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Willard eyes saturday.
#1
I see theres a few questions about where and how to get the eyes at willard right now. Well, I will try to include that in my report for tonight.

Hit the water again tonight. Began letting out lures. Before I got the second line out, we had a walleye on the first rod. (wally diver on a planer board).

Then as I was just getting settled in and sat down, Skeeter and his dad pulled up on us. We decided to stick around in the same area and see what we could come up with.

Then we got another eye longlined out the back of the boat. Again on a wally diver. I cant remember the color pattern. I saw a show on the outdoor channel where the cotton cordell big wig was the fishing guest and he was saying they did a bunch of angler research and found that nationwide more eyes were caught on this one lure than ony other they offered. So, I figured "cant hurt, I'll get one and give it a try" They work like nothing else, Its one of the psycho colors, not a typical name like clown, firetiger, shad, or the others. Wish I could remember the name.

Anyways, trolled around some more, got bit by a wiper, Hit a chartruse grub. Got another walleye, 22 inches. Then two more eyes, one on a wally diver, and one on a bill lewis walleye series rattle trap. Got another wiper and that was it for the catching. We had another eye and wiper on but they got off as we were reeling them in.

As for location, I dont fish areas most guys fish. Most guys stick close to the bank, I fish out off the bank quite a ways unless its early spring. Once the wipers and eyes move out into the lake and start chasing shad I leave the dike fishing. So its kind of hard to tell a guy where, its just out there in the wide open water.

Things are always changing out at willard though. Seems like every year the fish size and numbers change and so does the locations and habits of the fish. The boils of the past two seasons have been small and very short lived. Old reliable spring time locations dont pan out like they used to. You used to be able to set your clock by the wiper fishing in the channel, this year makes three years in a row where that old stand by has not produced.

As things change, 8-10 fish a day 2-3 lbers may become a good day. The dikes may hold fish more than the schools of shad out in the open water.

Lures and presentaions have definitley been changing in the last six years.

I have for sure had a hard time adapting with the wipers. Its been two years since I had a fifty + fish day out there. But the last three years I have really enjoyed the walleye fishing.

I think the big reason we have been doing so well on the eyes latley is just because I have been paying attention and letting the eyes tell me what they want. Thursday the fish were all suspended, and that isnt much in willard, but its important not to be under the fish. Friday they were deeper, today was a mix.

Two pole permits and a couple guys will let you run an arsenal of lures at a variety of depths. Makes for easy work that way. Scents and lures with rattles help too. Find the speed and direction they want the lures travleing and dont mess with it.

I am no expert, I like to think I just toss them lures out there behind the boat and just relax after that. The rest is up too the fish. But thats not true. See, theres a real secret involved here and I will let you in on it. I am 100% catch and release. The boat knows this, and so do the fish. Theres a serious respect between a man and his fish when you live the higher law. Most days the fish chew on your lure just out of respect for your ethic. [laugh][angelic]
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#2
I forgot to add one thing to that last bit there. It is my aniversary today. Now most guys wouldnt get away with leaving the wife home with the kids and going out fishing on that night. But I have a good wife and the fish know that my respect for them takes priority and so they treat me well. I just had to rub that in for some of you who didnt get to fish on your aniversary. Hee hee. Oh by the way, the wife has an eligible sister.
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#3
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]You been smokin' crack or somethin'? [cool][/size][/font]
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#4
The last three times I have been to willard I have caught 8 walleyes. 6 of them were caught on the side planner and all of them were caught on a #5 black&silver rapala shad rap. All of them were caught 200' or further from the shore.
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#5
That's cool, my wife and I have only been married for almost two years now so haven't had the chance to try that yet. But last Valentine's Day I did talk her into going to Redmond after pike for three day Valentine weekend. So it can happen[sly]
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#6
Ahhhhhhhhh ya liar, all you caught were a few cats and a carp!!!!![Tongue][Tongue]
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#7
hey predator some of us are just lucky in the wife department thur. was my aniversary and i was out fishing with petty4life when i got home i got a kiss and a new reel i,ve been looking at ! oh did i mention she does windows LOL

aquaman
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#8
I agree with BLM, what have you been smokin, ha,ha. If Walleyepaul makes a post on how he did I think you will fine that this idea of respect from fish is, well I won't go there. The way he was talking they must have caught close to ten wiper and who knows how many walleye.

