Hot Time at Willard 9-7-22 (With Video)

[TubeDude]

LINK TO VIDEO

Yeah, the weather was hot.  But so was the fishing…at least for those everlovin’ kitties.  Like the late great Rodney Dangerfield, they “don’t get no respect”.  But they hit hard, fight hard and are great on the table if you know how to fix them.  And they still bite even during the hot times…when the “other guys” are tough to catch.  If you’re not with the fish you love…love the fish you’re with.
 
Nice and cool at launch time.  58 degrees at 7 am.  But up to 95 by noon departure.  TDH (Too D----- Hot)!  Water temp was 75 at launch and up to about 78 by noon.  Bet it got a lot hotter on a record heat day.  Water level was down to only 1 to 1.5 feet in the boat basin.  Channel was 7-9’ if you stayed in the middle.
 

Got a slow start.  Worked fligs and bait all the way out the channel…clear out past the last buoy.  Saw lots of shad and a few other fish on sonar but nary a sniff on anything I was offering.   Traded a dragging flig rod for a rod rigged with a “Pistol Pat” propeller jig head and a white Gulp Minnow.  That has worked well for me in the past when there are lots of young shad for the predators to eat.  It worked.  Caught my first couple of cats on it…and a couple more later.
 

After the sun came up over the mountain and hit the water…a little after 8…the fish got busy.  For the next couple of hours I was getting smacked fairly regularly.  Got fish on several different rigs, but the blue-silver whirly flig…with a small minnow…got the most and biggest…up to 24 inches.



I had caught about a dozen cats when the “Deadly Duo” (Curt & Ira) motored up to harass me.  Not the power squadron.  Maybe the powerless squadron.   They had only caught a couple of cats…and nothing else.  I downloaded a couple of my most effective whirlies to them and we went different directions.  But I did get a shot of them bringing in a cat a few minutes later.
  

As usual, fishing slowed down about 10:30.  I had caught about 15 fish by then and gave myself another 15 minutes before trolling cranks back to the marina.  Right on cue…at 10:45…my blue-silver whirly rod went bendo and I brought in my last cat of the day.  But I didn’t get any hits at all on the cranks…going back to the marina.  However, the water was pretty stained and I’m sure that reduced the potential for a moving lure bite.
 
There were a couple of small boats fishing right outside the harbor, that had been able to launch in the low water conditions.  Saw one of them catch a catfish right on the edge of the channel.


As I was stowing my gear there was a big bad power boat launching a couple of ramps to the south.  I hollered at him that the water was probably too shallow…but he just glared at the silly float tube fisherman.  How could I possibly know what I was talking about?  A few minutes later his motor was throwing up mud and he almost hit a visible rock just below the surface a short ways out from the dock.  So he shut off the motor, jumped into the shallow water and pushed his boat back over to the ramp…where his wife backed down and helped him retrailer his boat.  I giggled a bit.

[doitall5000]

Last year late in the summer, the water was very muddy, I fished a blade bait It had a lot of vibration and I trolled it about 2 mph By the south marina . I caught two walleyes and two cats. I was surprised by a good catch in the muddy water.
Still no boils spotted ?

---

P.S.
The dwr has some new youtube videos on different waters. Talking about there stocking plans for strawberry, and other waters.

[TubeDude]

Last year late in the summer, the water was very muddy, I fished a blade bait It had a lot of vibration and I trolled it about 2 mph By the south marina . I caught two walleyes and two cats. I was surprised by a good catch in the muddy water.
Still no boils spotted ?

---

P.S.
The dwr has some new youtube videos on different waters. Talking about there stocking plans for strawberry, and other waters.

The surface was like glass most of the morning.  I watched carefully for any signs of surface activity.  None.  Even when a carp rolled it was pretty slow and not splashy.    I did see a few birds dip down to pick up the little dead and dyling shadlets.  But there was never any evidence of fish chasing them to the top.  With all of the food in the water and the relatively low population of wipers it is highly unlikely there will be any boils...as there used to was.  But as the water cools...and clears a bit...I am betting on some decent fall action soon.

[wiperhunter2]

We saw that boat sitting outside the channel, could you tell if they were anchored up bait fishing? Bet it was funny seeing those power boat folks churning up the mud after not listening to you, some people never learn. Thanks again for handing off those fligs and letting us share the water with you, it was much appreciated.

[TubeDude]

We saw that boat sitting outside the channel, could you tell if they were anchored up bait fishing? Bet it was funny seeing those power boat folks churning up the mud after not listening to you, some people never learn. Thanks again for handing off those fligs and letting us share the water with you, it was much appreciated.

Yep.  Bait Dunkers.  And from the appearance and conversation they were not too sophisticated.  But they were serious...and having fun.  Lots of whooping and hollering while fighting that cat.  And much moving of rods up and over each other and around the struts on their cover.  But...all's well that ends. 

There was another guy in a small boat but he was moving around and pitching lures in close to shore.  I didn't talk to him but I suspect he was trying for smallies.  Here's a pic of him that also shows the extreme low water along the dikes.  That is likely the reason for the continued murkiness in the water.  Even the slightest blow will make waves that wash exposed mud into the water.


Happy to share the trinkets with you guys.  And when it's perchin' time you might wanna take a look at some of the new "mini whirlies"...with the little blades.  I have been making some up in the proven colors...like pink and orange tiger.   They are made on the same bodies as the tailed fligs we have been using.  And they have gotten a lot of votes already from perch in Deer Creek and Rockport.

[fast_randy]

Thanks Pat. I'm glad I got a bunch of your whirlies from you. Me and Obi-Shawn will give them a try in the morning. We plan on 6:00 at the North end.

[TubeDude]

Thanks Pat. I'm glad I got a bunch of your whirlies from you. Me and Obi-Shawn will give them a try in the morning. We plan on 6:00 at the North end.

Good luck.  You will probably see a lot of shad.  The fish seem to be most active in the 7-9 foot depths.  Blue Silver worked best but white with a red or yellow eye works well too.  Tip with chub meat if  you have it.  Otherwise, they eat worms too.  And if you have some white gulp minnows even better. 

Howsomever, if you are in the boat you might try motoring over to the west side.  There is a deeper area parallel to the rock dike that sometimes holds more of the "other guys" during low water, cold water and ice conditions.

[Tin-Can]

Yea, was installing a room A/C Wednesday, but made it out to WB north yesterday.  All the data Pat posted as far as depths and temps was about the same except north ramp still has 2' at the end and about 1.9 at the end of the dock. The gravel / mud / rock hump just off the ramp to the east is more visible with about 6 inches sticking out.    Channel heading out is still 4-5 fow down the middle and main body of water is almost a constant 8-8.5 on the north half.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Pat, really liked the video and the lack of music was much appreciated at least by me... Felt like I was there fishing with ya, not painting along with Bob Ross... Looked like such a fun time, I went myself.... i didn't catch as many, but I got a few, so the trip was well worth the venture... Thanks for the motivation... Later J