Yay. A Willard Wallie 5-12-21

[TubeDude]

Met up with FatBiker (now Fat Yakker) at the south marina.  Me in my red ride and he in his yak.  Launched by 7 am.  Air temp 41 and water temp 57...warming to 59 by noon departure.


Cleared the harbor and started washing a procession of cranks and plastics.  No love.  After about an hour I switched to pulling some whirly fligs...decorated with crawler...in hopes of ABC (anything but cats).  Rigged one rod with fire tiger and the other with the customarily best blue and silver.  Had hits (missed) on both...and then nothing.

Decided to try my new lime green with black spots whirly flig.  That color has been good on blades for the last couple of years and I was optimistic it might get some attention as a flig.  It did.  Got a nice 19" walleye and lost another at the net that would have probably been a 2-footer.  Dang.  But then no more walleyes and no wipers.  Howsomever, the everlovin' kitties came to play and they liked lime just fine.  Got 7 or 8 and kept 3 to fry.





Quite a few boats out today.  Seemed to be a few gathered out in one area of the "Openness".  Saw a few come in with walleyes as I was filleting my catch later. 

Larry (FB) scored some cats but no walleyes.  As soon as that silly water temp stays above 60...and preferably 65...we should all see more consistent catching.

[2knots]

Nice job Pat

[FatBiker]

Pat, as always it's good too see you and better yet to fish with you. Once again you took me to school. Ended up with five or six kitties an a small wiper. Most were caught on your silver and blue twirrely flig tipped with either cut sucker meat or marinated chicken. Couple liked my Santee rig. Let me know next time you're headed this way.

[TubeDude]

Pat, as always it's good too see you and better yet to fish with you.  Once again you took me to school.  Ended up with five or six kitties an a small wiper.  Most were caught on your silver and blue twirrely flig tipped with either cut sucker meat or marinated chicken. Couple liked my Santee rig.  Let me know next time you're headed this way.

Yeah, we've had a heckuva time getting our schedules to match up so far this year.  Glad we could both make it today.  I'll have my peeps contact your peeps before my next northern  run.  And I'll be making up some more of those wall-lime flavor whirlies too.

The good news is that it is still early in the year.  Even better news is that with improving temps the fishing can only get better.

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Nice job Pat

Thanks.  Sounds like you and "da boyz" had a decent day yesterday.

[2knots]

Pat, as always it's good too see you and better yet to fish with you.  Once again you took me to school.  Ended up with five or six kitties an a small wiper.  Most were caught on your silver and blue twirrely flig tipped with either cut sucker meat or marinated chicken. Couple liked my Santee rig.  Let me know next time you're headed this way.

Yeah, we've had a heckuva time getting our schedules to match up so far this year.  Glad we could both make it today.  I'll have my peeps contact your peeps before my next northern  run.  And I'll be making up some more of those wall-lime flavor whirlies too.

The good news is that it is still early in the year.  Even better news is that with improving temps the fishing can only get better.

---

Nice job Pat

Thanks.  Sounds like you and "da boyz" had a decent day yesterday.

Yes it was for sure

[PAC12_AfterDark]

Thanks for the report. Pulled the tracker out of hibernation today, going to hit willard tomorrow.

[wiperhunter2]

Nice going Pat and Larry glad to hear everyone is getting in on some action. I agree I think things will really be improving shortly.

[Freakyfisherman]

Met up with FatBiker (now Fat Yakker) at the south marina.  Me in my red ride and he in his yak.  Launched by 7 am.  Air temp 41 and water temp 57...warming to 59 by noon departure.


Cleared the harbor and started washing a procession of cranks and plastics.  No love.  After about an hour I switched to pulling some whirly fligs...decorated with crawler...in hopes of ABC (anything but cats).  Rigged one rod with fire tiger and the other with the customarily best blue and silver.  Had hits (missed) on both...and then nothing.

Decided to try my new lime green with black spots whirly flig.  That color has been good on blades for the last couple of years and I was optimistic it might get some attention as a flig.  It did.  Got a nice 19" walleye and lost another at the net that would have probably been a 2-footer.  Dang.  But then no more walleyes and no wipers.  Howsomever, the everlovin' kitties came to play and they liked lime just fine.  Got 7 or 8 and kept 3 to fry.





Quite a few boats out today.  Seemed to be a few gathered out in one area of the "Openness".  Saw a few come in with walleyes as I was filleting my catch later. 

