Launched at 4PM Tuesday. Fished right on the dam and caught one smallmouth. Worked our way around the north picking up a few more smallmouth. Then fished the canyons straight across from the boat dock and found the walleye! I caught one and my father caught 3.
Next mourning got out at 6AM. Walleye where still there. Caught walleye, smallmouth and perch. My father caught a 3-pound brown also. Most eyes ranged from 10-12 inches but a few where bigger. My father caught the big ones. One was 18 and the other 20 inches. We each caught abouth 12 eyes and abouth the same number of smallmouth. Caught 5 or 6 perch, one of which was big enought to eat. We where using small feather white jigs. Water temp was 68 degrees. Walleye were in 10-20 feet. Perch were deeper. Smallmouth were hanging in the shade in the shadows.
We decided to go to the inlet end and explore. We followed the channel all the way up until it was only two feet deep. Were hoping for rushing rocky water to meet still water for some trout action but the elevation change is to gradual.
Where the open water meets the channel my father caught his biggest walleye. Bonus....We saw a golden Eagle and a coyote close up while up on the inlet end. The eage looked at us like it was trying to decide if it wanted to fly away or have us as dinner.
I have an Aqua-Vu camer and droped it down where we were catching the walleye. I expected to see a fish here and there but scattered. To my amazement, there where walleye everywhere. At times I could see six or seven at the same time.
Looks like the walleye are spawning well but just don't have enough to eat.
[signature]
Thanks for the report, looks like I'm going to have to get up there and load up on them tasty little suckers. later chuck
[signature]
I second that.
[signature]
Thanks for the great report, Fondovfishin and I were hoping to make a trip up there tomorrow but had not heard any good reports. How hot were the daytime temps? Were you tipping the jigs with nightcrawlers? WH2
[signature]
It got pretty toasty up there. I think it was in the low 90s. The wind was blowing which helped the heat but made controling the boat difficult at times. I'm sure I would have caught more fish if I hadn't been fighting the wind so much.
Nightcrawlers helped get better perch bites but didn't seem to make any difference on the walleye. My father hooked something trolling a spinner with a nightcrawler but it got off before we got to see what it was.
Good luck!
Finhunter
[signature]
Hey finhunter -
Too bad I didn't know which one you were - I was also at Starvation those two days and would have enjoyed meeting you - left on the 28th. We found the walleyes down toward the bridge on the sunken islands on the east side by Indian Bay (I think that is the correct name??). We caught them anywhere from 14 - 30 feet ..... felt like fall fishing for walleyes! Our larger fish were caught in 20-30 feet using crawlers and a slip sinker - or an orange lead head jig. Nothing really big - all ranged from 10-18 inches. One nice smallie about 3 or 4 pounds (put it back for someone else to enjoy[cool]). I am looking forward to getting back there again soon! It really is a fun lake to fish with all the available structure!
[signature]
sk8heaven:
I remember seeing one or two boats as we went to the upper end. Not to many people fishing on the entire lake.
We were in a red and white crestliner with a Mercury 40.
Glad you found the walleyes. Our biggest bass was only maybe
1-1/2 lbs.
finhunter
[signature]
Hi fin hunter. I saw you cleaning your fish and stopped to talk to you. (Blue Chevy pick & red and grey bass boat) Sounds like you had a good trip. We caught about 8 -10 walleye and bunch of smallies I boated 1 about 4lbs. and a few perch. The wind die down some after you left and even more as we left on the 28th.
[signature]
Hi deepcycle:
Did you also find the walleyes in the canyons or did you go somewhere else? Was your 4 pounder a walleye or bass? Was it shallow or deep?
Glad the wind died down for you.
I want to go back there in the fall sometime.
We fished willard bay a couple of times since Starvation. Never found a single walleye. To bad there not as thick there as in starvateion (but fatter).
finhunter (Dave)
[signature]
"We fished willard bay a couple of times since Starvation. Never found a single walleye. To bad there not as thick there as in starvateion (but fatter)."
Dude, the walleye catching at Willard is the best it's been in years, let me know if you have any questions on Willard's walleye, maybe I can help. WH2
[signature]
Wh2:
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I figured out the Starvation walleye in just a few hours (or maybe I just got lucky.) Those Willard walleye have me stumped. I might get a walleye every one in five trips but never seem to get more than one. I've heard the deep diving crankbaits are doing well so I bought one and will give it a try.
I have an assortment of shad rapps but to date have never even had a bite on one. All the walleyes I've caught trolling came on a bottom bouncer.
I know the walleye change there feeding habits when the baby shad start hatching out but I've never been able to figure that habit out.
finhunter
[signature]
This time of the year the walleye are going after deep diving crank baits. Although a wide variety of lures will work, the shad pattern is good color to start with. Also try perch pattern, I even read a report on the DWR site that firetiger has been working lately. The area that has worked for me is North of the Feedlot in 21 foot of water but a lot of the guys are doing good North of the Island. I troll between 2.5 and 3mph and use planner boards but lures that are shallow running will also work if you use lead core line. Also keep an eye on your fish finder, the eyes have been holding between two and three foot off the bottom, sometimes a little higher. When you start marking a lot of them then you will know you are in the right area. You can also try S turns or figure 8's. This has been the best year for catching Willard walleye that most people can remember, so get out there and give it another try. Let me know if I can help you further and good luck. WH2
[signature]
We did not do well in the canyons, most of the walleye we caught were south of the bridge. In 17 - 20 feet of water.
The biggest fish was about 3-4 lbs. was a smallmouth it was caught in 9 -12 feet of water off a point. I did catch 1 walleye about 3lbs.
The wind did die down some but even more as we were leaving.
I hope to go back up around the 24th of this month, weekdays are so nice there for fishing and camping. I hope to go to willard next week sometime for the frist time this year.
Good luck!!
Deepcycle (Wes)
[signature]