Kayak in the wind 2025
CenCal fisher reply :
The wind is a nightmare when I'm in my kayak. Lately I've only been fishing until 10 because after that the wind just pushes me around. I fish in water between 20 and 50 feet deep so a stake out pole isn't really and option. Besides only fishing coves that are shielded from the wind, what do you guys do when fishing in the wind? I was thinking about trying out a drift sock, but wasn't sure how well it would work.
Dye99 reply :
Drift socks do help...I like them because I fish for BASS, so using an anchor just doesnt make sense to me, Im out there to HUNT fish, so that means moving constantly. They will let you drag in the wind, but for me, I fish a lot of wood, so they are problematic..
The drift sock slows you down, but in the end, us Cen Cal guys are having a tough year. My main lake has been so windy its been hard to get any finesse or jig action without using really heavy baits.
All these storms are calming down finally though, so hopefully we see more calm days..
Master Bait'r reply :
Hand paddle. Get one. Makes small corrections a breeze (see what I did there?!)
Preytorien reply :
I don't know if it's an option on your body of water, but I would just try to find shallower water and stake it out. Even heavier anchors in a good stiff breeze will only marginally slow your drift but not stop you completely. A stake out pole will stop you completely, but like you said, you'd have to have shallower water.
MikeJames reply :
A friend of mine made a drag anchor out of chain. Cut it to 1 foot lengths and covered each piece with bike inner tube so it doesn't get caught up in anything. He attaches them to his rope with a carabiner and adds/removes sections depending on how much weight he needs.
buzzed bait reply :
wind is a problem and a fact of life in the kayak. BUT if you just look for protected coves out of the wind, you'll miss a lot of active fish during that time frame! a rudder can be a fine addition to help "navigate" the wind, but it still won't solve the wind problem altogether.
CenCal fisher reply :
On 6/4/2016 at 1:21 AM, buzzed bait said:wind is a problem and a fact of life in the kayak. BUT if you just look for protected coves out of the wind, you'll miss a lot of active fish during that time frame! a rudder can be a fine addition to help "navigate" the wind, but it still won't solve the wind problem altogether.
I'm more frustrated with constantly getting blown off spots while drop shotting than trying to keep my kayak pointed in one direction.
On 6/3/2016 at 8:00 PM, Master Bait'r said:Hand paddle. Get one. Makes small corrections a breeze (see what I did there?!)
Will a hand paddle help hold me in one spot longer or allow me to slow my drift enough so I cannfish an area?
Master Bait'r reply :
On 6/4/2016 at 8:15 AM, CenCal fisher said:
Will a hand paddle help hold me in one spot longer or allow me to slow my drift enough so I cannfish an area?
Think more of a minor correction without grabbing the big paddle. As you said before you're worried more about staying stationary for drop shotting so an anchor may be the better call for you.
MassYak85 reply :
I've been kayak fishing for probably 8-10 years now and have still yet to solve the issue of strong winds. Shallow water I can use a stake out pole. If there is standing timber I can tie my kayak to the dead trees. Deep water I have tried all sorts of homemade anchors and a few I have just bought, none have bee able to completely stop my kayak in a strong wind unfortunately.
Darren. reply :
Strong winds can be the bane ... no, ARE the bane
of kayakers whether paddlers, peddlers, or e-motorers.
I use a motor on my kayak and don't carry an anchor
except for my 7' anchor pin which I use in the shallows.
I also don't fish deeper than 20'. And winds can be a
beast in our local reservoirs, one of which is by an
airport.
Either way, I think a drift sock is probably your best bet
seconded (added) by an electric motor option like the
BassYaks, or one you do yourself.
Tracker22 reply :
I know the purest will guff but a trolling motor is the way to go. The way I see it, I'm not a kayaker, I'm just a fisherman that uses a kayak. I went with the Bassyak and love it, but the price can be an obstacle. A basic diy can be accomplished for not more than the cost of the motor.
