Fishing Forum

Whats the report at Willard? Where are the wipers being caught!!!
[signature]

Fished it from my toon this morning!

MUDDY, MUDDY, MUDDY

5 other boats launched about the same time as me and two of them headed in after a couple hours while the others seemed to be moving around ALOT!

I would suggest fishing elsewhere until the water settles some.
[signature]

First I would like to welcome you to the site. How are you planning on fishing at Willard, shore or a boat? I haven't done too good on my last two outings there, fishing from a boat but there has been at least one guy that has done good in the last few weeks. Shore fishermen have been doing a little better, with at least one guy saying,"some guys fishing near him caught 7, by wading out into chest deep water and casting rapala type lures". I think he was fishing at Eagle beach. WH2
[signature]

Until they start planting them again the fishing for them will only get worse most of the time..
[signature]

[cool][#0000ff]They planted another half million or so again this year...same as last year...and the year before. But, they plant them as fingerlings so I am sure a lot of them go to feed the bigger fish...and the terns. [/#0000ff]
[signature]

one million a year,dosent sound like they quit planting them. the big thing with willard right now is the muddy water wipers rely on sight for rhere kills.you know its muddy when you cant see the bottom of your live well.[sly]
[signature]

[cool][#0000ff]There are a lot of bait soakers who know all about the muddy water situation. They have found that simply drowning crawlers will catch more wipers than trolling or casting lures. And, the wipers are a lot more shallow than most trollers "wash their lures". A lot of the wipers being caught are coming from water less than 7 feet deep.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On my last tubing trip I caught two wipers dragging a small tube on the bottom in shallow water and another slowly working a diving crankbait so that it kept digging into the bottom in about 5 feet of water. I had other bumps from fish that just couldn't see well enough to connect in the murky water.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

I didn't know they was still planting them I thought they was like the tigers and couldn't get them...

I was holding off going up there because of that...
[signature]

[cool][#0000ff]A couple of months ago somebody else posted the statement that they didn't think DWR was planting any more wipers until the water level came back up. Drew Cushing replied that they had maintained their planting schedule...and that it was either 400,000 or 500,000 wiper fingerlings this year.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I know the big wipers eat the little ones. I have seen them chasing after a planting and I have found them in the stomach contents a couple of times. Until they get about five or six inches long they are on the low end of the food chain. It used to be that the big fish all lived on crappies. That changed when the shad and wipers came to town.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]With the current murky water conditions, drop shotting with your standard offerings should get some fish. They like it low and slow.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]There are a lot of bait soakers who know all about the muddy water situation. They have found that simply drowning crawlers will catch more wipers than trolling or casting lures. And, the wipers are a lot more shallow than most trollers "wash their lures". A lot of the wipers being caught are coming from water less than 7 feet deep.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On my last tubing trip I caught two wipers dragging a small tube on the bottom in shallow water and another slowly working a diving crankbait so that it kept digging into the bottom in about 5 feet of water. I had other bumps from fish that just couldn't see well enough to connect in the murky water.[/#0000ff][/quote]

I don't agree with ya on this Pat, I tried to out wit them with this very thought of yours from previous posts an NADA! I feel that the wipers rely on sight and sound more than scent. I can catch cats all day long with this method (like you have posted up) but wipers are rarely hit in these conditions.
[signature]

[cool][#0000ff]There will be times when nothing is hitting, but even with muddy water the fish can and do feed. Yes, they are primarily sight feeders, but they are also bottom scroungers. Bank tanglers and cooler filling happy harvesters are removing large numbers of wipers from Willard right now, using nothing but worms on the bottom. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You can disagree all you want, but other folks are whackin' them right now. They just don't make posts on fishing forums. In fact, some of them are taking home several limits a day.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]First you gotta find 'em...which is never easy. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Those who worship stripers and wipers like to believe that they are classy fish with good table manners. The truth is that they will eat whatever is available when they are hungry. There are places in some muddy lakes down south where stripers and wipers are often caught on smelly catfish baits. In one area of the lower Mississippi River I was introduced to stripers with the advice that the best bait for them was "rotten chicken livers". And, they did work better than lures or any of the fresh cut baits I tried.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[signature]

Very interesting!

Never thought of using catfishing tech. for wipers, I now have a new challenge.

