Willard if finally improving

[wiperhunter2]

The magic temp range for Willard spring walleye fishing is between about 65-70...with wipers getting more active at that time too.  But once water temps reach the high 70s and into the 80s the walleye tend to feed less during the day and are more focused on the newly hatched baby shad.  By then they are usually at least 1.5 to 2" long.  And when all a walleye has to do to get a bellyful is swim through a densely packed school of hatchlings with its mouth open (like a whale shark eating plankton) it doesn't have to mess with the silly stuff dragged around at mach 3 by anglers.  Plus, they may only feed for 15 minutes...after dark or just before daybreak...and then they just lay around all day and burp shad bubbles.

I tubed the south marina area yesterday (5-28-24).  Water temps went from 60 at launch to about 62 at noon.  I suspect they got higher during the warm afternoon.  But until they maintain a few more degrees the fishing will be spotty...good in a few spots but still poor in others.

I covered a lot of area within tubeable reach of the south marina.  Saw very little on TV and even less on my line.  No schools of anything and only a few suspended fish and bottom anomalies.  Didn't get hits from anything I saw and tried to work.  A few hits that were totally random in areas I was not even seeing fish.  Mostly bottom bouncing with crawler rigs but also served up some minnows and dragged some cranks.

I fished all depths from 12' right off the dikes out to over 24'.  Did see quite a few fish in the 14 to 15 foot zone but none that wanted to play.  Also saw a number of boats working the same general areas that I did...and didn't see any of them get their nets wet.  All moved out to other areas.  Good/bad indicator.

I caught a couple of everlovin' cats, a cantankerous carp and a "small-eye".  Thats not a smallmouth with an eye, it's a small walleye.  One of the smallest I have ever caught at Willard.

More unsetted weather ahead.  But by mid June I predict the usual wide open walleye whackin'.  

That is the size of the smaller eyes we have been catching this year. Too bad the catching wasn't better. How far did you get away from the shore to find water that was 24 ft?