Darren. reply :
On 6/4/2016 at 9:16 AM, Tracker22 said:I know the purest will guff but a trolling motor is the way to go. The way I see it, I'm not a kayaker, I'm just a fisherman that uses a kayak. I went with the Bassyak and love it, but the price can be an obstacle. A basic diy can be accomplished for not more than the cost of the motor.
As I suggested above 
And I'm in total
agreement with you. Best way to manage
wind in a kayak, IMO.
Not that there won't be frustrations... 
MassYak85 reply :
I've seriously considered the possibility of adding a trolling motor to mine as well, the back of mine has a perfect space for it. Only issue is Massachusetts Taxachusetts requires you to register your kayak if you add any sort of motor to it. So that has steered me away from doing so. Odds of anyone actually fining me for it are slim to none but still, law is the law.
CenCal fisher reply :
On 6/4/2016 at 11:34 AM, MassYak85 said:I've seriously considered the possibility of adding a trolling motor to mine as well, the back of mine has a perfect space for it. Only issue is
MassachusettsTaxachusetts requires you to register your kayak if you add any sort of motor to it. So that has steered me away from doing so. Odds of anyone actually fining me for it are slim to none but still, law is the law.
Commiefornia has the same rules
buzzed bait reply :
you'll be surprised to find that most states actually require you to register anything once you add the electronic propulsion to it.... i had to register mine for the TM i have on it here in GA
MassYak85 reply :
On 6/4/2016 at 12:39 PM, buzzed bait said:you'll be surprised to find that most states actually require you to register anything once you add the electronic propulsion to it.... i had to register mine for the TM i have on it here in GA
Hmm, might be more widespread than I thought then. It does seem kind of silly though, I know people who have thrown trolling motors on small paddleboats for S&G's and probably have no idea that law even exists.
Tracker22 reply :
Illinoid also...
boostr reply :
Same in Jersey.
Tracker22 reply :
Not meaning to get off topic but; why is it that you can put a motor on a bicycle and it doesn't need to be registered, but put a motor on a kayak and it does...
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 6/7/2016 at 5:44 AM, Tracker22 said:Not meaning to get off topic but; why is it that you can put a motor on a bicycle and it doesn't need to be registered, but put a motor on a kayak and it does...
flyfisher reply :
On 6/7/2016 at 5:44 AM, Tracker22 said:Not meaning to get off topic but; why is it that you can put a motor on a bicycle and it doesn't need to be registered, but put a motor on a kayak and it does...
Here in VA you do need to register anything motorized that is driven on public roads. You don't need a license though if it is one of hte slow moving vehicle deals.
And you also need to register a kayak or any boat in VA that has any propulsion other than your body.
Darren. reply :
On 6/4/2016 at 1:03 PM, MassYak85 said:Hmm, might be more widespread than I thought then. It does seem kind of silly though, I know people who have thrown trolling motors on small paddleboats for S&G's and probably have no idea that law even exists.
Virginia registration required. My Native Ultimate has
a lovely boat registration number on it. Hey, for the
joy of having my trolling motor, I happily oblige to pay
the tax.
Crutch reply :
Honestly your best bet in my opinion (which may cost a bit of cash) would be to attach two anchor trolleys (one on either side) and buying anchors with extended lines on them. This way you can set yourself up perfectly and stay in one spot. A drift sock seems like it would be great in very slow winds where it's slow enough to handle but fast enough that's it's kind of aggravating to deal with.
The smaller paddle to adjust yourself would be a great fix for when I'm not getting blown across the lake faster than I can paddle. I would rather have hands on my fishing rod than have to deal with readjusting myself in the winds, but for lighter winds seems great.
faygo1979 reply :
Depending on the wind you really dont have a lot of options. Drift Socks work great to slow you. IN up to about 25 ft I use an anchor wizard with a good claw anchor. Anyhting deeper than that and you are really on your own. As a Hobie guy A lot of the time I just keep my self pointed into the wind and peddal this keeps me in position well enougn that I dont really need an anchor much.