Great! Now I have to relearn everything that was tought o me and buy more gear! LOL
[signature]

When I go to Willard to fish wipers I see the same people, mostly asians and hispanics with a few caucasians thrown in all doing well and although I see a lot of fish taken out to the coolers I haven't really noticed anyone going over the limits or taking them out to the car and returning. I am sure it happens but I haven't seen it as of yet. I go 2 to 3 times a week because it is close to where I am staying and the fishing is spotty at best. One hour and you get the shad come by and you catch fish. The next hour and there is nothing but carp, catfish and crappies. All the wipers are caught, where I fish at anyways, on jigs and the carp and cats are caught on worms or livers or some type of good smelling, to the fish anyways, concoction. It is also very similar to and reminds me of combat fishing for salmon and steelhead up north on the rivers.It does get crowded....Walt
[signature]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Walt, glad to hear you are at least catching a few. I thought you gave up on Willard.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I did not mean to imply that the wipers could only be caught on bait...just that a lot of them ARE caught on bait...often by guys who only know how to fish with bait. If the fish are following and feeding on shad, then lures will get fish. The key is how the wipers are acting and if they are in an active mode. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We have to be careful about labeling or being politically incorrect. It is true that there are groups of anglers who fall into a couple of racial or ethnic categories who are most often seen with the large catches for the cooler. They come from cultures where "subsistence" fishing is necessary to feed the family and they are fishing more for food than for sport. No problem, as long as they stay within the legal limits. And, MOST of them do. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]However, there are at least a couple of hardcore harvester groups that are well organized fish killers. They have a lookout posted, and he has a cell phone to report any "suspicious" looking vehicle approaching. That gives those who have over limits a chance to boogie or to hide part of their catch. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]They are experienced and successful anglers who usually find and catch a lot of fish. They have learned the ways of catfish, walleyes and wipers and they know how to get more than the average angler. When they work as a team, they make sure that every one of them has a limit (or more) before they leave. The more successful share fish with the less successful...or with those who buy a license (sometimes) and just come along to be able to take home a limit of fish. According to the Utah Fishing Guide (Proclamation), that is illegal.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have personally observed this activity and have reports from others who have also seen it. I have also discussed it with State Park rangers and with DWR people. The fact is that it is almost impossible to catch these guys and there is not enough time or officers in the system to police every water for poaching or illegal fishing practices.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I used to get checked by DWR regularly when I fished Willard Bay. Since I returned to Utah almost 5 years ago, I have fished Willard Bay many times each year and have NEVER been checked by a CO. And, other than talking with a couple of COs and biologists at Yuba, during the past ice fishing season, I have not seen any of them on any other waters I fish. I also know that it is very difficult to get a CO to respond to a phone call, reporting violations, in time to catch the violators. The Division is spread thin, with far too much area and responsibility for each of its people. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That is too bad for Willard, but I do not think that harvesting is adversely affecting the fishing. If anything it probably helps keep it more healthy during the low water and poor feeding conditions.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We are planning to hit it from the tubes next Wednesday if you can make it.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

Thank TD for the INFO now if I can get away from work I mite do some fishing.....[]
[signature]

TubeDude,
Thank you for the invite to thrash the water around you next wednesday but I have to go back to Nevada on monday and won't be back til wednesday evening. I guess it's "You snooze you lose" for me.LOL.
I ran into a die hard wiper fisherman and he kinda lined me out on them and I have been doing good catching them now. And Willard is only minutes away from where I am at here in Utah, so I go there often now. I don't have anything better to do with my time while I am here in Utah and having bought the year park pass and year non-res fishing license I ought to use them.
I didn't mean anything or try to stereotype any group of people with what I said but those are the ones I see and they know who I am now anyways.
I agree about how some people are with those fish and how cell phones and lookouts work, as my checkered youth tought me a lot about such goings on. Fortunately I have gotten older and hopefully a little wiser about that sort of stuff and now am of the mindset that such things are just not acceptable behavior.
Willard is ok to fish and if it didn't have those wipers I really wouldn't fish it, but, wipers on a fly are a real kick in the pants and they are great fighters and pretty tastey fish to boot.
Good fishing to you all....Walt
[signature]

[cool][#0000ff]WORK? YOU?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Whatta ya gotta do...respool a reel or somethin? [/#0000ff]
[signature]

HA,ha,
Yeah, respooling reels and tieing flies keeps me busy. I spend most my time fishing and hunting but it is too far to travel here for me to really spend my time hunting here. I am a die hard coyote hunter and have been for over 45 years. That's why I go back home to Nevada a lot. I can just jump on my quade and in 5 minutes I am out wacking coyotes or at least northern pike fishing. Now that's a fun fish on a flypole also..Well I got to get ready to head out to the Greek Festival so take care...Walt
[signature]

No its two reels...[sly][sly]
[signature]