The Wind Was Howling on Beggars Bridge Today...

But that didn't stop my kayaker buddy, Charlie, from trying to find a few fish. You see, he has a theory: Big wind equals big bass. And since the weatherman was calling for 15 to 25, with higher gusts, his take was, "What better time to test my theory?"

Charlie fought his way into the bay and positioned himself in the grass, so he could cast to the edges, where it drops into the channel. "Out in the main part of the bay," he said, "the big rollers looked like they were running 3 feet or more. The grass beds really tame the swells, though."

In the next four hours, with "wind blowing so hard I almost could spool the reel on a cast," as he characterized it, Charlie caught a pickerel (see photo above), along with one dink, plus a 1-1, 1-4, 1-8, and a 4-0 bass, which really made the day worthwhile. To cope with the wind, he switched out the 1/4-oz. Johnson Silver Minnow he started with for a 1/2-oz. model. "When I cast across the wind," he explained, "I'd get a huge loop and have trouble setting the hook with all that slack (in the line). I missed a couple of good 2-pounders or more, forcing me to fish pretty much all downwind."

As I read this report today, I couldn't help thinking Charlie must be a KVD (that's short for Bass pro Kevin Van Dam, in case you don't already know) supporter. He always has advocated that "the wind is your friend." And Bassmaster Elite Series competitor Dustin Wilks agrees with that analogy. With a college degree in fisheries biology, this North Carolina pro said the wind sets up a food-chain scenario that's triggered by reduced solar penetration.

"Phytoplankton, or microscopic plant-like organisms in the water, need sunlight for photosynthesis," explained Wilks in an old Bassmaster magazine article, "and when the wind creates waves, solar penetration is reduced, causing these microscopic organisms to rise closer to the surface. Zooplankton--microscopic invertebrate animals--in turn rise to feed on the phytoplankton. Soon, baitfish move in to eat the plankton, which attracts top-line predators, including bass. This is a major reason for fishing a windblown bank, point or other structure."

Wind also is your friend in that it hides imperfections in your lures and presentations. Said Wilks, "When the lake's surface is choppy or rough, reduced light penetration means bass can't scrutinize your lure too carefully. Instead of rejecting your bait because its paint job isn't perfect, or its movements aren't 100 percent realistic, they're more likely to strike it, simply because they saw it flash or detected some movement in the water."

One thing the "friendly" wind doesn't do, however, is blow baitfish around, which, incidentally, is among the most widely held misconceptions in bass fishing. The reason so many shad stack up on a windblown bank isn't because the wind blew them there; it's because they're feeding on plankton. Healthy baitfish are fully capable of swimming wherever they want, regardless of which way the wind is blowing.

Most anglers know the old saying, "Wind from the west, fishing's best;" or "wind from the east, fishing's least." Does this adage really hold true, though? According to Bassmaster Open pro Chris Noffsinger, "I'll often see a major jump in bass activity during a west or south wind, but I hate waking up to an east wind on the morning of a tournament or guide trip, because it usually gives the fish lockjaw. A cold front often accompanies a north wind, requiring lure and presentation adjustments. Still, I'll take a north wind over no wind at all."

Added Wilks, "I love a strong southwest wind in late fall or winter. It brings warmer water to the surface and can trigger a monster crankbait bite. I think east winds are abnormal in most regions of the country and, as a result, can negatively impact the normal feeding patterns of bass."

How does a sudden change in wind velocity or direction impact the bass bite? "I've seen a slow, dead-calm day turn into a major slugfest once the wind started blowing," noted Noffsinger. "I've also seen a great bite stop like somebody had turned off a switch when the wind died. If the wind changes directions, and the spot where you were catching 'em no longer produces, move to a new area that's being hit by the wind. The bite often will be stronger there."

Following Charlie's lead, fellow kayaker Ron Ameika also headed to Beggars Bridge this evening in an attempt to avoid the wind and to find a low-water bite. In his own words, "I didn't do too well at accomplishing either."

Between 5 and 7 p.m., he caught five dinks and a white perch on the Whopper Plopper. One of the fish was this little stub-nose fella (pictured above) who, as Ron described it, "fought like a 3-pounder."

This little "flat head" pulled hard enough to bend one of the split rings on Ron's Whopper Plopper (see photo at left). "I evidently forgot to upgrade it like I had on all my other Whoppers," said Ron.

In closing his email, Ron noted that "this weather is killing me." Charlie, I, and what I'm sure is a host of other anglers agree with his analysis.

Closing thought: I've seen a number of humpback bass over the years, but this stub-nose is a first of its kind for me.

Fisheries biologist Chad Boyce (right), with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, was reading some of Charlie's recent blog posts about trips he has made to Beggars Bridge and took time today (10/6/16) to share some information with my buddy, who, in turn, shared it with me. Following is a digest of Chad's note:

"We have seen the dissolved oxygen (DO) really drop in the western-shore tributaries. We were just in Nanney's Creek on Tuesday and found that it has extremely low DO now, and I bet Beggars Bridge is the same way. We shocked for 10 to 15 minutes or so and never saw an adult bass. It's a weird kind of phenomenon, but what has happened is the marsh ponds, ditches, etc., have been full from the rain.

"Now the winds have switched to the northeast and is blowing water out of the bay. As the bay level drops, it is allowing all the ditches to start losing water, as well. The 'ditch water' and water from the marsh ponds and other skinny water has been sitting for many days, and the oxygen likely has been used up by the microbes that are working to break down the organic matter. That 'ditch water' now is running into the major creeks, thereby lowering the overall oxygen levels.

"Bottom line: The DO is low enough to run the adult fish (bass, sunfish, perch, etc.) out but not low enough to cause fish kills. I thought you might like to hear some possible reasons why you aren't seeing many adult bass in the creeks. Bass over 10 to 12 inches have higher oxygen requirements than bass that are 6 inches or less. I really think this is unique because of all the rain we received prior to this north-wind event."