Larry (FB) scored some cats but no walleyes.  As soon as that silly water temp stays above 60...and preferably 65...we should all see more consistent catching.

I got on the water from the north marina about 9 this morning. I kicked straight out and worked my way north. I tried various presentations with no intrest shown. I marked fish on the finder. Maybe I needed to be out there at sunrise and with a faster presentation. Oh well, it was a nice day to be out fishing. Nice report Pat.
Gabe

[Cowboypirate]

I hope you two left a few. I just tied on a couple whirly figs and Cookie is packing the lunch for a AM run to willard. She is a determined gal

[TubeDude]

I got on the water from the north marina about 9 this morning. I kicked straight out and worked my way north. I tried various presentations with no intrest shown. I marked fish on the finder. Maybe I needed to be out there at sunrise and with a faster presentation. Oh well, it was a nice day to be out fishing. Nice report Pat.
Gabe

Don't overthink it.  You just gotta be ready to change things up until you find what the fish want...in your neighborhood.  Some guys were catching walleyes at middepth trolling 2 mph or faster.  Others were getting them bottom bouncing at paint-drying speed.  Water temps and fish activity levels are the determining factors. 

I started out fishing over 1 mph today and got nada.  Slowed down to .5 to .6 mph...fast enough to keep the little whirly blades spinning...and began to get bites.  Depth was critical for me today too.  Nothing much on sonar under 14 feet...or over 16.5 feet...at least in the area I was fishing.  Almost all my bites came between 15 and 16 feet.  I did see more fish both on the bottom and above the bottom in that zone.

My fave fisherman saying is "Ya cain't ketch 'em where they ain't."  It don't pay to fish in fishless water.  That's where electronics help.  But as we both know, finding them is no guarantee they will bite.  But at least it can give you more hope.

Also, a lot of guys are doing better later in the day, so I don't think daybreak is the key.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks for the report Pat, great to hear you got an ABC this time... But always nice to have the ever faithful kitties show up as well.. Sounds like the conditions are getting pretty nice on the pond... I love May for fishing, sure hope I can make it out a little more soon... Thanks for the report... Jeff

[fishinfool]

Great report Pat. Glad you got into the Walleye.
We are going up there this weekend I think to see if things have changed any from the last visit. When you say 15' in that area you must have been right in the (Blank) We need to get out and your always welcome anytime sir. Let me know when you can get away on the weekend.

fnf

[TubeDude]

Great report Pat. Glad you got into the Walleye.
We are going up there this weekend I think to see if things have changed any from the last visit. When you say 15' in that area you must have been right in the (Blank) We need to get out and your always welcome anytime sir. Let me know when you can get away on the weekend.

fnf

Thanks Tony.  I'd be willing to bet that after two or three days of warming that you will find the fish ready and willing.  And I'd also guess that the place you told me about where the bottom changes and you found the wipers should also probably hold some walleyes.

Otherwise, it's always the "biblical system"...seek and ye shall find.  Some days you can scope a lot of fishless water before you find an area with some promising marks.  Reports of success come from anglers fishing all different depths in several different areas.  So you might do well trolling cranks at mid depth...or you may have to do some bottom bouncing with crawler harnesses.  Let the sonar lead you in choosing your presentation and then be ready to keep changing it up if you need to.

Most who know me know that I don't do weekend fishing.  However, in the interest of sociability I could probably take an extra dose of meds some Saturday morning and join you and your charming wife afloat.  As long as you don't insist on playing Tex Ritter's "Blood in the Saddle" on your music system.  That was a thing with a FORMER fishing buddy.  Also, you gotta be prepared for a lot of whining about what I would be doing if I was in my tube.  I guess that's why I usually only get one invite.

Sure.  Lemme know your schedule and I'll cancel my golf date with Trump...or whatever. 

[Anglinarcher]

I thought that was you yesterday.  I was going to boat over and jack jaw with you for a few minutes but I had my dad and brother in the boat.  Glad you caught some fish.

We found our Walleye in 13 feet of water and did not catch any until almost 2:00 PM.  Took 7 decent walleye and a silly kitty home for dinner.

We found that no single color was best but we needed to be between .8 and 1.1 mph.  I agree that a little warmer water will be better for sure.  Temperature got up to about 61 deg. by 6:00 PM when we left.