Fishing Forum

In the three previous trips up to the bay this year I've hooked into exactly one (1) wiper, kinda disappointing. Taking pity on a poor downtrodden soul, Curt (wiperhunter) offered to take me out on the water last night. Eagerly I accepted the offer to study at the feet of the snaggle-toothed master.

Made it up there by 5pm to a very overcast and muggy sky. No wind, no bugs, no excessive heat. This could be a good thing right? Cruised out to freeway bay and started trolling a worm harness 50/50 style and settled in for the wait. Noticed lots of little boils, one to three splash type, every few hundred yards. We made it out in front of the feed lot before our first fish, a feisty 13" wiperette that put a on my face! Ten minutes later a decent cookie kitty went bendo on my spinner rig, alright! Lots more small boils with the occasional full on boil lasting 30 seconds or so. I put a 3/8oz kastmaster into a couple of them but was not rewarded for my efforts, picky picky fish I guess.

Curt hooked into another small wiper and we kept trolling out to the island and beyond to no avail. As we approached the last hour of light we motored back to the feed lot area and found the fish again, two nice walleye and another kitty! Wahoo! Walleye were 17" and 18" and fought like sticks but I was sure happy to catch them, fish tacos tonight!
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Big thanks to Curt for his generosity and the conversation, thanks to mike4cobra for getting me on the 50/50 technique, I made my own clips just like you (or someone on that thread) described and it worked out pretty well this trip!
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50/50 technique?

Do not obnubilate but elucidate, please.
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Enjoyed getting out with you Matt, even though it was muggy the catching was better than I thought it would be and seeing all those mini boils gave me encouragement for things to come[]. I thought the walleye catching was done, glad to see I was wrong. Those were some fat eyes, so that is good news for next year. Did you by chance find any minnows in their stomaches?
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Yeah, it was the best evening I've had on that pond in a long time!

I did find a part of a minnow in the mush of one walleye's stomach, I'd be surprised if it came off a shad bigger than 1.5". From the ripples we kept seeing on the surface without being able to see the bait fish, that sounds about right.

50/50 method- http://www.offshoretackle.com/divechartsOR20.htm
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Try the night fishing...
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Jmaze- What time of the night?

Fish_or_die- I printed the same chart from that web site.
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Thanks for the 50/50 link.
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Looks like a fun trip! Congrats! Just wondering, do you tip your spinner rigs with anything?
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yep, tipped it with a half a worm since it was a single hook worm harness
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Should be from pitch black till 1 most nights. Some times it happens later and runs closer till morning.
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50/50 was very interesting, i didnt know it was called that but we have fished that way for years at the pig. Good job on those eyes they look delicious
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Very nice! I haven't had a chance to get out much this year and I live within 5 mins from the south marina. I could almost push my boat there. Great report and good advice. I was out there on the 5th and trolled around the island to the south marina. I caught a cat trolling a chrome rattle trap. I had it nowhere near the bottom. Crazy year for Willard. I plan on being out there ALOT more from here on out. I may need a refresher from Curt too.
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