06-01-2007, 09:57 PM
[cool][#0000ff]We have hit the south marina the last few times we visited Willard so decided to try launching out of the north marina this morning. On the water about 6 AM. Air temp mid 50's. Water temp 66 at launch and up to 70 when we left about noon.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water clarity is also improving a lot. That and the warming water should light up the wipers for trolling again. Also, the shad should be spawning and that means that before very long the wipers will begin chasing the tiny tykes up into shallow coves and corners...and along the dike areas. It will soon be boil time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I started out by throwing all kinds of plastics and hardbaits around the bumps and humps off the north marina and eagle beach area. Had a couple of whacks, probably from small smallies or similar. No wallies or wipers. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw lots of carp rolling right on shore, even before full daylight. Lots more once the sun hit the water. The "big beaked ducks" (pelicans) were going wacko crashing on the thrashing carp. A couple of splashy encounters seemed to indicate that a pelican had chomped a carp too big to get down its gullet. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The carp commotion increased through the morning, as the water warmed. They massed up on the tops of some submerged gravel bars and really raised a ruckus. At one point, a couple of guys in a boat yelled "Hey, there's a boil"...thinking that I was fishing a wiper boil. With all of the sportsmanship many Willard wiper chasers exhibit, they roared in on top of me and began casting to the "golden wipers". When I just gave one guy "the look", he got really embarassed and they blasted off the way they came. Don't know if he was more grossed out that they were fooled by the carp or that I had quietly maintained "my ascendency", and had not said a single word.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I hooked one of those "golden wipers" with a lure, and treated it to a complimentary "carpupuncture" treatment, before releasing it unharmed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Actually, all of the commotion seemed to attract other species. We had only had occasional hits on bait before reaching the "love nest" area. Once in that zone the cats kept us busy. I had doubles on twice and just missed doubles on my bait rigs a couple of other times. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe smacked the kitties pretty good too. She always does. She's the kitty queen. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, she can't keep up with the old man on wipers. She still has not caught one this year. I get at least one on most trips, and two or three on many. I got two today...one 19" that weighed 3.5# and a reel singer that went 21" and 4.1#. Man, those things are so much fun to catch by casting, on light tackle, that I just can't see the attraction of trolling for them with heavy gear. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Absolutely beautiful weather today. A light north breeze, just before the sun came over the mountains about 7:30, but after that it was glass all morning. Saw several boats trolling...both for wipers and walleyes. Did not see any other fish caught. We got grundles of cats in the 15" - 17" (cookie cutter) range. A few smaller ones and nothing really much bigger. But, since they are absolutely some of the best eating catfish in the country, we each kept limits for a family fish fry.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water clarity is also improving a lot. That and the warming water should light up the wipers for trolling again. Also, the shad should be spawning and that means that before very long the wipers will begin chasing the tiny tykes up into shallow coves and corners...and along the dike areas. It will soon be boil time.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I started out by throwing all kinds of plastics and hardbaits around the bumps and humps off the north marina and eagle beach area. Had a couple of whacks, probably from small smallies or similar. No wallies or wipers. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Saw lots of carp rolling right on shore, even before full daylight. Lots more once the sun hit the water. The "big beaked ducks" (pelicans) were going wacko crashing on the thrashing carp. A couple of splashy encounters seemed to indicate that a pelican had chomped a carp too big to get down its gullet. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The carp commotion increased through the morning, as the water warmed. They massed up on the tops of some submerged gravel bars and really raised a ruckus. At one point, a couple of guys in a boat yelled "Hey, there's a boil"...thinking that I was fishing a wiper boil. With all of the sportsmanship many Willard wiper chasers exhibit, they roared in on top of me and began casting to the "golden wipers". When I just gave one guy "the look", he got really embarassed and they blasted off the way they came. Don't know if he was more grossed out that they were fooled by the carp or that I had quietly maintained "my ascendency", and had not said a single word.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I hooked one of those "golden wipers" with a lure, and treated it to a complimentary "carpupuncture" treatment, before releasing it unharmed.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Actually, all of the commotion seemed to attract other species. We had only had occasional hits on bait before reaching the "love nest" area. Once in that zone the cats kept us busy. I had doubles on twice and just missed doubles on my bait rigs a couple of other times. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]TubeBabe smacked the kitties pretty good too. She always does. She's the kitty queen. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]But, she can't keep up with the old man on wipers. She still has not caught one this year. I get at least one on most trips, and two or three on many. I got two today...one 19" that weighed 3.5# and a reel singer that went 21" and 4.1#. Man, those things are so much fun to catch by casting, on light tackle, that I just can't see the attraction of trolling for them with heavy gear. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Absolutely beautiful weather today. A light north breeze, just before the sun came over the mountains about 7:30, but after that it was glass all morning. Saw several boats trolling...both for wipers and walleyes. Did not see any other fish caught. We got grundles of cats in the 15" - 17" (cookie cutter) range. A few smaller ones and nothing really much bigger. But, since they are absolutely some of the best eating catfish in the country, we each kept limits for a family fish fry.[/#0000ff]
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