02-11-2005, 11:46 PM
02-11-2005, 11:52 PM
I drove by it last weekend and the North marina looks like it would be an easy launch now. Water is coming up quick, but we need tons more. As for fishing, I am sure that the ones who know the time and place will chime in. I am a newbie to fishing Willard. There was a post earlier that someone had trolled for wipers and eyes and did O.K.
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02-12-2005, 02:58 AM
Went out Thursday afternoon with Wiper Willey. Took the Deep V out with no problems. Ran into a little ice on the north side but I am sure it has melted by now. We drove around scoping all our good areas. The west dike both north and south sides, around the south marina (it's still shallow around the mouth), and just outside the north marina. We only scoped maybe 4-5 fish all the way around the lake. We trolled and jigged with no luck what-so-ever. We tried a number of colors and types and no takers. The one good thing is the lake is coming up. Hopefully by spring we will see another 5-8 feet of runoff. I just worry that the damage is already done.
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02-12-2005, 05:30 AM
[size 2][font "Comic Sans MS"][green]Henries8,[/green][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][green][/green][/font] [font "Comic Sans MS"][green]You wrote "I just worry that the damage is already done."[/green][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][green][/green][/font] [font "Comic Sans MS"][green]If I were a betting man (which I am not ... just ask BLM) I would bet that this year will be a bumper boom year for the wipers. Since I have heard no reports of dead wipers on the bank I don't think there has been a mass die-off. And to add to that, fishing pressure last year was quite a bit lighter than previous years (due to low water and poor boat access), I expect some fun times just around the corner. The past drought years didn't seem to be very hard on the wiper population so I think this year will be a hoot![/green][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][green][/green][/font] [font "Comic Sans MS"][green]One disclaimer here: I'm generally wrong more times than I am right ... but I still think wiper fishing on Willard this year will be just OK at the very least.[/green][/font][/size]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][green][/green][/font] [font "Comic Sans MS"][green]You wrote "I just worry that the damage is already done."[/green][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][green][/green][/font] [font "Comic Sans MS"][green]If I were a betting man (which I am not ... just ask BLM) I would bet that this year will be a bumper boom year for the wipers. Since I have heard no reports of dead wipers on the bank I don't think there has been a mass die-off. And to add to that, fishing pressure last year was quite a bit lighter than previous years (due to low water and poor boat access), I expect some fun times just around the corner. The past drought years didn't seem to be very hard on the wiper population so I think this year will be a hoot![/green][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][green][/green][/font] [font "Comic Sans MS"][green]One disclaimer here: I'm generally wrong more times than I am right ... but I still think wiper fishing on Willard this year will be just OK at the very least.[/green][/font][/size]
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02-12-2005, 06:43 AM
Thanks for the update, what was the deepest water you found?
Did you try trolling very slow with lures along the North dike? WH2
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Did you try trolling very slow with lures along the North dike? WH2
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02-12-2005, 07:16 AM
All I know is that a few years ago when we went out in the early spring we would always scope fish. There were always a few fish around. They might not bite but at least you new they were there. On Thursday we just didn't see them.
On the west side there are a few holes that were about 17-19 feet deep (no fish in them). The water temp varied from 34.5 to 37.0 depending on how shallow we were. We did troll on the north dike with a few different colors of producers. We tried the west end and the east end of the north dike.
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On the west side there are a few holes that were about 17-19 feet deep (no fish in them). The water temp varied from 34.5 to 37.0 depending on how shallow we were. We did troll on the north dike with a few different colors of producers. We tried the west end and the east end of the north dike.
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02-12-2005, 09:56 AM
The last time I was out on Willard last year, we could not find any water that was deeper than 12 feet. That was in an area along the West dike that was a few hundred yards south of the light pole. If the water level is up to 17 to 19 feet then that is a good start for the year. The deepest I have seen the lake in that same area is 26 feet and that is very close to being at full pool, at least as far as I know. Have you ever seen it deeper than 26ft? A couple of years ago I was on the lake in Jan, Feb, March and April, the fish did not seem to be there but then the lake warmed up and the fish seemed to come out of the wood work. I don't know if they go into the very shallow water or some where else where I can't find them but they are there some where. They could be right on the surface and move off to the side when the boat goes by but just like Old _Coot said, if the fish aren't laying on the shore line, then they are swimming in the water. Predator has as much experience on fishing Willard early in the year as anyone I know, last year he was catching them by using Bitsy Bugs fished close to the shore. I guess the more we get out there the better the chance is that we will find some active fish. I sure hope to get out there soon and give it a try. WH2
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