Wind is your Friend…..Sometimes!

Summer is here!!! Not only have the daily temperatures been heating up, the fishing has also. As luck would have it, the days I would be free to get on the water were not the calmest days of the last few weeks. With winds ranging from 12 to 15 mph from the southeast, I slipped into the launch area and set off for my first stop.

I planned to target some wind swept shorelines and with the current direction it set up a nice drift. Entering the first zone I planned to target, a few rafts of nervous mullet greeted me as I neared the shoreline. Deploying a drift sock helped slow down my kayak to cover the shoreline thoroughly, all it took was a few casts of that bone hued super spook to draw the first strike! Boom! drag screaming trying to gain some line back, then finally easing a nice slot sized red fish aside my kayak. A quick photo captured and off she goes. I continued my drift using the wind to my advantage and landed several more reds and really nice speckled trout mixed in with them.
The presence of mullet helped me choose a top water bait to throw that morning( Heddon Super Spook). The “walk the dog” action resembles an injured bait fish and mimics the fleeing mullet quite well. A small “twitch-reel” action with the rod is all you need. You can vary the speed and use a pause during your retrieve also.

The wind certainly helped me that morning, not only by drifting, but also by pushing the bait towards the shoreline I was targeting. The only factor is after enjoying a nice morning of some red fish action is having to head back to the launch against the wind! Luckily the Flex drive on my Coosa FD propelled me flawlessly back to the ramp.
Wind can be your friend! Just remember to plan you day accordingly and map out your route. Come back in with the wind or on the leeward side of an island back to the launch. Always wear your PFD and stay hydrated as summer is already here!

– Dustin Nichols