Willard...Weather or Not 5-17-23 (PICS ADDED)

[TubeDude]

Weather forecrash for today was partly cloudy and calm conditions.  NOT.  Got wind gusts and soaking rain on two different cells before noon.


Launched at the north marina just before 7 am.  1 boat launched ahead of me and there were about 10 trailers in the lot when I came in before noon.  Air temp was a pleasant 52...warming to just over 70 at noon departure.  Water started out at 57 and warmed only slightly to  a bit over 58 by noon. 


Water level was the highest I can ever remember seeing it.  Good for the fishies but not for fishermen.  Fish are spread out more and unsettled with the colder water and changing water conditions.  I saw very little on sonar today and caught less.  I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad.  I know if they were crappies I would have caught some.  Right.


Covered a lot of area with a lot of different lures and baits.  Worked the area outside the marina first.  Then Eagle Beach.  Then over to the north dike...up and down at different depths.  Tried bottom bouncers with worms, fligs with minnows, jigs with plastics and Gulp Minnows...and even some crank baits and hybrid lures.  Had two hits all morning.  The first was a freight train wiper.  Hit a fire tiger whirly flig with a crawler setup.  Stripped line on several short runs.  Had it on for over ten minutes.  But when it was coming in on the surface to the net the small crawler hook pulled out and he swam off.  Easily over 24 inches and probably close to 10 pounds.


The second bite was just as the last rain squall was settling  down.  Hit an orange tiger whirly flig with minnow.  Thought it might be an active cat...it was fighting so well.  But discovered it to be a 14" smallmouth.  At least it chased away the skunk I had been smelling.


Amazing there have been so few cats showing up.  Usually can't keep them off this time of year.  Talked to a couple of other guys back at the ramp and they expressed similar luck and similar observations.  Not much going on.  The bottom of Willard looks like a big desert on sonar.

[Piscophilic]

Thanks for the report, even without the pictures! I'm glad the smallie didn't come off like that big wiper. Amazing how they can get that big and not learn how to hang on.

I haven't tried to post a picture for about a week, but 5 or 6 days ago the imbedded images started showing up as just links and when I click on the link all the adds show up but not the image. I assumed they are working on the problem.

[Gone Forever]

Pat, I noticed the other day on one of your posts that you have a different TV than the one I remember. Is the Garmin new this year? What model is it?

[TubeDude]

Pat, I noticed the other day on one of your posts that you have a different TV than the one I remember.  Is the Garmin new this year?  What model is it?

I am in my second year of using the Garmin Stryker 7.  I love having the dual screen...with the side imaging.  Now if I could just find some fish to show up on it....

[Freakyfisherman]

Weather forecrash for today was partly cloudy and calm conditions.  NOT.  Got wind gusts and soaking rain on two different cells before noon.

Launched at the north marina just before 7 am.  1 boat launched ahead of me and there were about 10 trailers in the lot when I came in before noon.  Air temp was a pleasant 52...warming to just over 70 at noon departure.  Water started out at 57 and warmed only slightly to  a bit over 58 by noon. 

Water level was the highest I can ever remember seeing it.  Good for the fishies but not for fishermen.  Fish are spread out more and unsettled with the colder water and changing water conditions.  I saw very little on sonar today and caught less.  I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad.  I know if they were crappies I would have caught some.  Right.

Covered a lot of area with a lot of different lures and baits.  Worked the area outside the marina first.  Then Eagle Beach.  Then over to the north dike...up and down at different depths.  Tried bottom bouncers with worms, fligs with minnows, jigs with plastics and Gulp Minnows...and even some crank baits and hybrid lures.  Had two hits all morning.  The first was a freight train wiper.  Hit a fire tiger whirly flig with a crawler setup.  Stripped line on several short runs.  Had it on for over ten minutes.  But when it was coming in on the surface to the net the small crawler hook pulled out and he swam off.  Easily over 24 inches and probably close to 10 pounds.

The second bite was just as the last rain squall was settling  down.  Hit an orange tiger whirly flig with minnow.  Thought it might be an active cat...it was fighting so well.  But discovered it to be a 14" smallmouth.  At least it chased away the skunk I had been smelling.

Amazing there have been so few cats showing up.  Usually can't keep them off this time of year.  Talked to a couple of other guys back at the ramp and they expressed similar luck and similar observations.  Not much going on.  The bottom of Willard looks like a big desert on sonar.

PS...can't post the pics for some reason.

