Good Rules for the Road

Thought I would start a new post to my previous concerning wind speed/direction = calm seas.

So from what I have gathered from you all and what I have been able to gather on my own, this is what I think may be "Good Rules for the Road";

1) For wind direction having the word "North" in it or coming out of the west with speeds under 10 mph and gusts less than 15 mph = Fare to Good fishing conditions.
2) For wind direction having the word "South" in it or coming out of the east with speeds of 10 mph or less and gusts of 15 mph or less = Good to Excellent fishing conditions.
3) Rule 1 or 2 must be in effect for at least 2 days before your trip, allowing the lake to settle and of course during your trip.
4) Anything outside of rules 1, 2, & 3, stay home.

If anyone sees something needing tweaked or agrees with what I am saying, please let me know.

Thanks,

We’ve caught fish in all wind locations around the islands. Open water is another thing.

It's not so cut and dry. Rules are always broken. Have also caught fish in all wind conditions. And some days that seem perfect are poor fishing days. You never know till you go.

Waiting two days is crazy. If you wait two days you won't be doing much fishing In most cases the lake will lay down within an hour of the wind backing down. It may take a little longer if we've had a hard east blow.

You are off on your rules.Concerning fishing western basin,south and west winds are best.East and North are worst.Wind velocity affects wave height too.I only look at windsurf Forcast to make plans.About 2 days out that Forcast is starting to zero in on being more accurate.Sometimes after a NE blow,the residual waves keep rolling in hours to a day after wind dies down or changes direction.You can catch fish in all wind conditions.Water clarity is more important after a blow.

I would just add that things can change DURING the day you are out. If sea sickness is the main concern, take dramamine and/or use the patches or wrist bands regardless of how calm and slick it seems to be when you leave port. Being out 10 miles or more anything can happen and usually does. No fun chumming for the chummer or anyone else on board. So take precautions and don't worry about it so much. A good captain will not take you out is rough seas anyway.

And if you boat on your own, double check iWindsurf or other sites for wave heights before you go out. And if it's too rough, go have breakfast and check again later in the day. Fish are not worth losing your lunch (or your life) over.

Also want to piggyback on what’s been said regarding seasickness prevention IF you are prone to it:
1). AVOID being on your phone. Similar concept to reading in the car
2). Don’t go down in enclosed spaces
3). Avoid being the one who has to get a hook out of the net or untangle a gigantic tangled mess of fishing lines. I’ve noticed a period of intense concentration on something close up on a wavy day can trigger feeling nauseous.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LazyDays

Also want to piggyback on what’s been said regarding seasickness prevention IF you are prone to it:
1). AVOID being on your phone. Similar concept to reading in the car
2). Don’t go down in enclosed spaces
3). Avoid being the one who has to get a hook out of the net or untangle a gigantic tangled mess of fishing lines. I’ve noticed a period of intense concentration on something close up on a wavy day can trigger feeling nauseous.

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Absolute want to echo what LazyDays said. Keep your eyes on the horizon, don't look down into the boat unless necessary. Stay out on deck and sit or lean on the side. Breath deeply and slowly when beginning to feel nauseous to help overcome the sensation.

I think we're getting mixed up here. Good tips generally for avoiding seasickness. However the best(worst) seasick days are some of the best fishing I've ever experienced. My single best day on Erie ever was a SCW with E winds. I'm glad I have a pretty good gullet.

Best advice I can give is to not look at wave forecasts. They're probably pretty accurate for a south or southwest wind but they do not take wind direction into account, just wind speed. My general rule is every 5 mph is about 1 foot of wave height. Double it if it's anywhere from the north to the east because of the amount of lake it has to build. Also be cautious fishing a shallow spot surrounded by a lot of deep water like the NE corner of Kelley's. 40 feet of water getting pushed into 6 feet leads to big waves. That's why you see all these shows where they have really dangerous inlets on the ocean. Sandbars turn 5 foot waves into 10 foot breakers.