Willard Cats and a bonus...

[Tin-Can]

I've been trying to hit WB at least once a week this summer between the iffy weather and some family issues.  My season started out with several skunks and a few trips with only "onesies".  
Today looked like a fair chance to try again. 

Got launched at  7:01 a.m.  Dark clouds but they were moving off to the east. Very light and variable breeze, air temp 70, water temp 74.  Got out to my favorite Cat drifting area, set up my 2 bait lines at area reading 19 fow and started a nice drift to the south.  Exactly 30 minutes after setting up had first Cat hit hard. Swallowed the hook so far it was gill hooked and bleeding, so dropped it in the live well.  Then realized I had neglected to bring my electric fileting knife...  . 
14 minutes later, Cat # 2 swallowed hook so far down, I couldn't see it. So cut the line and dropped her in the live well also. 4 minutes later Cat # 3 started stripping line, I had just barely started tying on a new hook on the other line.  And #3 proved to be as hungry / greedy as the first 2, so another line cut and into the box she went. Now I got 2 lines needing new hooks, and I need to pull back out to some deeper water. All 3 of the first Cats hit in area of 16 to 14 fow and I was quickly drifting over 11 fow towards the jetty wall.  Motored back out to area over 19 fow, got my new hooks tied on and baited. 


             

Took almost an hour to drift back where the Cats were hungry, but not quite as aggressive. Hit Cat # 4 with a good corner of the mouth hook, and was able to release it with little to no harm done. But he wasn't as cooperative when it came to taking his mug shot. 
Cat # 5 was another deep hook, so into the box and tie on another new hook.  Just got new hook tied on, and # 6 tried to run off with the other line, but that new hook went thru it's side barbal (whisker). Amazed I was able to get him to the net without the hook tearing out. Released.  
I had brought what was left in the shrimp bag at home, turned out to only be 8 shrimp.  Last shrimp was on the other line, and it seemed as if the Cats had eaten their fill, but that last shrimp got me a surprising bonus. 
Something hit that line and took of towards the west wall.   I figured it was a bigger than average Cat because of where I was drifting.  NOPE, wasn't a Cat..................

        

                             A WIPER !!  Hadn't caught a Wiper in over 2 years, sure didn't expect to hook one today.  But Willard is a weird place sometimes.  Willard Bay is the first place I caught Catfish while trolling a lure for Wiper. So why not catch a Wiper while drifting bait for Catfish.    

                                             
              

Having forgotten my electric fileting knife I had some work ahead of me to clean up 5 fish with my Rapala knife.  They didn't end up as pretty as with the electric knife, but good enough to bag and freeze for the next fish fry.  

[obifishkenobi]

I've been trying to hit WB at least once a week this summer between the iffy weather and some family issues.  My season started out with several skunks and a few trips with only "onesies".  
Today looked like a fair chance to try again. 

Got launched at  7:01 a.m.  Dark clouds but they were moving off to the east. Very light and variable breeze, air temp 70, water temp 74.  Got out to my favorite Cat drifting area, set up my 2 bait lines at area reading 19 fow and started a nice drift to the south.  Exactly 30 minutes after setting up had first Cat hit hard. Swallowed the hook so far it was gill hooked and bleeding, so dropped it in the live well.  Then realized I had neglected to bring my electric fileting knife...  . 
14 minutes later, Cat # 2 swallowed hook so far down, I couldn't see it. So cut the line and dropped her in the live well also. 4 minutes later Cat # 3 started stripping line, I had just barely started tying on a new hook on the other line.  And #3 proved to be as hungry / greedy as the first 2, so another line cut and into the box she went. Now I got 2 lines needing new hooks, and I need to pull back out to some deeper water. All 3 of the first Cats hit in area of 16 to 14 fow and I was quickly drifting over 11 fow towards the jetty wall.  Motored back out to area over 19 fow, got my new hooks tied on and baited. 


             

Took almost an hour to drift back where the Cats were hungry, but not quite as aggressive. Hit Cat # 4 with a good corner of the mouth hook, and was able to release it with little to no harm done. But he wasn't as cooperative when it came to taking his mug shot. 
Cat # 5 was another deep hook, so into the box and tie on another new hook.  Just got new hook tied on, and # 6 tried to run off with the other line, but that new hook went thru it's side barbal (whisker). Amazed I was able to get him to the net without the hook tearing out. Released.  
I had brought what was left in the shrimp bag at home, turned out to only be 8 shrimp.  Last shrimp was on the other line, and it seemed as if the Cats had eaten their fill, but that last shrimp got me a surprising bonus. 
Something hit that line and took of towards the west wall.   I figured it was a bigger than average Cat because of where I was drifting.  NOPE, wasn't a Cat..................

