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Fishing the Bay with the Slayer
#1
Ira and I got out to Willard this morning, launching from the South marina around 8am. Saw this are we were coming out of the marina, into the channel.

[Image: southdropoff.jpg]

We headed over to Freeway bay and greeted by this sunrise.


[Image: sunrise-at-the-bay.jpg]


It started off slow but we finally found a group of active cats, this is what we look for, when we are deciding where to fish.


[Image: whatwelookfor.jpg]

They were only biting in one area and after numerous passes we had 8 in the boat, we did not take any pics of them but all were 18 to 22". Most were caught on either straight silver or silver and blue fligs, using chub for bait. Around 11 am the action died so we moved over to the Feed lot and tried there for a while, no luck, we made a pass around the Island but did not see anything that looked promising, so we headed to the SW corner. Lots of dead baby shad out there today, this one was 1.75".


[Image: babyshad-dieoff.jpg]


We were marking good numbers of fish that we consider catchable but were only able to pick up one more cat before we called it quits, at 1pm.
Water level has dropped about a foot since my last trip out there two weeks ago.

One thing I noticed was this line in the upper water column, not sure what it was but we saw it about everywhere we fished, thermocline?? Any of you have any thoughts on what it is?


[Image: what-is-that-line.jpg]
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#2
Glad you were able to make it out and that you found  a few that wanted to play.  Gotta love the kitties...when the other guys are being reluctant.  But if there is already a small shad dieoff starting it is no surprise.  When the predators have a well stocked buffet they don't need to mess with appetizers from anglers.

I was planning a trip to Starvation next week but Mama Nature looks like she will be a bit huffy over there all week.  So Willard is likely plan B...Wednesday or Thursday.
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#3
When we got there yesterday, the water moving down the baffles was a torrent and temps in the south marina were several degrees cooler than the main lake. I guess I'm not surprising with the downpour we got the day before, it was still surprising to see so many dead shad. As we both know it happens every year but it sure seems strange it happened this early. I guess the water temps have dropped 10 degrees in the last week or two but I alway thought it took a lot more of a temp drop than that for the die off to begin. Another thing that surprised us was the lack of Terns and Seagulls picking off those baby shad on the surface, do they only go for the live ones Undecided? One other thing that they have added is two big black pipes going from the channel above the baffles, all the way down to the area behind the pump house, made we wonder if the pump were broken or the lines from the pump house were clogged. I noticed it two week ago too, just did not mention it in my post.
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#4
(08-21-2021, 04:08 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: When we got there yesterday, the water moving down the baffles was a torrent and temps in the south marina were several degrees cooler than the main lake. I guess I'm not surprising with the downpour we got the day before, it was still surprising to see so many dead shad. As we both know it happens every year but it sure seems strange it happened this early. I guess the water temps have dropped 10 degrees in the last week or two but I alway thought it took a lot more of a temp drop than that for the die off to begin. Another thing that surprised us was the lack of Terns and Seagulls picking off those baby shad on the surface, do they only go for the live ones Undecided? One other thing that they have added is two big black pipes going from the channel above the baffles, all the way down to the area behind the pump house, made we wonder if the pump were broken or the lines from the pump house were clogged. I noticed it two week ago too, just did not mention it in my post.
The late fall shad dieoff usually starts around the end of October into November...as water temps move below about 55 degrees.  That is when the zooplankton thin out and the late-hatching baby shad have not developed enough to be able to live on anything besides the zooplankton.  They starve to death. 

Gizzard shad are a lot more tolerant of low water temps than threadfin shad.  The latter have big dieoffs when the water temps get  below about 50 degrees.  Gizzard shad can live under the ice in water temps only a bit above freezing.  But even gizzard shad experience winter kills to some extent.  We see lots of them floating up under the ice during the winter and around the edges of the lake when the ice cap comes off.

The only reason I can suggest for the seeming lack of bird activity on the dead shad is that they started feeding on them at daybreak and were full by the time you guys hit the water.  I see that a lot...since I am often on the water right at daybreak.