As for me and my son we fished from 11:30am to 12:45 and caught three wipers and two walleye. The modified walley diver was the hot lure, in blue back, silver side. We were trolling at 2.8 mph and the water temp was 74 degree, we were trolling between the outlet and the enterance to the north marina. Water depth was 13 to 15 feet deep. My best day this year for only being out there one hour and 15 minutes, I wish I had been there a little earlier because I had to leave after the dinner.

Hey Predator, sounds like you have a good wife also but why did you not want to bring her to the Fish-n-Feed? We missed you my friend!!! WH2
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#9
Here I am, burned to a crisp yet had a great night's sleep trying to recover from the fishfest yesterday.

From Dawn to dusk we were assaulting those amphibians! The count between 6:30 to Lunch was 4 walleyes 9 wipers. The walleye bite came only in the morning when there was a breeze rippling the surface. Wipers would be in schools among the 'eyes. There were quite a few smal cats in there too.

Lunch rolled around and met most of you BFT'ers for the first time. Very good lunch by old coot! (thank you for your delicious lunch, by far the best dutch oven ever!)

Then we headed out again from 3 to 8:30 to the feedlot, no eyes were caught again.[pirate] However those wipers really came on! My buddy Jason and I were going absolutely nuts tearing into them. My fish finder was showing gizzard shad spurts, and wipers clearly was in the area. I was using Worden's bottom bouncer (the kind with the flourescent spinner) and a crawler harness. We were running them into the flood of gizzard shad on the bottom. Kabooom!!!! In all there were a total of 32 wipers. Boy, they can tire your arms out. I would have stayed but my brain and my arms were so tired. I told Jason that I'm done. It was a long beautiful day indeed!

Old Coot, the third time's definitely the charm! You picked the best day of all time! I left the fish camp totally satisfied, and contented for the nice evening drive home. I want to say abig hearty THANK YOU to you.

I enjoyed meeting you all!

Thank you fish1on for the meal ticket. Thank you Bear Lake Mack for the meal ticket for my friend Jason. Thank you nomoose for the worms and the gift of two ice cold bottled water. They sure came in handy as I was dehydrated. You al have a great heart of gold! You clearly outshined those people in the Deep South with your generous hospitality! You all are a great bunch of anglers in my book! May all of you catch and release a million wipers and eyes!
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#10
Thanks Pred. That seems to answer my ?s I also fish quite a ways from the dikes. It sounds like I should have tried my new wally divers the other night instead of sticking to the grubs. Do you fish the northern half of the bay more than the southern half. I am almost always in the southern half and never hook any eyes. Maybee its time to try something new.
The last part of your post had me rolling on the floor. I have been known to believe the same kinds of things about (fish carma). If you aren't catching fish you haven't been living right or the fish just don't like you.
Thanks for all the info. I will be out there again monday night. I Always launch at the south marina and will be in a red tacoma pulling a dark red 18ft maxum. If anyone happens to see me stop and say hi. I would love to meet anyone on the board in person

Cableguy

DUMP YOUR DISH
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#11
[size 2]BLM, you know he's smoking something when he's preaching 100% C&R and then has a selective harvest graphic as his signature. That kind of oxymoron can only be drug-induced. Or maybe it's the lack of omega-3 fatty acids in his system. [/size][crazy]
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#12
[cool] I swear I didn't share any mushrooms with him !!!!!

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[#ff00ff]PINEVIEW SHROOMS !![/#ff00ff]
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