Another Successful Friday At Willard

[obifishkenobi]

I got out to Willard this morning around 7:00am, got the boat launched and motored out past the buoys at the South Marina went to drop my lines and realized I had left my net in my other truck when I went Carp fishing. I decided I didn't want to fish without it, so I headed back in to tie my boat up to the dock and make the round trip back to my house to get it in Roy. I saw some folks fishing on the rocks and decided to pull up to them and see if they had a net and have them join me in my boat if they wanted to, they didn't, but one of the guys asked me what I was catching and I said catfish and that I would swing by and pick him up when I got back. When I got to the dock I saw  Tin Can getting ready to launch and asked him if he had an extra net, and luckily he did in his tool box, after getting the net I motored back out and picked up my new friend Juma and we dropped lines in 19' of water outside the South Marina and worked our way towards the Feed Lot, we almost immediately picked up a small 18" cat then went a long time well over an hour with out getting another one, then steadily started picking up cats, The best Flig today was the whirly pink tiger with black stripes, tipped with chub, I also got them on a green perch pattern and, a pink tiger non whirly, caught several with Carp as well. 20' was our most productive depth, saw lots off bait balls on the graph. By 12:30 we had 16 cats in the box, and Juma asked if we could try for Wipers, we returned Forest net on his way back in and set out for the light pole where we pulled cranks down the West Wall for an hour and then motored back to where I picked him up to soak the mussel he was fishing with when I picked him up, he had caught ten good size wipers a week ago there. Well we caught several wipers each but they where the smallest I have ever seen about 4". We packed it in at 2:30 and I fillet our catch and sent him home with enough catfish to feed and army. Thank you Forest for saving the day with the net and It was nice to meet you Juma, we will have to get out and do it again. I will be out there again tomorrow putting another buddy on cats. waiter temp was 63.5 at launch, I forget to look when we went in. I need to hook up with Pat to get resupplied on my Flig supply, I only have one pink whirly left, I broke the hook on a second one today pulling the hook out and crackered one off after not checking my leader. 

[wiperhunter2]

Looks like a great day Shawn, how big were those bigger cats, looks like you got some good ones?  Good to hear there are still a few wipers in there, did you catch them from your boat, in the location where Juma was fishing from shore?

[obifishkenobi]

Looks like a great day Shawn, how big were those bigger cats, looks like you got some good ones?  Good to hear there are still a few wipers in there, did you catch them from your boat, in the location where Juma was fishing from shore?

We had a couple 26” cats, yes we where in the boat when we where catching the small wipers, I think it’s a good sign for the future of wipers that the small ones are being caught. Juma has been wiper fishing from the bank for years at Willard and he says that he’s been catching a lot of small ones this year and that has not happened in the past, I’ve never caught ones that small before it look like the they planted this year have a good survival rate.

[TubeDude]

Yessir.  You are a serious cat-smacker.  Proud on ya.  And happy my trinkets are contributing to your delinquency.

You got some hefty kitties there.  And those whiskerfish are not kind to flimsy foam fligs.  But if you save the bodies I can rebuild them at half price...or you can just use a small split ring and add a new hook.  The hooks I use are about as strong as you can get in those sizes.  Shark hooks are too big.

Sent you an email about a potential get together when I come up next week.

[Tin-Can]

I got out to Willard this morning around 7:00am, got the boat launched and motored out past the buoys at the South Marina went to drop my lines and realized I had left my net in my other truck when I went Carp fishing. I decided I didn't want to fish without it, so I headed back in to tie my boat up to the dock and make the round trip back to my house to get it in Roy. I saw some folks fishing on the rocks and decided to pull up to them and see if they had a net and have them join me in my boat if they wanted to, they didn't, but one of the guys asked me what I was catching and I said catfish and that I would swing by and pick him up when I got back. When I got to the dock I saw  Tin Can getting ready to launch and asked him if he had an extra net, and luckily he did in his tool box, after getting the net I motored back out and picked up my new friend Juma and we dropped lines in 19' of water outside the South Marina and worked our way towards the Feed Lot, we almost immediately picked up a small 18" cat then went a long time well over an hour with out getting another one, then steadily started picking up cats, The best Flig today was the whirly pink tiger with black stripes, tipped with chub, I also got them on a green perch pattern and, a pink tiger non whirly, caught several with Carp as well. 20' was our most productive depth, saw lots off bait balls on the graph. By 12:30 we had 16 cats in the box, and Juma asked if we could try for Wipers, we returned Forest net on his way back in and set out for the light pole where we pulled cranks down the West Wall for an hour and then motored back to where I picked him up to soak the mussel he was fishing with when I picked him up, he had caught ten good size wipers a week ago there. Well we caught several wipers each but they where the smallest I have ever seen about 4". We packed it in at 2:30 and I fillet our catch and sent him home with enough catfish to feed and army. Thank you Forest for saving the day with the net and It was nice to meet you Juma, we will have to get out and do it again. I will be out there again tomorrow putting another buddy on cats. waiter temp was 63.5 at launch, I forget to look when we went in. I need to hook up with Pat to get resupplied on my Flig supply, I only have one pink whirly left, I broke the hook on a second one today pulling the hook out and crackered one off after not checking my leader. 

