Slow day at Willard today

[TubeDude]

Thanks for the info Pat. We did not notice any baby shad, that were dead, like before ice up and from what we observed they are not traveling in any sort of groups either, so you thoughts line up with what we observed. Hopefully when we can cover more of the lake, after the ice is gone, we will be able to find some biters, when we get out there next. I like your idea about chasing the eyes, might just give that a try, on our next trip there.

By the way, even though numbers are way down, there are usually some crappies that show up early too.  Some inside the marinas...either out in the open or under the docks.  I have also done well early fishing for crappies fairly close to shore in Eagle Beach.  But the fish are slow and suspended.  Helps to use small jigs sweetened with wax worms or....?  Also helps to be able to rig and fish a slip bobber rig.

Also, the early season walleyes are opportunistic feeders.  Most of the shad that have survived are too large for most predators to eat.  But they will still chomp lures that look like shad.  Plastics in white or blue/white usually work well.  But cast and retrieved...fished slow...not trolled at mach 3.  Used to start fishing them by the end of February from the rocks and continued catching until post spawn when they moved out into the main lake.  That was back in the day when my hair was still brown and my body still cashed the checks my fisherman's mind wrote.  Spent a lot of hours...day and night...rock hopping and casting for the toothy critters.