Wind From The East Fish Bite Least. Why? 2024
Jd_Phillips_Fishin reply :
There's an old saying, wind from the east fish bite least. Why does the bite shut off just because wind blows from the east, but there's not a huge differance when it blows to the west, south, or north?
FlipnLimits reply :
Maybe an old wives tale? I had horrible days and great days with east winds. A cold front from the North is what kills it for a while, imo.
FL
Felix77 reply :
Bill Dance talked about this on his last show ... Here is a quote from his site ...
Quote
"I think these sayings have more to do with barometric pressure changes than the wind. Traditionally, when the wind blows out of the east, you have a barometer reading that is not favorable to fishing. When it blows out of the west the barometer reading most often favors fishing."
He is not the first to refer to the barometric pressure as a possible connection to this saying. Jimmy Houston's book also stated something similar.
Raul reply :
Well, if you go and have a terrible day it´s another good excuse for having a terrible day.
Missourifishin reply :
Wind from the west, fish bite the best 
I try to tell myself that it's just superstition. But when I'm having a bad day, I find myself checking the wind. Sometimes it's from the east. But like FlipnLimits said, it seems to me like wind from the north is worse. It could just all be in my head though.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On lake erie east winds blow the colder water from the eastern basin westerly and it always has an adverse effect on the bite. Like a light switch it shuts down quickly.
Loop_Dad reply :
On 3/8/2014 at 4:13 AM, Felix77 said:Bill Dance talked about this on his last show ... Here is a quote from his site ...
Quote
Quote
"I think these sayings have more to do with barometric pressure changes than the wind. Traditionally, when the wind blows out of the east, you have a barometer reading that is not favorable to fishing. When it blows out of the west the barometer reading most often favors fishing."
He is not the first to refer to the barometric pressure as a possible connection to this saying. Jimmy Houston's book also stated something similar.
Hum, let me think this out loud...if the wind is blowing from east, doesn't that mean a front is approaching therefore fishing should be good? If the wind is blowing from west, the front just passed there for blue bird sky with less fishing action? i don't know.
Actually I have never heard of this saying.
Rangerphil reply :
I have always heard this and somewhat believe it!
wnybassman reply :
The wind blows from the east after the passing of a low pressure system to the south of your location, which generally is associated with a cold front.
Marty reply :
I think the full saying is something like this:
When the wind is from the east, that's when fishing is the least,
When the wind is from the north, do not bother to venture forth,
When the wind is from the south, it blows the lure into the fish's mouth,
But when the wind is from the west, that's when the fishing is the best
Darren. reply :
On 3/8/2014 at 8:52 AM, Marty said:I think the full saying is something like this:
When the wind is from the east, that's when fishing is the least,
When the wind is from the north, do not bother to venture forth,
When the wind is from the south, it blows the lure into the fish's mouth,
But when the wind is from the west, that's when the fishing is the best
That's about it. I've heard it a tad shorter, but it works for me!
flyingmonkie reply :
This prompted me to do about 15 minutes of research... and you know what? I can't figure out what causes wind to blow out of the east (unless you're on the equator, or the poles). Cold fronts generally cause a change in wind from the SW to the NW (clockwise)... so it wouldn't normally be due to a passing cold front. This leads me to believe it's resulting of something much larger... the moving of a huge air mass, something cyclonic, or maybe extreme weather nearby.
Ever since I heard this saying, I've paid attention to how often the wind actually blows from the east, and around here, it's RARELY. Seems to me like it's something more complicated than "just a front", and tends to be associated with abnormal weather. Makes sense to me why the bass would be confused. 
tatertester reply :
It would most likely vary depending on where you are located in the country.....In Minnesota winds from the north or northwest usually produce cold fronts , but it seems that winds in other areas of the US would produce different results.
Jig Man reply :
Generally around here in MO the east wind is associated with the passage of a cold front and the resulting low pressure area which spins in a counter clockwise direction. That happens after the cold front's barometric pressure change which usually has shut off the bite, especially in the prespawn period.
Sam reply :
For some unknown reason, when we have an easterly wind on the Chickahominy River in Richmond the bite shuts down.
I have no scientific answer to this situation.
But it happens all the time.
FishinDaddy reply :
In the SE US, this is generally true. As a front approaches, the wind is from the West and South with warmer air and the bite is good. After a front passes, the wind is from the North and East and cold.
In Florida the bite is generally best with stable warm air. Any change either way and you might as well stay home, particularly Jan through Mar. We had a front move through Thursday afternoon and the bite is not likely to be back until Sunday afternoon even though it will get into the 70's today.
Jd_Phillips_Fishin reply :
Thanks yall for all the answers, I dont know what I'd do without this site!
Felix77 reply :
SirSnookalot reply :
Not here..............Nothing better than a Northeast wind. That said, wind direction dictates the target species.
Bassintheweeds reply :
I regularly fish East winds in Maine. It makes no noticeable difference to me. My first thought when I heard this that it's made for the south or central US... Just like just about everything in bass fishing 
FrogFreak reply :
In MN the wind rarely comes out of the East so when it does, it means some weird weather is happening or just happened. My grandfather always paid attention to the barometric pressure and I believe that's the culprit here.
If I didn't go forth when the wind blew from the North, I'd hardly ever fish!
boostr reply :
On 3/8/2014 at 8:52 AM, Marty said:I think the full saying is something like this:
When the wind is from the east, that's when fishing is the least,
When the wind is from the north, do not bother to venture forth,
When the wind is from the south, it blows the lure into the fish's mouth,
But when the wind is from the west, that's when the fishing is the best
And when the wind is from the rear... Ooh boy 
.
