Willard/Deer Creek early walleye techniques

[JayWeymouth]

From you local experts, what is the preferred walleye fishing techniques for ice out walleye. My boat /gear can be set up for any methods. Thanks.
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[wiperhunter2]

I'm by far no expert but fishing Willard in the spring is a tough deal. I usually slow troll with a Lindy rig or bottom bouncer and a worm harness.
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[Kent]

I have had success on Willard trolling near the shorelines with a crawdad hard bait.
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[PACKFAN]

Big jigs with sharp hooks and twister tails work well at the inlet to Willard as well as the mouth of the Provo River where it enters Deer Creek once the spawn starts.[:/]
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[a_bow_nut]

And don't forget the treble hook stinger. [crazy]
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[PACKFAN]

Forgot about that rig.[mad]
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[FattyGreens]

Jigs with twister tails do work good for walleye. Have caught several with them, IN THE MOUTH!
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[SkunkedAgain]

Me too, but not this time of year but I think I don't know where to find them this time of year. Hope to learn this year where they hang out besides the inlet. Looks like an early start to the boat season this year hope it will be a good one. Later J
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[TroutBumDave]

Serious question: Do you ever get tired of crying about legal fish harvest? I only ask because I never get tired of it -- then again, I have never met anyone as annoying as I am.
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[WiperMac]

For both me and Pete/PACKFAN Willard Bay is our backyard. Not our personal puddle but a place that is near and dear to our heart. The thought of unethical, unsportsmanship and down right illegal tactics that go directly against what I call "fair chase" just chaps our ass. We may be passionate and at times a little annoying, but it's all for the love of the bay and the fish folk that live in it. Willard is always first and foremost in our mind.

For the original question. Think a very slow Lindy rig with or without a spinner. .5 mph just enough to wobble the blade, not spin. Good luck my friend.
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[utwalleye]

I don't know willard but I do know D.C. before Jordonelle came around you could anchor at the mouth of the provo river and throw jigs and do very well on walleyes. but now that jordonelle is here the water coming in to D.C. is colder then before. I've done kinda ok fishing around the wind blown points along the west bank casting either jigs or sinking rapalas. hope this helps.
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[JayWeymouth]

Thanks for the good(legal) tips. I moved from Mich. to Idaho Falls(2004) and now I live on the Jordonelle (Aug. 2013). Yeah, in Mi. we had folks using "silver spiders" to catch?? walleyes early in the year. I did catch 8 walleyes thru the ice at DC this winter.
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[gmwahl]

I'm no expert, but I DO have a technique for fishing the spawn that is effective (And no it's not force feeding).

I'm not going to give away any spots because they would get pummeled by other, less than honorable anglers, but generically here it is. The spots I like during the heat of the spawn and a week or two leading up to it are just like the inlet at Willard bay. They stop and hold massive numbers of spawners, but the problem is that if you swim a jig or spinner through then you tend to snag most of your catch, hence, you can't keep em. In order to fish these few hatchery type spots without snagging fish I tried just a plain old night crawler on a slip sinker rig or again a worm below a slip bobber drifted in the pools and eddies of these spots and have found two things.

1- I can catch an easy limit of non snagged fish in a relatively short amount of time. It's not usually fast and furious(some times it is), but somewhat steady. I think they aren't too hungry, but enough of them will eat to give me some steady action.

2- I have yet to catch a spawning female on bait. I don't know why, but it is only males and just the right size for the pan so I feel that I'm not making any significant impact on the future population because I'm not getting females.

By exploring the bear river from the bird refuge all the way to wyoming I've found awesome spots that hold good numbers of walleye during their spawn (cutler and oneida reservoir below, above, and all point in between) and it just always seems to work better to use the lowley worm than hardware that just ends up snagging them 9 times out of 10.

Just my 2 cents worth.
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[JayWeymouth]

Thanks again gmwahl. That is the info I was looking for.
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[KodiakFisher]

[quote JayWeymouth]I did catch 8 walleyes thru the ice at DC this winter.[/quote]

Say What?

I mean, I knew they were in there, but the only thing I EVER catch at Deer Creek is a Rainbow... and mostly Dink ones at that. I guess I just suck at fishing [sly] Any suggestions on what I can change would be very welcome!
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[Itcntogofishin]

Look up walleye spear fishing record for Utah.
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[Itcntogofishin]

Sorry! I meant world record. I'm not a spear fisher but wanted to emphasis the DC walleye connection.
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[KodiakFisher]

Hey Look at that, I found the old BFT post for this.

I'm floored lol. I guess I need to brush up on my Walleye Tactics.

http://mail.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Utah...k_P623988/
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Thems with the curly tails - got any favorite flavors, and by that I mean colors? I've oft heard white, or white-glow. Though the bass/crappie seem to enjoy the dual colors - green/blue/yellow combos, maybe a touch of sparkle in the tail end.

So Jeff - Willard/Provo-UL have those clearly defined inlet channels that draw them in, I'd presume following the flow? Water temp? Olfactory aspects. But where in our Bear/Cutler water works would you think such a locale exists? Seems like most of the inlet flows are not so defined. Guess there's the Bear to Cutler juncture, but it's all muddy. I've read they like rocky surfaces to 'get 'er done' - and the splashing of waves to churn the white froth and get a good mix. Willards got plenty of that landscape, and I can think of a few such rocky edges in Cutler - just never had luck with 'em. Wind I can find in surplus.


Do you know if Benson or CJ launch are open for business? Maybe I'll take a post-work survey run. Or on the river by the B-church even...

[Fin-S-Fish]

pm sent on colors. haha
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