Willard 4-27

[2knots]

Hit the pond with Curt and Ira, worked the east end of the lake for a few hours with fligs and we landed a couple of nice cats. The breeze we had to start off went away and it was decided that we would go into search mode and troll some cranks and bottom bouncers. We covered a lot of water but finally some eyes showed up for us on the cranks, ended up with 3 from 18-20”s, all males with nothing in their stomachs. Another fun day with these two guys, thanks guys.  Flicker shad did the damage for 2 in shad color patterns  and 1 on a crawdad color on the eyes, cats were on Fligs and a small wiper on an apex

[doitall5000]

Thanks for testing the waters and making the report.
Sometimes we can find the blips and schools but can't get the bite. Every year it seams we must find what works.
I'm sure this year will once again take lots of testing. Testing what they want, where they are hanging out and to find the magic combination. Lots of us are wondering how this year will be...

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for invite Alan, much better trip than Ira and I had on Monday. With the water temp getting up to almost 60 today, let's hope this is a sign of more good catching to come.

[SkunkedAgain]

Congrats guys, that sounds like a productive trip.. J

[Bduck]

Thanks for invite Alan, much better trip than Ira and I had on Monday. With the water temp getting up to almost 60 today, let's hope this is a sign of more good catching to come.

Nice day as it appears with a couple nice catches. Curt, I'm surprised that Apex I gave you yielded a wiper. I was expecting to be used for kokanee. Goes to show you never know until you try. 

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for invite Alan, much better trip than Ira and I had on Monday. With the water temp getting up to almost 60 today, let's hope this is a sign of more good catching to come.

Nice day as it appears with a couple nice catches. Curt, I'm surprised that Apex I gave you yielded a wiper. I was expecting to be used for kokanee. Goes to show you never know until you try. 

Just goes to show you you never know what can work. I put a slow death hook and a few beads on it with a nightcrawlwer, so I'm sure that helped.

[obifishkenobi]

Thanks for invite Alan, much better trip than Ira and I had on Monday. With the water temp getting up to almost 60 today, let's hope this is a sign of more good catching to come.

Nice day as it appears with a couple nice catches. Curt, I'm surprised that Apex I gave you yielded a wiper. I was expecting to be used for kokanee. Goes to show you never know until you try. 

Just goes to show you you never know what can work. I put a slow death hook and a few beads on it with a nightcrawlwer, so I'm sure that helped.

I'm temped to go try some mussel dunking from the boat after all of the reports I have seen lately on book face.

[SkunkedAgain]

Shawn, i've been thinking the same thing... Fish have to bite the same from both the boats and shore, just casting a different direction... Besides from the boats you don't have to work around all the brush that grew up near shore on the last low water years... Should be a lot easier from the boats I'd think... Just hang on to your rods... Later J

[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for invite Alan, much better trip than Ira and I had on Monday. With the water temp getting up to almost 60 today, let's hope this is a sign of more good catching to come.

Nice day as it appears with a couple nice catches. Curt, I'm surprised that Apex I gave you yielded a wiper. I was expecting to be used for kokanee. Goes to show you never know until you try. 

Just goes to show you you never know what can work. I put a slow death hook and a few beads on it with a nightcrawlwer, so I'm sure that helped.

I'm temped to go try some mussel dunking from the boat after all of the reports I have seen lately on book face.

If the water temps stay as warm as they were yesterday, then mussel dunking should remain good for a few weeks. I just wish those people would not keep those small wipers, you don't get much meat from them when they are that small and the potential they have for getting big is so high that it is a waste to take them when they are that small.

[obifishkenobi]

Thanks for invite Alan, much better trip than Ira and I had on Monday. With the water temp getting up to almost 60 today, let's hope this is a sign of more good catching to come.

Nice day as it appears with a couple nice catches. Curt, I'm surprised that Apex I gave you yielded a wiper. I was expecting to be used for kokanee. Goes to show you never know until you try. 

Just goes to show you you never know what can work. I put a slow death hook and a few beads on it with a nightcrawlwer, so I'm sure that helped.

I'm temped to go try some mussel dunking from the boat after all of the reports I have seen lately on book face.

