By Ronnie Parris
Hey folks! I hope all is well with you and yours. Yeah, it’s that time again. The mercury in that ol’ thermometer is getting up there, and the temperature in those fish is rising too. This can be a great time to be on the water as long as conditions are right. What I mean by that, is you’re gonna have to have a few things go your way.
First, it’s so important to be on the water either at first light or last couple hours of daylight, as your water temperature heats up fast, as does the jet ski and wake board crowd, and this can sure put a damper on the bite. But one of the best things you can have on the water now is a good breeze. I’ve heard folks up north call it a walleye chop, but whatever you want to call it, a breeze really sparks the fish to feed.
Over the years I’ve noticed a few things associated with the breeze. Number one is that fish tend to stack up on the side of the lake that the breeze is blowing to. Now the reason for this, I’ve heard a lot of fishermen say, is that the breeze pushes bait, and that’s true in a way, but not like you might think. Do I think the breeze pushes minnows? Not really, but I do think it pushes zooplankton and other microorganisms, which minnows feed on, so in turn, your fish are gonna stack up in these areas, too.
Another scenario where the wind is a big advantage is where it blows against clay bank, causing the water to be stained, which gives bigger fish an ambush position for the baitfish passing by. I also think the breeze tends to oxygenate the surface water and this can cause fish to feed more aggressively.
This can be an awesome time to catch a mixed bag of fish, as they will tend to hold in different depths. For this reason I usually troll downriggers and planner boards this time of year. I also look for any place holding a little colder water, as the fish will definitely be holding there.
As I stated before, this is the time of year a lot of players are gonna be on the water, so use extreme caution. You may encounter some folks driving rental boats with little to no experience or lake etiquette, so let’s all look out for each other and have a safe, enjoyable trip on the water. As always, take a kid fishing!
Ronnie Parris is owner and head guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, NC, 488-9711.