  Shawn, you guys did quite outstanding on the Cats. That must have been alot of work to fillet all those cats.   I only boated (and released) 3 Cats, but was a nice day on the water. Glad I was able to assist with the loan of the net.  That's a net I keep in my truck box to use up at the Bear River.  
You live in Roy ?  We aren't to far apart, I'm in Clearfield.  Got a photo of you, kind of blurry due to distance. 

[obifishkenobi]

I got out to Willard this morning around 7:00am, got the boat launched and motored out past the buoys at the South Marina went to drop my lines and realized I had left my net in my other truck when I went Carp fishing. I decided I didn't want to fish without it, so I headed back in to tie my boat up to the dock and make the round trip back to my house to get it in Roy. I saw some folks fishing on the rocks and decided to pull up to them and see if they had a net and have them join me in my boat if they wanted to, they didn't, but one of the guys asked me what I was catching and I said catfish and that I would swing by and pick him up when I got back. When I got to the dock I saw  Tin Can getting ready to launch and asked him if he had an extra net, and luckily he did in his tool box, after getting the net I motored back out and picked up my new friend Juma and we dropped lines in 19' of water outside the South Marina and worked our way towards the Feed Lot, we almost immediately picked up a small 18" cat then went a long time well over an hour with out getting another one, then steadily started picking up cats, The best Flig today was the whirly pink tiger with black stripes, tipped with chub, I also got them on a green perch pattern and, a pink tiger non whirly, caught several with Carp as well. 20' was our most productive depth, saw lots off bait balls on the graph. By 12:30 we had 16 cats in the box, and Juma asked if we could try for Wipers, we returned Forest net on his way back in and set out for the light pole where we pulled cranks down the West Wall for an hour and then motored back to where I picked him up to soak the mussel he was fishing with when I picked him up, he had caught ten good size wipers a week ago there. Well we caught several wipers each but they where the smallest I have ever seen about 4". We packed it in at 2:30 and I fillet our catch and sent him home with enough catfish to feed and army. Thank you Forest for saving the day with the net and It was nice to meet you Juma, we will have to get out and do it again. I will be out there again tomorrow putting another buddy on cats. waiter temp was 63.5 at launch, I forget to look when we went in. I need to hook up with Pat to get resupplied on my Flig supply, I only have one pink whirly left, I broke the hook on a second one today pulling the hook out and crackered one off after not checking my leader. 

  Shawn, you guys did quite outstanding on the Cats. That must have been alot of work to fillet all those cats.   I only boated (and released) 3 Cats, but was a nice day on the water. Glad I was able to assist with the loan of the net.  That's a net I keep in my truck box to use up at the Bear River.  
You live in Roy ?  We aren't to far apart, I'm in Clearfield.  Got a photo of you, kind of blurry due to distance. 

Thanks again Forest, yes I live in Roy so Willard is an easy choice to go fishing, gas getting to and from the lake is my biggest expense, so spending $10 to go to Willard or $100 to go to Strawberry, the choice is easy. I work four tens and fish most Fridays. As long as the cats keep cooperating I'll keep going to Willard this fall. One of these days I'd like to get out with you for an introduction to the Bear River. I wish I had charged and brought my electric fillet knife that first cut behind the gills can be challenging  on the big cats. What a difference a day makes, we battled the wind all morning today and only got 2.

---

Yessir.  You are a serious cat-smacker.  Proud on ya.  And happy my trinkets are contributing to your delinquency.

You got some hefty kitties there.  And those whiskerfish are not kind to flimsy foam fligs.  But if you save the bodies I can rebuild them at half price...or you can just use a small split ring and add a new hook.  The hooks I use are about as strong as you can get in those sizes.  Shark hooks are too big.

Sent you an email about a potential get together when I come up next week.

Thanks Pat, that's a nice compliment from the Flig's Master. I'll probably try and hook up with you at your your place the next time I have to go into The State Office Building in Taylorville, I'll message you and see if your going to be available, next time I'm down that way.

[TubeDude]

If you are unable to make it down here before Friday the 13th (unlucky?) I might lower my standards and get in the boat with you...if you are going out that day.