Well the water is very low, and it was very windy, cold and blowing snow all around us. Kevin and I decided not to even take the tubes and just do a little shore tangleing, we probably fished for about 2 hours and not even a bite. The lake is WAY open now. We drove over by the out take and it was a good 2 feet below that. (had a picture but deleated it by mistake). Here are some of the pics I took, I would say it was more of a close up recon mission. the bright sode of the trip is I stopped at Sportsmans on the way home and picked up a older model of a Shimano Compre Casting rod for 30.00.
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I think I am glad I had hockey and work today and couldn't go with you... looks cold [
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[cool][#0000ff]I have been knowed to fish in some pretty nasty stuff before, but these days I try to pick my fishing trips a bit more carefully. With the weather forecast being what it was, I would not have left home...and I didn't. I stayed home and built a new perch jerkin' rod.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Seriously, my general rule for fishing Willard is to wait for a couple of days of calm weather before launching. The only exception to that is during the walleye spawning session. When the walleyes are spawning they like the agitated water and roll right on the rocks...when the water is high enough to cover them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then again, during the post spawn period...in May and June...the walleyes also move into the shoreline wherever the wind stacks up the waves and muddies the water. They feed in murky water where baitfish have been blown and are disoriented by the wind and muddy water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, it has been my experience that the wipers, cats, crappies and smallies seem to like calmer weather. A good "fishing ripple" can help fishing, but a major front going through just about shuts them down.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Ya cain't beat fun. I have chanted that on more than one occasion while standing with my back to a driving blizzard, shrugging occasionally to dump the accumulated snow. Us fisherfolk are almost as wacko as golfers.[/#0000ff]
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I believe part of my drive was I was unable to get out and wet a line while I was up in Montana for my little brothers wedding, and I have to go to Chicago this weekend for work [
]. So I just needed to get out and get a little fix in while i still could.
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Yuck! [
] Thanks for the report. I'm gonna be hitting Willard here soon, but I think 40+ temps are gonna be needed.
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Well, you can get out a ways from the north marina. You can't make it very far though, we were the first to have a boat out there on Saturday. We were trying to get over to walleye alley but there is ice blocking access to that side of the bay. As of sat. there were very few spots you could navigate to. I did have a first for me though, I fished willard from an island (one of the man made ones just out of the north marina)[cool]! That was wierd to say the least, but we found some lures out there! We also found out that a little jon boat doesn't work well for a ice breaker! We broke about 15 feet (2 times ramming the ice) into one of the sheets of ice and was stopped when it got to about 2 in. thick. Interesting thing, there were fox tracks all over that island and heading out on the ice that is still snow covered. So, another couple of weeks and some warmer weather we should be able to get out to where the channel is.
No bites to speak of, and no visible activity from the fish. I think the water is just too cold still!
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Aye. that is kinda what we though as well. They are still in hibernation mode. I am just anxious to get back n my tube.
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Tell me about it, I've got spring fever so bad I cant take it anymore![cool]
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Great report from you two guys, one with pictures and the other from a boat. We saw your boat trailer at the parking lot on Saturday when we drove by Willard, at least you had a chance to get out there, even if there was no catching involved. How was the launching conditions? Did you have to back your boat trailer all the way into the channel to get it ff the trailer? Thanks for the info. WH2
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So they will let you launch now? Last I heard no water craft allowed until the leak was fixed.
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Matt,
I still can't believe you talked me into that trip against my better judgement! And we actually PAID the entrance fee to do it too! I usually only suffer like that on my ocean fishing excursions! Ahhh well.... what's fishing without a little masochism once in awhile?!!!
Djole,
Nice "Roland Martin grip" on that fish in your avatar! Makes that crappie look like a 10 lber!!!!!
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