Just another Willard report..Wed. 9-20

[Jmorfish]

So until our waters cool down, we can at least have a little action at Willard..I'm not talking 10, 15, or 20 plus fish days..I don't think this is the time of year to expect that, at least not for me...I'm talking 4,5, or maybe 6 or 7 landed fish...Last Friday it was 3 landed for a friend and I, and today it was 6....4 cats, 1 jumbo perch, and 1 small wiper...nothing great, but good to be on the water and see some poles bending...My best set was still my 2oz bottom bouncer, about 100' back, with chartreus/yellow crawler harness and a juicy nite crawler..even with the tail cut short, I still had 4 lite hits where there was no hook up..my friend also had a couple lite hits like that.. my planer board caught 2, using TD's whirly flig with small nite crawler piece..my buddy caught his perch and cat on bluish crankbait, after he added small pc of nite crawler..Lots of 'down' time for us while trolling this morning, and very few other boats seen on the water..water surface still 68 to 71*...better than sitting at home..Guluk..

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for the report Joe, how fast were you trolling and what part of the lake did you have your best success?

[doitall5000]

Thank you for temp and conditions. The state parks are reeaally slow to post information.
I'm very anxious for temperature changes and some good action.

[Jmorfish]

I'm looking forward for those water temps to go down also, but it was good to get some action in the mean time...I can't convince my friend to slow down more, but better than the ave. 2.0 we were doing last week.. this day ave. about 1.5...I told him about TD's speeds, but he won't have anything to do with that...but we still did ok..He hasn't fished here in quite awhile, and kept reminiscing about the glory days of high wiper #s, trolling 2.5 to 3 for them...so I understand his thinking.....BTW....Anybody know..are the bouy markers for 'The Island' gone, or submerged?..last week, and yesterday, I looked and looked, binoculars also, but no can see...??

[TubeDude]

I'm looking forward for those water temps to go down also, but it was good to get some action in the mean time...I can't convince my friend to slow down more, but better than the ave. 2.0 we were doing last week.. this day ave. about 1.5...I told him about TD's speeds, but he won't have anything to do with that...but we still did ok..He hasn't fished here in quite awhile, and kept reminiscing about the glory days of high wiper #s, trolling 2.5 to 3 for them...so I understand his thinking.....BTW....Anybody know..are the bouy markers for 'The Island' gone, or submerged?..last week, and yesterday, I looked and looked, binoculars also, but no can see...??

Trolling faster was working in June...and into July...before the new crop of shad made the fish less desperate and competitive.  But once they have full bellies and don't have to kick it into overdrive to catch food they largely ignore fast moving lures.  Once the shad thin out...through predation and cold water dieoffs there will be more interest in other food items...like lures.

I  always just shake my head and mumble a lot when I see people fishing the same areas, the same way, 12 months a year...every month of every year.  Can't count all the times I have tried to offer helpful suggestions only to hear "But I caught them here before...using this lure...fishing this way."  But when they did it was usually under radically different conditions.  To me, every trip is a new trip and you gotta work out the right approach for the prevailing conditions.

Reminds me of the joke about the guy looking around on the ground for a lost item...and a friend offering to help him look.  After several minutes of fruitless looking the friend asked "Are you sure this is where you dropped it?"  To which the lookee replied "No, I lost it over there but the light is better here."