I went out on the tube this past Friday later morning around 10 am. I tried jigging some gulp minnows and also dragged a worm on a jig. I went out on the main lakeside on the north marina, towards the island that is now underwater. I got three hits, first one was on the gulp minnow worked slowly off the bottom. That was a 24-inch catfish. The other two fish hits were also catfish on the jig and worm. These kitties were 24 inchers too.  I too marked an occasional fish here or there. They must be loving the extra water that hasn't been around for 9 years or so. When I did mark fish, it was between 14 to 20 ft of water. I also used my ice sonar off of the fishing pier for an hour this past Monday. Fishing with my ice rod, I saw a big mark move in and set the hook on a 15 pound carp.  Heck of a fight on that ice rod. 
Gabe

[MrShane]

Weather forecrash for today was partly cloudy and calm conditions.  NOT.  Got wind gusts and soaking rain on two different cells before noon.

Launched at the north marina just before 7 am.  1 boat launched ahead of me and there were about 10 trailers in the lot when I came in before noon.  Air temp was a pleasant 52...warming to just over 70 at noon departure.  Water started out at 57 and warmed only slightly to  a bit over 58 by noon. 

Water level was the highest I can ever remember seeing it.  Good for the fishies but not for fishermen.  Fish are spread out more and unsettled with the colder water and changing water conditions.  I saw very little on sonar today and caught less.  I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad.  I know if they were crappies I would have caught some.  Right.

Covered a lot of area with a lot of different lures and baits.  Worked the area outside the marina first.  Then Eagle Beach.  Then over to the north dike...up and down at different depths.  Tried bottom bouncers with worms, fligs with minnows, jigs with plastics and Gulp Minnows...and even some crank baits and hybrid lures.  Had two hits all morning.  The first was a freight train wiper.  Hit a fire tiger whirly flig with a crawler setup.  Stripped line on several short runs.  Had it on for over ten minutes.  But when it was coming in on the surface to the net the small crawler hook pulled out and he swam off.  Easily over 24 inches and probably close to 10 pounds.

The second bite was just as the last rain squall was settling  down.  Hit an orange tiger whirly flig with minnow.  Thought it might be an active cat...it was fighting so well.  But discovered it to be a 14" smallmouth.  At least it chased away the skunk I had been smelling.

Amazing there have been so few cats showing up.  Usually can't keep them off this time of year.  Talked to a couple of other guys back at the ramp and they expressed similar luck and similar observations.  Not much going on.  The bottom of Willard looks like a big desert on sonar.

PS...can't post the pics for some reason.

Hi Pat,
I was out Monday with my two little grandsons of 3 and 6 and struggled also.
First hit was a good fish, a Wiper or Channel most likely. I let both little ones have the pole but they couldn’t hang on so I grabbed it before it went over. In process of holding pole but letting them reel 
it in the fish came unbuttoned and we never saw it.
Then 6 yr old got bit and he landed a decent Walleye.
Then 3 year old got bit but I had to hold pole while he reeled and we lost a Walleye just shy of net.
After that we got one more hit, most likely a Perch or small Smallie.
That was it.
Was hoping for more action for the kiddos but grateful for at least one fish in the live well for them to poke and prod.
Also grateful for the pack of Oreo doublestuffs they brought for the ‘boat picnic’!
Better luck to both of us next time!!

[doitall5000]

I saw very little on sonar today and caught less. I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad. I know if they were crappies I would have caught some. Right.
[Image: SCREEN-5-17-23.jpg]
When I looked at your picture of your Garmin I see fish on the down images but there is no sign on your side scan. Does the side scan show good structures just outside the north marina?

[RockyRaab2]

For me, Willard on side scan is nothing but flat featureless nothing, except near the humps and islands. People tell me you can see fish on side scan, but I sure can't.

[TubeDude]

I saw very little on sonar today and caught less.  I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad.  I know if they were crappies I would have caught some.  Right.
[Image: SCREEN-5-17-23.jpg]
When I looked at your picture of your Garmin I see fish on the down images but there is no sign on your side scan.  Does the side scan show good structures just outside the north marina?

The infrequent "stacks" of fish I saw in Eagle Beach did not always show up on side scan.  For me, it has been better for finding fish on the bottom or close to it.  And, yes, it is useful for seeing "bottom anomalies" (say that fast about 3 times).  I have observed individual rocks, humps and bumps...and even long ridges left over from the dike building days.  And when those things attract structure loving fish, they do usually show up.  It is an interesting show when you pull within range of a rock dike or wall.

---

For me, Willard on side scan is nothing but flat featureless nothing, except near the humps and islands. People tell me you can see fish on side scan, but I sure can't.

As I commented to DIA5000...I also usually don't see many fish on sidescan unless they are on or near the bottom.  But I do see them and have taken advantage of seeing small groups to alter my course to drag my offerings through them.  I have caught quite a few fish that I might otherwise have missed had I not change course.  My only problem is that my tube moves backward and the sidescan displays as if I was moving forward...as on a boat.  So I have to remind myself the left is right and right is wrong...or whatever.