I suspect that the pipes are some kind of "backup" system...to provide water for the water users even if the canal is not full enough to spill over the baffles.
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#5
One thing I have thought about and I'm sure others would be interested in seeing, is video of your fishing trips and just how you fish. I have never perfected a good way to edit my video but I have a Gopro that I will occasionally use to video my trips. I paid around $100 for it and it takes decent video. I'm not sure that would be something you would be interested in but I think a lot of use would be interested in watching you and the method you use while fishing. Is it something you have ever considered Pat? Even video of you making your fligs and other lure would be cool, imo.
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#6
(08-22-2021, 07:32 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: One thing I have thought about and I'm sure others would be interested in seeing, is video of your fishing trips and just how you fish. I have never perfected a good way to edit my video but I have a Gopro that I will occasionally use to video my trips. I paid around $100 for it and it takes decent video. I'm not sure that would be something you would be interested in but I think a lot of use would be interested in watching you and the method you use while fishing. Is it something you have ever considered Pat? Even video of you making your fligs and other lure would be cool, imo.
Musta been a hunnert times I have thunk about goin' Gopro.  But when I think about all that goes with it I return to my senses.  I have enough wacko habits and pursuits on my angling table as it is.  If I added in shooting video, editing it, Utubing it, etc. I might just push myself over the mental stability waterfalls.  Might already be there.

As you know, I always carry my little Pentax W-90 digital camera on a lanyard around my neck.  And I have a pretty good photo editing software package.  I pride myself on taking or making the time to record most pertinent parts of each trip...as much for my own enjoyment as to share with others.  I do like being able to provide photo backup for my many verbose diatribes on various subjects.  And since I appreciate the video efforts of others I am sure I could contribute some worthwhile stuff my own self.

I have helped DWR and others to put together a few videos.  And in my past (working) life I scripted, shot and edited a lot of stuff on various company products, policies and procedures.  So, it ain't like a foreign concept.  For some weird reason I just ain't "pulled the trigger" and gone video for my fishing pursuits.   But now you got me thinking that maybe I should had oughtta get with the program.

In the meantime, If anybody on the board already video-savvy wants to get together for some topical sessions I would be open to that.  Heck, I ain't bashful or camera shy.  Probably should be, but ain't.
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#7
(08-22-2021, 08:07 PM)TubeDude Wrote:
(08-22-2021, 07:32 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: One thing I have thought about and I'm sure others would be interested in seeing, is video of your fishing trips and just how you fish. I have never perfected a good way to edit my video but I have a Gopro that I will occasionally use to video my trips. I paid around $100 for it and it takes decent video. I'm not sure that would be something you would be interested in but I think a lot of use would be interested in watching you and the method you use while fishing. Is it something you have ever considered Pat? Even video of you making your fligs and other lure would be cool, imo.
Musta been a hunnert times I have thunk about goin' Gopro.  But when I think about all that goes with it I return to my senses.  I have enough wacko habits and pursuits on my angling table as it is.  If I added in shooting video, editing it, Utubing it, etc. I might just push myself over the mental stability waterfalls.  Might already be there.

As you know, I always carry my little Pentax W-90 digital camera on a lanyard around my neck.  And I have a pretty good photo editing software package.  I pride myself on taking or making the time to record most pertinent parts of each trip...as much for my own enjoyment as to share with others.  I do like being able to provide photo backup for my many verbose diatribes on various subjects.  And since I appreciate the video efforts of others I am sure I could contribute some worthwhile stuff my own self.

I have helped DWR and others to put together a few videos.  And in my past (working) life I scripted, shot and edited a lot of stuff on various company products, policies and procedures.  So, it ain't like a foreign concept.  For some weird reason I just ain't "pulled the trigger" and gone video for my fishing pursuits.   But now you got me thinking that maybe I should had oughtta get with the program.

In the meantime, If anybody on the board already video-savvy wants to get together for some topical sessions I would be open to that.  Heck, I ain't bashful or camera shy.  Probably should be, but ain't.
ive found at a certain point, the line tween documenting /videoing fishing/skiing hunting etc. and going videoing and doing these things for views becomes blurred.
And like to find the line tween wanting and needing to pull out the camera to make what your doing count or just do the thing
if that makes sense
"I have found I have had my reward
In the doing of the thing" Halden Buzz Holmstrom
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