Willard Perch Poundin' 11-15-19

[TubeDude]

[#0000ff]Wasn't Friday the 13th...it was the 15th. And the full moon has fizzled a bit. Also heard there were a few perch showing up. Couldn't stay away today...even if Friday is the new Saturday...and I had company.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched just after 7 am. Air temp 36...first time I have launched in temps above freezing for almost a month. No hand warmers and the gloves were off within about an hour. Banana belt. Water temp right on the bubble at 45...not warming much by noon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The last two trips I have tried inside the marina there were no shad and no fish. Today there were lots of shad and enough fish to keep me in the marina all morning. And the shad schools were sometimes very dense. In two of the attached pics you will see how the depth reading jumped from 12 feet to 7 feet as the shad school passed by.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]First perch volunteered right about 7:30. Had a couple more by 8...but tossed them both back in because they were a measly 8 inches. Ditto for a couple later. But from start to finish about noon I got bites often enough to keep me interested. I missed a few tentative bites and lost a couple of jumbos as I was reaching for them with the net. But I ended up with 10 perch over 10 inches. Good enough for me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh yeah, I also got a 2 foot long "whisker perch". And I know WH2 and Wiperslayer got at least one cat today while I was watching. See the pic on that. I know they also got a few perch but I left before they did so not sure on their totals for the day.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I tried several colors of fligs. The "chartreuse perch" was about the only consistent producer. Best bait was some small LHBE minnows. But caught one each on crawler and perch meat.
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[#0000ff]A purty fall day. Just enough pesky fish to keep me from getting in a nap while bobbing around in the marina. I managed to stay awake on the way home and took care of the napping then.
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[carpdiem]

Did ya miss the fishskibum sighting? He said he saw you guys fishing the marina, and he reported no whiper sightings out on the lake.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]He probably just did a drive by. I ain't quick enough or sharp enough to reckernize somebody inside a vehicle...especially somebody I ain't never met outside of reading his stuff on a website.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Won't be seeing much of the wipers for a few months now. They will mostly be in the deep spots along the west side of the lake.
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[Piscophilic]

Well done, even if it was barely enough to keep you from dozing, it looks like good final results. That one picture looks like there's a shad eater above the flock. Thanks again for sharing the report and pictures.
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[wiperhunter2]

[quote TubeDude]He probably just did a drive by. I ain't quick enough or sharp enough to reckernize somebody inside a vehicle...especially somebody I ain't never met outside of reading his stuff on a website.
Actually he had his drift boat out there rowing out the channel, the last we saw him, I think that was right before you headed to the ramp.
Hope you did not mind us sending you a customer before you left, Ira and I have known Eddie for many many years.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I didn't take his money. Gave him a few free samples and showed him how to rig them. Hope he found a few.
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[wiperhunter2]

Good for you, Ira gave his a few as well, we saw him catch at least one before we left at 1:30pm.
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[TubeDude]

[quote Piscophilic]Well done, even if it was barely enough to keep you from dozing, it looks like good final results. That one picture looks like there's a shad eater above the flock. Thanks again for sharing the report and pictures.[/quote]
[#0000FF]Thank you for thanking me. The pleasure was all mine...literally.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I noticed a few "suspicious" blips above the masses today. And one of the regulars reports getting some nice crappies by fishing OVER the schools of shad. The one factor that has proved consistent in getting bites this fall is to fish near the groceries. When you don't see shad you don't get no tugs.[/#0000FF]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]He was pleased to get them. I got a chuckle out of him when I reminded him that most of us "drug dealers" raised the price once a customer gets hooked.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I also admired his nice Trophy Boat. I suggested that his boat would go farther and faster but mine was easier to launch and transport. Nice guy.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Wow that’s impressive nice job Pat. Thanks for a great report. Now I have another spot I’d like to go. Later Jeff
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[fishskibum]

[quote TubeDude][#0000FF]He probably just did a drive by. I ain't quick enough or sharp enough to reckernize somebody inside a vehicle...especially somebody I ain't never met outside of reading his stuff on a website.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Won't be seeing much of the wipers for a few months now. They will mostly be in the deep spots along the west side of the lake.
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I knew I shouda rowed over and asked you where da wipers were at, seein as how you pretty much haz the Willard Wizard knowledge levels.
those damn fish should act like other bass and relate to structure more
and im beginning to think after 23 seasons some electronical help in the location of fish is gonna help up my stillwater catching game a bit
but you were hooking up I could tell they were kittys and panfish

I wasn't sure who the other boats were and at that time I was bft banned
and kittys aint the easies prey to git to eat flies.
I knew i probably shouda went to the berry, my pops got 58 slot cuts on the whippy stick the day before, but i figured id work a few ot hours pre and post floating
rowed out to the stickups off cottonwood cg and over to the outlet
,they pulled those bouys, and along the dyke
saw some very limited topwater action that was to silver to be carps
walked the dyke but no poopfish targets were acquired seen or thrown to
dork dog caught a kitty and was pissed his dad wouldn't let him keep and eat it


Nice day, little wind, sunny skies bit warm for mid nov and i threw well all day
that fullsink line sure exposes double haul timing miscues
much like them moguls expose poor skiing form.
thanxs for another fine informative tr
I know your rig now and cant say if ill be on the water again before spring but will most likely share some water again at some future point
its what addicts do


sorry that was an honest cut n paste mistake if you saw my new non kid friendly hat
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I saw your driftboat working around the channel entrance. That's a good spot early in the year for both crappies and wipers. This time of year...not so much.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Seeing that driftboat brung back rememberies. I put in some time on the Klamath and Smith Rivers in northern California back in the 70's...pullin' oars while fishing for steelhead and salmon. Loved those boats...and that fishing.[/#0000FF]

"and kittys aint the easies prey to git to eat flies."

