Another slow day at Willard

[wiperhunter2]

At least for the perch but the cats came on strong today, with three of the biggest cats coming in at 24" and fat as can be, one was pushing 6 lbs. I should have taken some pics of the bigger cats but since we were after perch, that is all I took any pics of. Same location and, set up as last week but we found another color of flig that worked better today, Pink. We started off catching them on a fire tiger flig, with a pink tail but it got us thinking, if a pink tiger flig would work. Since we got some samples from TubeDude that were pink, we gave them a try and sure enough, they worked great. Awesome day out there but it looks like things will be changing, so we got out there today at 7:30 am and got off a little after 1 PM. Water temps had gone up from last Fri up to 50 today before we left. Saw TubDude out there today and a few of Willards regulars hopefully they did better for the perch.

[TubeDude]

It was good to (temporarily) share the water with you.  Glad you got some tugs.  I ended up catching 5 perch and two cats.  Didn't keep any since TubeBabe is out of town for the week.

I caught 1 cat and 1 perch while you guys were still hanging around the spotlock convention.  After you headed south, I headed north...for the kitty condo area.  Caught one cat and 3 more perch in that general area.  Headed back to the "spot" about 11 and caught one more perch before heading in.

I saw KD boat a couple of perch.  And when I cruised by on my way in he said they had about 20.  Held up one that would have gone about 14".

Not gonna make a separate report on this trip.  Nothing great to offer the masses.  One note on the day, though.  I have never had so many missed hits on fligs.  Not sure whether or not the fish were small perch, small cats, bluegills or what.  But I got a grundle of quick two or three tug hits and then nothing when I tried to set the hook.  They seldom got the bait...or tore it up much...but they definitely bounced the rod tip.

Question on the "pink" flig you were using.  Was it a true pink...or was it the red glitter model?  Or did I give you one of my experimental "Pink Tigers"?   Or...none of the below?

      

[wiperhunter2]

It was good to (temporarily) share the water with you.  Glad you got some tugs.  I ended up catching 5 perch and two cats.  Didn't keep any since TubeBabe is out of town for the week.

I caught 1 cat and 1 perch while you guys were still hanging around the spotlock convention.  After you headed south, I headed north...for the kitty condo area.  Caught one cat and 3 more perch in that general area.  Headed back to the "spot" about 11 and caught one more perch before heading in.

I saw KD boat a couple of perch.  And when I cruised by on my way in he said they had about 20.  Held up one that would have gone about 14".

Not gonna make a separate report on this trip.  Nothing great to offer the masses.  One note on the day, though.  I have never had so many missed hits on fligs.  Not sure whether or not the fish were small perch, small cats, bluegills or what.  But I got a grundle of quick two or three tug hits and then nothing when I tried to set the hook.  They seldom got the bait...or tore it up much...but they definitely bounced the rod tip.

Question on the "pink" flig you were using.  Was it a true pink...or was it the red glitter model?  Or did I give you one of my experimental "Pink Tigers"?   Or...none of the below?

      

It was the pink Tiger that did so well but it started off with the fire tiger that had that same pink tail. We caught them on others as well but those were the best yesterday for us. Ira wanted to go back and join the KD group but since my spot lock isn't working right, because my hand head controller is dead, we just stayed where we were, because catching kitties is fun too  Glad to hear you did better on the perch, how deep was the kitty condo area?

[TubeDude]

It was the pink Tiger that did so well but it started off with the fire tiger that had that same pink tail. We caught them on others as well but those were the best yesterday for us. Ira wanted to go back and join the KD group but since my spot lock isn't working right, because my hand head controller is dead, we just stayed where we were, because catching kitties is fun too  Glad to hear you did better on the perch, how deep was the kitty condo area?

The best depth was the 9 to 9.5 zone.  But that area ranges from about 5' on top of the humps to over 12' a short distance to the west.  Like the area out in front of the marina, there were lots of shad balls...even though I saw very few in between there and the Condo.  Not sure what attracts fish to that area...unless it is the contours.

[wiperhunter2]

It was the pink Tiger that did so well but it started off with the fire tiger that had that same pink tail. We caught them on others as well but those were the best yesterday for us. Ira wanted to go back and join the KD group but since my spot lock isn't working right, because my hand head controller is dead, we just stayed where we were, because catching kitties is fun too  Glad to hear you did better on the perch, how deep was the kitty condo area?

