Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]TubeBabe had a painting project underway so I headed north all by my lonesome. Ready to launch at Willard Bay's N. Marina just before 6:30. No clouds in the sky, air temp 60, no bugs, water temp 76. Lookin' good. Looks can be deceiving.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lots of baby shad and carplets rolling in the thin water next to the launch ramp...and all over the surface of the marina. Saw a few predator slurps here and there. A good omen? Not so much.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked around the entire marina...dragging a minnow on one rod and pitching plastics with the other. Yawn. Nada. Shoulda stood in bed. Did see lots of fish on sonar but they weren't havin' any of what I was offerin'. Stupid fish. Stupid sonar. I don't need to know that I ain't good enough to catch fish when they are there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Best explanation I could come up with was that the water is so full of food...of several species...that the fish are not forced to work for their dinner. All they gotta do is open their mouths and swim. That was partially reinforced on my minnow rod. I almost ALWAYS catch fish on my minnows. But today it was rare to even get an inquiry. And when I did it was almost always pop and drop. I did eventually catch a couple of kitties outside the marina on minnows but barely touched the bag for the whole day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the other hand, the extra wiggle and jiggle of the tandem jig rig I fished did get more attention. Quite a few tentative takes, short strikes and semi smacks. I got the hook into one good fish that took off on a good run before coming unbuttoned. And I did catch a few small kitties on small tubes sweetened with crawler.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I covered a lot of water...fishing all the way over to the north dike, up the dike a ways and then back. Finished up back inside the marina for the last hour. Saw grundles of likely suspects but they all had alibis. Released most of the perpetrators I netted. Only brought two kitties home for further interrogation. Sentenced them to serve time in a pan of hot garlic butter and then be transferred to a bed of noodles.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Talked with a few other tanglers...mostly boaters. Some blanked, some got one or two. One tin boat with a couple of older gents was trolling pretty fast right next to the rocks along the north dike while I was over there. They trailered up about the same time I hit the ramp and said they had caught a few cats, walleyes and smallmouths...all quite small. Also said that their fish were spitting up shadlets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Well, I got my monthly Willard fix taken care of. Now to get back over to Starvation and sample a few of the other ponds I have been neglecting.[/#0000ff]
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Your story reminds me of Arizona, big time. The fish there have all sorts of snacks to feast on. At least at Havasu and other waters. Unless you locate hungry fish before feeding time that will smack at what you have to offer, you will come home empty.

The Colorado River serves a perfect example. You take your flashlight at night and simply look along the bank, bazillions of bluegills and mosquito fish. Add on to that large schools of threadfin shad. If catfish, flatheads and bass get hungry they have more than enough to eat. And it don't take them long to get their stomachs full.
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[cool][#0000ff]Good example. I lived both in Phoenix and Tucson for several years each...and fished all along the Colorado and its impoundments. Love Havasu. Hate the eye irritations. Well, not really.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It was the same in Lake Pleasant near Phoenix too. Full of threadfin shad and when they were thick it was tough coaxing the bass and cats to come out and play.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Really the same all over. When fish have plenty of natural food it is harder for anglers to find active fish that will hit their bait or lures. The upside is that the fish get bigger and fatter when there is plenty of food and then they are better to take home when the food supply drops and they get hungry again.[/#0000ff]
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Entertaining as always TD! You can make an ordinary day out on the water a laugh.

Think I am gonna try Deer Creek at daylight on Sunday and see how I go on the kayak. I seem to have a bit of luck there.

Thanks for the report mate

Cheers
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I thought that was you out there, had business in the northern part of the state today and I had never set my eyes up close and personal on Willard so I drove into the marina and thought I recognized that little white Jimmy, I have to admit the water looked beautiful at about 7:30 this morning, I can see why that lake lures you guys in, if it wasn,t such a venture I think I would have to hit it a time or to, but I've got other waters I'm focused on right now especially those lakes with kokes,
And those big berry rainbows this year.
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When it comes to Willard any sorts of success is considered a good day. I was up there friday and caught 14 fish, sunday caught 1 (had a fight with a massive Carp too) and on Tuesday got skunned while TyeDyeTwin caught 2. I swear some days Willard is on and then quicker than quick it is off. Friday there were no minnows cruzing the shore and Sunday it seemed no matter where I walked there was minnows cruzing the shorelines. I musta counted over 1 million minnows on Sunday! No wonder the bites shut off! So what was the fish total out there on your adventure?

