Ira and I fished Willard for the first time in months, we arrived around 7 am and noticed a lot of shad dimpling the surface. We launched and headed out into the Bay. After setting up, we started slow trolling fligs in Freeway bay, our first cats were caught on either pink or green tiger fligs but we started seeing some dead cats. We finally moved North to the outlet area and we were still seeing dead cats. We also added the orange tigers fligs and kept picking up even more cats, three were 24 to 26". Water temps were 74 to 75 degrees. Has anyone heard about why the cats are dying at Willard? I sent a email to Chris Penne, hopefully he has an idea. Here is our biggest cat of the day.
![[Image: Willard-cat.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/G838Szqz/Willard-cat.jpg)
(09-11-2024, 05:59 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: [ -> ]Ira and I fished Willard for the first time in months, we arrived around 7 am and noticed a lot of shad dimpling the surface. We launched and headed out into the Bay. After setting up, we started slow trolling fligs in Freeway bay, our first cats were caught on either pink or green tiger fligs but we started seeing some dead cats. We finally moved North to the outlet area and we were still seeing dead cats. We also added the orange tigers fligs and kept picking up even more cats, three were 24 to 26". Water temps were 74 to 75 degrees. Has anyone heard about why the cats are dying at Willard? I sent a email to Chris Penne, hopefully he has an idea. Here is our biggest cat of the day.
Don't know anything about dead cats and I don't like to hear about it either. I am hoping to get up there and try to get some eaters as soon as I can get a new leg and learn to use it. Every thing down here is too big.
Good to learn the two of you were able to get into cats. Did you find any other species that wanted to bite?
rj
(09-11-2024, 05:59 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: [ -> ]Ira and I fished Willard for the first time in months, we arrived around 7 am and noticed a lot of shad dimpling the surface. We launched and headed out into the Bay. After setting up, we started slow trolling fligs in Freeway bay, our first cats were caught on either pink or green tiger fligs but we started seeing some dead cats. We finally moved North to the outlet area and we were still seeing dead cats. We also added the orange tigers fligs and kept picking up even more cats, three were 24 to 26". Water temps were 74 to 75 degrees. Has anyone heard about why the cats are dying at Willard? I sent a email to Chris Penne, hopefully he has an idea. Here is our biggest cat of the day.
I only saw one dead cat floating Friday off Pelican beach. Glad you guys found a few cats, was the action pretty consistent or fairly slow like it was for me on Friday? Did you guys see any bird action or Wipers boils?
(09-11-2024, 06:25 PM)obifishkenobi Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2024, 05:59 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: [ -> ]Ira and I fished Willard for the first time in months, we arrived around 7 am and noticed a lot of shad dimpling the surface. We launched and headed out into the Bay. After setting up, we started slow trolling fligs in Freeway bay, our first cats were caught on either pink or green tiger fligs but we started seeing some dead cats. We finally moved North to the outlet area and we were still seeing dead cats. We also added the orange tigers fligs and kept picking up even more cats, three were 24 to 26". Water temps were 74 to 75 degrees. Has anyone heard about why the cats are dying at Willard? I sent a email to Chris Penne, hopefully he has an idea. Here is our biggest cat of the day.
I only saw one dead cat floating Friday off Pelican beach. Glad you guys found a few cats, was the action pretty consistent or fairly slow like it was for me on Friday? Did you guys see any bird action or Wipers boils?
I saw 2 dead cats Monday at Freeway Bay. I also have been seeing boils of the 12" wipers with birds overhead.
(09-11-2024, 06:20 PM)Mr. J Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2024, 05:59 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: [ -> ]Ira and I fished Willard for the first time in months, we arrived around 7 am and noticed a lot of shad dimpling the surface. We launched and headed out into the Bay. After setting up, we started slow trolling fligs in Freeway bay, our first cats were caught on either pink or green tiger fligs but we started seeing some dead cats. We finally moved North to the outlet area and we were still seeing dead cats. We also added the orange tigers fligs and kept picking up even more cats, three were 24 to 26". Water temps were 74 to 75 degrees. Has anyone heard about why the cats are dying at Willard? I sent a email to Chris Penne, hopefully he has an idea. Here is our biggest cat of the day.
Don't know anything about dead cats and I don't like to hear about it either. I am hoping to get up there and try to get some eaters as soon as I can get a new leg and learn to use it. Every thing down here is too big.
Good to learn the two of you were able to get into cats. Did you find any other species that wanted to bite?
rj
Lots of good eater sized cats in Willard, I'm sure you could catch them all the way up to ice on. Hope the new leg learning curb is a short one but there is always next year, it it takes longer than you hoped. We were hoping for some perch but it was NBC day.
(09-11-2024, 06:25 PM)obifishkenobi Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2024, 05:59 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: [ -> ]Ira and I fished Willard for the first time in months, we arrived around 7 am and noticed a lot of shad dimpling the surface. We launched and headed out into the Bay. After setting up, we started slow trolling fligs in Freeway bay, our first cats were caught on either pink or green tiger fligs but we started seeing some dead cats. We finally moved North to the outlet area and we were still seeing dead cats. We also added the orange tigers fligs and kept picking up even more cats, three were 24 to 26". Water temps were 74 to 75 degrees. Has anyone heard about why the cats are dying at Willard? I sent a email to Chris Penne, hopefully he has an idea. Here is our biggest cat of the day.
I only saw one dead cat floating Friday off Pelican beach. Glad you guys found a few cats, was the action pretty consistent or fairly slow like it was for me on Friday? Did you guys see any bird action or Wipers boils?
We ended up with 15, so a little better than a few. When we were in freeway bay area and up around the spot you fished last week it was pretty slow, we only got a few there but once we moved toward the North dike it was pretty steady for an hour in a half or so. Yes, we saw the birds diving, when we first got out there but we could never catch up with them before they were gone.
(09-11-2024, 08:48 PM)BURLEY Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2024, 06:25 PM)obifishkenobi Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2024, 05:59 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: [ -> ]Ira and I fished Willard for the first time in months, we arrived around 7 am and noticed a lot of shad dimpling the surface. We launched and headed out into the Bay. After setting up, we started slow trolling fligs in Freeway bay, our first cats were caught on either pink or green tiger fligs but we started seeing some dead cats. We finally moved North to the outlet area and we were still seeing dead cats. We also added the orange tigers fligs and kept picking up even more cats, three were 24 to 26". Water temps were 74 to 75 degrees. Has anyone heard about why the cats are dying at Willard? I sent a email to Chris Penne, hopefully he has an idea. Here is our biggest cat of the day.
I only saw one dead cat floating Friday off Pelican beach. Glad you guys found a few cats, was the action pretty consistent or fairly slow like it was for me on Friday? Did you guys see any bird action or Wipers boils?
I saw 2 dead cats Monday at Freeway Bay. I also have been seeing boils of the 12" wipers with birds overhead.
Glad to hear you have been getting out there Hue.