Quesenek reply :
On 6/3/2016 at 12:19 PM, CenCal fisher said:The wind is a nightmare when I'm in my kayak. Lately I've only been fishing until 10 because after that the wind just pushes me around. I fish in water between 20 and 50 feet deep so a stake out pole isn't really and option. Besides only fishing coves that are shielded from the wind, what do you guys do when fishing in the wind? I was thinking about trying out a drift sock, but wasn't sure how well it would work.
I would definitely try out the drift sock, either its going to work how you want it to or not. You could also look at an anchor trolley with an extra long anchor rope, but at 20-50ft the length of anchor rope may or may not actually keep you from drifting very well.
I would check out what offshore kayak fishermen use to keep from drifting off course considering they also are fishing in depths of 20ft+.
the reel ess reply :
I have an anchor and 20' of thin rope as well as a cleat on the kayak. I don't even take it with me because it's more of a pain than the wind. I just use the paddle and make minor corrections all day.
You can find a weedy place to set your boat to make casts while stationary. If there's standing timber or stumps, you can get yourself stuck in them. This can be a hassle though.
Another option is to have smaller bodies of water to fish. I have reservoirs/ponds from 25 acres to about 2 acres that I've gotten permission to fish. If you have choices you can walk the banks somewhere if it's too windy to paddle.
Master Bait'r reply :
On 6/4/2016 at 11:34 AM, MassYak85 said:I've seriously considered the possibility of adding a trolling motor to mine as well, the back of mine has a perfect space for it. Only issue is
MassachusettsTaxachusetts requires you to register your kayak if you add any sort of motor to it. So that has steered me away from doing so. Odds of anyone actually fining me for it are slim to none but still, law is the law.
This is the only reason I didn't get a console motor kayak... To hell with registering my kayak!!
Also a big help for me was figuring out which bodies of water around me are better when it's gusty. Bigger open places or spots adjacent to open fields will ALWAYS have more wind. A skinny slot reservoir or pond nestled between hills and surrounded by trees will be a far more manageable choice on a windier day, so I typically save them for those times.
One more ore thing about the wind... It's out to get you. It will ALWAYS spin you the wrong way, be gusting at inopportune moments and will have timing you'd SWEAR was malicious and conspiring against your every move. Don't let it get you ticked off. I swear the days I let it get me mad I beat myself and never catch fish like I want. Always either be able to shrug it off or call it and head home. Never let it ruin your day.
MassYak85 reply :
On 6/13/2016 at 12:13 AM, Master Bait'r said:
This is the only reason I didn't get a console motor kayak... To hell with registering my kayak!!
Also a big help for me was figuring out which bodies of water around me are better when it's gusty. Bigger open places or spots adjacent to open fields will ALWAYS have more wind. A skinny slot reservoir or pond nestled between hills and surrounded by trees will be a far more manageable choice on a windier day, so I typically save them for those times.
One more ore thing about the wind... It's out to get you. It will ALWAYS spin you the wrong way, be gusting at inopportune moments and will have timing you'd SWEAR was malicious and conspiring against your every move. Don't let it get you ticked off. I swear the days I let it get me mad I beat myself and never catch fish like I want. Always either be able to shrug it off or call it and head home. Never let it ruin your day.
I hear you on that last paragraph. I swear, anytime I paddle to the other side of a lake to fish, I am against the wind, and JUST before I head back to the ramp, it switches direction and I have to paddle against it AGAIN. Itr has happened so many times it's ridiculous. Last time I was out I let it get me mad and I called it a day after just two fish. I knew I was going to be miserable if I stayed out so I just went home. Fishing should be fun, and when it stops being that way I am not going to stay out.
CenCal fisher reply :
Thanks for all of the advice guys, it has been informative. I think I'll end up trying out the drift sock and a hand paddle. The past few times I went fishing I went to a higher elevation lake that is surrounded by pine trees which really cut down on the wind.
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