P.S. Any advice on a pontoon with a hole? PM's are fine for that question.
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks mate.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck on Sunday. Watch out for the power squadron in your yak. They like to create "prime surfing conditions". Also might be some thunderstorms later in the day. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I look forward to your report. I usually stay off deer creek with my tube until after about the middle of September. Kiddies are back in school and the water starts cooling enough to reduce the herd of wackos.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]A lot of those minnows are baby carp. All the predators eat them just as readily as they do the shad. I have caught wipers, walleyes and cats stuffed with baby carp. There were areas both inside the marina and outside in the main lake where the bottom was covered up to two feet deep with small fish of some kind. Since that is not common behavior for shad I am guessing they were carp minnows.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think I caught about 6 catfish. Unlike a lot of anglers I seldom really count my catch...unless I am fishing for a limit. I measure the success of my trips in the "enjoys"...but I do keep a lot of fish to eat too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I would be glad to help you repair your deflated toon. Much depends on the size and location of the "wound". Most simple holes are easily patched with a glob of Aquaseal. Bigger ones might require[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]a patch over the hole for reinforcement. But the good news is that air bladders in tubes and toons are never under the same pressure as a car tire inner tube...and the cover usually provides a lot of reinforcement to hold the repair during use.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sometimes the hard part is finding the hole...if it is a small one. Remove the air bladder and inflate it fully. Then either run a slow stream of water over it to find bubbles...or spray it with a soapy solution to help find smaller ones.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I would be glad to help you find the hole and fix it if you would like to bring it to the "tubeatorium". I live in the west valley area of Salt Lake. Let me know if you'd like to come down and I will PM my address and directions.[/#0000ff]
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Sorry to hear of your rare lack of great success.I will be on the south bank tonight catfishing till 6 the reel up and cruise for boils till sundown. Did well on Monday morning. Found boils right up against the bank (thats where the shad fingerlings have) The boils only last for a brief moment then gone. They were popping up in a pattern heading east. That was the same direction the line of shads were swimming. Fun but alot of running or biking to catch up. Think if you try the south marina and go to "your spot" you will see.
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[cool][#0000ff]I generally prefer the south marina for tubing but wondered whether or not the wipers were setting up in their summer pattern inside the north venue. I saw lots of wiper-like marks on sonar but they all had their little mouths closed and their distended bellies told the story.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My last trip to Willard WAS out of the south but that was a day when the only thing biting...for everybody...was the kitties. I got a bunch but always enjoy adding a rodbender wiper or two.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad you are finding some action. [/#0000ff]
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I was watching you on the willard cam when you where half way to the north dike. you where cooking!!! as you could see there is plenty to eat in there like the past 5 years. hopefully this next year the walleye and the wipers catfish,blue gill,crappie and smallies can thin them out. there so far out of balance. I can't wait for the good old days when a wiper would hit anything you threw into them because they where hungry. really frustrating seeing hundreds of fish and they won't hit anything. did you happen to see what size the shad where? it's been two weeks they should be pushing 1 3/4" by now? I think all species had a great spawn once again so the predator numbers are exploding also good news for the future I think for the fishing and for a better balance between the prey and the predators.