[#0000FF]Willard Bay kitties DO eat flies...real good. Caught lots of them on feathers and fur in there. They are especially good whippy rod targets through the summer when they prowl the rocks. They like crawdad patterns but also smack the shad flies fished for wipers.[/#0000FF]

"saw some very limited topwater action that was to silver to be carps"

[#0000FF]Coulda been big gizzard shad. I have seen them rolling and splashing over along the north dike in the fall. And I saw a dying one floundering on the surface back in the marina that same day we were both there. I have fair-hooked a few shad on small jigs while fishing for crappies. And I used to catch lots of American shad on flies when I lived in Sacramento. I'm guessing that if you stripped the right fly by some of the Willard shad they might just munch it. I can tell ya they fight hard...and jump.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]With the upcoming weather changes...and the likelihood of ice within a few weeks...my trips to Willard this year are limited too. But come April and May we might just meet up out there. I could even be waving a whippy stick for them again this year.[/#0000FF]
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[fishskibum]

goin on 18 years now on that hog and approaching a thousand days on the water
that boats been great to me, after reglassing my 1st one i knew i didn't want another fiberglass boat and foam sandwiched hdpe sure seemed like a durable product
and it has been.
i think that was the 3rd or 4th boat Jst J built and both he and the boat have surpassed my expectations.
that being said its not an ideal Stillwater whip
ill always be a flowing water guy, but its a commitment i don't like driving enough to do 6 hours on the road day trips and every year i fish more stillwaters cause wipers are addicting
im pretty sure im gonna nose to the grindstone ski a bit less this winter and buy a skiff next spring
http://hogislandboatworks.com/page.php?p...ifications
i hear ya on the kittys i occasionally hellen keller em up off the dyke rocks when the crayfishy carp flies sink outta sight.
therye an apex predator and dont often let easy food pass by.
speaking of old man winter
i thought you mentioned giving up skiing im just gonna leave this here cause i work for ski u and the guy who used to make their videos is my bro and it makes me
and your never to olds to start again
https://youtu.be/FYhP0w2BXgg
theres one of me buried in the powders peeps in there some where too
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[TubeDude]

"i thought you mentioned giving up skiing im just gonna leave this here cause i work for ski u and the guy who used to make their videos is my bro and it makes me and your never to olds to start again"

[#0000FF]I was skiing when I was 6 years old...as a kid in Idaho. Two slats with leather straps for the feet, no bindings, no ski poles. Just point the skis downhill and go like %&@# until you reached the bottom or did a gelandersprung. Ran over a big snowshoe hare once and it didn't do either one of us any good.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Also did quite a bit of skiing while living in California. Several spots in the Sierras...including a fly in ski out trip from the top of Forester Pass to roads end in Sequoia Nat. Park.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Sold my skis when I joined a company in Florida and have not skied since. Can't say I don't miss it. Don't ice fish anymore either. Used to and loved it. At my age my still young brain writes checks my body can't cash.[/#0000FF]
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[fishskibum]

[#0000FF]I saw your driftboat working around the channel entrance. That's a good spot early in the year for both crappies and wipers. This time of year...not so much.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Seeing that driftboat brung back rememberies. I put in some time on the Klamath and Smith Rivers in northern California back in the 70's...pullin' oars while fishing for steelhead and salmon. Loved those boats...and that fishing.[/#0000FF]

"and kittys aint the easies prey to git to eat flies."

[#0000FF]Willard Bay kitties DO eat flies...real good. Caught lots of them on feathers and fur in there. They are especially good whippy rod targets through the summer when they prowl the rocks. They like crawdad patterns but also smack the shad flies fished for wipers.[/#0000FF]

"saw some very limited topwater action that was to silver to be carps"

[#0000FF]Coulda been big gizzard shad. I have seen them rolling and splashing over along the north dike in the fall. And I saw a dying one floundering on the surface back in the marina that same day we were both there. I have fair-hooked a few shad on small jigs while fishing for crappies. And I used to catch lots of American shad on flies when I lived in Sacramento. I'm guessing that if you stripped the right fly by some of the Willard shad they might just munch it. I can tell ya they fight hard...and jump.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]With the upcoming weather changes...and the likelihood of ice within a few weeks...my trips to Willard this year are limited too. But come April and May we might just meet up out there. I could even be waving a whippy stick for them again this year.[/#0000FF]
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whats goin on?

lemme know when the whippy sticks comin out
and ifin its gonna be 70 maybe march
a few boats out this last thurs not a lot of bent sticks
not much wind

and well yeah i belives ya bout them shads

[TubeDude]

Checking back on my logs from years past, the crappies usually start showing up outside the north marina by about mid April.  And it is fairly common to hook up on wipers with the same flies and presentations being used for crappies.  But the wipers pull harder.  Then both species move inside the harbor all through May.  But some of the best wiper action will be along the rocks...as you have probably discovered.

Here's a pic of a crappie that hit one of my hot-head flies...made with a painted head and eye with hot melt glue.  The version with a yellow eye and black pupil works good too.