Ahhh, the annoying winds of spring. Great for flying the kite, but annoying when spending long periods of time floating inches above the water. Everything from positioning yourself on that precious piece of structure to simply tying a knot can be a challenge. My personal pet pieve is having to constantly clean my sunglasses, but I'll manage. Some guys refuse to fish in the sloppy conditions as of late where 12-15 mph winds have become the norm rather than the exception. For years I was one of those guys, I never stowed my gear and simply chose more favorable weather windows. I suppose living a few miles from the launch factored into these decisions, but I realize most guys aren't so lucky. Some years have more windy days than others and the everpresent windswells to go along with it. I for one am pretty sure we've reached our 2009 quota for the slop and look forward to the steamy glass calm flatness of summer. But, for those with proper foul weather gear and an itch to fish the trade off can be pretty sweet. The windy bumpy days have far fewer boats and it's often hard to find another kayaker to take a photo...a great problem to have if you asked me. If you possess the burning desire to catch White Seabass in particular the fishing has been well worth stowing your gear to get to them.
Above all, if you're waiting for that big flashing neon sign that says it's wide open...don't hold your breath.
While still holding just over a 70% catch and release ratio for White Seabass this spring, say hello to #22
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