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Willard...Good News & Bad News (With Video)
#1
LINK TO VIDEO

Couldn’t stay away Monday with the super weather forecast.  Launched from the south marina about 7…after taking a picture of the setting “blood moon” over the marina.  Air temp 58 and a tie score with the water temp also at 58.  Air was up to 82 by the time I left at noonish.  Water temp had warmed to 65 and the carp were getting frisky all over the place.  (See pics at bottom)
 [Image: MOON.jpg]  [Image: 5-16-22-LAUNCH.jpg]
The good news…the fish cleaning station is open.  The bad news…I didn’t get any walleye or wipers to put it to use.  The good news is that there were a lot of playful kitties to stretch my string and bend my stick.  And the weather was delightful.
 
Met up with Fatbiker at the ramp.  But he stayed closer to the marina and he was gone by the time I got back in so I don’t know how he did.  I motored under power…making big S turns…down to the area of the feed lot.  Didn’t see much on TV.  Saw even less on the end of my line.  Finally worked my way back out to where I found some on my last trip…in just over 12 feet of water.  There were still some kitties home…even if no wipers or walleyes.
[Image: FAT-BIKER.jpg]
First cat came on an orange tiger whirly flig with a crawler setup.  After that it was a fish about every 10 to 15 minutes for the next couple of hours.  And they hit a variety of fligs, most tipped with chub meat.  The first on crawler was the only one that wanted a worm.
 [Image: CRAWLER-CAT.jpg] [Image: CHART-PERCH.jpg] [Image: ORANGE-TIGER.jpg] [Image: SILVER-BLUE.jpg]

A little after 10 am the water temp had climbed a few degrees and the carp started getting frisky along the rocks and even out away from shore a ways.  At first I thought it might be some wipers so I moved in to shallower water and rigged up with some of my new “buzz fligs”…with buzz bait blades for spinners.  They really move in the water even at low speed.  Had an orange one on one rod and a blue-silver one on the other rod.  Had a couple of doinks on the blue silver but no hookups.
 
Then the rod with the orange model took a sudden dive and line started peeling off the reel.  I just knew it was a wiper so I brought in the second rod and got ready for a battle.  The fish did the usual wiper stuff…making big circles and turning me around in my tube a couple of times one way…then the other.  After a prolonged slugfest I coaxed it up off the bottom toward my net…and saw it…A CATFISH!   Hardest fighting cat I have caught out of Willard in like forever.  But at least I got something on my new lures.
 [Image: BUZZ-TAIL.jpg]
The carp were really going crazy as I rounded the corner coming back into the marina.  They were rolling and splashing everywhere.  And as I was finishing loading up my gear in my car a gang of them came noisily across the ramp I had just used.  I reached down for the landing net laying at my feet and made a scoop.  Got two big nasty carp in the net.  One of them levered its way out but I flopped the other one on the bank long enough to get it to pose for a picture.  Then it splashed its way back out to the orgy.  I didn't even stomp it before releasing it unharmed.
 [Image: CARP-IN-LOVE.jpg] [Image: CARP-CAPTURED.jpg]
Talked to several boaters returning from the open lake.  A few small walleye reported.  No bigguns and no limits.  And no wipers.  Guess I can be happy with the catfish exercise.  I know the others will come.  I caught lots of them the past couple of years once they were in the same area as the kitties.
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#2
Sounds like a fun day, and glad you got one success story on the buzz blades... Looking forward to trying them... Willard was pretty stingy to us the other day, so glad you found the cat fest even if the w's were on vacation... Later J
When things get stressful think I'll go fish'en and worry about it tomorrow!
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#3
(05-17-2022, 03:00 PM)SkunkedAgain Wrote: Sounds like a fun day, and glad you got one success story on the buzz blades... Looking forward to trying them... Willard was pretty stingy to us the other day, so glad you found the cat fest even if the w's were on vacation... Later J
I'm optimistic about the buzz fligs.  Only tried them for a while...in shallow water,,,away from where I had been getting more action.  I got a couple of hard hits but no hookups on the blue and the one solid hookup on the orange.  I think a few more degrees of warm in the water and they will produce well.  I'm planning to make some up in crawler harness rigs...just for grins.  They should also work well as "active floats" in some Santee rigs.  Love doing the research.  Lemme know how yours work for you...as part of my "bait-a" test program.
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#4
(05-17-2022, 01:31 PM)TubeDude Wrote: LINK TO VIDEO

Couldn’t stay away Monday with the super weather forecast.  Launched from the south marina about 7…after taking a picture of the setting “blood moon” over the marina.  Air temp 58 and a tie score with the water temp also at 58.  Air was up to 82 by the time I left at noonish.  Water temp had warmed to 65 and the carp were getting frisky all over the place.  (See pics at bottom)
 [Image: MOON.jpg]  [Image: 5-16-22-LAUNCH.jpg]
The good news…the fish cleaning station is open.  The bad news…I didn’t get any walleye or wipers to put it to use.  The good news is that there were a lot of playful kitties to stretch my string and bend my stick.  And the weather was delightful.
 
