Another 4 species day at Willard

Another 4 species day at Willard - Printable Version

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Another 4 species day at Willard - wiperhunter2 - 06-19-2021

Ira and I got out with Reelfast for one last trip to the Bay before he heads back to Idaho. It has been a productive few weeks, this was our 2nd, 4 species day since Dan arrived, today that included walleye, a wiper, cats and perch.
We arrived at the launch at 7:30 am and after trying to help a guy with a dead battery we finally got on our way and had lines in the water by 8 am. We had not even put our second line out when we had our first fish on, a fat kitty, it looks like they are eating well. Not long after that we had our first eye in the net, an average 17 incher. Looked like a great start to the day but after going back and forth through the spot, with no other luck we moved on. The day started off with low to no wind but it wasn't long before the wind picked up a little and so did the catching. We found a new spot and started catching more eyes, it wasn't long before we had 6 in the livewell or should I say deathwell Wink

. We picked up two perch up to 12.5" along the way, then a decent sized wiper and then the cats got in on the action. We had two triples with some more eyes up to 22" mixed into the fray. We kept at it until around noon, then the wind died down and it got hot. We were still catching fish but we had enough by this point, we hung in there until 1 pm when we headed in. We caught 12 eyes, one too small to keep and at least 15 cats, most went back to the lake but Dan wanted to keep 3 or 4.
When we got in, Dan kindly agreed to filets all the fish, thanks Dan. It has been a fun few weeks fishing with an old fishing buddy. Best lures were blue or purple back Flicker shad, trolled 50 ft behind planer boards.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - 2knots - 06-19-2021

Killing it Curt, well done

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - Jmorfish - 06-19-2021

Wow -- very nice... What do you attribute the better walleye action this year to?

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - wiperhunter2 - 06-19-2021

(06-19-2021, 04:43 AM)Jmorfish Wrote: Wow -- very nice... What do you attribute the better walleye action this year to?

Thanks Joe. Without a doubt it is the work the DWR has done by stocking so many eyes every year for the last three year, this is the fourth year but none of those fish will make it into the mix. The down side of course is that they are stocking fewer wipers and while I love the fight of the wiper, I don't care for their taste, so I never keep any, eyes on the other hand are tasty fish, so I'm loving this increase in eye numbers.
One thing I noticed out there yesterday is that the numbers of baby shad have increased yet again, with the second hatch coming on strong. I can tell this by the size that I'm marking, this second hatch are right on the bottom and are smaller, the first hatch are high up in the water column and are bigger fish. Just about all the fish we caught yesterday were very shallow, right where that first hatching of shad are. IMO this great catching will soon slow down as those bigger shad become the main food source for those hungry eyes and cats and other fish. That being said, I'm ready to move on to other fish up higher in the mountains where it is cooler, these high temps this year are getting hard to take, guess I'm getting too old but I see no end in site to these hot temps.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - wiperhunter2 - 06-19-2021

(06-19-2021, 03:39 AM)2knots Wrote: Killing it Curt, well done

Thanks Alan.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - Farmboat - 06-19-2021

Great job. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and details that help us all become better fishermen.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - wiperhunter2 - 06-19-2021

(06-19-2021, 05:45 PM)Farmboat Wrote: Great job. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and details that help us all become better fishermen.

No problem, hope it does help some of you. Here are a couple more pics.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - goose_716 - 06-19-2021

Hoping to head out on Monday. The weather will be brutal but for walleyes i will try.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - wiperhunter2 - 06-19-2021

(06-19-2021, 06:17 PM)goose_716 Wrote: Hoping to head out on Monday. The weather will be brutal but for walleyes i will try.

They are saying for Monday the temps will be a little cooler, low 90's instead of the upper 90's.
https://www.ksl.com/weather/forecast

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - PACKFAN - 06-19-2021

(06-19-2021, 06:17 PM)goose_716 Wrote: Hoping to head out on Monday. The weather will be brutal but for walleyes i will try.

