09-24-2009, 08:37 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Been awhile since TubeBabe and I tried Willard. Reports have not been too encouraging. Met up with Wildcat94 at the south marina and launched about 7 AM. Cool 50 degree air temp and no bugs. No wind to speak of. Light offshore breeze. Water temp still a surprising 66 degrees at launch. Water levels are about 3 feet below high water mark.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw lots of fish in the channel going out. Lots of shadlets and a few larger (well fed) fish among them. A couple of active kitties in the channel, with TubeBabe catching the first (jinx) and Wildcat94 bringing in another cookie cutter shortly after. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Both of them had a couple of cats in their baskets before I really got started. I was feverishly throwing plastics and hardbaits, trying to find something with big teeth or with stripes on their sides. Nada, zip, zero, zilch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I kicked out into the 12 foot deep zone, where TubeBabe reported that she had been getting bit by kitties. Started getting some of my own. First on minnows, then on a piece of carp meat. Several more on minnows and even one on a pearl colored shad grub. It wasn't fast and furious but enough biters to keep things interesting. I probably got a dozen or so,keeping a limit of eight for the family fish fry over the weekend.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Bryce (Wildcat94) acquitted himself well and also brought in a limit of cookies. TubeBabe fought the first fish jinx...losing several fish and almost losing a rod...almost. She worked hard but only brought about five to the fillet station.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]A beautiful day to be on the water. Only a few boats out and none of them in the area we fished. No idea how they did wherever they went. Saw quite a few wiper scales at the cleaning station. Who scales wipers...and why?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Did not see any boils or even any wipers hitting the top today. Did see a few terns diving to pick up single shadlets when they popped on the top. Lots of individual shad rippling the top or jumping out of the water. But, nothing taking advantage of the abundance...at least while we were there.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Water temp was only about 1 degree higher...67...as we kicked into the ramp about noon. Just a hint of a westerly breeze kicking up. Got back in time for my afternoon nap.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Saw lots of fish in the channel going out. Lots of shadlets and a few larger (well fed) fish among them. A couple of active kitties in the channel, with TubeBabe catching the first (jinx) and Wildcat94 bringing in another cookie cutter shortly after. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Both of them had a couple of cats in their baskets before I really got started. I was feverishly throwing plastics and hardbaits, trying to find something with big teeth or with stripes on their sides. Nada, zip, zero, zilch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I kicked out into the 12 foot deep zone, where TubeBabe reported that she had been getting bit by kitties. Started getting some of my own. First on minnows, then on a piece of carp meat. Several more on minnows and even one on a pearl colored shad grub. It wasn't fast and furious but enough biters to keep things interesting. I probably got a dozen or so,keeping a limit of eight for the family fish fry over the weekend.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Bryce (Wildcat94) acquitted himself well and also brought in a limit of cookies. TubeBabe fought the first fish jinx...losing several fish and almost losing a rod...almost. She worked hard but only brought about five to the fillet station.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]A beautiful day to be on the water. Only a few boats out and none of them in the area we fished. No idea how they did wherever they went. Saw quite a few wiper scales at the cleaning station. Who scales wipers...and why?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Did not see any boils or even any wipers hitting the top today. Did see a few terns diving to pick up single shadlets when they popped on the top. Lots of individual shad rippling the top or jumping out of the water. But, nothing taking advantage of the abundance...at least while we were there.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Water temp was only about 1 degree higher...67...as we kicked into the ramp about noon. Just a hint of a westerly breeze kicking up. Got back in time for my afternoon nap.[/#0000ff]
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