One of our other BFTmembers...a fellow perch jerker...has a pretty intense sonar system with super side scan.  Here is a picture of his screen during a day last year when the perch were massing up outside the north marina.  He had a good day that day.

[doitall5000]

I saw very little on sonar today and caught less.  I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad.  I know if they were crappies I would have caught some.  Right.
[Image: SCREEN-5-17-23.jpg]
When I looked at your picture of your Garmin I see fish on the down images but there is no sign on your side scan.  Does the side scan show good structures just outside the north marina?

The infrequent "stacks" of fish I saw in Eagle Beach did not always show up on side scan.  For me, it has been better for finding fish on the bottom or close to it.  And, yes, it is useful for seeing "bottom anomalies" (say that fast about 3 times).  I have observed individual rocks, humps and bumps...and even long ridges left over from the dike building days.  And when those things attract structure loving fish, they do usually show up.  It is an interesting show when you pull within range of a rock dike or wall.

I've just bought the 7sc but not yet used it I'm very interested in the dikes and the west corner. 
There are some humps that are hard to locate that I found a few years ago but can not relocate.

[TubeDude]

I saw very little on sonar today and caught less.  I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad.  I know if they were crappies I would have caught some.  Right.
[Image: SCREEN-5-17-23.jpg]
When I looked at your picture of your Garmin I see fish on the down images but there is no sign on your side scan.  Does the side scan show good structures just outside the north marina?

The infrequent "stacks" of fish I saw in Eagle Beach did not always show up on side scan.  For me, it has been better for finding fish on the bottom or close to it.  And, yes, it is useful for seeing "bottom anomalies" (say that fast about 3 times).  I have observed individual rocks, humps and bumps...and even long ridges left over from the dike building days.  And when those things attract structure loving fish, they do usually show up.  It is an interesting show when you pull within range of a rock dike or wall.

I've just bought the 7sc but not yet used it I'm very interested in the dikes and the west corner. 
There are some humps that are hard to locate that I found a few years ago but can not relocate.

As you already know, the deeper the water the wider the sidescan beam.  And in our newly deepened waters at Willard you should have a pretty wide display.  So, by using GPS or shoreline references if close enough you should be able to make a grid to check all "interesting" features in a given area. 

If your system is programmable you might be able to widen the beam for individual searches.  Once you get used to how your system displays, and if you want to also employ down imaging to verify your discoveries, you should get a better picture of the contours. 

Man, I can't believe all the years I fished without sonar...and all the years I got by with some of the basic and inaccurate systems I once used.  One of these days we might come up with systems to rig the right lures and make the casts for us.  But then that would finish taking a lot of the interest and mystery out of our masochistic sport.

[doitall5000]

There is a lot of places I want to create a map grid of. Need to get started. Maybe Saturday I'll go with the crowd. But I can do it all day hopefully, if the wind doesn't get to bad foe me.

[SkunkedAgain]

I saw very little on sonar today and caught less.  I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad.  I know if they were crappies I would have caught some.  Right.
[Image: SCREEN-5-17-23.jpg]
When I looked at your picture of your Garmin I see fish on the down images but there is no sign on your side scan.  Does the side scan show good structures just outside the north marina?

The infrequent "stacks" of fish I saw in Eagle Beach did not always show up on side scan.  For me, it has been better for finding fish on the bottom or close to it.  And, yes, it is useful for seeing "bottom anomalies" (say that fast about 3 times).  I have observed individual rocks, humps and bumps...and even long ridges left over from the dike building days.  And when those things attract structure loving fish, they do usually show up.  It is an interesting show when you pull within range of a rock dike or wall.

I've just bought the 7sc but not yet used it I'm very interested in the dikes and the west corner. 
There are some humps that are hard to locate that I found a few years ago but can not relocate.

As you already know, the deeper the water the wider the sidescan beam.  And in our newly deepened waters at Willard you should have a pretty wide display.  So, by using GPS or shoreline references if close enough you should be able to make a grid to check all "interesting" features in a given area. 

If your system is programmable you might be able to widen the beam for individual searches.  Once you get used to how your system displays, and if you want to also employ down imaging to verify your discoveries, you should get a better picture of the contours. 

Man, I can't believe all the years I fished without sonar...and all the years I got by with some of the basic and inaccurate systems I once used.  One of these days we might come up with systems to rig the right lures and make the casts for us.  But then that would finish taking a lot of the interest and mystery out of our masochistic sport.

[RockyRaab2]

My Humminbird units can create and record a bottom map, if I want to spend the time to meticulously "grid" an area at idle speed. I wanted to do that at Willard, but never could put the rods down long enough to just fritter away time and gas. I really should do that for the area northwest of the north marina channel.

Re: the sidescan image above of fish...Blessed Bovine! I ain't not never seen nottin' like dat nohow.

