A tale of two trips (Willard)

[Redrebel]

It's not often I squeeze in two float tube trips in the same week.  The combination of age, health, economics, weather and family commitments usually limit my excursions to one carefully chosen day each week.  But this week I hit Willard N. Marina on both Tuesday and Thursday.  And I'm feeling it.

Tuesday (Halloween) it was a brisk 27 degrees at launch...warming only to the high 40s by midday.  Thursday it was a bit warmer...starting out at 34 and rocketing up to just over 50 by noon departure.  Water temps were on either side of 50 both days...with no appreciable warming.

With apologies to the late Charles Dickens...these trips were not the best of trips...nor the worst of trips.  I didn't catch as many perch as I would have liked, but still got plenty of tugs...thanks to the everlovin' kitties.  I scratched out 5 footlong perch on Tuesday and a couple of cats.  Thursday I stayed away from the perch armada outside the marina and was unable to bag any perch.  But I did get molested by about 7 chunky cats.


One of the highlights of Tuesday's perchin' was getting a rare double on perch...one on each rod at the same time.  And then I followed it up with catching back to back cats in the same area...first on one rod and then as soon as I released the first my second rod went bendo.  Double double.
[b]

Thursday was overcast in the morning and the perch bite seemed slower...for the boats in the armada.  I took off on a search mission...first back in the marina and then out to a couple of spots outside where I have caught perch in the past.  After trying multiple spots, with a variety of lures, baits and presentations, I was reminded of the famous quote of Thomas Edison.  History tells us that he conducted over 1000 experiments before finding an electric light bulb that worked.  When asked how it felt to fail 1000 times, Mr. Edison answered that he did not view it as 1000 failures...just 1000 ways that would not work on the way to finding one that would.[/b]

Those diehards in the boats who stayed anchored or spot locked in "the zone" almost all caught perch through the morning.  And I know from several years experience that slow vertical presentations will catch a lot more of these porky perch than fast moving stuff.  But I just didn't wanna tie up to someone's boat...although I was invited.  I fish more for the esthetics and solitude than group gratification.

I did catch quite a few cats on the perchy stuff I was using.  And they stretched my string  and bent my poor light perch sticks something fierce.  I got in some good tugs, so all was not lost.  And I know that before ice covers the surface at Willard I will get in some good harvests...like I did last year on Thanksgiving.

   

Thanks for the report Pat, I was out there today, and had no success with the perch. I did get a very nice wiper when I gave up my perch activities. I would love to get some goodies from you when you can spare some.