I know there have been many, many Willard reports lately, and seems to be fishing very well. Unfortunately, I have not been able to make it up that way. Finally, I have some free time tomorrow, and was wondering if anyone has been out today or yesterday (since this cold snap) and if the fishing has slowed much. It is a ways from home, and I would love a recent report if available.
Thanks
[signature]
Skunk for me, water temp all the way to 49.3. Tried all different speeds and lures no joy today.
[signature]
Wow it's really cooled off since Monday when the water was 56.
[signature]
I went out yesterday evening and practically had the lake to myself! Fishing was pretty slow though, managed to boat a pair of walleye...
some guys shore fishing said they caught 2 wiper on muscles, but there was no real size to them. I bet it warms up and they get going a bit by tomorrow, I'm going to give it a go anyhow!
[signature]
Fished 5 hours today. Not one bite. Tried trolling, bottom bouncing and casting. North wind and choppy today. The water is stained.
[signature]
Went out today and it was a wild ride for most of the day in my 12' boat. As soon as I got out about 11:30 it started to whitecap. Calmed a little but not much by the time I went in at 3. Did pretty good all considered. Water was much colder than Monday and more stained than I have seen it all year. Caught 3 nice wipers and a 21" Eye on gold and black floating minnow plugs. Down two colors on one and more or less a flat line with 6' of lead behind a 10' leader on a planer with a release. Speed from 2-3 gps mph. The slower speed for the eye. All in a little over 10 fow. Hope that helps.
[signature]
Wow, you are brave to take on Willard in those conditions, I hate to fish willard in my boat when along when wind is that high. I'd say you did very good but I bet boat handling was a bear[:/]. Thanks for the report.
Have you ever carried you boat down to the water and fished Causey?
[signature]
I fished yesterday from 11am to 3pm. It was extremely windy. I threw everything I had at em and caught zero fish and had zero bites.
[signature]
I thought I saw your boat up there. Was that you? If so how'd you do? Seems like that that turbid water moved the fish around the water column some. Not brave just didn't want to waste a trip up there. When I got there the wind wasn't bad, it waited until I left the marina--arrghh. As long as you went with the wind it was good. Hard to trun around and go back to where you caught one though--especially when I had to retie due to a nick in the line. Wind would turn me into my planer board pretty quick. Against the wind was when it got rough. I'm used to waves in Lake Michigan so Willard was just like a constant stream of wake board boats coming by. Grew up near one of the most treacherous entrances on Lake Michigan back in the day--Burns Harbor--where you had to time the waves and surf them in or you would bottom out and the next wave would come in and swamp you. More than one person died there before they fixed it.
No carrying that boat anywhere with all the junk on/in it and a 30hp Yamaha. Plus, not that into catching kokes or trout. Starvation is where I want to head next but may take one more Willard trip next week.
[signature]
[quote fishday]I thought I saw your boat up there. Was that you? If so how'd you do? Seems like that that turbid water moved the fish around the water column some. Not brave just didn't want to waste a trip up there. When I got there the wind wasn't bad, it waited until I left the marina--arrghh. As long as you went with the wind it was good. Hard to trun around and go back to where you caught one though--especially when I had to retie due to a nick in the line. Wind would turn me into my planer board pretty quick. Against the wind was when it got rough. I'm used to waves in Lake Michigan so Willard was just like a constant stream of wake board boats coming by. Grew up near one of the most treacherous entrances on Lake Michigan back in the day--Burns Harbor--where you had to time the waves and surf them in or you would bottom out and the next wave would come in and swamp you. More than one person died there before they fixed it.
No carrying that boat anywhere with all the junk on/in it and a 30hp Yamaha. Plus, not that into catching kokes or trout. Starvation is where I want to head next but may take one more Willard trip next week.[/quote]
I'm wondering if that was you that I backed your boat in for you? Just curious since you said you were getting on the water at about 1130 and I remember seeing that you had a 30HP yammie on your boat. Anyway, if that was you, it was nice meeting you.
[signature]
No, I wasn't out there, figured two day this week was good enough plus I did not want to fight that wind. The boat you seen me in the other day wasn't mine, it was Humpy's. Here is a link to mine:
http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/show...ppuser/118
Yea, I figured that motor on your boat would be hard to take off but if you don't fish for trout or kokes, you would not want to fish Causey anyway.
[signature]
The morning bite was slow for trolling, so we decided to fish closer to shore and cast jigs.
That was the trick!
The afternoon bite was on.
We boated close to 30 wiper.
We never did get into much wind closer to the shore.
This was Saturday 4/18.
[signature]
Yes it was me and thanks again for the help and the rope trick. I'll never need help again. Good meeting you also! Sorry u didn't get into em. If u saw where I was fishing it's a spot I've consistently caught em in the last few times I've been there. Almost bagged it after about an hour but then I caught my biggest wiper and couldn't leave then. Amazing what a bite will do ones fishing stamina. Hope to see ya out there again soon.
Take care
Dave
[signature]
Wow, I fished from shore all afternoon without a bite yesterday in the southwest corner. Saw a good number of fish caught, but spread out through 40 or 50 people, it wasn't fast by any means. I didn't have a bit in a spot I had 8 hard hits in two hours the Saturday before.
Ran to Mantua last minute and wrestled a few bluegills and bass out from under the trees, and lost about one jig/fly/hook for every fish. They were super spooky.
[signature]
I knew what your boat looked like from a previous post from when I think you got it. There was a boat out there that was about the same color but may have had a merc on back. That's why I thought it may have been you. I will remember the white Johnson now. Wind definitely put more than a walleye chop on the water. More like walleye waves.
Sounds like the wipers are moving back into shore.
I don't mind catching trout but going to a place where that is all there is does not excite me. Koke have never tripped my trigger to catch or eat. Love smoked rainbows and an occasional trout almandine though. I think the option of catching nice fat rainbows at starvation--particularly under the ice-- is a part of why I like that place so much but primarily go for the walleye.
[signature]
I was on Willard Saturday we caught 6 nice walleye, about 8 crappie, and three wiper. water temp Saturday peaked at 59 deg. f. no wind and a beautiful day . all fish caught on flicker shads[cool]
[signature]