Willard Drive by

[RockyRaab]

Went past Willard today on Hwy 89. Couldn't see either marina, but it looks like the winds last night cleared the northern third of the lake of ice. Cold weather coming, though, so don't hook up your boat just yet.

Or blow up your tube.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Thanks for the recon. Won't be long now.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]And I wouldn't think of blowing up my tube until I had your official blessing to do so.[/#0000FF]
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[RockyRaab]

That'll cost you, Pat. Inflation, you know.
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[FatBiker]

Marina pictures today!
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[doitall5000]

Thanks alot Larry.
I think no one knows willard as you do. So can you predict the water temperature? I'm so ready to live at the bay this spring. Will you save some fish for me? I have dusted off the old fly rod because of you. Hope my elbow can do it again.
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[FatBiker]

Nope, I'm a beginner when it comes to Willard. The only thing I know is when TD talks, I listen and usually ask him to repeat it several times.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Last year the water temp was 41 in mid February. But we had an early iceout and warmer weather. In 2017 my first trip was in mid March and the water temps were 44. That is more typical.
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[#0000FF]With ice just coming off the lake I doubt it will hit 40 until early March this year...especially with the cold temps forecast for the coming week. And fishing usually does not start to kick in until a few windy days have churned the lake and put more oxygen in the winter depleted water.
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[#0000FF]I almost always connect with a few cats early. But until the water approaches 45 the walleyes are scarce. Although if you can find them they sometimes have a prespawn feeding period after about 42 degrees. The snaggers in the inlet will start getting them by mid March and the rock hoppers before the end of March. It depends on weather and water temps.
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[#0000FF]Rare to pick up any wipers until April. And that is when the crappies start to show up too...when populations are up...and they ain't.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Hope that helps. That's why I keep fishing logs.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I think I will be waving my fairy wand more this coming year too. Got all excited about making and using some of those [url "http://intheriffle.com/fishing-videos/fly-tying/game-changer-blane-chockletts/"]"Game Changer" flies[/url]. I think the denizens of Willard will vote for them.
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[TubeDude]

[quote RockyRaab]That'll cost you, Pat. Inflation, you know.[/quote]

[#0000FF]Inflation sucks.[/#0000FF]
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[dubob]

[quote TubeDude][quote RockyRaab]That'll cost you, Pat. Inflation, you know.[/quote]

[#0000ff]Inflation sucks.[/#0000ff][/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] Suck it up youngster. [/size][/#800000][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]You'd be hard pressed to float without it. [cool][/size][/#800000][/font]
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[muirco]

What species do you get out there for that early in the boating season?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]My past fishing logs show that I have caught just about all species in March...on Willard...wipers, walleyes, cats and crappies. But you can't specifically target any species and count on doing well...with the exception of cats and maybe walleyes. And there are a lot of variables in water temps, water clarity, water levels, etc.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]The everlovin' kitties will play with you any month of the year...even under the ice. But they are very slow in cold water...biting lightly and fighting weakly. As previously mentioned, however, if you can find walleyes in water above 40 degrees you can often get them to bite. Fish plastics slow or drag crawler harnesses at minus warp speeds.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Wipers? They are most active and aggressive after the water gets at least 55 degrees...and climbing to the 65 degree mark in May, when they spawn. But in colder temps they won't chase fast moving cranks at shallow depths. Fish low and slow with slow wobbling cranks or plastics. They do sometimes pick up the minnows I drag around behind my tube. And by April the bank tanglers are getting them on mussels or crawlers.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]For the next week or two it is unlikely the water temps will get much past the mid thirties. Most species seem to wake up more after the water hits 40 and keeps climbing.
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[TubeDude]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Suck it up youngster. [/size][/#800000][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]You'd be hard pressed to float without it. [cool]
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[#0000FF][size 3][font "Comic Sans MS"]Youngster? You only got me by a few months.[/font][/size][/#0000FF]
[#0000FF][size 3][font "Comic Sans MS"]At least we have air filled watercraft these days. When you and I were pups there were still stone float tubes.
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[RockyRaab]

You both have me by a few years. I'm from the vastly improved hollow log era. But they were petrified wood.

(I complete my 72nd solar orbit tomorrow.)
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Okay kid, here's your birthday card a day early. We might both forget by tomorrow.[/#0000FF]
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[dubob]

[#800000][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Forget what?[/size][/font][/#800000]
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[fishgiver]

Happy Birthday and best wishes.
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[RockyRaab]

I will console myself by watching fishing shows on TV.
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[Kent]

I watched the video of that guy making that fly. Impressive how it is made and I bet that it would catch many different species of fish in Utah.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I first saw it on a program called "Fin Chasers". They filmed a segment on a river below a dam in Tennessee and they were throwing those things for big stripers and wipers. I was amazed at how they swam in the water...and how well they worked.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I have since spent some time on the Internet looking up more info on them and have discovered a whole lot of different patterns and variations. That stuff they use for tying in the video is pretty spendy, but others have come up with some great patterns using different hairs, feathers and synthetics...and in some great colors.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I was talking to a kokeaholic (kokanees) a few days ago and he wants to try some in hot pink...and maybe with a stinger hook in the tail. No probby.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I know that making up some smaller double jointed models...in blacks, browns and olives...will likely get some votes from big streamborn brownies.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Can't wait to finish up with my current projects and get to playing with some of those furry critters.
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[#0000FF]Since I know how to work with wire...and have a bunch of different sizes...I can make my own metal links...which cost about a buck a fly if you buy them. And I am also going to make some using small bead chain. Got a whole bunch of ideas on colors and patterns that should work on a bunch of silly Utah fishies.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]I am attaching a few pics I have snagged for reference. But there is a ton of stuff on the web if you plug in "Game Changer Flies" in your browser.
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[Tin-Can]

Hey Rocky, HAPPY BIRTHDAY sir. [][fishon]
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