The best depth was the 9 to 9.5 zone.  But that area ranges from about 5' on top of the humps to over 12' a short distance to the west.  Like the area out in front of the marina, there were lots of shad balls...even though I saw very few in between there and the Condo.  Not sure what attracts fish to that area...unless it is the contours.

Do you think it could be bugs emerging from the mud there or coming off the shore? We saw lots of lady bugs on the water there in Freeway bay.

[TubeDude]

It was the pink Tiger that did so well but it started off with the fire tiger that had that same pink tail. We caught them on others as well but those were the best yesterday for us. Ira wanted to go back and join the KD group but since my spot lock isn't working right, because my hand head controller is dead, we just stayed where we were, because catching kitties is fun too  Glad to hear you did better on the perch, how deep was the kitty condo area?

The best depth was the 9 to 9.5 zone.  But that area ranges from about 5' on top of the humps to over 12' a short distance to the west.  Like the area out in front of the marina, there were lots of shad balls...even though I saw very few in between there and the Condo.  Not sure what attracts fish to that area...unless it is the contours.

Do you think it could be bugs emerging from the mud there or coming off the shore? We saw lots of lady bugs on the water there in Freeway bay.

It is generally a food chain thing.  Where there are zooplankton or other microbites there will be shad.  And wherever the shad are the predators show up. 

I saw lots of ladybugs around the north marina as I was leaving too.  But ladybugs are seldom a food item for Willard species.  Zooplankton are at a low point in the cold water but the larger shad may be feeding on midge larvae.

[wiperhunter2]

I have never seen that many lady bugs before at Willard, do they hatch this late in the year or do you have any idea why there was so many of them out there?

[TubeDude]

I have never seen that many lady bugs before at Willard, do they hatch this late in the year or do you have any idea why there was so many of them out there?

Actually they do it every year.  We usually just don't notice it.  Like rattlesnakes, they "den up" together to save warmth, etc.  LADYBUG SWARMS

I have seen them swarm way up in the Sierras...and down near the ocean.  

[wiperhunter2]

I have never seen that many lady bugs before at Willard, do they hatch this late in the year or do you have any idea why there was so many of them out there?

Actually they do it every year.  We usually just don't notice it.  Like rattlesnakes, they "den up" together to save warmth, etc.  LADYBUG SWARMS

I have seen them swarm way up in the Sierras...and down near the ocean.  

Interesting but strange they would do that on or over the water, maybe the wind just blew them in that direction but the wind wasn't really that strong on Monday.

[MrShane]

At least for the perch but the cats came on strong today, with three of the biggest cats coming in at 24" and fat as can be, one was pushing 6 lbs. I should have taken some pics of the bigger cats but since we were after perch, that is all I took any pics of. Same location and, set up as last week but we found another color of flig that worked better today, Pink. We started off catching them on a fire tiger flig, with a pink tail but it got us thinking, if a pink tiger flig would work. Since we got some samples from TubeDude that were pink, we gave them a try and sure enough, they worked great. Awesome day out there but it looks like things will be changing, so we got out there today at 7:30 am and got off a little after 1 PM. Water temps had gone up from last Fri up to 50 today before we left. Saw TubDude out there today and a few of Willards regulars hopefully they did better for the perch.

Dang….
Curt you sure are getting some nice Perch out of that pond!

[wiperhunter2]

At least for the perch but the cats came on strong today, with three of the biggest cats coming in at 24" and fat as can be, one was pushing 6 lbs. I should have taken some pics of the bigger cats but since we were after perch, that is all I took any pics of. Same location and, set up as last week but we found another color of flig that worked better today, Pink. We started off catching them on a fire tiger flig, with a pink tail but it got us thinking, if a pink tiger flig would work. Since we got some samples from TubeDude that were pink, we gave them a try and sure enough, they worked great. Awesome day out there but it looks like things will be changing, so we got out there today at 7:30 am and got off a little after 1 PM. Water temps had gone up from last Fri up to 50 today before we left. Saw TubDude out there today and a few of Willards regulars hopefully they did better for the perch.

Dang….
Curt you sure are getting some nice Perch out of that pond!

Thanks Shane, it will only get better, now that the colder temps have finally arrived.

[MrShane]

I need to let the shotgun cool down and get up there for a couple of those.
I don’t winterize my boat, I only have excuses stopping me….