Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]It has been awhile since I hit Willard, and it has been over two years since I was able to fish it inside the marina. Heard tell of some shadlets and wipers cruising the marina, in the higher water levels, so thought I would try to relive the successes of old.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Met up with Wildcat94 at the SE corner of the north marina just after 6. Topwater action in the low predawn light. Carp rolling. Big whoop.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Warm and calm, with water temps about 71 at launch. Only up to 73 by noon. Good clarity. Not much showing on sonar. Depth in the back end was from 10 - 12 feet. Ideal for foraging wipers but they did not read the manual. No shows. A few shadlets on top, but no schools of bait and nothing chasing them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Threw all kinds of plastics and hardbaits while dragging the customary minnow. The customary kitties obliged a few times and I caught several customary cookie cutters. Also dinged a small largemouth bass while casting a white plastic tube toward shore. Good to see a few still in Willard.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Very slow. About 8:30 I thought about pulling out of the north marina and heading down to the south marina. Shoulda but din't. Instead I kicked out the channel entrance...casting and dragging a minnow as I went. Got clear out to 20 feet of water without a teensy touch. Did see a grundle of bait in the water. From 15 feet to 20 feet my sonar was almost black constantly with stacked up shad and a few larger fish just hanging out with the groceries. No ticks, no chomps, no munches.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After about an hour and a half of nothing doing, I kicked back inside the marina. Wildcat94 had caught one channel cat and a big bluegill. He started fishing around the docks and found a good quantity of small crappies hanging in the shade. Most were under six inches. Biggest he got was about 9 or 10 inches. Better than zip...but not much.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I changed minnows and plastics several times, trying to find willing fishies. Nary a whisper on bait, and only an occasional tweak on the plastic. I finally got a good whack and brought in a smallie that was about a match sizewize for the largie I had caught earlier. Back it went.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then I had a powerful whack and surge. Line peeled off the drag of my light reel and my 6# line strained. Yeee hawww. Wiper? Nay. But a 10 pound TGW...toothless golden walleye. Much fun. Invited it to accompany me to the cleaning station where I helped it through a tremendous weight loss program. Got some good bait from it. Totally grossed out some old dude who saw me filleting it and (with eyes bulging) asked "Are you gonna eat that thing?" I said "Sure. They make great sushi." I thought he was gonna ralph right there.[/#0000ff]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52350"][#63626b]MARINA MORNING.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (198 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52351"][#63626b]QUIET CORNER.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (270 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52352"][#63626b]MARINA MONSTER.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (224 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52353"][#63626b]BITTY KITTY.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (267 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52354"][#63626b]LI'L LARGIE.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (271 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52355"][#63626b]SMALL SMALLIE.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (242 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52356"][#63626b]TOO MUCH FOOD.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (358 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52357"][#63626b]TOOOOOO QUIET.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (206 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52358"][#63626b]CRAPPIE DOCKIN'.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (299 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=52359"][#63626b]CATS & TGW.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (377 KB)
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Im not sure what TGW is but it looks like a big fish. But
anyways ,love those pictures.[]

Peter
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"But a 10 pound TGW...toothless golden walleye."

CARP - Peter
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[quote peter805]Im not sure what TGW is but it looks like a big fish. But
anyways ,love those pictures.[]

Peter[/quote

Carp, glorified goldfish[sly]]
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I seeeeeeeeeeeeeee []
Thank you
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[quote peter805]Im not sure what TGW is but it looks like a big fish. But
anyways ,love those pictures.[]

Peter[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]I guess you have already gotten your answer. Just another nickname for our "buglemouth bass", "Utah tuna" or any one of many other colorful names for the poor carp. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Carp cause a lot of problems ecologically in some of our waters and are held in low esteem by most people. But, for those of us who can overlook appearance in favor of fighting qualities, there is much to appreciate about those big scaly beasts. They can outbattle most other species in the same waters and they get big enough to test your tackle and your skills. And, for those of us who like to fish for catfish in Utah, carp meat is one of the better baits to have along on a kittyfest. That's the only reason why that particular TGW went in my basket instead of back in the lake.[/#0000ff]
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Carp is also considered as one of the most challenging
and best fighting fish on the fly rod. Food value-not so much[]
I like what you told that guy at the cleaning station............................................[] (you truble maker)


Peter
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[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]Totally grossed out some old dude who saw me filleting it and (with eyes bulging) asked "Are you gonna eat that thing?" I said "Sure. They make great sushi." I thought he was gonna ralph right there.[/#0000ff] [/quote]

[laugh][laugh][laugh] Way funny!
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