04-28-2008, 09:53 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I figured a couple of warm days might get something moving on Willard. It did. Catfish, midges and terns...eating midges.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Tried my new baby stroller cart design to trudge my tubin' goodies to the water in the NE corner, after parking in the campground. Worked great, fully loaded, coming and going across weeds, rocks, loose sand and mud.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Parked about 6. Air temp 43. Dead flat calm. The lake was a sheet of glass. Only a few carpkind broke the surface. Hit the water about 6:45. Hiked all the way around to the edge of a gravel bar. Water temp in close 44. Quickly climbed to 47 away from shore. Lookin' better.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Worked plastics and cranks as I moved out into deeper water. When I reached about 8 feet, I tossed out a minnow to drag behind the tube while I continued to play with plastic. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Within seconds of the minnow reaching bottom the line popped from my catch and line streamed from the reel. Heavy fish. Hoped it was a wiper but it turned out to be my first and biggest kitty of the day. Just over 23 inches...and a fatty.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That was the beginning of a real catfest. From 8 to 10 feet of water I was bit as fast as I could sail out a bait. Went through over 2 dozen minnows and only missed about 1 or 2 "inquiries". Also caught a few on crawlers and a couple on jigs...when I had time to throw them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I could have had a limit within a half hour, but tossed most of them back. I did keep a couple of 18 and 19 inchers and a couple of 16/17s. I quit putting any in the basket when I had 7, thinking I could always fill out on the way back in. NOT.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I put up the bait and started working hard for wipers. Finally had a BANG/ZING on a blue and silver holo crankbait. I was just a spectator for about 10 yards of line and then the inexperienced fish let go of the lure.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Got a lot of exercise for the next hour or so, but never had another nudge on any kind of artificial. The breeze began to pick up from the west and I was just about overfunned anyway. So, I let the breeze blow me straight back to my intended take out spot. Sweet. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I dragged bait on the way back in but the kitties had decided that I was no fun to play with anymore. Amazing that I could not get even a pop and drop for the last half hour, fishing the same area that had been nonstop cat action earlier.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My heart started pumping as I watched some terns diving over the water between me and shore. I watched for the splashes of feeding wipers, but did not see anything. Some terns were sitting idly on shore. If there was a REAL boil, they would be all over it. The terns that were diving and weaving were snarfing up a new hatch of midges. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Oh joy, it's that time of year again. I ate enough midges while trudging back to my vehicle that I didn't need to stop for lunch. Did take a couple of Pepsi's to wash them down though.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Water temp had climbed to 55 as I neared my exit spot. Won't be long now.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I decided to put my new little stroller cart to the test. In addition to all the gear I brought down, I added the basket with 7 catfish to the load for the return. The cart held up better than I did. I'm gettin' too old for that stuff. NOT.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Stopped by the fish cleaning station for a catfish weight loss program. Bummer. Still not open.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Tried my new baby stroller cart design to trudge my tubin' goodies to the water in the NE corner, after parking in the campground. Worked great, fully loaded, coming and going across weeds, rocks, loose sand and mud.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Parked about 6. Air temp 43. Dead flat calm. The lake was a sheet of glass. Only a few carpkind broke the surface. Hit the water about 6:45. Hiked all the way around to the edge of a gravel bar. Water temp in close 44. Quickly climbed to 47 away from shore. Lookin' better.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Worked plastics and cranks as I moved out into deeper water. When I reached about 8 feet, I tossed out a minnow to drag behind the tube while I continued to play with plastic. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Within seconds of the minnow reaching bottom the line popped from my catch and line streamed from the reel. Heavy fish. Hoped it was a wiper but it turned out to be my first and biggest kitty of the day. Just over 23 inches...and a fatty.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That was the beginning of a real catfest. From 8 to 10 feet of water I was bit as fast as I could sail out a bait. Went through over 2 dozen minnows and only missed about 1 or 2 "inquiries". Also caught a few on crawlers and a couple on jigs...when I had time to throw them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I could have had a limit within a half hour, but tossed most of them back. I did keep a couple of 18 and 19 inchers and a couple of 16/17s. I quit putting any in the basket when I had 7, thinking I could always fill out on the way back in. NOT.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I put up the bait and started working hard for wipers. Finally had a BANG/ZING on a blue and silver holo crankbait. I was just a spectator for about 10 yards of line and then the inexperienced fish let go of the lure.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Got a lot of exercise for the next hour or so, but never had another nudge on any kind of artificial. The breeze began to pick up from the west and I was just about overfunned anyway. So, I let the breeze blow me straight back to my intended take out spot. Sweet. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I dragged bait on the way back in but the kitties had decided that I was no fun to play with anymore. Amazing that I could not get even a pop and drop for the last half hour, fishing the same area that had been nonstop cat action earlier.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My heart started pumping as I watched some terns diving over the water between me and shore. I watched for the splashes of feeding wipers, but did not see anything. Some terns were sitting idly on shore. If there was a REAL boil, they would be all over it. The terns that were diving and weaving were snarfing up a new hatch of midges. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Oh joy, it's that time of year again. I ate enough midges while trudging back to my vehicle that I didn't need to stop for lunch. Did take a couple of Pepsi's to wash them down though.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Water temp had climbed to 55 as I neared my exit spot. Won't be long now.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I decided to put my new little stroller cart to the test. In addition to all the gear I brought down, I added the basket with 7 catfish to the load for the return. The cart held up better than I did. I'm gettin' too old for that stuff. NOT.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Stopped by the fish cleaning station for a catfish weight loss program. Bummer. Still not open.[/#0000ff]
[signature]