Fishing Forum

Left work around 5pm and drove as fast as my 4 cyl will tow a boat over the canyon. Arrived at Willard a little before 6pm. Put the boat in and headed out of the N. Marina. Wind was coming from the south and was making the water nice and choppy. Started hooking Wipers within five minutes. Landed six Wipers in about an hour, and let one nice sized kitty go. Unfortunately I forgot my camera. I would have liked to take a pic of the kitty because it was very thick. I think it may have been a female with eggs or something. The belly was the size of a large grapefruit, and very round. Over the next couple hours I caught five more wipers, for a grand total of 11. By far my best Willard trip ever. My water thermo said 80 degrees. I was trolling 3-4mph with a imitation shad-rap (gray). I caught about half with planer board, and half without. When the water is that choppy I suspect that the fish don't notice the boat as much.

I still have not seen any boiling fish. I am rigging up my fly rod to have handy in the boat when I start seeing some boils. Anyone have any commonly available fly pattern suggestions? Zonker? And is a sinking line needed or will a floater work?
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[#008000]White zonker on floating line (or sink tip).[/#008000]

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Great catch.
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Very cool I am glad you got into them.
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Way to go, sounds like a good trip. It is really hard to see boils when the water is choppy but that doesn't mean they aren't happening. As the wipers thin out the shad, you will see more and more boils but the best time to see them is when the water is calm. Just keep looking all around you, even in the distance and look for a splash or a spray of water.
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I thought calm water at Willard only takes place on years that it freezes over []! I guess maybe I have seen it relatively calm a few times. If you do see a boil can you just motor over to it in the boat without spooking them? What is the proper procedure/tactic?

Big thanks to Wiperhunter2 and a lot of others on this forum. I am a beginner to Wiper fishing this year and could not catch them to save my life earlier. A lot of generous people on this site shared with me bits of information that I have added up, and I have started to do well out there.
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when you say your 4cy car what kind of car do you own. I have a civic with an Acura integra engine thats about 145 hp and bout 133 ft tq and i have always wonder if my car would be able do handle a small alum boat up to deer creek.
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[quote milenine]I thought calm water at Willard only takes place on years that it freezes over []! I guess maybe I have seen it relatively calm a few times. If you do see a boil can you just motor over to it in the boat without spooking them? What is the proper procedure/tactic?

Big thanks to Wiperhunter2 and a lot of others on this forum. I am a beginner to Wiper fishing this year and could not catch them to save my life earlier. A lot of generous people on this site shared with me bits of information that I have added up, and I have started to do well out there.[/quote]

No you can't use your outboard to get in there close enough to cast,it is best to see which direction there moving and cut them off,shut off the motor and drift into position,Or its allot easier with an electric,you can get pretty close with out spooking them if you have one,try to stay away from the main biol and cast into it,though sometimes they come right to you and you have fish all around the boat.
The wipers will usually push them in some direction when in open water,if your lucky and get a boil against one of the dikes they will trap them and usually keep them from going towards open water.
I want to throw this out there just because I have had it happen to me,If some one is in a good biol and they are catching fish try not to go ripping in to it,try to see which direction there moving and get ahead of them and then you will have your turn too.I have been in a good biol and some ignorant &&^$$# will come ripping in full speed and put the fish down instantly,you will have this happen to you a soon as people know the fish are boiling around you! boats will come from every direction trying to get into the action,be considerate,wait your turn,and have fun,shouldn't be long now,its almost august.[]
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Great report!
Curiously, my best Wiper days have been during windy/choppy conditions.
I much prefer the calm conditions of course, but it seems as though I catch more wipers when it is windy and choppy.
Randy
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My best wiper days have been just in front of an approaching cold front,If you can fish them in the fall it can be fish on all day long![] They will usually feed like crazy and I have boils from sun up to when the front passes and then it's dead.Try it you'll like it!
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Dito, dito, dito on the gentle approach to boils.

Those boils will spook and disapear unless you come by them with stealth.
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lov2fish,

It is actually a 4cyl truck. 1997 Chevy S10. I drove a Toyota 4cyl small truck a few weeks ago, that must have been 10 years older than mine, and it had way more power. I think a car could easily tow a smallish fishing boat... like a jon boat or something. The trick would be getting the trailer hitch high enough off the ground so that it doesn't collect road kill, and scrape every time you exit a parking lot.
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thanks that really helps. Now do i dare.
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