Willard S. Marina 9-5-24

[TubeDude]

Weather forecrash showed Thursday looking like the best day to hit Willard this week.  Supposed to be light easterly breezes until 10…and then calm.  Surprise.  They didn’t get it right.  Gusty from the NW and getting stronger until couldn’t fish from my tube after about 10:00.
 
Launched from the south marina about 7ish.  Air temp a pleasant 56…warming to a bit over 80 by 11 am ramp up.  Water temps about the same as last Tuesday…68 – 70.  Water levels down about 3’ from summer high.  Clarity not bad…but not crystal clear either.
 

Last week I started shallow and moved to deeper water later to find fish.  This week I started deep…making S turns from 18 to 22 feet.  Saw few shad and few larger marks.  Saw nothing on my line.  Finally headed for the dike and started seeing fishy marks in 13 -14 feet of water off the rocks.  Put down some minnows on some of my new “tailless” fligs.  Some rigged with the hook inside.  Others wired with the hook articulated.  Both caught fish.  Love it when an experiment works out.  Also caught some on the tried and true silver and blue whirly flig with minnow.
 

Went bendo for the first time about 8:30.  Then again a few minutes later.  Had found some fish out a ways from the feed lot tower.  For the next hour and a half I caught about 10 cats.  A couple were only “footlongs”.  The rest were from about 19” to almost  24”.  Got a couple of light hits on the flig and Gulp combo that worked last week.  But they were only “one hit wonders”…hit once and don’t hang on…and you wonder what they were.

 
By 10 am the “zephyrs” were increasing in strength and almost every time I hooked up my tube would turn and I would get tangled with the second rod.  Some serious downtime to get back in action.  But, on one occasion I was battling a fish on one rod when the other went bendo with a second.  Been there before and am usually able to work it out.  I did manage to bring both to net, but not without some fancy rod maneuvering.  Oh yeah, while I was doing battle the solitary water skier on the lake did a “splash-by” to entertain me.
 

Gave up on the tough tube control situation…with the wind…and headed for the ramp.  JJAnnie (Jeff and Jill) were there to meet me.  We had gone out together but had gone different directions…using different techniques.  They too had come in early because of the difficulty in maintaining boat control in the breezes.  But they had caught a few fish.
 

The bad news?  I managed to record some good video of this trip…including my epic battle with two of my biggest cats.  But when I review the segments at home I was gobsmacked.  Every segment that went over about 2 minutes had only the narrative…after the video part froze up.  So no pics of landing the fish and showing off what lures they took.  I was able to screen capture a few things for the report, but no video.  Sorry.  Got a return and refund request in to Ebay already for my new-to-me GoPro that is defective.  Bummer.

[dubob]

Pat, you should have gone with Kent.  The sun, moon, AND stars all lined up for him.  At least you went.  I haven't been since late July.  I'm going to Powell for 5 days very soon, so I shall break the slump soon - I hope.

[TubeDude]

Pat, you should have gone with Kent.  The sun, moon, AND stars all lined up for him.  At least you went.  I haven't been since late July.  I'm going to Powell for 5 days very soon, so I shall break the slump soon - I hope.

Hope you are able to make your Powell trip...and that Mama Nature (and the fishies) play nice.  

If I had gone with Kent I would have probably gotten his stars all crossed up.  Anyhooters, I have had my times with both the big white sturgeon and with green sturgeon.  First was as a youngster in Idaho...fishing virgin Hell's Canyon waters that are now overrun with guides.  Then, while living in Sacramento I caught them all up and down that river and in the San Francisco Bay.  In northern California I got green sturgeon in the Klamath River.  And in Oregon I fished the Columbia above Portland for nonstop sturgeon...although most were under 6'...like the hatchery pets below American Falls.  Not knocking it.  They are still big hard-fighting fish and a lot of fun.  

How is it looking for you on the ice this year?  Still gonna do it?

[Piscophilic]

Nice report Pat and sounds like a good trip, except for the weather. In your reply about our recent out to UL you said:

"I also hope you realize I forcibly restrained myself from snarking about what I would be doing differently if I was in my float tube." 

I'm glad you were able to just relax and be yourself on this trip 

BTW, I saw this lure ad this morning and it looks almost identical to one you painted and sold to me a while back. I hope you are getting royalties on it LOL.

[TubeDude]

Nice report Pat and sounds like a good trip, except for the weather. In your reply about our recent out to UL you said:

"I also hope you realize I forcibly restrained myself from snarking about what I would be doing differently if I was in my float tube." 

I'm glad you were able to just relax and be yourself on this trip 

BTW, I saw this lure ad this morning and it looks almost identical to one you painted and sold to me a while back. I hope you are getting royalties on it LOL.

Nope.  No royalties.  Just the warm fuzzy glow I get from having others appreciate some of the new lure designs and color combos I come up with.  There have been quite a few that are now in production by commercial lure makers...with no recognition or royalties.

I originated that "pale perch" color back in the early 2000's...for fishing Starvation at first...and then almost all waters.  I have since "upgraded" it to a "chartreuse perch"...with a narrow chartreuse band running lengthwise just under the bright green back.  It has proven to be even more effective than the original in many situations.

[dubob]

How is it looking for you on the ice this year?  Still gonna do it?

