Willard 2-18-2017

[Bduck]

Just happen to take a ride out to the south marina. There is open water from canal flowing into the lake which extends out quite a ways. An end ramp is ice free and a boat can launch and troll the open area on the bay. Most of the lake is still capped but plenty of fishing space on open water. [fishin]
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[remo_5_0]

Thanks for the info.
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[WesternWalker]

Thanks for the update, sounds like not too much longer and boat fishing her we come. Has anyone had any luck with the muddy waters and early spring in Willard. I am still trying to figure this lake out.
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[liketrolling]

Thanks Roger
is the boat dock in the water and is the gate open
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[wiperhunter2]

Unlike some lakes, they never remove the boat docks at Willard during the Winter and the gate is always open. They do however have a timer on the gate, that I believe opens at 6am.
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[Bduck]

Robert, as Curt mentioned gates are opened and docks in the water. With the inflow coming in its not as muddy as I anticipated but is stained some. There is enough open water if someone wanted to boat. After the storm we had last night probably did help it some. I did see a boat out there last Wednesday.
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[TubeDude]

[quote WesternWalker]Thanks for the update, sounds like not too much longer and boat fishing her we come. Has anyone had any luck with the muddy waters and early spring in Willard. I am still trying to figure this lake out.[/quote]

[#0000FF]I have fished Willard since the late 1970s. I have had a lot of good catfish trips during February, when the cold muddy water was pouring into the inlet. Fresh flowing water is a magnet for cats. It can also bring in a few prespawn walleyes and even some wipers.

Cats are considered warm water species, and they are more active in warmer water. But they will hit crawlers and cut bait...even though they don't fight very hard. Walleyes like cold water but do slow down until the water temps reach at least 40 degrees. Then they can get aggressive in their prespawn period.

Wipers do not bite well until the water warms a bit more...in a month or so. But they also follow the flow and increasingly more will be caught...more after the walleye spawn is over and the wipers get ready for their own (false) spawn in May.

When the water is flowing well, you can find fish all along the inlet channel. Back in the days when I did more bank tangling I often hiked up the north dike of the inlet channel and cast crawlers or sucker meat out into the flow...allowing a lightly sinkered rig to bounce down the bottom.

If you are in a boat, tube, toon or yak you can follow the channel out a ways...dragging a bait along the bottom...or working the shallower flats to either side with slow moving plastics. Another good bet might be to find the new rock piles out off the south marina and work around them.

Once had a know-it-all old goober come down to see how I was doing while I was casting into the channel. He asked what I was fishing for. When I said "catfish" he thought that was the funniest thing he had ever heard. He derisively chortled that I was out of my mind...that catfish wouldn't start hitting until late spring or early summer...and that was in February. About that time I set the hook on a nice cat, brought it in and added it to the stringer of several others I pulled up out of the water. The old goober didn't say a word. He just hiked back up to the top of the dike and left.

Bottom line? It won't be the fastest fishing you will have all year but there is still the potential for getting some tugs. And tugs is drugs.
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[Tin-Can]

Bduck: I guess that means they have repaired the washed out piece of the intersection at the turn going in toward the south access road and the skeet range?
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[wiperhunter2]

Forest, I'm not trying to speak for Roger but just so you know, there are two paved roads that you can use to get to the South marina. Attached is a pic, the black line is the normal way most people use but the red route is the one I used last Sunday to get there and I use it often during the Summer when fishing from the S. marina.
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[Tin-Can]

Hmmmmmm..................never knew about that one. Been as far as the skeet range, but never passed it. Thanks for the info Curt.
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[wiperhunter2]

There is even a third road, a little more to the North but it's dirt.
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[Bduck]

Road barriers are in place from access at Smith & Edwards. I went in from the trailer park access off of Hi89 north of S & E. Your fine Curt, additional information I didn't mention is always welcome. I always assume most know how to gain access to WB is why I fail to go into further details.
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[wiperhunter2]

When he ask the question, I just figured he did not know about the other road. I just got back from out there and that turn off there at the trailer park is 8700 south. Here are a few pics I took. Looks like a boat could be launched if you could get past the ice blocking the harbor, into the channel. Still a lot of ice out in the Bay but it looks like there is open water enough to get to the new Rock Piles[].
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[dubob]

[quote Tin-Can]Hmmmmmm..................never knew about that one. Been as far as the skeet range, but never passed it. Thanks for the info Curt.[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]There ain't no skeet range within 20 miles of that location. I believe you meant to say Ogden Trap Club.[][/#800000][/font]
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[Bduck]

Yesterday there was no ice blocking the entrance to lake. It won't be long before ice is all gone.
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[doitall5000]

Thank you for the pictures!! To me not so sure you can get to the rock piles. Maybe to the first pile heading west. I am watching the weather looking for a break.
I remember once getting caught by wind moving the ice around at bear lake , very scarry getting pushed in to the rocky shoreline.
I've got some new techniques to try now, will next week.
Anyone checked the water temperature?
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[wiperhunter2]

When I walked over the dike, from the camp ground, it was open water straight ahead, see attached pic, the second pic is very close to the new Rock pile but you are right, it might not be all exposed yet. Just from what I saw yesterday, I'd say the ice in the marina should be gone this week, hard to tell about the main bay.
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[doitall5000]

Thanks for the details, going to get the boat set for the year, replaced the broken down rigger. Got a new anchor, and tied up some new jigs , shad look a likes. Can't wait.
Hope to see ya this spring.
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[Tin-Can]

Yea, skeet, trap, I don't shoot either one so got them mixed up. I own a 20 ga. Mossberg that I have only used for killing snakes in Georgia [:|]
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[fish_hntr]

[quote doitall5000]Thanks for the details, going to get the boat set for the year, replaced the broken down rigger. Got a new anchor, and tied up some new jigs , shad look a likes. Can't wait.
Hope to see ya this spring.[/quote]

I'm with ya, plugged in the trolling batteries over the weekend and going to charge the main battery tomorrow and plug in all of the electronics, also need to replace the switch on one of the downriggers and then hoping to scrub her top to bottom. These strong winds combined with mild temps should have that lake wide open by the weekend!! At this rate I would be happy to reel in a 15 inch cat and break out of this cabin fever.
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