Wiper Boils?

[t_volt237]

Sorry to be "that guy" but Willard is a pretty far drive for me now, and I don't have a lot of spare time.
Are the Wipers boiling on Willard yet? I'm really itching to get some Wiper topwater action!
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[Tin-Can]

Only boils I've seen have been 2 weeks ago in the south marina. Boated about a dozen small Wipers 7-9 inches. Released them all. Any other boils, I've not seen any.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]The first hatches of shad are now getting big enough for the wipers to eat. But there are two factors that are resulting in few to no boils. First, the wiper numbers are way down. Second, the shad numbers are way up. Lots of food for fewer fish mean the fish do not have to work as hard for their groceries. If they can get all they want to eat without having to chase shad to the surface then why bother?[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]There are sporadic "slurps" and a few stray splashes but only a couple of real "boils" have been reported. And those usually only last a few seconds.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Conditions this year are far different than in the wide open wiper action of a few years ago.
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[t_volt237]

Well that doesn't sound too promising... dang. Thank you for the insight as to why they aren't going as much as they used to. I'll have to try and find some time to get up there and see for myself if any of the old tricks still work.
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[fish_hntr]

Between the low wiper numbers and the recent positive test for west nile virus it's getting harder to justify the drive up.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]If there are going to be any real boils they will likely be going by the end of August. But even if there are no boils you can still find a few stray wipers and walleyes...and plenty of cats. The upside is that most of the wipers caught this year are good sized...over 20 inches and 4 pounds or more.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Fishing is ALWAYS good...even if the catchin' ain't.
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[MBM1969]

Has anybody heard if they are going to increase the Wiper stocking in the future?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]The past two years they have planted a good number but the survival and recruitment has not been good. Supposedly they are going to plant more of the fingerling size this year...which has a much higher survival rate...but is more expensive.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]It is always a guessing game...to try to maintain a balance between the shad and predator populations. Mama Nature likes to throw curve balls and create imbalances that were not anticipated.
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[fishinfool]

[quote TubeDude][#0000FF]The past two years they have planted a good number but the survival and recruitment has not been good. Supposedly they are going to plant more of the fingerling size this year...which has a much higher survival rate...but is more expensive.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]It is always a guessing game...to try to maintain a balance between the shad and predator populations. Mama Nature likes to throw curve balls and create imbalances that were not anticipated.
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I agree it's hard to keep a balance but the shad do a better job at bouncing back then the wipers do at surviving.

I really think the turning point was when they changed the limit. They need to take it back down to two until the wipers get to numbers they can keep the shad in check. When we were catching 30 fish in a day the shad were doing fine and the wipers were healthy. the fishing was unreal for walleye,catfish and wipers.

Why they changed the perfect formula is beyond me. I miss the good old days an I am sure I am not alone.

fnf[cool]
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[richyd4u]

Man...growing up in Ftown, I used to love heading to Willard in the fall and slamming big wipers in the boils! Sad to hear it is on such a decline...
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]In the wiper heydays...up until about 4 or 5 years ago, there were a half million wipers planted annually and the shad maintained a good population too. Wipers were plentiful and healthy. A six fish limit was working...still plenty of fish and larger numbers leaving the lake with those who keep them.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]But when DWR took a shot at producing their own wipers...with white bass from Utah Lake and stripers from Lake Powell...it was found that there were a lot of variables that could result in weaker fry and a poorer survival rate. Plantings of the same number of fry...a higher percentage which did not survive...resulted in lower wiper numbers. And they are still trying to work out the right balance of sac fry and fingerling plants to achieve the numbers of survivors they want.
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[#0000FF]Two years ago shad numbers were low...due to spawning problems in lower water. And the still abundant wipers and walleyes pretty much cleaned up the majority of the shad by fall. A lean winter and a long hungry spring resulted in some skinny predators. Then last year the shad exploded and the lower numbers of predators had all the food they needed and fishing was poorer. Ditto for this year.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Dropping the daily limit of wipers by one fish is not likely to produce any noticeable effect. We just need more surviving planted wipers to catch up to the shad population.
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[Optimizer]

Thanks for the bio information. Another variable in the mix is that the cats have now increased to 60% of the fish population which is even more competition and wiper shad fry eaters. They used to be held in check at lower concentrations when there were more wipers. At least I see this as another variable in the balancing act.
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[Optimizer]

I meant to say many more cats are a factor in eating more wiper fry.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Highly doubtful that cats eat enough wiper fry to make any difference. On the other hand, there are a lot of wipers caught with young channel cats in their innards. Here is a pic of one from a wiper I pictured during a fillet session at Willard.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]My read on the apparent increase in both size and numbers of cats is that it is also due to higher water levels...along with decreases in numbers of wipers. When water levels remain well up into the rocks along the dike, there is more spawning and nursery habitat for cats. Ditto for crawdads...a big menu item for channel cats. But during the early months of the year wipers also subsist by eating crawdads, before the shad get big enough to munch. So, double whammy. More food for the cats and less competition for that food from fewer wipers.
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[fishinfool]

Any news now of the wipers boiling. The nights are starting to cool and the shad should be about the right size.

I would like to take the wife out on our kick boats in the NE corner in the weeds and get into some. She has never caught a wiper out of a boil. plenty of stripers though.

Thanks for any info.

fnf[cool]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]There have been only a few small and isolated boils reported so far this year. And the prospects for big wide open boils are not good. Too few wipers and too many shad.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Hope I am wrong. I have been before. I'm married.
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[fishinfool]

Thanks!

fnf[cool]
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[a_bow_nut]

As TD has said so many times.

"Go when you can."

I was down in Alabama in the end of June helping a friend move and we had a chance to fish Gunterville Reservoir for three days. On the last day just before sundown there was some random surface action and by dusk it was a full on boil. The cool thing was that it was all largemouth bass that were boiling on the balls of bait fish. So you just never know what you will run into while out on the water.
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[fishinfool]

LOL! I live in Tooele and I have been on here long enough to know a few folks. I do go fishing every weekend. Sometimes it is worth sharing sometimes not.

I asked him the question because he frequents willard more then me and is a good source for quality information.

I don't know why people keep them a secret. I don't plan on keeping any just want to get the wife into some boils. [fishon]


That fishing in Alabama sure sounded fun.


fnf[cool]
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[RonPaulFan]

[quote fish_hntr]Between the low wiper numbers and the recent positive test for west nile virus it's getting harder to justify the drive up.[/quote]

Utah's first human case of West Nile virus in 2018 reported in Utah County

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=46377111&nid=148

I'm outdoors a lot, so disease from mosquitoes is of particular concern since I refuse to put poison on my skin.

Last few years, I've been experimenting with various essential oils: peppermint, lemon, lemon grass, eucalyptus … more and even vanilla. They don't last long and need to be reapplied frequently.

I have a friend who laughs at the relative ineffectiveness and claims he prefers his nerve gas that kills them. I say I'm scared of what kills insects and he laughs. But, the story gets as he has had a plethora of serious health problems that could very well be related. But, there's no proof. I passionately believe in our Nation's founding principles like innocent unless proven guilty, but that one is a human right and I don't extend it to man made chemicals that have never existed in nature. I'm blessed with amazing good health and do my part to keep it by all aspects of healthy living.

Relating that to fishing and mosquitos and now West Nile Virus, if you smell a citrus orchard while fishing, look around to see if it's me. Also, effective nontoxic mosquito repellent ideas are invited -- please post.
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