Willard Float Tube Frolic 10-5-23 (With Video)

[TubeDude]

LINK TO VIDEO

Have been waiting for he water temps at Willard to drop a bit.  Reports of 60 degrees got me motivated...to try for a multi species day.  Met up with the jjannie crew in their boat about 7ish and got launched about 7:30 to sunshine and calm conditions.  But it sure is getting lighter later.  Air temp was a brisk 42 at launch...warming to about 65 at noon departure.  Water temp was 58 inside the harbor but a bit under 60 outside in the main lake...warming only to about 61 by midday.


With the lower temps and shorter days I figured it was time to go low, slow and small.  So I rigged two rods with mini versions of my whirly fligs and dropback whirlies.  One rod eas rigged for fishing worms...with a red eye chartreuse whirly and a fire tiger drop back.  The other rod was set up for fishing minnows...with a pink tiger dropback and an orange tiger mini whirly.  Only fished those two rods all day and caught fish on each of the 4 lure options.

Made my first presentation just as I was leaving the harbor and heading out to the main lake.  Put out the two worm rigs first and was baiting up the minnow setups when the first rod went bendo.  Had my first kitty in the first minutes of the trip...on the chartreuse with red eye and worm.


Started making my customary big S turns in and out through various depths as I moved toward "Kitty City"...my fave area down off the feed lot.  Saw most fish in less than 17 feet of water.  Got most hits in 14 - 16 feet...but did pick up one cat in about 19 feet.  And when I got to the outskirts of Kitty City I got busy...with fish coming fairly regularly...an on all of the aforementioned lure/bait combos.  At one point I got my "daily double"...with one cat climbing on the second rod while I was bringing in the first...and having to make a "double dipper".
 

J &J covered a lot more area than I did.  In spite of my trying to get them to join me in Kitty City they kept moving into both shallower and deeper waters...catching fewer fish.  However, they did manage to hook up within photo range when they got closer to me at one point.


There were a lot of shad in the water...STILL.  And there were other fishy marks both within the shad and nearby.  Tells me that the predators are still dining well and don't have much incentive to chase the silly lures that anglers drag by them at mach 3.


Other anglers have been reporting catching lots of juvenile wipers this year.  And I have picked up a couple before.  But on this trip I got 3 of them...all on the worm-baited mini whirlies.  Gave 'em each a smooch and sent 'em back to grow a bit.  Hope for a reunion in a couple of years.  jjannie crew also reported catching a "3 incher".  I told them that in Texas that would be a good fish.  Ya see, down there they measure their fish "between the eyes".


I had a limit in my basket and threw back another 4 or 5 cats by 11 am.  Motored back up to the area just outside the marina and tried a few minutes for some perch.  Had one nice one on but lost it as it reached the surface and thrashed around with mouth open.  They are good at that.  Followed the jjannie crew back into the ramp a bit before noon.


More disappointment with the cleaning station at the south marina.  The power to the electrical outlets (for electric fillet knives) was still not working.  But this time we were prepared.  I brought along my American Angler 12 volt knife that is tough enough for cat filleting.  And Jeff brought along an inverter that allowed him to use his new Bubba Blade 120 volt off a 12 volt battery.  We managed to get our catch filleted in spite of State Parks best efforts to keep us from using their facilities.  Oh yeah, the grinder worked fine.

[lovetofish]

You should make a separate video of how you filet your cats.

Looks like a fun productive day.

[TubeDude]

You should make a separate video of how you filet your cats.

Looks like a fun productive day.

I made two videos on cats.  Catfish Hook to Pan.  The first part was on catching them.  The second part (LINK TO VIDEO) was on handling, cleaning, filleting and cooking.

[wiperhunter2]

Great report Pat, sounds like Ira and I should have come over to the South marina yesterday, we caught a few but not as good as you did. When we got off the water, I saw three guys at the cleaning station, so I went over and talked to them. I figured they were filleting cats but to my surprise they had wipers, 8 of them. They caught them in the same area where I lost a nice one last week, using worms.

[jjannie]

Thanks again Pat for another nice day at Willard. Couldn't have asked for a nicer day on the water. It was so pretty and peaceful. Of course, catching for us could have been a little better, but that's just how it goes sometimes. 

(Maybe there will even be power at the north's cleaning station - fingers crossed)