It may not feel like it today, but the wind is your friend in most angling situations. It’s still gusting up to 20 miles per hour, although it has shifted more to the west than the north as the day has progressed.
Yesterday Alton Jones detailed how the wind can make a big difference, especially this time of year when rising water temperatures can trigger spawning activity.
“The sun warms up just that top inch or two of water,” Jones said. “The wind stacks that warm water on the other side of the lake into a deeper column of warm water.
“Generally, the north and northwest banks warm up first in North America because our wind is predominately from the south and southwest. Occasionally, you’ll have a warm day with a north wind and the south side of the lake will be warmer.”
Nothing felt warm this morning, with a north wind howling in 39-degree air. But it’s now 49 degrees at Bull Shoals with an expected high of 57 and warmer days ahead.
If you haven’t seen this, it’s a pretty cool “wind map” of the U.S. You have to give it a few seconds to fully load, but it’s zoomable and fully illustrates what’s sweeping across Bull Shoals Lake today.