Willard drive by

[wiperhunter2]

No one was fishing that I saw while there,but the Parks guy said someone had tried that fisherman dock with no luck. I went over there and checked it out and it was just over 2", that ice has been on there longer than the ice in the bay so I did not want to walk on it. I went to the South marina and the harbor looked thick enough, there was two guys there, not fishing just checking the ice, they said the channel was very thin, they had thrown a rock and it broke through. Maybe two more cold nights might freeze the lake better but I think I'll wait a while longer.[/font][/size][/color]

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[EyLayo]

This was last night

[Jmorfish]

It appears to me that water depth there in the North Marina is down about 5 to 6 ft...sound about right? Isn't the normal depth there about 10 to 11 ft max? If so, wouldn't that make the depth now around 5 to 6 ft in the Marina?  and if that shallow, would perch or anything else be in there, even if we do get solid ice soon?

[doitall5000]

Thanks wiperhunter2. By the looks of the bay I hope it snows for two more weeks. Course I don't have to Drive to work.

[wiperhunter2]

It appears to me that water depth there in the North Marina is down about 5 to 6 ft...sound about right? Isn't the normal depth there about 10 to 11 ft max? If so, wouldn't that make the depth now around 5 to 6 ft in the Marina?  and if that shallow, would perch or anything else be in there, even if we do get solid ice soon?

I should have added the depth in my post but the max depth is less than three feet at this point. Last Winter we were fishing in the marina on 6 to 8 FOW and catching perch but with it less than 3 ft there is likely few if any fish in there. When it is full it is between 12 to 13 FOW. The channel is a little deeper because they dredged it years ago but they never dredged the marina. We were catchin perch in the channel, outside the harbor, before it started freezing last month and when it finally freezes up solid we will fish it this year.

[TubeDude]

I think I will wait awhile...until maybe about March.  Hope some of those perch hang around for ya.

[wiperhunter2]

I think I will wait awhile...until maybe about March.  Hope some of those perch hang around for ya.

Me too, as few as they were on our last trip out there in that outer channel, hopefully they will move back in, with much less pressure now.

[TubeDude]

I think I will wait awhile...until maybe about March.  Hope some of those perch hang around for ya.

Me too, as few as they were on our last trip out there in that outter channel, hopefully they will move back in, with much less pressure now.

At  least once you find them it is easier to "spot lock" on them.  I doubt you will have much competition from the "regulars".

[joatmon]

I "fished" the north marina on 12/31/21 off the docks.  Not only did I not catch anything, I didn't see anything on the flasher.  Might have to do with water depth at 1.8 to 2 feet around the docks.  I didn't access the two locked docks.  From past experience, there will be more water out in the channel as noted elsewhere.

[wiperhunter2]

I "fished" the north marina on 12/31/21 off the docks.  Not only did I not catch anything, I didn't see anything on the flasher.  Might have to do with water depth at 1.8 to 2 feet around the docks.  I didn't access the two locked docks.  From past experience, there will be more water out in the channel as noted elsewhere.

Those must have been your holes I saw there yesterday, I knew it wasn't very deep there but I did not have anything to measure the depth. With the water being that shallow it's no wonder you did not mark any fish. Thanks for letting us know how you did.

[wiperhunter2]

I think I will wait awhile...until maybe about March.  Hope some of those perch hang around for ya.

Me too, as few as they were on our last trip out there in that outter channel, hopefully they will move back in, with much less pressure now.

At  least once you find them it is easier to "spot lock" on them.  I doubt you will have much competition from the "regulars".

In years part I have seen Kent D out there many times and a couple of his friends but no where near the number of people you see during the softwater season.

[fearfish]

No one was fishing that I saw while there,but the Parks guy said someone had tried that fisherman dock with no luck. I went over there and checked it out and it was just over 2", that ice has been on there longer than the ice in the bay so I did not want to walk on it. I went to the South marina and the harbor looked thick enough, there was two guys there, not fishing just checking the ice, they said the channel was very thin, they had thrown a rock and it broke through. Maybe two more cold nights might freeze the lake better but I think I'll wait a while longer.[/font][/size][/color]

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Have you ever done very well at  Willard Bay on the ice i have not hit it on the hard deck i have done very well on soft water tho

[wiperhunter2]

No one was fishing that I saw while there,but the Parks guy said someone had tried that fisherman dock with no luck. I went over there and checked it out and it was just over 2", that ice has been on there longer than the ice in the bay so I did not want to walk on it. I went to the South marina and the harbor looked thick enough, there was two guys there, not fishing just checking the ice, they said the channel was very thin, they had thrown a rock and it broke through. Maybe two more cold nights might freeze the lake better but I think I'll wait a while longer.

Have you ever done very well at  Willard Bay on the ice i have not hit it on the hard deck i have done very well on soft water tho

Sure we have but it depends on the year. If you drill your hole right on top of them it can be very good but the odds are against you for sure, unless the marinas are deep enough. The last two or three years the marinas have been very productive but with the low water, that will not be happening this year.