Comfortable wind speed

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rabot
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Comfortable wind speed

Post by rabot »

As we all know wind speed is a big concern for kayakers. What's the limit for a comfortable day on the water. Is it 5 mph, 10 mph, 15mph? Let me know your opinions based on location such as a bay, bayou, off shore. I'd even be interested in specific locations such as Matagorda, High Island, Port O'Connor, Christmas bay, etc.
Looks like this weekend will be around 10mph along the coast.
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Thinwater skinner
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Re: Comfortable wind speed

Post by Thinwater skinner »

The best way to answer this question is to pick your area where wind will be a smaller factor... Get out of the wind and to fishing if at all possible. Good luck.
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karstopo
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Re: Comfortable wind speed

Post by karstopo »

rabot wrote:As we all know wind speed is a big concern for kayakers. What's the limit for a comfortable day on the water. Is it 5 mph, 10 mph, 15mph? Let me know your opinions based on location such as a bay, bayou, off shore. I'd even be interested in specific locations such as Matagorda, High Island, Port O'Connor, Christmas bay, etc.
Looks like this weekend will be around 10mph along the coast.
I don't mind some wind. I think it gives cover to the fish and helps them hunt baitfish. As long as you have a yak that is good in the wind and waves don't be afraid to get out in it. Sometimes, fish are on the windward shore :D I think the marsh is harder in the wind sometimes. It is hard to judge your cast is a gusty wind when you have a marsh drain that is 15 feet wide. In a bay, you can just chunk it with the wind. This time of year, water settles quicker and muddies up slower than summer. So a Southwest wind is not as bad now as it is in the summer for bays around Galveston. But wind is a HUGE factor on deciding where to fish, or at least for me it is.
Last edited by karstopo on Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Doug Poudre
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Re: Comfortable wind speed

Post by Doug Poudre »

Kayaking in the wind depends on your skill as a paddler. Fishing will become secondary if you're getting blown all over the place and your safety is in jeopardy.

If you can't judge for yourself the limits of your ability and are asking, then the answer is that you shouldn't.

Direction also makes a big difference.
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Night Wing
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Re: Comfortable wind speed

Post by Night Wing »

When the wind starts to muddy the water, that's when it's too windy for me. :(
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Milkjug
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Re: Comfortable wind speed

Post by Milkjug »

Kind of funny... I've been doing much better recently during higher wind conditions compared to those days where the bay looks like a lake. It makes drifting more effective, and I think the murky water and wind currents stimulate the fish to feed. You also get "structure" like mud lines that might not be there otherwise.

Also, when you drift you are moving with the wind and waves, so you can take rougher conditions than if you were anchored. You will get wet from the spray when you are resetting though.

Anything over 15 knots is kind of unpleasant to fish, and makes contact with the lure harder.

So I guess I'd like about 5-13 knots or so for the bay and as calm as possible for fishing the surf.

Don't be scared... The fish are there and feeding.
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M T Stringer
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Re: Comfortable wind speed

Post by M T Stringer »

I get frustrated when the winds are over 15mph...that doesn't mean I stop fishing. But I get frustrated. Plus it sux to have to paddle into a 20+ headwind after 5 or more miles already paddled that day and you are still several miles from the lauch

I have also learned the hard way to double whatever the weather report said it would be. :shock:
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richg99
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Re: Comfortable wind speed

Post by richg99 »

We fished Fayetteville Lake yesterday in, what the meteorologists said, was 10 -15. Sure felt a lot more like 15-20 much of the time.

We both had drift chutes out...and that helped the fishing a lot. It didn't help the catching..but..helped us cover the shorelines slowly, in spite of the wind. Grinding back into the wind for another drift was no fun, though. rich
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