Willard Finale 12-31-23

[TubeDude]

I’ve been fishing Willard Bay since 1977.  And I have never been able to launch my float tube after about the first or second week of December.  Always iced up by then.  Not this year.  High water and moderate temperatures have kept it open far longer than usual.
 
I hit the north marina and got launched by 7:30…right behind Alan and Ira…a couple of other diehard perch-jerkers.  By the time I got out to where they were spot locked they had already caught their first perch.  I moved off a ways, found a few fish on TV and sent down my baited jigs.  Had two bigguns in the basket by 8 am.  Figgered it was gonna be a bananner day.  Well, ‘twern’t as bad as some but definitely had to work for them.
 
There was a steady SE breeze that kept moving me off my spot and I didn’t put down my marker buoy because I could sorta use the other boys’ boat as a visual reference.  But every time I hooked a fish and quit maintaining position with my fins I got pushed a ways off the spot and had to motor back.  Then…after about my third or fourth fish, my GoPro froze up and quit working.  Okay, so I took a few more pics with my regular camera.  Did get some shots of a couple of the 13 inchers I got…along with the lures that worked on them.
 

At one point, I got the customary perch tap and set the hook into something much bigger.  Really beat me up with that small perch rod.  Was thinking it might be a humongo kitty but it turned out to have big scales and rubber lips.  A carpzilla.  Netted it, retrieved my jig and released it unharmed.  No complimentary gillectomies in that cold air.
 

The perch on sonar were getting fewer and the bites were coming less often.  So I went on a perch search.  Made big S turns watching sonar as I worked toward the north dike.  Saw occasional small groups of fish.  But just finding fish is not the key.  Gotta find active ones. I scratched out a couple more in the far flung reaches and then headed back to the area that had produced earlier.  But Alan and ira had also moved and were doing their own search.  At one point I looked over at their boat and noticed Alan’s rod had a big bend in it.  Hope he got his money back when he returned it.
 

The dropping water temps and cold air…along with slow fishing…finally convinced me that I would have more fun at home watching football.  So I boogied about 11.  A hot lunch a nice nap and some football games made the rest of my day more endurable.  Doubt I will launch my tube again before late February.  Should be some walleye…and at least some catfish…stirring by then.

[2knots]

lol yea I got my monies worth on a nice kitty, Ira also hooked a big carp before my cat that barley fit in his net. Great see you out closing out the year with some catching and yes I have you going bendo on your carp

[BoatBallast]

Really enjoyed the trip report and your most recent YT video!

[RockyRaab2]

Two things I'm sure of, Pat: You're a better fisherman than I am - and I'm warmer.

[TubeDude]

Two things I'm sure of, Pat: You're a better fisherman than I am - and I'm warmer.

I tend to survive the cold in my float tube fairly well...because I am numb at both ends.

Wouldn't claim to be any better than you.  But I do get out more.  Hope your back mends well enough for you to be able to hit the water more this year.

Happy New Year my OLD friend.

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Really enjoyed the trip report and your most recent YT video!

Thanks.  I appreciate your appreciation.  I wanted to make a good year-end video but my Go Pro camera couldn't take the cold.  "No Mas".

[SkunkedAgain]

So I was a day late and a basket of perch short. I took my daughter over today, we were met by a half inch of ice all across the main lake. We seen some fish but the ice kept us tied up early and then when it opened up I never did find much for fish. Started out the year skunked. Only one way to go from here. Hey if that keeps it up we may get ice after all. At least it wasn’t wavy today. Later j

[jjannie]

Way to close out the year, Pat! Did the GoPro just not like getting so cold?

[TubeDude]

Way to close out the year, Pat! Did the GoPro just not like getting so cold?

Yeah.  Must be a female. (ouch...ouch)  I have had no problems with it on any trip with warmer temps.  But it has shut down on three of my most recent cold trips.  As soon as I got home and it warmed up it worked fine again.  But the batteries were really low in spite of being fully charged before leaving.  I suspect the batteries may be a big part of the problem.

Since I don't ice fish anymore, my poor GoPro can stay inside where it's warm until spring.

[Piscophilic]

Way to close out the year, Pat! Did the GoPro just not like getting so cold?

Yeah.  Must be a female. (ouch...ouch)  I have had no problems with it on any trip with warmer temps.  But it has shut down on three of my most recent cold trips.  As soon as I got home and it warmed up it worked fine again.  But the batteries were really low in spite of being fully charged before leaving.  I suspect the batteries may be a big part of the problem.

Since I don't ice fish anymore, my poor GoPro can stay inside where it's warm until spring.

Hi Pat,
Thanks for another great report! Your Go Pro problem is probably just the batteries. They just don't have the same life when they are cold.

[TubeDude]

Way to close out the year, Pat! Did the GoPro just not like getting so cold?

Yeah.  Must be a female. (ouch...ouch)  I have had no problems with it on any trip with warmer temps.  But it has shut down on three of my most recent cold trips.  As soon as I got home and it warmed up it worked fine again.  But the batteries were really low in spite of being fully charged before leaving.  I suspect the batteries may be a big part of the problem.

Since I don't ice fish anymore, my poor GoPro can stay inside where it's warm until spring.

Hi Pat,
Thanks for another great report! Your Go Pro problem is probably just the batteries. They just don't have the same life when they are cold.

Thanks for your input.  I strongly suspected that was the case.  One of the batteries I had charged to 100% the night before only showed 38% when I returned...without even having been in the camera.  Glad my lithium battery on my float tube ain't that touchy.  I would have to get out and walk halfway through a trip.