Understanding the Wind
By Todd Heitkamp, Meteorologist and Owner of Dakota Angler in Sioux Falls,
SD
In the last issue, I discussed lightning and the danger it poses to ones safety if not taken seriously. Now, as we head into the Fall, many thoughts start turning toward hunting. However, there are still many people that hit the lakes for the great Fall bite. But no matter whether you are hunting or fishing, you always experience the wind. And the wind can determine your success on the lake or in the field. But you can minimize the affects of the wind and use it to your advantage if you can understand what is occurring and then adjust accordingly.
All of us are affected by the wind, especially those of us in the upper Midwest. It’s a rare day that the wind isn’t blowing. I don’t know what we would do if the wind was to stop blowing – probably fall over since there wouldn’t be anything holding us up. Well, what causes the wind? The wind is a result of the difference between high and low pressure systems. The greater the pressure difference, the stronger the wind. Those pressure systems are marked with the blue “H” for high pressure and a red “L” for low pressure on the weather map. For your meteorological lesson for the month, remember that winds rotate around high pressure clockwise and counter-clockwise around low pressure. On a weather map, equal lines of pressure are marked by isobars. The closer these lines of equal pressure, isobars, are to each other, the stronger the wind!
The boundary between different pressure systems is called a front and to be able to forecast when these fronts will pass through the area will aid your success. For example, we have all heard of a cold front, the blue line with the blue triangles on the weather map. As a cold front is approaching the area, the wind will be out of the southwest. As it passes through the area, the wind switches to the northwest. If the wind is becoming more westerly and the strength of the wind is increasing, a cold front is very near and will soon pass through the area. You may be asking yourself – so what? By knowing that the wind direction will be changing may aid you in determining the placement of your tree stand or what structure you decide to fish. Many fishermen, especially those from shore, don’t like fishing the windward side of the lake. However, they forget that the food, on which the fish will feed on, will be stacked on the windward side of the lake. Some of my more successful fishing trips have been a result of having to deal with a little inconvenience from the wind.
Begin to pay closer attention to the weather maps that you see on television or on the Internet. You will soon be able to recognize the key features, such as high and low pressure systems, cold fronts, and also be able to tell how strong the winds will be by looking at the isobars. The wind can be your worst enemy or best ally, but only if you learn to adjust. It will really enhance your success if you can adjust before the change occurs!
Many fishermen over the years have heard the role the wind
direction plays in determining your success on the lake. “Wind from
the east, fish bite the least – wind from the west, fish bite the
best.” How did this wives’ tale get started? We’ll discuss
that next month, as well as how these pressure systems affect fishing! In
the meantime - Good Fishin’!
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