you have to fish quartering into the wind.. it's the only way to approach it.

For those that want more information on this style of fishing.. and I can't believe no one has mentioned this here... But it's super well covered in the TroutSupport Shallow Redfish DVD. There's a lot more options on how to use wind driven current in that DVD.


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## HiggsBoson (Jul 25, 2014)

I have been fishing many times where I was 'that guy' not catching fish. It is frustrating, for sure. What I learned was to watch the guys catching fish. Even to the point of stopping fishing myself to study what they were doing and then ... COPYING THEM! Hell that is how I learned 95% of what little I know about fishing.


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## Puddle_Jumper (Jun 30, 2014)

Lawdy Lawdy Lawdy... I love this site... So much awesome information... I wish I could remember half of what I read LOL Thanks for sharing as always !!!


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## Big Bay (May 14, 2013)

Were you throwing the tsl grasswalker and steady retrieving it??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

Big Bay said:


> Were you throwing the tsl grasswalker and steady retrieving it??


In the earlier part of that month, there were big shoals of baitfish in calf-deep water. I mostly worked the TSL with a walk the dog type of retrieve, but with a smaller twitch than I would use with a spook. There was so much bait available, the idea was to try and make the lure stand out as a wounded/distressed baitfish.

Later in the month, I caught more fish in waist deep water, sometimes even deeper. Different retrieves worked best on different days and conditions. But, yes, there were times that I found a steady retrieve most successful. That's something you can dial in by trial and error on any given day. But when there isn't much current, and I want to make the lure move more like an unsuspecting baitfish, a steady retrieve often works better. Like if I'm pulling it down a shell ridge or something. A lot of the time a stray baitfish or two will just be cruising. I actually watched one nice trout trailing it, then swing out to come in at the lure from the side. My guess is that they try to herd their prey toward the shell to limit their escape.

One of the things I like about the TSL is that, rigged properly, it pulls very straight. A lot of plastic rigged weightlessly will turn unnaturally (in my opinion), especially as they lose momentum. Erratic, yes, but unnatural.

Make sure and rig it nice and straight. It's not that hard, and it only takes a few seconds. Learning exactly where/how to bring the point of the hook though is important, but you'll get a routine down pretty quickly if you pay attention. That's not just true of these lures. Any time you rig a piece of plastic crooked, or bunched up (even on a jig), you'll pick up some unnatural motion and cut down on the strikes you get. That's my opinion and results, anyway.


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## gulfcoastal (Jan 12, 2009)

*Wind at your back*

Yes sir, me and a friend were wading in Port Mansfield last week down wind with top waters and when we got to the boat we both noticed that all of the fish came from when we either cast left or to the right. No fish came when fishing directly down wind. I notice this all of the time drift fishing with lures as well. I usually catch more fish casting off to the sides of the boat and not directly down wind.
Gulfcoastal


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## Tail Chaser (May 24, 2004)

You know what? This is likely why the surf seems so hot in the summer time. You're forced to cast into the wind 90% of the time.


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## [email protected] (May 19, 2018)

Thanks for the info. I’ve casted into the wind sometimes just in case and have caught a fish, now I know why there was a bite. Great post


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

I shouldn't do this. I kept telling myself just to leave well enough alone, but I don't want to be responsible for anyone's fishing frustration. The conversation sort of ran away from what I was trying to say. So here's the deal:

Casting upwind isn't a catch-all (pun intended). I fish downwind a lot, and I catch fish that way often. Sometimes it's not practical, or even possible to fish effectively casting upwind. If you're drifting in a boat, you are already moving with the wind. Cast back "behind" the boat, and your lure is going to be moving if you just sit still. But if you reel at all, it's going to be moving through the water way too fast, and it's going to rid up at the surface like it's skiing. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I wouldn't count on catching fish that way.

Not only that, the pull from your boat drifting may feel like you're pulling against a current, but down in the water (where the fish are) there may not be any current to speak of. The whole point of my post was that I was in that spot specifically because there was a good wind-blown current, and I speculated that it would be moving bait down some structure.

I've said this before: fish are eating machines. And their goal is to get more calories from a meal than they expend in catching it. (If they burned more calories than they take in, they would slowly starve.) So if they can sit in one place and let a current bring breakfast to them, it's a lot easier than chasing up current to try and catch a single baitfish headed the opposite direction.

There are few absolutes in fishing. The only one I can think of offhand is that there have to be fish there for you to catch any. When it comes to casting upwind/up-current, I guess my point is "don't be afraid to try it" - especially if that's the whole reason you're fishing that location. Don't always cast/wade downwind just because it's easier. Sorry if I wasn't totally clear about that.


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## c hook (Jul 6, 2016)

*downwind, upwind, or crosswind*

most of my fishing is downwind, most of the guides fishing is down wind. each to his own. have you ever seen a boat on a reef drifting and throwing upwind?not often, it's not normal. not many people throw into a 15 plus mph wind. the tide is not always moving the same direction as the wind. tidal direction in my opinion is more important then wind direction. when you move into an area, the situation will determine where to cast, upwind, downwind or cross wind. did you notice in the video, the fish didn't care what direction their pray came from, they just wanted to eat. more importantly, if you have confidence throwing upwind, downwind or crosswind, do it and that is how you will catch most of your fish.


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## dirtdobber (Jun 23, 2009)

Thanks for the info nice report and nice catch


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

c hook said:


> most of my fishing is downwind, most of the guides fishing is down wind. each to his own. have you ever seen a boat on a reef drifting and throwing upwind?not often, it's not normal. not many people throw into a 15 plus mph wind. the tide is not always moving the same direction as the wind. tidal direction in my opinion is more important then wind direction. when you move into an area, the situation will determine where to cast, upwind, downwind or cross wind. did you notice in the video, the fish didn't care what direction their pray came from, they just wanted to eat. more importantly, if you have confidence throwing upwind, downwind or crosswind, do it and that is how you will catch most of your fish.


Mike, where you fish it makes a lot less difference in deepwater on the reefs. But in shallow water that POC jetty is fishing and 50% of the coast, if one learns the wind driven current techniques and how it works .. (understanding it allows one to apply it to both trout and redfish)... then it can be a game changer for both reds and trout. Especially on slack tide in the summer as well. Or anytime there is a weak tide... I'll just go looking for my wind driven current scenarios and there always seems to be a few fish or more there waiting on me.


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