Met up with Fatbiker at the ramp.  But he stayed closer to the marina and he was gone by the time I got back in so I don’t know how he did.  I motored under power…making big S turns…down to the area of the feed lot.  Didn’t see much on TV.  Saw even less on the end of my line.  Finally worked my way back out to where I found some on my last trip…in just over 12 feet of water.  There were still some kitties home…even if no wipers or walleyes.
[Image: FAT-BIKER.jpg]
First cat came on an orange tiger whirly flig with a crawler setup.  After that it was a fish about every 10 to 15 minutes for the next couple of hours.  And they hit a variety of fligs, most tipped with chub meat.  The first on crawler was the only one that wanted a worm.
 [Image: CRAWLER-CAT.jpg] [Image: CHART-PERCH.jpg] [Image: ORANGE-TIGER.jpg] [Image: SILVER-BLUE.jpg]

A little after 10 am the water temp had climbed a few degrees and the carp started getting frisky along the rocks and even out away from shore a ways.  At first I thought it might be some wipers so I moved in to shallower water and rigged up with some of my new “buzz fligs”…with buzz bait blades for spinners.  They really move in the water even at low speed.  Had an orange one on one rod and a blue-silver one on the other rod.  Had a couple of doinks on the blue silver but no hookups.
 
Then the rod with the orange model took a sudden dive and line started peeling off the reel.  I just knew it was a wiper so I brought in the second rod and got ready for a battle.  The fish did the usual wiper stuff…making big circles and turning me around in my tube a couple of times one way…then the other.  After a prolonged slugfest I coaxed it up off the bottom toward my net…and saw it…A CATFISH!   Hardest fighting cat I have caught out of Willard in like forever.  But at least I got something on my new lures.
 [Image: BUZZ-TAIL.jpg]
The carp were really going crazy as I rounded the corner coming back into the marina.  They were rolling and splashing everywhere.  And as I was finishing loading up my gear in my car a gang of them came noisily across the ramp I had just used.  I reached down for the landing net laying at my feet and made a scoop.  Got two big nasty carp in the net.  One of them levered its way out but I flopped the other one on the bank long enough to get it to pose for a picture.  Then it splashed its way back out to the orgy.  I didn't even stomp it before releasing it unharmed.
 [Image: CARP-IN-LOVE.jpg] [Image: CARP-CAPTURED.jpg]
Talked to several boaters returning from the open lake.  A few small walleye reported.  No bigguns and no limits.  And no wipers.  Guess I can be happy with the catfish exercise.  I know the others will come.  I caught lots of them the past couple of years once they were in the same area as the kitties.
Pat, sounds like I had a similar day. Made it down to the feedlot about 8 am. First kitty not long after. Bite stayed fair until I had to leave at 10.
Never kept track, but I did get a couple doubles.  Your pink fire tiger seemed to do the trick for me. Thanks again for the invite. Let me know the next time you're headed this way
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#5
(05-17-2022, 06:46 PM)FatBiker Wrote: Pat, sounds like I had a similar day. Made it down to the feedlot about 8 am. First kitty not long after. Bite stayed fair until I had to leave at 10.
Never kept track, but I did get a couple doubles.  Your pink fire tiger seemed to do the trick for me. Thanks again for the invite. Let me know the next time you're headed this way

Glad you got some tugs too.  The fish are sure a lot more rambunctious now that the water is warming.  Some good tussles.  I'll give you an e-shout as soon as I can see another weather window.  Been weird this year. 

Oh yeah, about pink being a good color for catfish.  I woulda never thunk it but when I kept catching big cats on the small pink tubes I fished for white bass...at Utah Lake...I began to get the idea.  They can't all be females...or males with a gender confusion.  Fish see colors differently than we do but ya gotta wonder what that particular color in the spectrum has that appeals to them.

[Image: PINK-JIG-KITTY.jpg]
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#6
Glad to see the cats are still making presence known for you Pat, I think it won't be long that the W fish make their appearance on the South end of the lake. All the ones we are catching have empty stomachs and little to any fat reserves. Are you seeing any signs of the shad spawning yet or do you think they have already compleated round 1?
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#7
I was there yesterday and fished the southwest corner and picked up 2 small walleye but it took me all-day. Met wiperhunter and his partner and had a great conversation hope to get back out in a few days.
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#8
(05-18-2022, 01:33 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: Glad to see the cats are still making presence known for you Pat, I think it won't be long that the W fish make their appearance on the South end of the lake. All the ones we are catching have empty stomachs and little to any fat reserves. Are you seeing any signs of the shad spawning yet or do you think they have already compleated round 1?

The shad can start spawning as early as some time in April and the spawn lasts about 6 weeks.  So they should be finished or almost finished.  But, as we have observed, there are a series of hatches and different sized shad over the course of the summer.  As I was hitting the ramp coming back in on Monday, I observed a whole lotta "sac fry" about 1/2" long in the shallows.  Too small to properly ID but I'm betting they were shadlets.  In another month or so we should start seeing the clouds of them on sonar and by the end of July some of them will be big enough to start feeding the hungry mouths. 

