Fishing Forum

[#0000FF]After some pretty fast action...for a short trip...last Thursday, I figured I could spend more time today in the same area and knock 'em dead. But Willard ain't like that. She knows how to humble ya.

I was the only vehicle in the north marina parking lot when I launched about 6:30. Finally saw the first boat head out sometime after 7. And didn't see a water skier or a PWC all day. Sure is differment now that school is back in session. Not all bad either.

Last Thursday the air temp was 52 and water temp 74 at launch. Today it was 64 and 72...respectively. I wouldn't have guessed that the slightly lower water temp would make that much difference. But it apparently mattered to the fish. Couldn't find either any bait balls or predators on sonar. Bottom was as barren as a desert. No sneaky ones slipping in from the side to ambush my minnow or my plastic either.

Fished over an hour...unproductively...in the areas where I had good action last week. Exercise. Nuttin' but exercise. Even the grebes were not bunching and lunching. There was one here and one there. None seemed to be too excited about diving for shad.

Finally cranked up the electric motor and threw up a roostertail...heading for the north dike. Yeah, right. Fished a few spots in and out along the dike without harming any fish. Had one pop and drop on a minnow. Be still my beating heart. And saw very little on sonar to raise the level of expectation.

The lake was like glass all morning. Water temps started rising as the sun climbed higher over the mountains. Once the temp hit 74 I started to motor back over to last weeks area. Dragged one of my new blue back chartreuse shad behind the tube. Wham! Bendo! A 20" wiper bent my stick and stretched my string. Skunk repellent.

Saw no other fish on sonar in the area and had no other interruptions so I again started dragging a minnow on one rod and pitching plastic with the other. No more hits on plastic but did catch a few cookie cutter cats up to about 20". No competition for the 29 incher I got last Thursday but beats the heck out of snoozing.

Couldn't believe only three boat trailers in the parking lot as I loaded up about noon. Let's hear it for the public school system.
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Good to see you got some Wiper love. What are your thoughts on not seeing much on sonar? I fished Willard last year at this time and even with the low water conditions I saw plenty of fish on sonar (just couldn't always get them to bite). Lately I haven't seen much on Sonar. The water is much deeper and with the murky water I doubt the boat is scaring them off.
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Can't believe how calm the water was for you. I had 20 mph all day at my house in WVC. I'm headed up tomorrow think I'll go to the south marina, because you didn't see much. But you know how Willard can treat you. Especially when you think you have it all figured out.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Pat,[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Hitting the water early is HIGHLY over rated IMHO. [][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I never leave the house before 7 AM and usually start fishing around 8:30 to 9. Been 4 times in the last 10 days and the action didn't start until about 10 each trip. The count ranged between 5 and 10 fish each trip and a friend said 3 elder statesmen brought in 18 cats after trolling along the north dike within about 10 feet of the shoreline on Monday. I'll be heading out there today in about an hour. I have some new JSR4 jointed firetigers and Mac's slow death spinners to try out. Should be fun. Stay tuned for the results. [fishin][/#800000][/font]
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"Yes, the shad appear to be growing quick this year. We've been doing our annual surveys of young shad this year and it appears they are thinner in numbers than we've seen in a few years. With less abundant and easy forage, the wipers and other predators appear to be a bit more willing to take a lure or mussel than they have been the past couple years. The leaner numbers of shad appear to be great for the fishing."

[#0000FF]The above is from Chris Penne...in a previous email in which I commented that there seems to be fewer but larger shad this year...from personal observations.

As I was prepping to launch yesterday there were a lot of shad sucking in midges around the edges of the water...right off the ramp. And a couple of grebes were harassing them...sometimes almost running right up on the ramp when chasing the shad. I saw shad anywhere from under 2" to over 5". And I recovered one from a wiper last week that was likely over 6". That is large for this time of year.

A lot of changes in the ecology of Willard this year. A seemingly poorer spawn for shad...starting earlier but ending earlier. Higher water for all species. That is good for fish that like cover for spawning and feeding...like cats...and crappies. The extra water also means that fewer fish spread out farther. And in murkier water they are less likely to form schools...at least not as large as in clearer water.