We only fish until about 1130 or so and are done by then, thats about the time the power squadron starts arriving and the temp starts to get hot.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - Cowboypirate - 06-20-2021

You and Ira are tearing up the bay this year. Nice work

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - wiperhunter2 - 06-20-2021

(06-20-2021, 01:28 AM)Cowboypirate Wrote: You and Ira are tearing up the bay this year. Nice work

Thanks Lance, it was a team effort for sure. We learn what to use and where to go on every trip out there and then everything has to come together to make for a good day. Fish move around, so you never know but then there are those great days when it could be good fishing everywhere but you just don't know for sure. We are getting to the point where we are ready to try something different, so next week we will be trying Lost Creek. Hopefully it will be cooler up there.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - Cowboypirate - 06-20-2021

(06-20-2021, 02:29 AM)wiperhunter2 Wrote:
(06-20-2021, 01:28 AM)Cowboypirate Wrote: You and Ira are tearing up the bay this year. Nice work

Thanks Lance, it was a team effort for sure. We learn what to use and where to go on every trip out there and then everything has to come together to make for a good day. Fish move around, so you never know but then there are those great days when it could be good fishing everywhere but you just don't know for sure. We are getting to the point where we are ready to try something different, so next week we will be trying Lost Creek. Hopefully it will be cooler up there.

Shoot me a PM when you goto LC and maybe I can swing by and say hi

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - wiperhunter2 - 06-20-2021

(06-20-2021, 03:04 AM)Cowboypirate Wrote:
(06-20-2021, 02:29 AM)wiperhunter2 Wrote:
(06-20-2021, 01:28 AM)Cowboypirate Wrote: You and Ira are tearing up the bay this year. Nice work

Thanks Lance, it was a team effort for sure. We learn what to use and where to go on every trip out there and then everything has to come together to make for a good day. Fish move around, so you never know but then there are those great days when it could be good fishing everywhere but you just don't know for sure. We are getting to the point where we are ready to try something different, so next week we will be trying Lost Creek. Hopefully it will be cooler up there.

Shoot me a PM when you goto LC and maybe I can swing by and say hi

Will do, right now we are planning on going up on Tues, if those plans change I'll let you know.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - fishinfool - 06-22-2021

(06-19-2021, 01:47 AM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: Ira and I got out with Reelfast for one last trip to the Bay before he heads back to Idaho. It has been a productive few weeks, this was our 2nd, 4 species day since Dan arrived, today that included walleye, a wiper, cats and perch.
We arrived at the launch at 7:30 am and after trying to help a guy with a dead battery we finally got on our way and had lines in the water by 8 am. We had not even put our second line out when we had our first fish on, a fat kitty, it looks like they are eating well. Not long after that we had our first eye in the net, an average 17 incher. Looked like a great start to the day but after going back and forth through the spot, with no other luck we moved on. The day started off with low to no wind but it wasn't long before the wind picked up a little and so did the catching. We found a new spot and started catching more eyes, it wasn't long before we had 6 in the livewell or should I say deathwell . We picked up two perch up to 12.5" along the way, then a decent sized wiper and then the cats got in on the action. We had two triples with some more eyes up to 22" mixed into the fray. We kept at it until around noon, then the wind died down and it got hot. We were still catching fish but we had enough by this point, we hung in there until 1 pm when we headed in. We caught 12 eyes, one too small to keep and at least 15 cats, most went back to the lake but Dan wanted to keep 3 or 4.
When we got in, Dan kindly agreed to filets all the fish, thanks Dan. It has been a fun few weeks fishing with an old fishing buddy. Best lures were blue or purple back Flicker shad, trolled 50 ft behind planer boards.

Very well done guys. Wonder why I didn't see you guys. Been along time since I saw Dan. Probably the last wiper tourney.

RE: Another 4 species day at Willard - wiperhunter2 - 06-22-2021

(06-22-2021, 10:19 PM)fishinfool Wrote: Very well done guys. Wonder why I didn't see you guys. Been along time since I saw Dan. Probably the last wiper tourney.

Thanks Tony, we were out there last Fri, so unless you got out on that day, it might be why you did not see us. I saw a Tshirt from that last wiper tournament the other day, hard to believe that was in 2012.