I'm Looking at going out on Willard next week and have two questions I was hoping to get some answers on: A. Will I have any problems launching (My boat is a 14 foot aluminium deep V)? and B. where is a good place to go to fish Walleyes? I've been on Willard alot but the target fish have always been wipers. A friend was telling me that the walleyes spawn soon and the fishing is terrific during that time. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Also I go out with Lordcrappie alot so I'm sure he will be in my boat, so for his sake, is the crappie fishing heating up now? If so where is a good place for them? If not when will it pick up? Thanks for the answers, hopefully once I get my boat running I can provide some info of my own.[
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[cool][#0000ff]It is really too early for all species except fishermen. While some fish of all species are being taken, nothing is really "going off". And, when the walleye are spawning is also not the best time to fish for them. It is much better in May and June, after they have spawned.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Crappies are "staging" in several areas right now. You can find them in 6-10 feet of water, hanging right above the bottom or up to about 5 feet. But, they are very touchy. You have to fish them like ice fishing...below a small bobber, on a light jig, with a wax worm on the hook. The strike will sometimes be only a "whisper". If your bobber gives the slightest twitch, turns around in place or moves 1/2 inch to one side, set the hook. Don't wait for the fish to pull it under.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some walleyes are in a prespawn mode and will hit either a crawler harness dragged off the bottom...or a small plastic fished SLOWLY in and around any available structure. the problem this year, compared to the last couple of years, is that the water is way down below the rocks. Walleyes usually cruise the rocks and you catch them by casting and retrieving along the shoreline. Not this year. You will have to find humps, bumps, gravel bars and rock piles in the main lake. There are quite a few of them and some walleye wizards guard that info very carefully.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]A few wipers are starting to show up. Some are being taken on plastics or bait, but few have been active enough to chase trolled crankbaits.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Two weeks of warm weather should jump start just about everything. One day it will be a quiet trip. The next day it will be wide open. Just keep trying and searching out the contours of the lake with your sonar and by dragging your lures around. Mark the good potential spots and come back when the word is out that the fish are more active.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]At this point, you should have no problem launching your boat. And, according to the ranger at Willard, we are going to be getting another 3 feet allocated soon. That should help for the "spring fling". The downside is that the lake could easily handle another 6 feet, without compromising the repair operations, but some "bigshot" in Colorado put his foot down and said "no more than 3 feet". But, another 3 feet will make a lot of difference to those who value their boats and props and things.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Good luck and let us know how you do. And, watch the boards. Willard will get a lot of activity now.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Another interesting prediction by the ranger is that you might want to avoid Pineview this year if you don't like a lot of boat traffic. Will Willard being "iffy", much of the power squadron is likely to hit Pineview instead. [/#0000ff]
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who is the goon in colorado,maybe if enough of us wrattle his cage,we can get six feet there is alot of water going out to the lake right now that could be.dumped into willard. we are losing all the lowerer runoff,and the hydrolgists are all bawling drought already.
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[cool][#0000ff]Sorry, didn't get a name. The info I got was third hand, through the ranger who got it talking to a supervisor on the repair job. You know how that goes. Probably wouldn't do any good for a fishermen's group to do any "rattling". That would probably only get him to reduce the amount...just because he can.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]THE REALLY BAD NEWS? Once they get the repair done, that ain't the end of it. They are working on a project right now to completely remove and rebuild about 4 miles of the dike along that whole east side. Seems it is built[/#0000ff][#0000ff] on a very soft substrate and shifts and sinks when waterlogged. All that is supposed to happen in 2008. You Willard Wiper fans better buy your tubes and toons and put your pride and joy (boat) in drydock. it's gonna be awhile before we get back to the good old days. And, maybe by then we will be in another drought situation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]HEY...DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER.[/#0000ff]
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Didn't buy the big boat to put her in Dry Dock, If it gets that bad I'll just find another puddle. I don't care to eat wipers anyway, just like to fish them once in awhile to get my line stretched.[
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[cool][#0000ff]That doesn't make you a bad person.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Plenty of boatable puddles in Utah, but I'm afraid there will be some wiperholics suffering severe withdrawal symptoms if they can't get their planer boards working on Willard.[/#0000ff]
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Once again thanks for all the info. It sure does help to have a place to ask dumb questions and get them answered. It sounds like low times for Willard ahead. I'll make sure to give a report on the action if we find any. Either way it will be nice just to get out, the few fish I've caught this year have already got me itchin'.
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