If the water temps stay as warm as they were yesterday, then mussel dunking should remain good for a few weeks. I just wish those people would not keep those small wipers, you don't get much meat from them when they are that small and the potential they have for getting big is so high that it is a waste to take them when they are that small.

There’s some 6+ lb. Wipers being caught with those little ones,  I personally like keeping the 3-4lbs for the table. The key is to finding the school or setting up in a place where the schools pass in previous years the  drop/ring road around the lake has been been a good starting place to anchor particularly in the south end of freeway bay and along the north and west wall. I’m leaning towards fighting the wind Friday afternoon to give it a shot.

[wiperhunter2]

If the water temps stay as warm as they were yesterday, then mussel dunking should remain good for a few weeks. I just wish those people would not keep those small wipers, you don't get much meat from them when they are that small and the potential they have for getting big is so high that it is a waste to take them when they are that small.

There’s some 6+ lb. Wipers being caught with those little ones,  I personally like keeping the 3-4lbs for the table. The key is to finding the school or setting up in a place where the schools pass in previous years the  drop/ring road around the lake has been been a good starting place to anchor particularly in the south end of freeway bay and along the north and west wall. I’m leaning towards fighting the wind Friday afternoon to give it a shot.

Alan sent me a screen shot of those fish, the little ones looked like 12 to 14" wipers, those are the ones that should be released IMO. Once they get up to 17 or 18", they are starting to get some size to them and much better eating. The one I caught yesterday was 13" and I suspect about the same size as the smaller ones in the FB pic.
There were 7 or 8 people fishing in FB from shore when we got there and when we were leaving there was at least double that many shore tanglers on just about every good shore location.
Good luck if you get out there, I'm not a fan of fighting the wind but I understand you go when you can.

[Mbjones12]

What is the water level in the marinas?  I have a 19' bayliner but don't want to hit bottom...  I also have an 11' Coleman Crawdad that I took out there 2 years ago, but don't want to get soaked again by the waves.  LOL 

[wiperhunter2]

What is the water level in the marinas?  I have a 19' bayliner but don't want to hit bottom...  I also have an 11' Coleman Crawdad that I took out there 2 years ago, but don't want to get soaked again by the waves.  LOL 

The North marina is 9 ft but much more shallow if you try and go toward the permanent docks, best to go straight out the channel. South marina is 4 ft, at least until you get in the channel, then it goes to 11 ft or so.

[TubeDude]

Hit the pond with Curt and Ira, worked the east end of the lake for a few hours with fligs and we landed a couple of nice cats. The breeze we had to start off went away and it was decided that we would go into search mode and troll some cranks and bottom bouncers. We covered a lot of water but finally some eyes showed up for us on the cranks, ended up with 3 from 18-20”s, all males with nothing in their stomachs. Another fun day with these two guys, thanks guys.  Flicker shad did the damage for 2 in shad color patterns  and 1 on a crawdad color on the eyes, cats were on Fligs and a small wiper on an apex

Excellent.   Water depth for the walleyes?  Lure depth?  Speed? 

Thanks.

[2knots]

Hit the pond with Curt and Ira, worked the east end of the lake for a few hours with fligs and we landed a couple of nice cats. The breeze we had to start off went away and it was decided that we would go into search mode and troll some cranks and bottom bouncers. We covered a lot of water but finally some eyes showed up for us on the cranks, ended up with 3 from 18-20”s, all males with nothing in their stomachs. Another fun day with these two guys, thanks guys.  Flicker shad did the damage for 2 in shad color patterns  and 1 on a crawdad color on the eyes, cats were on Fligs and a small wiper on an apex

Excellent.   Water depth for the walleyes?  Lure depth?  Speed? 

Thanks.

11-12’, the #5 flicker shad 100’ out, speed was 1.5 to 1.7

[Mbjones12]

What is the water level in the marinas?  I have a 19' bayliner but don't want to hit bottom...  I also have an 11' Coleman Crawdad that I took out there 2 years ago, but don't want to get soaked again by the waves.  LOL 

The North marina is 9 ft but much more shallow if you try and go toward the permanent docks, best to go straight out the channel. South marina is 4 ft, at least until you get in the channel, then it goes to 11 ft or so.

Thanks for the info....