My son and I went by the north marina of Willard today. The newly dredged channel has filled in with water and has frozen, the ice is over 6 inches thick. Here is a look at the channel from the mouth of the bay. WH2
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[size 3]Did you catch any fish at Willard? [/size]
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That's a great sight to see!
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Thanks for the update. I've been wondering how the progress on the dredging was going. Lookin' forward to the Wiper action this year.
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No fish were caught but we were there only an hour or so and we only fished the channel. The water was 6ft deep, not including the ice. While we were there one of the maintenance guys came by and we talked for 20 or 30 min. From what the guy said I guess they plan on putting in new boat docks, expanding the parking area and doing some work in one of the camping areas, they have no plans to dredge the south marina. Here is another picture looking at the bank that a few of us launched our boats at last fall after the water got so low we could not launch in the marina. WH2
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[red][size 3]Six feet deep in the channel, that's great. Is the current water level still about what it was last fall? It kind of looked like it in the second pic of the makeshift mud and rock dodging launch site. Did it sound like they were going to dredge any more of the north marina to float those new docks on? I got to tell ya' I'm about ready for some warm weather and soft water to start splashin' in! [/size][/red]
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By looking at the bank in my last picture, I would say the water level has come up almost a foot. The guy I talked to said they were done with all the dredging but he thought the water would come up enough to float the new docks, how long the water will stay there is another matter so we will have to wait and see. With the warm weather this week the soft water can't come soon enough. Here is one last picture of the little island right outside the north marina, it is hard to see but it will be something to remember when the water level comes up. WH2
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[red][size 3]Hey Wh2, Thanx again for the info. I'll never forget the bow, skeg, blade marks and metal shavings all across that little mound when we stopped and catfished off it last year. I know I'll never (knock on wood) power up right out of the channel again. It will be more of a temptation now that the fish graph will read 10 feet of water right up to the time you ground it. [unsure] Considering it's location, I think it needs a buoy. Sounds like a good BFT or Eagle Scout kind of project. [/size][/red]
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You are right, there should be a buoy on that little island, I think that is the same spot that Kent hit a few years ago when he was leaving the marina. There is a lot of islands and ridges that are out of the water right now, if you or anyone else has a GPS it would be a good time to get out there and mark them. It is amazing how much you can see that is out of the water between the outlet and a little past the marina. WH2
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The sunken island, or whatever I hit, was up in the the north east corner, not anywhere near the area of the mouth of the north marina. I was in about 10 feet of water for a couple hundred yards (at least 100 yards out from the north dike), when suddenly my prop was hitting bottom.
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You probably hit the ridge then, it is all the way out of the water now and runs from the outlet all the way to the marina, you should get out there and take a look at it the next time your up this way. I hope to gets some pictures of the whole area before it melts or the water level comes up, pictures are Ok but I wish I had a GPS to mark them. WH2
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