[wiperhunter2]

Sorry to hear the catching was so poor for you Pat, sure makes me wonder where all the cats have gone too. I did hear a report yesterday that one guy caught a 10 lber out there, not many that size in there. We were on the West side yesterday and all we got was a few sprinkles but after the storm passed to the East i commented to Ira that it looked like the North marina was getting hit hard, sounds like it did indeed. How long did it come down with that soaking rain?

[TubeDude]

Sorry to hear the catching was so poor for you Pat, sure makes me wonder where all the cats have gone too. I did hear a report yesterday that one guy caught a 10 lber out there, not many that size in there. We were on the West side yesterday and all we got was a few sprinkles but after the storm passed to the East i commented to Ira that it looked like the North marina was getting hit hard, sounds like it did indeed. How long did it come down with that soaking rain?

Got a couple of theories about the catfish.  It all has to do with the food chain thing.  In the olden days there were a lot more cats...of all sizes...because there was a lot more cat food.  That was a combination of lots of crawdads and lots of young crappies.  Both hung around the rock dikes around the shorelines...because in those days the lake stayed pretty full year round and the water level was always well up into the rocks.  So the best place to fish for both cats and walleyes was around the dikes...where the groceries were.

In those days, there weren't any wipers or shad.  These days the wipers compete with the cats for crawdads and other available food during the months when there are no shad for their hungry mouths.  Furthermore, young catfish are also on the menu for both wipers and walleyes when the shad are too big, too small or not available at all.  The combination of decreased food supply and increased predation on baby catfish result in fewer cats surviving to become adults.  The upside is that those that do survive to grow bigger.

One of the factors supporting this theory is the relative lack of small catfish being caught.  There were times in recent years when catfish were abundant...but seldom over 18 inches...with lots of "footlongs".  Then, as wiper numbers increased the cats decreased in abundance but have been getting to a larger average size each year.  DWR has decreased the wiper plantings but have increased walleye plantings...and the walleyes are foraging just like the wipers.  They eat whatever they can find during low shad months.  That includes catfish food and baby cats.

In the BS days...the times before shad...walleyes and cats relied upon crappies as their fishy forage species.  Crappies were thick and there were year classes of several sizes at all times...so that the predators could always find a meal near the rocks.  And both catfish and walleyes grew much larger than they do now.  The limit on walleyes was 6...with only two allowed over 20 inches.  But it was difficult to catch any walleyes under 20 inches.  It was not unusual to catch large numbers of walleyes...day or night...and end up with only 2 fish of 5-8 pounds.  And any catfish trip almost always produced fish of 10 pounds or better...with quite a few over 15.

Increased demands on the water by agriculture, business and residential have reduced the amount available to keep Willard full every year.  There are far too many years when the water level drops below the bottom of the rock dikes...and that shuts off the growing habitat for crawdads and small fish.  So, when shad numbers are seasonally down, the predators gotta scrounge for a living...eating more crawdads and young fish of other species...including catfish.

The rain?  The water filled clouds seemed to hang out right up against the mountains (and the far east side of the lake).   One drencher stayed over me for several minutes.  It weren't very big but it was wet.  And there were a couple of other wet ones too.  Otherwise, there were only minor sprinkles from time to time.  I never got soaked to the point of chilling.  And it was mostly pretty calm.  But little squalls came through that made it a bit bouncy in my float tube for a while.  I can stand wind and rain but when using finesse fishing techniques from a float tube the wind can be problematic in detecting light bites.  Not a problem when you are trolling at mach 3 speed in a high beamed boat.

[wiperhunter2]

Got a couple of theories about the catfish.  It all has to do with the food chain thing.  In the olden days there were a lot more cats...of all sizes...because there was a lot more cat food.  That was a combination of lots of crawdads and lots of young crappies.  Both hung around the rock dikes around the shorelines...because in those days the lake stayed pretty full year round and the water level was always well up into the rocks.  So the best place to fish for both cats and walleyes was around the dikes...where the groceries were.

In those days, there weren't any wipers or shad.  These days the wipers compete with the cats for crawdads and other available food during the months when there are no shad for their hungry mouths.  Furthermore, young catfish are also on the menu for both wipers and walleyes when the shad are too big, too small or not available at all.  The combination of decreased food supply and increased predation on baby catfish result in fewer cats surviving to become adults.  The upside is that those that do survive to grow bigger.

One of the factors supporting this theory is the relative lack of small catfish being caught.  There were times in recent years when catfish were abundant...but seldom over 18 inches...with lots of "footlongs".  Then, as wiper numbers increased the cats decreased in abundance but have been getting to a larger average size each year. 

I remember all those small cats way back when, seemed like an endless amount of them little guys. With the numbers we have been catching the last few years, I have no doubt there are still plenty left to be caught but it's good to hear some bigger cats are being caught too, like that 10 lber that guy caught earlier this week.