It doesn’t take much wind to make Lake St. Clair—and any of the Great Lakes—turn into a frothy mess. That already happened during the three-day practice preceding today’s start of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year tournament. Guys reported being unable to cross the plate-shaped lake. Practice plans were wrecked by the wind. And it hasn’t really even began to blow.
Take a look at the National Weather Service forecast and it predicts the wind to shift from the northeast to the east. When the switch happens later this afternoon the winds are predicted to be 10 to 13 mph with gusts to 20 mph.
This graphic gives you an idea of what is in store for the anglers. That is a rough ride all around. Safety is number one and we have 50 of the best boat drivers in the sport. But what it’ll come down is two things. One, being able to get to a good area. Two, if you get there boat control and lure presentation will be a huge challenge.
What makes the wind a relative term up here, is unlike the manmade reservoirs in the South, this lake is wide open and exposed to the wind. When the wind rolls across this lake it causes the waves to build, and build, and build more. It’ll be interesting to find out how much the wind plays into the strategies of the anglers.