I'm attaching a writeup I put together with a lot of input from DWR.


Attached Files
.pdf   WILLARD GIZZARD SHAD.pdf (Size: 414.66 KB / Downloads: 7)
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#9
I was thinking they were either done or just about done but I knew you would have a better idea. Thanks for your observations and write up.
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#10
(05-18-2022, 02:57 PM)oldguy Wrote: I was there yesterday and fished the southwest corner and picked up 2 small walleye but it took me all-day. Met wiperhunter and his partner and had a great conversation hope to get back out in a few days.

It was good meeting you yesterday at Willard. Was there anyone else fishing the SW corner and having some success that you noticed?
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#11
(05-18-2022, 05:13 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote:
(05-18-2022, 02:57 PM)oldguy Wrote: I was there yesterday and fished the southwest corner and picked up 2 small walleye but it took me all-day. Met wiperhunter and his partner and had a great conversation hope to get back out in a few days.

It was good meeting you yesterday at Willard. Was there anyone else fishing the SW corner and having some success that you noticed?

I only seen one other boat and it did not look like he was having much luck either .Hope that helps
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#12
(05-17-2022, 01:31 PM)TubeDude Wrote: LINK TO VIDEO

Couldn’t stay away Monday with the super weather forecast.  Launched from the south marina about 7…after taking a picture of the setting “blood moon” over the marina.  Air temp 58 and a tie score with the water temp also at 58.  Air was up to 82 by the time I left at noonish.  Water temp had warmed to 65 and the carp were getting frisky all over the place.  (See pics at bottom)
 [Image: MOON.jpg]  [Image: 5-16-22-LAUNCH.jpg]
The good news…the fish cleaning station is open.  The bad news…I didn’t get any walleye or wipers to put it to use.  The good news is that there were a lot of playful kitties to stretch my string and bend my stick.  And the weather was delightful.
 
Met up with Fatbiker at the ramp.  But he stayed closer to the marina and he was gone by the time I got back in so I don’t know how he did.  I motored under power…making big S turns…down to the area of the feed lot.  Didn’t see much on TV.  Saw even less on the end of my line.  Finally worked my way back out to where I found some on my last trip…in just over 12 feet of water.  There were still some kitties home…even if no wipers or walleyes.
[Image: FAT-BIKER.jpg]
First cat came on an orange tiger whirly flig with a crawler setup.  After that it was a fish about every 10 to 15 minutes for the next couple of hours.  And they hit a variety of fligs, most tipped with chub meat.  The first on crawler was the only one that wanted a worm.
 [Image: CRAWLER-CAT.jpg] [Image: CHART-PERCH.jpg] [Image: ORANGE-TIGER.jpg] [Image: SILVER-BLUE.jpg]

A little after 10 am the water temp had climbed a few degrees and the carp started getting frisky along the rocks and even out away from shore a ways.  At first I thought it might be some wipers so I moved in to shallower water and rigged up with some of my new “buzz fligs”…with buzz bait blades for spinners.  They really move in the water even at low speed.  Had an orange one on one rod and a blue-silver one on the other rod.  Had a couple of doinks on the blue silver but no hookups.
 
Then the rod with the orange model took a sudden dive and line started peeling off the reel.  I just knew it was a wiper so I brought in the second rod and got ready for a battle.  The fish did the usual wiper stuff…making big circles and turning me around in my tube a couple of times one way…then the other.  After a prolonged slugfest I coaxed it up off the bottom toward my net…and saw it…A CATFISH!   Hardest fighting cat I have caught out of Willard in like forever.  But at least I got something on my new lures.
 [Image: BUZZ-TAIL.jpg]
The carp were really going crazy as I rounded the corner coming back into the marina.  They were rolling and splashing everywhere.  And as I was finishing loading up my gear in my car a gang of them came noisily across the ramp I had just used.  I reached down for the landing net laying at my feet and made a scoop.  Got two big nasty carp in the net.  One of them levered its way out but I flopped the other one on the bank long enough to get it to pose for a picture.  Then it splashed its way back out to the orgy.  I didn't even stomp it before releasing it unharmed.
 [Image: CARP-IN-LOVE.jpg] [Image: CARP-CAPTURED.jpg]
Talked to several boaters returning from the open lake.  A few small walleye reported.  No bigguns and no limits.  And no wipers.  Guess I can be happy with the catfish exercise.  I know the others will come.  I caught lots of them the past couple of years once they were in the same area as the kitties.

Fun trip!  When do the wipers normally start going crazy for the mussels?
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#13
(05-21-2022, 02:09 AM)Thorny Wrote: Fun trip!  When do the wipers normally start going crazy for the mussels?

Mussel dunkers have been catching wipers...mostly 13" -14" fish...for several weeks now.  It should still be good into the first part of June.  But once the newly hatched shad get big enough to eat the wipers will scatter all over the lake and fishing the bottom with mussels will not be as productive.
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