        

                             A WIPER !!  Hadn't caught a Wiper in over 2 years, sure didn't expect to hook one today.  But Willard is a weird place sometimes.  Willard Bay is the first place I caught Catfish while trolling a lure for Wiper. So why not catch a Wiper while drifting bait for Catfish.    

                                             
              

Having forgotten my electric fileting knife I had some work ahead of me to clean up 5 fish with my Rapala knife.  They didn't end up as pretty as with the electric knife, but good enough to bag and freeze for the next fish fry.  

Nice work Forest, encouraging report I’ll be back at Willard in the coming weeks. Im targeting bait this week at  Lost Creek.

[Piscophilic]

Sounds like a great morning! Thanks for sharing.

[wiperhunter2]

Great report Forest, sounds like a great trip, crazy how so many cats swallowed the hook. As size to the wiper?

[Tin-Can]

Great report Forest, sounds like a great trip, crazy how so many cats swallowed the hook. As size to the wiper?

  Curt, I didn't weigh or measure that Wiper.  I would guess at about 22 to 24 inches and about 3 lbs.  See in the photo with it on the deck, it's a bit longer than my lure box. 

Whatever it's size it sure ate good last night   

I went back out today. Got a late start, but caught 4 more, all nice lip hooks, all released. 

[wiperhunter2]

Nice, way to go on getting back out there and having success. Hey Forest, I've curious, why not use chub meat instead of shrimp, seem like shrimp are kind of expensive? I know driving to Lost creek is a ways, especially when you can buy shrimp at the grocery store but you can buy chub meat at Sportsman's.

[Cowboypirate]

Good to read a great fishing report from ya. You sure put in the time and effort

[Tin-Can]

Nice, way to go on getting back out there and having success. Hey Forest, I've curious, why not use chub meat instead of shrimp, seem like shrimp are kind of expensive? I know driving to Lost creek is a ways, especially when you can buy shrimp at the grocery store but you can buy chub meat at Sportsman's.

  Curt, I don't have time or energy to make the drive to Lost Creek, and I can buy raw frozen shrimp already peeled with tails still on in a large bag at WinCo. They always have it and it lasts me a couple months or more without all the work to catch, gut, and bag Chub. I'm retired, I have 3 pensions and no debts, no mortgage, no truck payment, so the the cost really isn't an issue.

[wiperhunter2]

Nice, way to go on getting back out there and having success. Hey Forest, I've curious, why not use chub meat instead of shrimp, seem like shrimp are kind of expensive? I know driving to Lost creek is a ways, especially when you can buy shrimp at the grocery store but you can buy chub meat at Sportsman's.

  Curt, I don't have time or energy to make the drive to Lost Creek, and I can buy raw frozen shrimp already peeled with tails still on in a large bag at WinCo. They always have it and it lasts me a couple months or more without all the work to catch, gut, and bag Chub. I'm retired, I have 3 pensions and no debts, no mortgage, no truck payment, so the the cost really isn't an issue.

OK, just thought I'd let you know. I don't gut my chubs because it all adds to the scent in the water when your fishing, I just vacuum pack mine but as I said you can buy them at Sportsmans already packaged. I can understand not wanting to deal with the mess of cutting them up when you use them. Guess I'm too cheap to use shrimp, especially when they taste so good.

[TubeDude]

Nice, way to go on getting back out there and having success. Hey Forest, I've curious, why not use chub meat instead of shrimp, seem like shrimp are kind of expensive? I know driving to Lost creek is a ways, especially when you can buy shrimp at the grocery store but you can buy chub meat at Sportsman's.

  Curt, I don't have time or energy to make the drive to Lost Creek, and I can buy raw frozen shrimp already peeled with tails still on in a large bag at WinCo. They always have it and it lasts me a couple months or more without all the work to catch, gut, and bag Chub. I'm retired, I have 3 pensions and no debts, no mortgage, no truck payment, so the the cost really isn't an issue.

OK, just thought I'd let you know. I don't gut my chubs because it all adds to the scent in the water when your fishing, I just vacuum pack mine but as I said you can buy them at Sportsmans already packaged. I can understand not wanting to deal with the mess of cutting them up when you use them. Guess I'm too cheap to use shrimp, especially when they taste so good.

I have tried a wide variety of fish flesh, shrimp and other baits on Willard.  My opinion is that anything close to a natural fishy scent will get munched.  Strangely though, I have not done well using the spottail shiners in the lake.  Not as odoriferous, I guess.  

I think one of the things Forest experiences...that we don't...is the total swallowing of the bait.  When we use fligs we get a high percentage hookup on the strike and almost all fish are hooked in the corner of the mouth...or at least in the lips...not in the gut.  When I was just dragging whole chub minnows (without fligs) I too had a lot of gut hooked fish...even ones that I struck back at fairly quickly.