Fishing Forum

Hey what's up at willard have they started to boil yet?

Maddawg
[signature]

If this year is anything like last year there won't be any boils until later in the year. We did not get into any boils last year until Oct. So far this year is starting off better than last year but I still think it will be a while before we see any boils, just my opinion though. WH2
[signature]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Right now, you'll see sparadic surface activity but no concentrations you can focus on. We saw a little last night. A splash or two of rising wipers feeding then gone. [/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]As WH2 said, the boils won't really get going for a while but that doesn't mean if you're lucky enough to be in the right spot now, you may gey some action. Late season top water action is the best. Our luck will be when the best boil action starts, we won't be able to launch. [/size][/font]
[signature]

The only boils I have partaken in have been in Aug and Sept. Last year around the mid part of June I did see alot of surface activity, not fully boils but lots of surface activity along the west dike.
[signature]

[font "Arial Black"][red][size 2] I think that WH2 and BLM are right. You probably won't see much top water action for a while, but if you have never been into one of the boils you are in for a fast and furious treat. It is really an awsome event.[/size][/red][/font]

[font "Arial Black"][#ff0000][size 2] AFDan52[/size][/#ff0000][/font]
[signature]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Even though it's a little early, I'd have a casting rod or two loaded and ready to go in the event you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time while trolling.[/size][/font]
[signature]

they will boil in the fall. as this has already been said. i suspect the boils will not be like they use to but quite open and sporadic like last year. the jumps and splashes are a mixture of smallmouth carp catfish and some wipers. you can always tell when a wiper hits the water though .
[signature]

If your lakes have gizard shad like the lakes in Colorado wiper will sparadiclally feed on top all summer although it might not be what your looking for as far as a major boil I always have a flyrod and regular casting rod ready for the event. We see more major surface activity during late summer through October. As for this time of year any time you see seaguls diving and shad poping out of the water work the area over, many times I'll get a few fish well after the surface activity is over.
[signature]

Hey Oats, what part of Colorado do you fish for wipers? After seeing that new state record that was caught this year in Colo. I would really like to get over there and give it a try.
Last year when the wipers started moving closer to the shoreline we were seeing a lot of surface activity and the egrets were right on the shore waiting for those shad. I have another question for you Oats, can you use live bait, like shad, in Colorado? WH2
[signature]

Lets keep in mind, "BOILS" and "SURFACE ACTIVITY" are two totally seperate things.

I have to take my hat off to many of you who took time to use the proper language, and call what happens on willard 99% of the time, "SURFACE ACTIVITY"

Just aske BLM what a "BOIL" looks like, and he will tell you stories of tuna boiling offshore. Hundreds and hundreds of fish jumping 4 ft out of the water trying to elude the tuna. Or he will tell you about striper boils on lake mead where the surface of the water is not visible except in the form of spray coming off the fish as they leave the water in masses.

Now, surface activity, thats what you will see 99% of the time on willard. You get the fish rushing the surface, and they make a surface swirl that appears on the water.

Or you get lucky and you find a group of wipers that are effectivley chasing shad to the surface, and you see maybee 5 - 10 shad jump at a time. But these are often sporadic, and they move all over the place. One minuet they are here, the next, over there, and the clear over there.

Its important to realize the difference, since you end up fishing them differently.

I would hate for guys to be getting incomplete info from the site.

I myself am not a "BOIL" fisherman. Why? Because in all my ten years of fishing willard, sometimes 4 days a week, I have only ever seen a few actual boils. Now, guys who fish mead, or powell, or other places may have more expirience with the boils than I do, so i would take tips and pointers from them since they have hands on expirience.

But let me tell you this, all fish can create "boils" I fished one true "boil" on newton one day. Believe it or not, the bluegills had chased an entire school of minnows up against the bank and formed a horse shoe to trap them in. We sat there for over an hour catching one gill after another while the entire time, there was minnows jumping out of the water onto the bank, and flopping back into the water. We never had to move more than five feet, and caught fish on every single cast.

if you ever watch them fish stripers and wipers on lake cumberland, you will see what are some real, and truley awesome boils.

Hopefully willard will show some nice boils this year, but I agree that the water level will likley be so low by that time, that 90% of us wont dare launch a boat to go chase them.
[signature]

WH2, I mostly fish for wipers in Southern Colorado, there are several lakes along the front range that have good populations of wiper. I spend 2 to 3 days a week on the Pueblo Res. which is where the record came out. There has also been a few other fish that have come out of Pueblo, Nee Noshe and John Martin that have been around 20 pounds. Lately I've been able to catch anywhere from 3 to 10 wipers a night along with a few walleye in the 16 to 21" range, but most of the action is at dusk and after dark. The wipers have been averaging from 19 to 23" and I had one night where I got into a few bigger ones but nothing over 25" yet. You Can use live bait west of the Contental divide in Colorado so its fair game in all of these lakes but I've never seen anyone who sells live shad, I know people use shiners and every other kind of live bait. Here's the local fishing shop they can tell you; Hunters Cove (719) 647-0550.
[signature]

Thanks for the info, I know in most states where it is legal to use shad for bait it is also legal to catch them with nets. We have been catching wipers about that same size but wipers over 25 inches are very rare. WH2
[signature]

Well I don't know if it was just surface actvity of a boil but when those wipers started splashing last year and we hooked into them with our fly rods it was sweet

Trent
[signature]