Hit the bay tonight. Launched around 7 pm, water temp 69 deg. Jetted over to fish freeway bay and started to troll rattle traps. Boils started right away so we pulled up and threw on the top water killers. Boils started small at first and hard to get on, but managed a nice fish with a Super Spook Jr.
My buddy lost a fish at the boat. The wiper saw us and decided to not stick around and took the spook with him.
Caught 3 more trolling back to the south marina on rattle traps in the dark.
All four fish were 20 -21 inchers with broad shoulders.
Let the games begin...
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Nice report and pictures RM, thanks for sharing your report. Looks like we are going to see some good wiper boils this fall, this sure is a good start. Sure wish I could get out there soon but hunting season is calling, for a few weeks anyway[
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Nice report, nice pix. Thanks. Good to hear they're getting active - seems like a number folks are hitting into some busy wipers.
Did you have particular colors that they were hitting on? Seemed another report was saying they were kinda particular, until they hit on the right pattern.
You had any luck with that motor Curt? Keep looking at bigger boats that'd give me a chance at CHASING them wipers, but . . . maybe if I got one big enuf to sleep on, at least then I'd have somewhere to go when the wife kicks me out!
For me there's only one color and pattern for throwing at the boils and that is the Super Spook Jr. baby. I've tried lots of spooks but the SS Jr by far out performs them all for me. I only buy the one with the white feather, for some reason it has always been a performer. By the looks of the pictures you can see the older "vets."
I've had them knock it at least a foot in the air sometimes working it back to the boat. I've hooked (not landed) some real monsters that have actually straightened the steel treble hooks out.
I switched up a couple of years ago to a bait caster strung with 20 lb test just for the boils cause we've lost too many lures.
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Couple of really nice fish there, bet they were fun to catch. Thanks for sharing, especially letting everyone know what you caught them on.
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We went back out last night (Sat) and managed 2 nice wipers and a catfish trolling. Only saw a couple small boils but we couldn't get on them fast enough/.
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Ditto to that. Appreciate the details. That's not one I have in my tackle box (yet! - might have to visit the Country Boyz Store!).
We ran into some folks that swore by these, but they swapped out the hooks for a bigger one. I just rigged one up myself. Have yet to get it out.
It seems those wipers like the feather tails (buck). Whether it's white feather-jigs, or tails on lures. Some of the Kastmasters come with a bucktail.
Again thanks. Next time, eh?
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If you're going to fish a Spook you'll want to learn the "walk the dog" retrieve. It takes a little practice and can be difficult with a rod that's not really cut out for it, but it sure can trigger strikes once you've got it.
I've used Super Spook Juniors with success, but I've had even better success with a particular pencil popper that just happens to have a white feather and red thread dressed tale hook. I'm a firm believer that there's something to the feather dressed tale hook on these top water lures.
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I was just about ready to chime in as well..... walk the dog. Back and forth with with small side to side action. Once you have the technique down, you learn to walk the dog hard to trigger if throwing in hopes of...... but when on the boil and they're all around walk the dog very gently and lovingly and you will be rewarded with the best fresh water fishing experience. At least in northern utah. IMHO. I stayed away from willard all summer because the water clarity was just plain ticking me off. I fish willard for the wipers only and if happen into a walleye then bonus But the clarity has a lot to do with trolling and boil success
On the other hand, I've had a safe year, and Cuddy Buddy is coming more and more. We caught fish on Starvation (fisrt), Berry, Rockport, East Canyon, Lost Creek, Bear Lake (first) and of course Wililrd.
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Walk the dog video. It's all wrist and real speed.
[url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FTd_S-DI40"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FTd_S-DI40[/url]
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Nice input. So does it take a stiffer rod to dog-walk? Or more wiggle in the tip? I like my lighter high-action rods for jigging and spin-casting.
Now is that like fishing a banjo minnow? [:p] har har
I've got a few top-water poppers, and they have the feather tails. Thing I realized - is I don't want to put my goopy flavor jells on the buck-tails so they don't get matted down, and keep their fluttery action.
I've been trying to add more 'pause' to my 'retrieve'. Give them a chance to catchup and think about it. Jerk jerk - pause. I seem to get a lot of hits when I let a lure drop.