Hi there, hope everyone is safe and well? I'm quite new to fishing, so I'm googling everything to do with it during isolation, but I can't find anything on wind effect on baiting up. I've read Rob Hughes articles about clipping up etc which I found really interesting, but nothing on wind effect.The reason I ask is because I put some chopped up boilies in the margin only about 18 inches deep, it was quite windy, and the bait drifted about a foot which I was surprised it moved so much, and got me thinking of spodding, catapulting at a greater depth. I appreciate that there are too many variables to be able to come up with an accurate formula as such, but for instance, if I had a 15mph wind blowing left to right at 10ft depth and i was fishing 16mm boilie, how much correction should I allow compared to say sweetcorn or particle? And how much difference if I was fishing at 5ft or 20ft, does the drift of the bait taper off below the first couple of feet? Or what if the wind was stronger or weaker, does it have an exponential effect on the drift of the bait or does it decrease the further from the surface? If anyone has any links for information it would be most appreciated or any input from personal experience would be more then welcome. Many thanks.
In reply to Post #1
Imo, once you're out of the margin the surface tow is rendered almost insignificant by the undertow that travels in the exact opposite direction.
Imo, once you're out of the margin the surface tow is rendered almost insignificant by the undertow that travels in the exact opposite direction.
In reply to Post #1
I don't think there is a formula you could use for all waters. This is about observation and experiment on each individual water. Some waters experience severe undertow, usually big open waters with their longest dimension orientated to the local prevailing wind. If you have a steady or strong wind blowing and the lake is deep and featureless the undertow can be like a spring tide. Other lakes with sheltering trees, islands, shallows pads, Reed beds and lots of weed are almost unaffected. A deep lake prone to undertow will move loose bait of any kind a lot forther than you think. Method feeders, big cage feeders, groundbait balls or big boilie are methods I've used. Fishing a res last year and there was so much weed debris being pushed by the undertow I had to use 5oz leads to hold bottom. My 3.75 rods looked like I was quiver tipping.
I don't think there is a formula you could use for all waters. This is about observation and experiment on each individual water. Some waters experience severe undertow, usually big open waters with their longest dimension orientated to the local prevailing wind. If you have a steady or strong wind blowing and the lake is deep and featureless the undertow can be like a spring tide. Other lakes with sheltering trees, islands, shallows pads, Reed beds and lots of weed are almost unaffected. A deep lake prone to undertow will move loose bait of any kind a lot forther than you think. Method feeders, big cage feeders, groundbait balls or big boilie are methods I've used. Fishing a res last year and there was so much weed debris being pushed by the undertow I had to use 5oz leads to hold bottom. My 3.75 rods looked like I was quiver tipping.
In reply to Post #1
I try and keep it simple, the deeper I fish then the more likely my bait is to spread, it also depends on what bait/s I'm using, the way I'm using them & the delivery method.
In the windward margins with significant wind blowing then it will probably be more turbulent compared to further out, imagine it like choppy sea against land.
It's a difficult one because of the lakes size, shape, depth etc, good luck with it but don't give it more thought than it deserves.
I try and keep it simple, the deeper I fish then the more likely my bait is to spread, it also depends on what bait/s I'm using, the way I'm using them & the delivery method.
In the windward margins with significant wind blowing then it will probably be more turbulent compared to further out, imagine it like choppy sea against land.
It's a difficult one because of the lakes size, shape, depth etc, good luck with it but don't give it more thought than it deserves.
In reply to Post #1
Don't overthink it. They're just carp. Find them, feed them, catch them. It's not an exact science, just enjoy it.
Don't overthink it. They're just carp. Find them, feed them, catch them. It's not an exact science, just enjoy it.
In reply to Post #1
Whole boiles being round will roll, if you chop them in half they won't so that is an option if you are worried about it. The shallow margins of a lake will be most susceptible to any movement so I wouldn't worry unduly. Apart from wind, currents from spring tides can also cause the lake to flow. I recall fishing a Somerset drain a good few years ago and out of nowhere "white horse" waves came crashing up on a windless day and myself and a couple of mates were in complete shock at the time. It wasn't until later when I watched the news and it reported on the Severn Bore that had occurred that day that we realised what we had witnessed.
Whole boiles being round will roll, if you chop them in half they won't so that is an option if you are worried about it. The shallow margins of a lake will be most susceptible to any movement so I wouldn't worry unduly. Apart from wind, currents from spring tides can also cause the lake to flow. I recall fishing a Somerset drain a good few years ago and out of nowhere "white horse" waves came crashing up on a windless day and myself and a couple of mates were in complete shock at the time. It wasn't until later when I watched the news and it reported on the Severn Bore that had occurred that day that we realised what we had witnessed.
Don't get confused with waves, chop or other surface turbulence. Undertow in still waters is a well documented process. As a wind blows over a lake in one direction for any length of time it moves the surface water in the same direction so that in effect it tries to pile up at the downwind end. It's got to go somewhere so it sinks under the surface layer and starts to move in the other direction. The opposite direction to the wind. If the wind continues to blow in the same direction it puts more energy into the system and water sets into a rotational flow. Surface water with the wind, deeper water against the wind. The stronger and longer the wind blows in one direction, the stronger the undertow., in some lakes in the right conditions it can be a powerful force. In these particular conditions I would use bags, stringer or feeders and forget loose feeding or spod/spombing. In most waters, most of the time it's not a problem but when it is it can be hard to deal with.