Planting numbers have been down on wipers...to make sure the predators do not overeat the available prey...as we are apparently seeing this year. Earlier there were more large schools of newly hatched shad. But later in the year the numbers of shad seem to have been markedly reduced. As Chris points out, that has resulted in the predators being a bit hungrier and more eager to eat the silly stuff anglers drag by their faces.

And with the murkier water and lower shad levels the wipers have relied more on smell feeding and foraging on the bottom. That's why the mussels have continued to be a hot bait. When shad are abundant the mussels are not as effective.

I also doubt that your boat is scaring the fish out away from the sonar cone. Well, maybe a few of the more skittish ones. But the fish in Willard are accustomed to boat noise...a lot of boat noise...so unless you stop the boat directly over a school with the motor running it should not be a factor. I run silent in my tube and I am not seeing nearly as many shad or larger fish as in the past either. And others have made the same observations.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]"Hitting the water early is HIGHLY over rated IMHO."

[font "Arial"][#0000FF][size 3]On some days, I will definitely agree with that. During spring and fall...when night temps are low and water temps drop a bit...sometimes the fish wait for the water to warm before they get active. And there are days when late afternoon into evening is the best time, for that reason.

But I am the eternal optimist. And I have had days when most of the better fish came before the sun hit the water. Plus, I love being on the water as the earth comes alive.

I get up at 5 and wake up at noon.
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Hey Pat,
I missed last week, did you catch another 29" cat? If so get it entered in the contest, that will sit you pretty well in the top standings... Sounds like Willard is settling down to where I can try it again... Thanks for the report... J
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[#0000FF]Yeah, I did catch a 29" cat...but from Willard. Imagine that. Can't count it for the south. Boo Hoo.

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Oh yeah, I wasn't paying attention to where you caught it. That's a monster from Willard. Very nice fish. Was that on one of your blue eyed left handed chub minnows? I sure need to get out and try those cats again. Bet it's been a couple months since I chased them. Congrats on another great fish. Later J
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[#0000FF]The biggun didn't slurp a minnow. Like a 22 incher earlier and the walleye he hit one of my new custom painted blue-back chartreuse shad plastics. I did not mention this in my original post but he already had a chartreuse crankbait hanging from the corner of his mouth. So I got a fairly new lure as well as the cat.

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Thanks Pat,
Plastics saved the day again... Thanks for the tips... I haven't had much luck on minnows this year, sort of different than past years, but I haven't been out as much either so that could be a factor... Actually still have some in the freezer this year, where I was out last year by now... In fact I should be down trying my casting net to see how big the new crop carp minnows are by now... They might soon be too big to use... Just need to get my priorities straight so I get my fishing taken care of... Later J
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[#0000FF]The new crop of carplets seems to vary in size on different waters...and even on the same waters. Some I have seen and reports I have from others verifies that the long up and down spring spawn spread out over a long period. That has resulted in baby carp in some waters being anywhere from just over an inch to up to almost 6 inches already.

Try some sampling in different areas. You may find a honey hole with ample numbers in the best sizes.

If all else fails, a nice carp cutlet from a bigger fish will usually get the job done.
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I'll have to try that and let you know what I find. Maybe this weekend, got the hay off and mostly watered back. Little bit of goat fencing left and then maybe I'll get out fishing. Hope I tell ya a story soon. Later J
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Hi Jeff--

Hey, the only source I have found so far for carplets has produced nothing but itty-bitty ones that are much smaller than the ones I usually seek. They still make good bait, even for bigger cats, but I still prefer to fish with 4-6 inchers if/when I can find them.

I have a good friend who might use these smaller ones when he finally gets around to dragging his tube down to UL again.

Good luck on finding some up your way.

Side note: I took my bi-weekly trip out to Lincoln today just to observe the misery. The launch channel is not more than 3-4 inches deep and covered with green algae scum. I saw one boat out at Bird Island but no idea how they got there. The island is bigger than I have ever seen it. Is an island housing development far away??

Also watched some guys who tried to drive out to the mouth of Benjamin Slough in their truck on the "dry " mud. The top couple inches of the exposed bottom is dry but the next two feet is pure UL mud. They had a pretty good sized crew working on getting unstuck and they finally got out. Entertaining. Live and learn.

