05-14-2019, 12:15 AM
[#0000ff]A hectic schedule and "variable" weather dictated that I make a fishing run today or not at all for the next few days. Opted to hit Willard north marina. Hoped for some crappies, wipers or walleyes. None of those species were harmed on this trip. But the everlovin' kitties came out to play. And I invited a few home for a smokin' session.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At 6:30 am launch, air temp was 53 and water temp was just a notch under 65. Warmed to about 66 by the time I left the water just after 10. Dare we hope for summer temperatures soon?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Started in the marina. Saw almost nothing over a wide area on sonar. A few floating blips that were probably the small crappies that predominate this year. There were 3 other tuber-tooners on the water in the marina when I got launched. Didn't see them catch anything. Ditto for the few bank tanglers. Hopes for non-catfish action dwindled quickly and I fired up the "big motor" and headed for the open lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Didn't see much on sonar outside either. But water levels are way up and that usually disperses the fish over a much wider area. Worked along the old road bed, "Rocky's Reef" and down near the shoreline off Eagle Beach. That can be good this time of year. Not today. Must be because it was Monday the 13'th. Worse than Friday the 13th?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked my way back out to deeper water. I did get a couple of cats once I passed the 12' depth zone. And as I worked deeper the bite picked up. Got cat bites out as far as 18'. Had one wiper (my call) that ripped line off the drag for a short run and then forgot how to hold on. Stupid fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Did the usual. Fished bait solo and on fligs with one rod. Pitched a rotation of tube jigs, grubs and crank baits on the other. Nary a nudge on anything besides bait or baited fligs. Got a couple on plain minnows dragged on the bottom. The rest came on several different colors of fligs...first with crawler then with chub minnows. Caught about a dozen and kept 8 for the smoker...first batch this year. Yum.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water was pretty clean...and about as high as I have seen it. Gonna get higher. In the 65 degree water the kitties put up a feisty fight...some ripping some line off the drag. When you ain't with the ones you love (ABC...anything but cats), love the ones you can catch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Cottonwoods are fluffing up the place with their annual cotton covering. See pics.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Met up with fellow BFTer GSP back at the ramp. I had provided some intel for him to try for the crappies inside the marina. I was happy to hear that he had caught about 8 fish...of 3 species...crappies, bluegill and largemouth. He said he saw a lot of shad cruising near shore. Also a lot of carp doing the "buglemouth lambada".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Beautimous day. Even if it was NBC...nothing but catfish. And my early departure was well timed. Two separate PWC trailers unloaded as I was moving toward the ramp.
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[#0000ff]At 6:30 am launch, air temp was 53 and water temp was just a notch under 65. Warmed to about 66 by the time I left the water just after 10. Dare we hope for summer temperatures soon?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Started in the marina. Saw almost nothing over a wide area on sonar. A few floating blips that were probably the small crappies that predominate this year. There were 3 other tuber-tooners on the water in the marina when I got launched. Didn't see them catch anything. Ditto for the few bank tanglers. Hopes for non-catfish action dwindled quickly and I fired up the "big motor" and headed for the open lake.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Didn't see much on sonar outside either. But water levels are way up and that usually disperses the fish over a much wider area. Worked along the old road bed, "Rocky's Reef" and down near the shoreline off Eagle Beach. That can be good this time of year. Not today. Must be because it was Monday the 13'th. Worse than Friday the 13th?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Worked my way back out to deeper water. I did get a couple of cats once I passed the 12' depth zone. And as I worked deeper the bite picked up. Got cat bites out as far as 18'. Had one wiper (my call) that ripped line off the drag for a short run and then forgot how to hold on. Stupid fish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Did the usual. Fished bait solo and on fligs with one rod. Pitched a rotation of tube jigs, grubs and crank baits on the other. Nary a nudge on anything besides bait or baited fligs. Got a couple on plain minnows dragged on the bottom. The rest came on several different colors of fligs...first with crawler then with chub minnows. Caught about a dozen and kept 8 for the smoker...first batch this year. Yum.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Water was pretty clean...and about as high as I have seen it. Gonna get higher. In the 65 degree water the kitties put up a feisty fight...some ripping some line off the drag. When you ain't with the ones you love (ABC...anything but cats), love the ones you can catch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Cottonwoods are fluffing up the place with their annual cotton covering. See pics.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Met up with fellow BFTer GSP back at the ramp. I had provided some intel for him to try for the crappies inside the marina. I was happy to hear that he had caught about 8 fish...of 3 species...crappies, bluegill and largemouth. He said he saw a lot of shad cruising near shore. Also a lot of carp doing the "buglemouth lambada".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Beautimous day. Even if it was NBC...nothing but catfish. And my early departure was well timed. Two separate PWC trailers unloaded as I was moving toward the ramp.
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]). The first crappie I ever caught, a nice big blue gill and a good bass.
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