fnf[cool]
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[cool][#0000ff]Didja see the roostertail I was kicking up? I just upgraded my trolling motor on my tube from a 30# thrust to the new Endura 40. Got it mostly for the longer 36" shaft but the extra power is nice too. Still can't get up on plane...or tow a water skier...but the extra speed helps when I want to get from point A to point B...or run in ahead of the weather.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My evaluation is that there is a temporary imbalance. A couple of years of reduced wiper plants...together with bumper spawns of shad...have created a situation with too few predators and too much prey. That's good for the fish but bad for anglers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The downside of the equation is that the little shad grow fast and wipers only have a limited period each year when they can chow down and put on some growth. The spawn was later this year and the shad are a bit smaller than they would normally be. The ones I looked at yesterday were still only about 1 1/2". Should be close to 2" by now.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But the hungry fish are making up for lost time. However, some of the fish being caught have full bellies but still are kinda skinny. I'm guessing that September into October will be better fishing for fatter fish. Unfortunately, there will still be a lot of shad available so maybe still a bit tough. The one factor that could help is the feeding binge the fish go on when the water chills. Mama Nature reminds them that it won't be long until things change. In past years that has resulted in some awesome daytime boils...and when the fish are in full-out boil mode they smack almost anything in the vacinity.[/#0000ff]
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No rooster tail but knew it was you because of the motor and the speed you where traveling. Plus the white S10 in the parking lot tipped me off early.[] I was hoping you tore them up, but knew it still had to be a tough bite. What is also weird to me is the lack of terns? I am not seeing them out there? with all the shad there should be hundreds out there dive bombing all day. I noticed last time out there off the back side of the north dike. Maybe there is easier prey to be found back there?

Thanks for the detailed report buddy.
Tight lines.

fnf[cool]
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[cool][#0000ff]I am also a "bird watcher" and was surprised that I did not see more of them dining on shad pizza. It is probably the same situation with them. They can fill up early and late in the day and just sit on a rock burping and digesting until dinner time rolls around again. In leaner times they have to roam the whole lake all day looking for onesies and twosies...and the occasional boil glut.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In addition to Willard Bay's current big crop of little fish there are other waters that have harvestable bitty bites too. It is possible that the terns have set up housekeeping elsewhere...or that they just drop into Willard for dessert.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am hoping that things stabilize soon and that we can resume a "normal" wiper fishing pattern...whatever that might be.[/#0000ff]
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[quote EvilTyeDyeTwin]. . . I musta counted over 1 million minnows on Sunday! . . .[/quote]

Holy Carp Batman! Curious - did you use a clicker? I have a hard time keeping up with anything over a dozen. [:p] If you visit the Tubeorium - prepare to be amazed! All that glitters is not gold, much of it's lead! Grateful Lead!

Maybe it's time to get out the net. I could use some baitlets! Saw some micro fry a few weeks back locally. Might have to check if they've fattened up some.

TD: Good to see the kitty's are still keeping you busy (but they always do don't they!). Looks like ya threw the whole rainbow at 'em.

So how was your venture northward? Didn't you cross over? Do some fishing or just travelling?
Had a little venture northward myself (and little described most of it well [:/]) but tugs is tugs. Some just bring more adrenalin than others.
FF - I like your assessment that the predator pops are doing well, and should be on the rise, even if they're tuff to get their mouths working for US now-a-days.

Might have to dare to don the skunk suit and give it a go. Oughta be using my park pass!

[cool][#0000ff]I made my [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=682275;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]TRIP NORTH[/url] while you were also out of town. Caught lots of fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just a word of caution in gathering minnows around the edge of some lakes right now. You may be after carplets but just as likely to snare a few sunfish or shad (Willard). If you get checked and have some of the wrong species...BUSTED.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]This can be a good time of year to visit accessible canals and ditches at either Farmington or Bear River Bird Refuges. Tons of baby carp and some chubs mixed in. Sometimes have to look and the water is murky but if you hit it right you can load up.[/#0000ff]
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Still been trying to figure out what my own pond is spawning. Could be your basic goldies, or something more exotic. They're still so micro - can't differentiate anything distinguishing. NOT that I'm looking for stripes.

Curious that the birds aren't "on em" Figure if anyone knows whats up - it should be them! Preciate the reports, theories, speculations and all. Interesting year is all I can say. But I'll still dip a net and see what comes of it. Biological sampling I'll call it.

Figure there's got to be lots of carp minnows on the go, and the rate they grow - should be well into them. Hoping to drag Lunker out for a venture come Sunday. We'll either find some cats or kokes. - Something that tugs! Still think my spring haunts should be holding. Plus in finding some crappie jiggins - should get onto something!

And hey - any day you can avoid Barney is a good day. Watch that wake TD - if you don't - THEY will! Funny that you saw him on the "nanny cam" too cool.
My work had given us "the BIG HAND" on that site. Gotta love big brother! Those livelake cams are awesome!

All I can say - is there's hope for the future, if not the here and now. Take it for what we can - enjoy the now, plan for the future.