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I hit Willard again late saturday on my toon. . Still going for my 1st wiper. I read on the post of another of you trolling 3 color lead core line. After losing $20 in snagged lures with no fish, I retired that pole.
I headed for the bay and seen where boaters were congretating close to on another. I headed over in the midst. I watched 1 boat pull up 3. Didn't see the boils but I saw 3 fish surface, it sounded like 3 large rocks dropping - it surprised me. Anyway, I cast a bunch but no hits. At least I know where I'll hit next time.
2 questions,
1 - Does anyone use a downrigger
2. - I seen some boats fish thru the night. Do the stripers hit at night? I assume they were fishing for walleye and cats.
The guy I talked to who caught one at the cleaning station used the luckycraft lure. What color works well?
Next time I post, it'll be with the pic. I'll be up there thurs with my canoe!
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This year is my first year fishing up on willard so I've had to piece together how stuff works up there. Earlier this year we had a bit of success trolling way out behind the boat, like almost all my line, with cranks like lucky crafts. If you can afford them I hear using side planers is a better option than long lining though, but others on here can tell you how to do that. I caught them on the ghost minnow and silver shad patterns. On my last couple trips the same techniques and patterns that worked before wouldn't produce a bite, and people on here have told me it's probably because the wipers are so full of shad they aren't looking to take anything but exactly the size and shape of the current shad in there, which all makes sense to me. I did catch a few a top water popper last weekend though, you've just got to find them feeding on top and then cast into the ripples. Otherwise I hear the fishing should improve as the shad numbers go down and the wipers start rounding them up into bigger boils. I had my best luck on the west side of the lake. Also i don't see why anyone would need to use lead line or downriggers because the Wipers just aren't down that deep, possibly because the lake is only like 26 feet deep at the deepest and you can get cranks to go almost that deep if you really need it. Hope that helps a bit!
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There have been many posts on willard over the years, there is a section on BFT that targets Willard Fishing. here is some posts.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=512482;#512482"][font "Calibri"][#800080]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=512482;#512482[/#800080][/font][/url]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=509217;#509217"][font "Calibri"][#800080]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=509217;#509217[/#800080][/font][/url]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=510499;#510499"][font "Calibri"][#800080]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=510499;#510499[/#800080][/font][/url]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=512196;#512196"][font "Calibri"][#800080]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=512196;#512196[/#800080][/font][/url]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=504668;#504668"][font "Calibri"][#800080]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=504668;#504668[/#800080][/font][/url]
Click on the links it will give you some ideas on Willard fishing, I have been doing it for years. Enjoy.
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My advice to help you catch your first Willard Bay wiper in early September. We have caught lots of wipers this year and hardly ever get skunked. The fishing is getting better lately.
1. Don't fish on Saturday. Go on a weekday morning or evening.
2. If the wind is coming out of the west, go to the west side. If it's coming out of the east, go to the east side, etc.
3. Bring binoculars. When you see terns hitting the water, that tells you they are seeing shad. There might be wipers underneath but not necessarily. But when you actually see a wiper smash into the surface, you know there are fish around. They seldom are alone, usually traveling with several other fish of the same size. Go to that general area.
4. Cast a Rebel Pop-N popper in white or silver or shad color. Cast on light line, such as four-pound test, to get it as far from you as possible. Jerk it back in with small but strong movements. If you do this for two hours and don't get a strike, switch to a Kastmaster about two inches long and reel it in pretty fast. Occasionally let the lure sink to the bottom before quickly reeling it in.
If you do this two evenings in a row until dark, I'm confident you'll catch two to four wipers.
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