Now I know theres lots of variables so I'm.after a general answer.... Getting out tomorrow after the wind has been blowing a south/south westerly for three days now. Becoming more of a westerly tomorrow but dropping in temp to 2/3'c at night. With it being colder and a wind thats 4 days old am I right in thinking I'm best off on the back off it? Yes,,, I will do a lap before daylight but with the wind I dont think I'll hear a great deal. Your thoughts please.
In reply to Post #1
Be on the end of a brand new warm wind after a period of stale weather and you can have the entire population of the lake in front of you feeding...for a short while. I wouldn't follow a wind in February for love nor money and certainly not for carp.
Be on the end of a brand new warm wind after a period of stale weather and you can have the entire population of the lake in front of you feeding...for a short while. I wouldn't follow a wind in February for love nor money and certainly not for carp.
Even a general answer is impossible to give mate. Carp don't read the same books and articles we do and many a time I have been on the end of a pumping S/W rubbing my hands together for them never to turn up. And sometimes found them on a freezing easterly. The only rules I follow is to fish where I have seen fish regardless of conditions. If I don't see any I will then revert back to past knowledge or pick an area that commands a lot of water and a good view of the lake. At this time of year night times seem to be far more active than daytime in regards of showing fish but i realise not everyone wants to stay up during the small hours but it can be a massive edge. On my lake it's 20 odd acres and I often find them on the wind but off the wind of that makes sense. Somewhere the wind is pushing down but an area of calm water just off it. I don't know if it will be the same for your lake just something I have noticed. Have a good un. R 
In reply to Post #3
on the wind but off the wind
good old Terry
on the wind but off the wind
good old Terry
In reply to Post #1
The end of the wind is nothing more than a place to start looking for carp imo. I think most guys pay far too much attention to the winds. On big waters the wind tends to have a bigger influence on the whereabouts of the fish. Less so on waters less than 30 or 40 acres in my experience. Every water is unique so there's numerous exceptions to any rule but on smaller waters I tend to find depths (hence temps) are far more important than winds.
The end of the wind is nothing more than a place to start looking for carp imo. I think most guys pay far too much attention to the winds. On big waters the wind tends to have a bigger influence on the whereabouts of the fish. Less so on waters less than 30 or 40 acres in my experience. Every water is unique so there's numerous exceptions to any rule but on smaller waters I tend to find depths (hence temps) are far more important than winds.
In reply to Post #5
I would add weed into the mix as well. On one of my waters they do move about, for instance in winter they tend to migrate every year to one bay that's on the bank that gets the most sunshine and the south westerly winds. Once the water temps come up then they are dispersed all over the lake, until the weed comes up. Then they just sit in the weed beds and it doesn't matter what way the wind is blowing, they ain't going nowhere. They've got food and shelter and safety in one place. You can see them with their backs out of the water for weeks on end.
I think the same thing happens on pits with lots of small dot islands. They might move around the islands a bit when the wind changes but they don't motor from one end to the other, unlike a small club farm res I used to fish years ago that was a joke, it wasn't more than 2 acres and the whole population would up sticks and leave on the slightest breeze, but there was a lot of fish and a lot of competition for food.
I would add weed into the mix as well. On one of my waters they do move about, for instance in winter they tend to migrate every year to one bay that's on the bank that gets the most sunshine and the south westerly winds. Once the water temps come up then they are dispersed all over the lake, until the weed comes up. Then they just sit in the weed beds and it doesn't matter what way the wind is blowing, they ain't going nowhere. They've got food and shelter and safety in one place. You can see them with their backs out of the water for weeks on end.
I think the same thing happens on pits with lots of small dot islands. They might move around the islands a bit when the wind changes but they don't motor from one end to the other, unlike a small club farm res I used to fish years ago that was a joke, it wasn't more than 2 acres and the whole population would up sticks and leave on the slightest breeze, but there was a lot of fish and a lot of competition for food.
In reply to Post #6
Good call - on a few waters I've fished, if you can find the new weed growth in spring before anyone else does, you've pretty much nailed it.
Good call - on a few waters I've fished, if you can find the new weed growth in spring before anyone else does, you've pretty much nailed it.
In reply to Post #7
Thanks for the replies guys. Did two laps and saw nothing so have settled for a swim at the back of the wind at the shallow end of the lake where theres a few deep holes. Suns out and warming up nicely so hopefully they'll put in an appearance at some point today.
Thanks for the replies guys. Did two laps and saw nothing so have settled for a swim at the back of the wind at the shallow end of the lake where theres a few deep holes. Suns out and warming up nicely so hopefully they'll put in an appearance at some point today.
In reply to Post #8
Good luck
Good luck
Check on the wind and off the wind. Carp don't follow a rule book
In reply to Post #10
Remove one "/" from the end of the link, Ken. Then it works
Remove one "/" from the end of the link, Ken. Then it works
In reply to Post #1
This time of year even a south westerly is cold so I like to start on the back of the wind but as mentioned on here all the rules can be torn up at times .
This time of year even a south westerly is cold so I like to start on the back of the wind but as mentioned on here all the rules can be torn up at times .
In reply to Post #14
Im interested to read you feel carp move on big winds in the summer to fulfill an oxygen need? Really?
Im interested to read you feel carp move on big winds in the summer to fulfill an oxygen need? Really?
In reply to Post #15
Really?
Yes, that and to feed in the disturbed water on stirred up food items.
Really?
Yes, that and to feed in the disturbed water on stirred up food items.