Willard N. Marina 8-27-24 (With Video)

[TubeDude]

Got my replacement GoPro camera and wanted to finish a video I had started on fishing Willard Bay’s north marina.  Lousy weather with a lot of wind last week…and dropping water temps.  Wasn’t wildly optimistic about the fishing potential.  Expected it would not be too good inside.  I hate it when I’m always right.
 
Got set up and launched in my float tube by 7 am.  Calm with air temp a brisk 52…warming to 75 by noon.  Water temp just under 70…rising only a couple of degrees by midday.  The cool down in water temps from previous weeks likely slowed down the fish.
 

As planned, I started off fishing inside the harbor…with a variety of lures and baits.  Average depth inside was just under 12 feet…with some 13 foot spots.  Saw very little on TV…either bait or bigger marks.  In an hour and a half fishing all my fave areas I only got a couple of tentative tugs…and no hookups.
 
Been there and done that before.  Ya cain’t ketch ‘em where they ain’t.  So I moved out of the marina and went lookin’.  Moved around in big S turns, dragging baited fligs from 11’ deep to over 22’.  Worked a few spots out off Eagle Beach that usually treat me well…including “Kitty Condo”.  Had one good hit but lost it halfway to the tube.  Did bring in a couple of overeager but undersized wiperettes.
 
Finally rigged up with a white whirly flig and a white gulp minnow on one rod and a blue-silver whirly flig and a small chub minnow on the second rod.  About 10:30…just as I was getting ready to bag it for lack of support…I finally went big bendo.  Straight out off the north marina in 21 feet of water a chunky 21” kitty ate my white flig with gulp.  Then, only a few minutes later, the rod with the blue-silver and minnow made a big bounce and developed a serious bend.  A 22” cat.  And not too long after that the white whirly and gulp rod got busy again.  This was my biggest cat…at about 24”.
 

When I’m on “caregiver curfew” I gotta hit the ramp by noon to get back to my poor ailing spouse by midday.  That means bringing in the rods by about 11:30.  Just as I was reeling in the first rod, the second one got bent and I had my fourth kitty…but only about 18-19 inches.  A few years ago that would have been a biggun.  But these days they are growing them bigger.  So it was my smallest.  Still big enough to shed a couple of fillets.
 

Back at the cleaning station…which was working fine, thank you…I met up with JJAnnie (Jeff & Jill).  Had chatted with them briefly as we both started fishing…but they went one way & I t’other.  Found out they had a similar day.  A few cats and a couple of wee wipers.
 
Got home and checked the footage on my video camera.  Got some useable stuff but decided to fluff it up with some “blasts from the past”…along with some pics, maps and a lot of blather rhetoric.  Hope it helps someone and that it is well received.
 
LINK TO VIDEO

[Foamy8]

Got my replacement GoPro camera and wanted to finish a video I had started on fishing Willard Bay’s north marina.  Lousy weather with a lot of wind last week…and dropping water temps.  Wasn’t wildly optimistic about the fishing potential.  Expected it would not be too good inside.  I hate it when I’m always right.
 
Got set up and launched in my float tube by 7 am.  Calm with air temp a brisk 52…warming to 75 by noon.  Water temp just under 70…rising only a couple of degrees by midday.  The cool down in water temps from previous weeks likely slowed down the fish.
 

As planned, I started off fishing inside the harbor…with a variety of lures and baits.  Average depth inside was just under 12 feet…with some 13 foot spots.  Saw very little on TV…either bait or bigger marks.  In an hour and a half fishing all my fave areas I only got a couple of tentative tugs…and no hookups.
 
Been there and done that before.  Ya cain’t ketch ‘em where they ain’t.  So I moved out of the marina and went lookin’.  Moved around in big S turns, dragging baited fligs from 11’ deep to over 22’.  Worked a few spots out off Eagle Beach that usually treat me well…including “Kitty Condo”.  Had one good hit but lost it halfway to the tube.  Did bring in a couple of overeager but undersized wiperettes.
 