Grizzn N Bassin reply :
Heard this awhile,ago. Just thought it changed barometric pressure. Good posts tho guess deffiently need to research this.
WRB reply :
The jet stream moves across the country from west to east in a sine wave north to south pattern.
Wind out of the west is usually from low pressure of an oncoming storm...falling barometer = good fishing.
Wind out of the east is created by high systems generating clearing skies and high wind or raising barometer = poor fishing conditions.
Tom
hatrix reply :
On 3/8/2014 at 5:54 AM, Dwight Hottle said:On lake erie east winds blow the colder water from the eastern basin westerly and it always has an adverse effect on the bite. Like a light switch it shuts down quickly.
I actually made a post with this question a few years back. I was asking with having Erie in mind with me being from Cleveland. I could just always remember wanting to go out as a kidand my grandfather or who ever I was asking saying no because it was a east wind.
J Francho reply :
The bite doesn't shut off because the wind changed direction. People that say this don't adjust, and fish the same spots they fish when the prevailing wind is blowing, usually west or northwest, here. There are biting fish, but you have to locate them. My experience is they are where it's the most difficult to fish. Places I'd usually skip in normal conditions.
blacklabbob reply :
It's been repeated so often that the fish have come to believe it.
Fish Murderer 71 reply :
If it were true, the fish would almost never bite here in East Texas, cause it blows from the east or southeast most of the summer.
DogBone_384 reply :
I stumbled upon this post today because I had some time off this week and launched my Kayak in three different ponds that are known to be good fishing holes. One in Hingham, Weymouth, and Plymouth, MA. The weather was sunny, 60ish with corresponding water temperatures. I was on the water from roughly 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM each day and struck out all three days - not so much as a strike.
While talking to my neighbor, who's an avid fisherman, about my crushing defeat, he told me he'd had no luck the past couple of days too, which is where I got this saying from.
I'm by far a great fisherman, but it is rare that I get skunked as badly as this week, and hear supporting stories from a guy who's a much better and more experienced angler than myself, lends some credibility to the windy tale.
J Francho reply :
Better motto: when current conditions oppose prevailing conditions, ignore your success in prevailing conditions.
K_Mac reply :
On 10/11/2014 at 10:19 PM, J Francho said:Better motto: when current conditions oppose prevailing conditions, ignore your success in prevailing conditions.
I don't think has the legs to last like the saying under discussion, but when applied to bass fishing it is probably it is a more accurate motto. There is no question an easterly wind around here will make fishing more challenging. Once a pattern is found though a good day can still be had-usually deeper or more shallow in the nastiest stuff around in my experience.
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
I live right on the western chesepeake bay shore and its true.you wont see one boat out wind from the east,but as soon as it changes bammm it looks like boat races.
Bassguytom reply :
I wonder if the wind was blowing from the east and there was a red sky at night??? I bet some type of fishng vortex would take place. I believe it is associated with a cold front but I fish when I can except for tornados.
hatrix reply :
I am not sure were this saying originated from but I think it might be the great lakes. I also don't really think it applies to bass so much. It might be more of a perch or walleye type thing. All the people I have heard it from and ones who fish way out on the lake for diner.
desmobob reply :
I always wondered about that saying, myself.
Where I live in upstate NY, pretty much the only time the wind blows from the east is when we're about to get a storm. I'm a mailman, I'm outside all day, and I keep a good eye on the weather. When I feel the wind blowing from the east, I figure I'm about to start having a bad day... ;-)
Tight lines,
Bob
Skeeter Dan reply :
I've got one more for you. When the live stock is laying on the ground you might as well turn around and go home. 
RSM789 reply :
Years ago, there was a satirical book published named "The Happy Fish Hooker". I was 15 at the time I got it, I had to convince my mom it was really about fishing. Anyway, I remember a portion of it where they analyzed this saying and gave the following explanations (this is from memory, so it is not verbatim):
"When the wind is from the East, the fishes bite the least" - This is a reference to the Least wooly bug, a fly sold in the new England states, that is absolute murder on trout when the wind is blowing from the east;
"When the wind is from the West, the fishes bite the best" - This is actually a typo, it should be "beast" instead of "best". This is a warning for all people to stay out of the water when a westerly wind blows or else they will be bitten repeatedly by extremely hungry fish.
The rest of the book was just as silly...
Jd_Phillips_Fishin reply :
On 10/12/2014 at 7:53 AM, hatrix said:I am not sure were this saying originated from but I think it might be the great lakes. I also don't really think it applies to bass so much. It might be more of a perch or walleye type thing. All the people I have heard it from and ones who fish way out on the lake for diner.
Out here, atleast for me the bite gets pretty tough when the wind comes from the east.
Driftb reply :
I have heard that the old saw originated in Ohio or Michigan in the Western Basin of lake Erie. Winds from the North or East will bring cold and rough conditions as the wind has travelled over water for a long time and will kick up big waves and storms. Winds from the west or south do little to affect the water as the wind is coming right off the land. I've spent a bit of time on the Western Basin and seen those storms coming out of Canada. When they pop up, you want to get off the water quick.
geo g reply :
I too have heard that cattle lying on the ground, just turn around and go home. I have tested it several times and it held up. Cows were down and fishing was tough. Something about barometric pressure, or just lazy cows!!!!! Lol!
FrankW reply :
I doubt the original saying had much to do with Bass fishing. I would think this is an old saying coming from North East saltwater fisherman from many, many yeas ago. A wind from the east meant something to them.
Frank
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