Maybe!  I'm having some real health issues with my right shoulder - a tear of the right supraspinatus tendon (on the top of the shoulder) and possibly a torn proximal (upper) bicep tendon.  I'm scheduled for a reverse shoulder replacement on Feb 5, 2025.  That would allow a couple weeks of ice time maybe.  With the recent injury to one or both of the proximal bicep tendons, I may have to push that up to this year.  So, ice time is unknown at this time.

[TubeDude]

How is it looking for you on the ice this year?  Still gonna do it?

Maybe!  I'm having some real health issues with my right shoulder - a tear of the right supraspinatus tendon (on the top of the shoulder) and possibly a torn proximal (upper) bicep tendon.  I'm scheduled for a reverse shoulder replacement on Feb 5, 2025.  That would allow a couple weeks of ice time maybe.  With the recent injury to one or both of the proximal bicep tendons, I may have to push that up to this year.  So, ice time is unknown at this time.

Sorry about your issues.  Worse than mine.  Mine slow me down and require some adaptations but (thankfully) still allow me some time on the water...so far.  

As you know, I listened to Dirty Harry ("A man should know his limitations") a few years ago...and gave up ice fishing all together.  I do miss it at times...even if it doesn't miss me.  But I still have a lot of pics and rememberies.  Kinda like National Geographic and Playboy magazines.  Both full of purty pictures of things and places I ain't never gonna visit again.

[jjannie]

What started as nice day sure went to heck and the changing wind directions was pretty sporty as well. Yeah that boater had NO courtesy what-so-ever only adding to the adventures of the day. 

Still great to meet up and chat, trolling was hard with 4 lines and those winds. We hoped getting over to west side we'd see more fish, which we did, but the winds were the same problem over there. No one predicted such winds like we had. 

Hope you can find another video camera, they're always enjoyable.

[Freakyfisherman]

Weather forecrash showed Thursday looking like the best day to hit Willard this week.  Supposed to be light easterly breezes until 10…and then calm.  Surprise.  They didn’t get it right.  Gusty from the NW and getting stronger until couldn’t fish from my tube after about 10:00.
 
Launched from the south marina about 7ish.  Air temp a pleasant 56…warming to a bit over 80 by 11 am ramp up.  Water temps about the same as last Tuesday…68 – 70.  Water levels down about 3’ from summer high.  Clarity not bad…but not crystal clear either.
 

Last week I started shallow and moved to deeper water later to find fish.  This week I started deep…making S turns from 18 to 22 feet.  Saw few shad and few larger marks.  Saw nothing on my line.  Finally headed for the dike and started seeing fishy marks in 13 -14 feet of water off the rocks.  Put down some minnows on some of my new “tailless” fligs.  Some rigged with the hook inside.  Others wired with the hook articulated.  Both caught fish.  Love it when an experiment works out.  Also caught some on the tried and true silver and blue whirly flig with minnow.
 

Went bendo for the first time about 8:30.  Then again a few minutes later.  Had found some fish out a ways from the feed lot tower.  For the next hour and a half I caught about 10 cats.  A couple were only “footlongs”.  The rest were from about 19” to almost  24”.  Got a couple of light hits on the flig and Gulp combo that worked last week.  But they were only “one hit wonders”…hit once and don’t hang on…and you wonder what they were.

 
By 10 am the “zephyrs” were increasing in strength and almost every time I hooked up my tube would turn and I would get tangled with the second rod.  Some serious downtime to get back in action.  But, on one occasion I was battling a fish on one rod when the other went bendo with a second.  Been there before and am usually able to work it out.  I did manage to bring both to net, but not without some fancy rod maneuvering.  Oh yeah, while I was doing battle the solitary water skier on the lake did a “splash-by” to entertain me.
 

Gave up on the tough tube control situation…with the wind…and headed for the ramp.  JJAnnie (Jeff and Jill) were there to meet me.  We had gone out together but had gone different directions…using different techniques.  They too had come in early because of the difficulty in maintaining boat control in the breezes.  But they had caught a few fish.
 

The bad news?  I managed to record some good video of this trip…including my epic battle with two of my biggest cats.  But when I review the segments at home I was gobsmacked.  Every segment that went over about 2 minutes had only the narrative…after the video part froze up.  So no pics of landing the fish and showing off what lures they took.  I was able to screen capture a few things for the report, but no video.  Sorry.  Got a return and refund request in to Ebay already for my new-to-me GoPro that is defective.  Bummer.

Hey Pat, I was at the north marina the same day. I had a couple of hours to kill as I waited to pickup my granddaughter from pre school. Using my ice sonar, my vexilar fl-28, I fished off the fishing pier. Lots of minnows would flare up at times. I caught bluegill up to 8 inches long. They were suspended 3 to 5 ft below the surface. Used a small ice fly tipped with a worm. I met a really nice guy fishing with his sons. He grew up in Arkansas and was excited about catching bluegill. I showed him where I was getting them. I didn’t get his name, but it always feels good to help someone out with some fishing tips. I hit Echo yesterday at 930 in the am in the new tube. I couldn’t find the minnows to find my precious walleye. I did catch a crappie, a few perch, and a slimy rainbow. Water temps were 65 to 68. 
Gabe