Finally rigged up with a white whirly flig and a white gulp minnow on one rod and a blue-silver whirly flig and a small chub minnow on the second rod.  About 10:30…just as I was getting ready to bag it for lack of support…I finally went big bendo.  Straight out off the north marina in 21 feet of water a chunky 21” kitty ate my white flig with gulp.  Then, only a few minutes later, the rod with the blue-silver and minnow made a big bounce and developed a serious bend.  A 22” cat.  And not too long after that the white whirly and gulp rod got busy again.  This was my biggest cat…at about 24”.
 

When I’m on “caregiver curfew” I gotta hit the ramp by noon to get back to my poor ailing spouse by midday.  That means bringing in the rods by about 11:30.  Just as I was reeling in the first rod, the second one got bent and I had my fourth kitty…but only about 18-19 inches.  A few years ago that would have been a biggun.  But these days they are growing them bigger.  So it was my smallest.  Still big enough to shed a couple of fillets.
 

Back at the cleaning station…which was working fine, thank you…I met up with JJAnnie (Jeff & Jill).  Had chatted with them briefly as we both started fishing…but they went one way & I t’other.  Found out they had a similar day.  A few cats and a couple of wee wipers.
 
Got home and checked the footage on my video camera.  Got some useable stuff but decided to fluff it up with some “blasts from the past”…along with some pics, maps and a lot of blather rhetoric.  Hope it helps someone and that it is well received.
 
LINK TO VIDEO

More importantly, how is TubeBabe?  A little R&R is helpful to the soul.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Pat, that was a great video... putting your write ups on film now, that is fun... Only problem for me was my viewer brought it up in low resolution and I didn't figure out I could change it until the end, but was fun seeing the perchin in full res... Makes me want to go hit Willard at least this fall... Later Jeff

[jjannie]

Great video once again Pat, you ought caught us that day for sure (no surprise there really)! It sure was fun seeing the carp surface eating taking in all bug life that was on the surface. We'd never seen it. Once the gentle breeze came the surface feeding ended. Still, it was great day to be out the water even if the catching wasn't so much (we had 2 cats and wiper for the day, better than getting skunked, LOL)


. 

[TubeDude]

More importantly, how is TubeBabe?  A little R&R is helpful to the soul.

TubeBabe is tough.  But she is 3 years older than I am and she has really been through a lot medically the last 5 years.  Her weight and strength have diminished and she tires easily.  Pretty certain she will never join me on the water again.  Right now she is hanging in there mostly for her grandkids and great grandkids.  And they are all great.  Thanks for asking.

---

Hey Pat, that was a great video... putting your write ups on film now, that is fun...  Only problem for me was my viewer brought it up in low resolution and I didn't figure out I could change it until the end, but was fun seeing the perchin in full res... Makes me want to go hit Willard at least this fall... Later Jeff

Thanks, Jeff.   Glad you liked it.  I'm optimistic about the perchin' this fall.  With all of the perch being caught throughout the summer...on stuff being fished for wipers and walleyes...I am guessing there is a good population and that there will be a lot showing up at the usual places when the water cools down.  You did pretty well on them as I recall, last year.

[Redrebel]

Great video Pat, I especially enjoyed the view from Willard peak. Reminds me of jumping out of ogden. We Would always gain altitude near Willard peak and the view is spectacular. I do have a question on the wiper, you said you were avoiding the gill plate? Are they sharp?

[TubeDude]

Great video Pat, I especially enjoyed the view from Willard peak. Reminds me of jumping out of ogden. We Would always gain altitude near Willard peak and the view is spectacular. I do have a question on the wiper, you said you were avoiding the gill plate? Are they sharp?

Most of the fish from Willard can be hazardous to your tender flesh...if you mishandle them.  Most folks know about the catfish spines.  But even perch can cause "weight loss" either from getting spined or else cut on their sharp gill covers too.  Walleyes are similarly hazardous.  And all members of the "rockfish" family...stripers, white bass and wipers have sharp protuberances on their gill covers that can cut like razors.  A good reason to handle carefully...or to wear thin gloves as I do more often these days.  

I have heard tell that there is a road up the back to Willard Peak and that it has been the site of some wing suit jumping.  Not for me.  But a heck of a view, fer sure.