Lynn aka BLK
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Hey Lynn, those are perfect size minnows for me, but I guess that's why I catch little fish. Sorry to hear how bad UL is getting that's terrible. Hope rains start soon. Think this summer has been the longest dry spell I can remember. Didn't even get my hay rained on since the last few bales of first crop. Usually I'm trying to avoid rain for every crop. Got to turn around soon I'd think. Will have forth crop on in a couple weeks so that's probably when the rains will come. Hey if you're out of water, better hitch a ride with Pat to Willard and catch your 36" er up here. Thanks for your info. J
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[#0000FF]Hey Jeff, his mind is made up. Don't confuse him with reality. Let him use his big baits and catch the smaller fish. Ask him how that's working out so far this year. (Sorry Lynn)
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[#0000FF] I will use those smaller ones to catch more big ones. Looking back over the years, most of my fish over 30 inches have been on smaller baits. The exception would be the 24# gorilla I caught back in the early 80s. Caught it on a whole 12" white bass.
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Now Pat, that was a low blow. I am in a state of clinical depression cuz I haven't caught a kitty over 27 inches all year and you have to blame it on a faulty fisherman. Low, man, low.

So how do you rig up one of those mini-carplets? I reckon I could just look it up in one of your write-ups but I'll let you share you know-how with other BFT catters. I still like the bigger baits with a hook-behind-a-hook set up but I'm getting desperate to find a respectable cat. I still plan to get back on UL so I'll give the little fellers a try. If per chance I succeed in finding a biggun' I'll acknowledge your wisdom and bow respectfully when we share the water again. Mid-September?

The best is yet to come... I hope.

Lynn
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"So how do you rig up one of those mini-carplets?"

[#0000FF]I fish both chubs and small carp about the same. It depends on whether I am mostly soaking or dragging them around a bit faster. If I am not moving too fast, I will often run the hook around the spine...from tail to nose. That is a good secure hold on the minnow but still allows a good hookset when the fish gulps the bait headfirst.

Other times...if dragging more quickly...I will either run the hook through the head or gill hook them. You can do that with good firm minnows. Don't try it with prefrozen redside shiners. You will lose every one on the cast.

Also, when fishing the smaller baits you may wish to downsize your hooks. You like the big/0 hooks for the slabs of meat you use. And that is right because otherwise you wouldn't have enough hook to punch through the bait and into the fish. Think size 1 or 2 for most minnows...1/0 at the biggest. But always leave the hook point exposed to keep the bait from preventing a hookset.

And if you haven't tried it, get some "bling beads" in chartreuse and/or orange. Pisco is a convert. Sometimes the cats like a bit of extra visual stuff. And walleyes like them too.

You know I was only funnin' on ya...'cause I knew you could take it. I truly believe that you are just sandbaggin' and you got a few yardlongs tethered out there somewhere to finish with a flourish. I'll be down a few times when it cools a bit and the green soup thins out some. We can gang up on 'em.

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Good stuff as usual. I will give it a try next opportunity. I have never used the beads but I do recall Pisco saying he was a user now. It's easy to get stuck in rut with what seems to work or has worked in the past. Seems like catch rates expand with one's willingness to experiment with new baits and presentations. I'm old but I ain't too old to learn or try something new.

I believe I can budget in a handful of bling beads and a few smaller hooks. Now if you will just guarantee that they will produce that 30+er I'm all in.

And yes, I know and appreciate "funnin" when I see it. I'll keep you posted on the "green soup" situation. I haven't seen any massive blooms again... yet. Sure hope it is over for this year.

Lynn
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I have adopted beads fishing for cats and when fishing wipers with bait and I can absolutely say they work. Once Willard trip this year my son and I went few hours fishing Wipers with mussels and had hits every few minutes. A family in a boat anchored up within 30 meters of us and fished mussels without a bite. I use the bigger size beads and I think it helps float that bait just a tiny bit off the muddy bottom as well as giving the fish a visual.
The Dude's bling bead tip has put a ton more kitties in the freezer for me this season too.
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