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I got out to Willard after work today and caught my limit of Walleye on a 2.5oz bottom bouncer and purple perch pattern worm harnesses and a deep diving purple flicker shad. I fished out by the light pole going between 2.3 and 3 mph. I lost 1 Wiper at the net on the worm harness. After I put my 6th Walleye in the box I switched the bottom bouncers out for a lipless crank bait and sped up to 3.5 mph in search of wipers but I had no takers in the half hour before I pulled up my lines and headed in just ahead of the rain. The lengths of the fish where 2 at 21”, 1 at 19”, 1 at 18”, 1 at 17” and 1 at 16”.
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That's a nice haul of eyes! Strong work.
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Can you post a picture of your purple perch pattern harness? I keep trying bottom bouncers but haven’t got a single hit yet. I must be doing something wrong.
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[#800000][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The only way I can keep a bottom bouncer weight on the bottom is to keep my speed about 0.5 to 0.7 mph. I can't even imagine how a bottom bouncer would be close to the bottom at speeds over 2 mph. Unless you are letting out 500 feet of line. [
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[#800000][size 3][font "Comic Sans MS"]Can you elucidate a little on that?[/font][/size][/#800000]
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Bob Hicks, from Utah
I'm 81 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
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It’s definitely counter intuitive to go that fast but it’s whats working. I let out line until I feel it hit the bottom which is 70 to 100 feet behind the boat it’s probably not in contact with the bottom, just close. I think what WiperHunter is doing with lead core line is achieving the same concept. For whatever reason they like it fast this year. I’ll post a picture of what I was using when I get home from work today.
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[#800000][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Thank you Sir, for that elucidation. [cool]
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[#800000][size 3][font "Comic Sans MS"]I may have to start using my downriggers with harnesses at depths close to the bottom and 30 to 50 feet or so behind the ball. I'm not a big fan of lead core line.[/font][/size][/#800000][#800000][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3][/size][/font][/#800000]
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Bob Hicks, from Utah
I'm 81 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
"Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."
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For clarification I'm not using lead core I'm using braid, I believe Wiper Hunter is not using bottom bouncers. Putting them on your down riggers would accomplish the same thing, I may try that next time I'm out that would probably help with the worm harness lines getting crossed up with my crank bait lines.
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Those clip on weights have been getting my line to the bottom. Have I caught anything? No. HAHA but I'll change that this weekend.
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Nice catch!! hoping to figure out the secret here soon. I took out my life savings and am buying every color worm harness northern utah has. So if you see a boat out there with a bunch of kids and 20 poles out. That'll be me. HAHAHA
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Well done. We were out yesterday too. Thought about trying the light pole, but stayed closer to the marinas with the impending storm that was brewing. Manged two wipers and two eyes. Trolling cranks at about 12' dive depth and 5' dive depths. Oddly enough, the eyes came in on the shallow cranks and the wipers on the deep cranks....
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Hi Bob,
I fished Willard Monday and managed two eyes, I think I was going too slow according to these reports.
My two eyes came on Rapalas, one on lead line 3 colors out and the other on my downrigger set at 18' in 21 fow.
I dont like lead line either but I have a Penn set up on an ancient fiberglass Eagle Claw 7' light action pole. It is too light for heavy tackle but is not too bad for pulling cranks and harnesses. You get to feel 'most' of the fight on this rig.
I also pulled harness on riggers and didn't have any takers.
My speeds were 2.2-2.5.
As you know a Rapala vibes a lot more than harnesses so maybe thumper blades on harnesses would be the way to go.
It sounds like maybe making more noise is more important than taste right now?
One 20" eye, one 16" eye.
Good luck!
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We too were out there in the afternoon. We went all over (north and south marina, light pole, north dike, sw corner, hog farm)the lake dragging cranks near the bottom. We also bottom bounced a bit too fast I'd say. We couldnt buy a bite. Willard still has my number!
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