When is it too windy to go fishing??

LadyFish

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Mar 18, 2003
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This is a question I should have asked myself <br />before I talked Mr. LF into taking me out <br />in the bay fishing yesterday.<br /><br />It was a gorgeous morning--the full moon was <br />setting on one side of the bay and the sun was <br />rising straight behind us over the Gulf of Mexico.<br /><br />We listened to NOAA before we left and winds were<br /> out of the of the south at 14. We've been in <br />10-15's and thought nothing of it. Well about 30 <br />minutes after we got out on the bay the winds <br />shifted and were coming at us sustained 25 with <br />gusts to 39. The forecast was for the winds to <br />pick up in the afternoon, but it was 7:00 a.m.<br />And they only predicted 10-15's. Even NOAA makes<br />mistakes.<br /><br />I knew it was going to be a little rough, but I <br />was game and desperate to go to my favorite spot<br />which was a bit further down the bay.<br /><br />Well, you'd have thought we were offshore. We <br />had to anchor in order to fish which led us to <br />problem #2. Getting the anchor up in nearly 40 mph<br /> winds is not fun. Trying to guide the boat up to <br />the anchor rope in those winds isn't any fun <br />either. Watching Mr. LF go under water when the <br />waves broke over the bow as he is trying to <br />dislodge a very set anchor was frightening as <br />hell.<br /><br />We only stayed out about 3 hours which is a short<br />day of fishing for us. But with the 4 foot swells<br />on the return trip and running the bildge every<br />5 minutes to get rid of all the water coming over<br />the bow every 6 seconds it was a long trip home.<br />We went about 30 miles under these<br />conditions and only caught one fish.<br /><br />All in all, it was good to know how the boat <br />handles in adverse conditions but I'm not ready<br />to do it again........<br /><br /><br />.............this week anyway. :)
 

JB

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

Hmmmm. When is it too windy?<br /><br />When it's as windy as it was the day you wished you hadn't gone fishing? :)
 

snapperbait

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

10-15 can be enuff to blow the seas up and keep me home, or at least keep me inside in the ICW, so it's hard to say... <br /><br />NOAA is famous for "blowing" the forecast around these parts...<br /><br />When NOAA says windy and 4-6' seas, it's near dead flat calm, like today for example... :rolleyes: Would'nt matter anywhooo.. My deckhand is out of town... :cool: <br /><br />Friday was supposed to be "the day".. Forecast seas 2 feet or less... :) It was'nt... :( "Cold, windy, wet, seas 2-4' early a.m., building to 6' and higher in the gulfstream in the afternoon" is what the forecast should have read...<br /><br />Glad ya'll made it back in one piece, LF..
 

LadyFish

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

Thanks Snapperbait. The waves had to be over 4-5' with no real rythem. It was a wet ride in a 21' boat.<br /><br />I also managed to mess my knee up again from the ride. :(
 

Old Jarhead

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Sep 26, 2003
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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

Look on the bright side, you've got a new rough water tale to add to your exploits. :cool:
 

LadyFish

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

That's right OldJarhead, and one can never have too many water tales. :D
 

smudge

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Jan 22, 2003
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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

Ladyfish you cant just put a figure on it. I spent the weekend fishing from a 17ft boat in winds that were gusting to 50 or 60 knots. Normally I dont go out if it is over 15 knots. But the skipper was more experienced than I, there were 6 or 7 boats in our group and we stayed in the shelter of some cliffs. It was in the open sea but the wind was straight off the land and there were no swells but it was rougfh further out. We were perfectly safe but we got a little wet when the wind picked up water off the surface and blasted us...
 

Tom2697

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Jun 30, 2004
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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

It is never too windy to fish...It is only too windy to fish your favorite location.<br /><br />If the wind makes it too rough to fish offshore, I'll blaspheme and go bay fishing. If the bay is too rough, I'll fish the flats. If the flats are too rough, I'll evacuate since it means a hurricane is upon us.
 

Fly Rod

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Oct 31, 2002
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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

:) Know how ya feel ladyfish!!! ;) Was in a simular situation with a 6' chop and a charter that insisted on going!!! told them fellas that I may call the trip at any time After 1-1/2 hrs. of a 4 hr. charter I called the trip!!! 10-12foot rollers are nothing but the chop will do ya in esspecially if you lose power and go sideto!!!<br /><br />It must have been scarey for mrladyfish on that bow!!! Wouldn't want to be in his position on the bow!!! ;) :cool:
 

Mr.Ladyfish

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

It wasn't scary, just another reminder that I'm aging. 10 years ago I would have been able to pull that anchor up with very little trouble. Now I had to spend more time tugging & pulling. I got hit with so much water I think my prostate got wet! ;) I also got a deep purple bruise on my shoulder the size of a grapefruit from the bow rail.
 

snapperbait

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

Mr. and Mrs. LF... <br /><br />When ya'll are done fishing and are ready to haul up the stubborn anchor, crank the motor, bring the anchor line from the bow back to the stern and cleat it off, leaving about the same amount of line out as when you were anchored... Then motor past where the anchor is set (mind the line keeping it away from the prop), pull the line tight and power that sucker loose... :cool: Works even better with one of those red inflatible bouys...
 

Mr.Ladyfish

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

Thanks Snapper. I never thought about cleating it off at the stern. Usually if it gets stuck I have LF cleat it off on the pulpit and break it loose that way. It's usually not a problem but Sat. we had switched places because LF is having a problem with her knee and because of the rough water. She did pretty good with the boat in that rough water, just needs a little more practice.
 

torkmore

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Nov 24, 2004
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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

it's to windy when the beer blows off your lip
 

Bondo

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

We went about 30 miles under these<br />conditions and caught one fish.
Sounds like you guys had a Great Day ........... :D ;)
 

Fly Rod

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

:) Caution should be taken when cleating the anchor line to the stern in rough weather!!! Some boats have filled with water or sunk when water would come over the stern!!!! <br />sometimes that anchor does not come loose quickly, instead it spins your stern into the coming sea putting the stern where the bow should be!!! ;) :cool:
 

LadyFish

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Mar 18, 2003
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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

Fly Rod, you are exactly right, and thats what was happening. Not to mention, it was difficult for me to even see where the anchor line was when I was at the helm and trying to bring the boat up to it.<br /><br />Next time, we'll just lose the anchor. It's a small price to pay compared to the alternative.
 

Mr.Ladyfish

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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

uh, hon.......the stern is the back of the boat. The water was coming over the BOW (front of the boat). I know you knew this, must just be too early.
 

Triton II

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Nov 23, 2004
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Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

It's too windy to fish (with anyone else at least) after I've had a good curry! Seriously, here on Botany Bay we get a 6 ft chop if the outgoing tide (heading NE) hits the incoming sea breese (heading SW). And that's only in 10-15 kts. Other times we get 25 - 30kts off the land (from the W) and it's flat as a tack. So it depends... not only on the wind, but on the tide.
 

Dunaruna

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May 2, 2003
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6,027
Re: When is it too windy to go fishing??

You guys don't use anchoryankers? <br /><br />Best invention ever for boaties, your prostate will thank you :D <br /><br />
anchoryanker.jpg
<br /><br />Aldo
 
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