Willard Bay Wiper-HOG 6/2/05

[fishhungry]

Went to Willard Bay to do a little pre-fishing. I was throwing 8" stick baits in shad colors to keep the little ones off. Caught a HOG of a Wiper, 29.5" . . . that must be close to a record of some sort. If you want proof, don't worry, you'll see him tomorrow, he's hanging out in my live well right now!
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[CBR]

You better not have him in your well before the "weigh in" heheh. Nice catch! Can't wait to see him.
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[Coldfooter]

Sounds like its a real goodin', congrats, and I'm looking forward to the looksee. Whats it weigh?
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[CBR]

Thats a state record mate!

Current record was set in 2002.

Weight: 6lb 11oz
Length: 26 inches
Girth: 14 inches
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[Theekillerbee]

Hopefully someone can get a pic of that monster so those of us not good enough to fish the tournament can see him too! Congrats on such a nice fish.
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[fishhungry]

C'mon guys, I tried to tell a lie so outrageous you'd know it was a lie! How many of you think there is actually a 30" wiper in Willard? Maybe, but I'd guess not.

Anyway, I thought it was appropriate in light of the AMAZING success that has been had the last few days . . . 50 fish days with all the fish in the, I quote, "26 to 23 inch class." Thanks to CBR's enlightenment, I now know 26" would probably tie or beat the current state record. C'mon now . . . I'm not the only one who needs ta fess up!

All I can say is that I am for SURE going right to the north dike tomorrow morning where you can't catch a fish under 23." See ya all there . . . [sly]
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[CBR]

ahhahaa YOU SUCK!

I guess tomorrow I will be on your 6 so close I scare the fishies away. bwhahahhahaha.

Combat fishings the name, and playing's my game.
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[wiperhunter2]

Thanks for fessing up, I was getting tired of calling BS on all these outrageous stories. I agree it is not likly that there are any 30 inch wipers in Willard but here is one, just so you and the rest of the guys will know what they look like. WH2
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[Coldfooter]

[laugh]Crap!! Man you blew it! This could have been played out for weeks if not months![laugh]
But 3" isnt to much of a stretch from the current record. And so,, its highly possible a true bull toad be wandering those waters.

Whats more, theres some real goodin' kitties in that pond. I hear tell some the size of battleships! Right Pat?[]
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[aquaman]

i was looking on the internet for a picture of a 26#+ pound wiper caught in Arkansas did not find it but found this interesting article on willard bay theres also a link at bottom to site


How To Fish Willard Bay
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"]By Andrew McCloy and Kent Sorenson, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources [/font][font "Times New Roman"]
9/17/98[/font][/size][size 3]
[font "Times New Roman"]Have you frequently gone to Willard Bay with the greatest of expectations only to be skunked? Or accidentally caught one species when targeting another? Those situations often are not attributed to lack of skill or bad luck, but more likely to the unique nature of the reservoir. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Willard Bay Reservoir in Northern Utah has become a dynamic fishery with an unusual diversity of game species. The fish assemblage in Willard is quite unnatural and often does not follow normal patterns familiar to most anglers. The fish in Willard Bay behave differently and anglers must adjust in order to be consistently successful. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]A significant variable that most anglers are unaware of is the seasonal explosion of forage fish produced by the introduced gizzard shad. As the gizzard shad begin their spawning activity in June, the large predatory gamefish (walleye, wiper, smallmouth bass, and even channel catfish) change their feeding habits and switch to shad. This radically alters the feeding behavior of the predatory fish in Willard and consequently, the methods most anglers use are only marginally successful. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Wiper [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Wipers are a peculiar fish resulting from crossing a striped bass and a white bass. They do not successfully reproduce in Willard Bay and their numbers are maintained through stocking. Wipers, although caught sporadically throughout April, began to be caught consistently in May. It appears there are several age classes in the reservoir. They school rather tightly and feed in packs. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The largest and oldest fish were being caught along the north dike near the outlet canal. Anglers pitched jigs and crankbaits along the riprap for state record size fish. The north marina was producing large numbers of one and two year old fish on small jigs. Anglers trolling picked up some wipers but were unable to consistently catch high numbers of fish.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]In July the wiper began to boil, herding and eating juvenile shad. Large boils occurred along the east dike, north dike, north marina, and inlet channel. The key to consistently catching these fish is to use small jigs, crankbaits, or flies. These fish are keying on prey that are approximately an inch to two inches long. Larger baits may catch fish, but anglers using small baits caught more fish. Those boils ended as August began and fish noticeably absent from the boils were larger, three and four year old fish. Wipers are still being caught in open water using the same tactics for late summer walleyes; troll open water with small crankbaits. Past years have shown that wipers again boil in early autumn.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Walleye [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Early season pre-spawn walleyes are vigorously sought at Willard Bay. Popular and successful angling methods are trolling worm harnesses and crankbaits behind bottom bouncers along the dikes in shallow (<10’) water. Shore and boat anglers also experience good success with grub-tailed jigs and crankbaits cast along the dikes for cruising males. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Success is best during early mornings, late evenings, and after dark. Anglers seeking larger females cast large jigs and crankbaits into the mouth of the south marina. A lesser known, but still highly effective tactic is to fish outside of the mouth of the south marina. Anglers, using electronics search for fish stacked up approximately 100 yards outside the south marina and either jig for them individually or troll through the loose schools.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Those tactics work well throughout April and early May. There is usually a slowing of walleye activity in late May, commonly referred to as a post-spawn recovery period. A few smaller fish are typically caught during that time but in lower numbers. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]After a couple weeks of recovery (about the first week in June), post-spawn fish actively resume feeding and can be caught using the same tactics employed earlier in the spring. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]After June, however, creel surveys show that the fishing for walleye slows and fewer anglers target them. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The reason for the dramatic change in effectiveness is that mid and late summer walleyes begin targeting gizzard shad as prey. As a result, their behavior changes from that of a bottom feeder to that of a midwater or surface predator. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]These fish can still be caught quite successfully, but anglers must change their methods. One of the unfortunate realities of this situation is that success is much better from a boat. Anglers should then troll open water with small crankbaits (Shad Raps and Wally Divers) or worm harnesses fished up in the water column (top 10’). We would encourage anglers interested in catching walleyes into the late summer to try those unorthodox tactics.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Black Crappie [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Black crappie at Willard Bay are almost exclusively caught in the winter and spring. The 1998 creel survey showed that the best months for crappie were April and May. Crappie are caught almost exclusively in the north marina. Anglers complain about a degradation in the fishery from predominantly very large fish to a mixture of all sizes. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Crappie will probably never reach the numbers seen in the early stages of the Willard Bay Project (early 1990s). They compete directly for a zooplankton resource with gizzard shad and the shad are simply better at eating plankton than are crappies. From a management perspective, it appears that the population is stabilizing, albeit at lower numbers, and a variety of age classes were being harvested. After May, crappies were not a significant part of the creel.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Catfish [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Channel catfish began to be caught in early May and fishing got hotter with warmer weather. The most effective method for catching catfish was with bait fished from shore. The catfish creel has been dominated by small fish although fish 14 to 16 inches long have been caught regularly. Anglers fishing for large catfish use large baits in order to keep these small fish off their hooks. There are some very large catfish in Willard Bay. Spring and fall gill netting routinely captures catfish in the 12-16 pound range, but rumors of the 100-pound catfish have never been corroborated. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Surprisingly, catfish have also been caught in wiper boils and examination of their stomach contents prove that fish large enough to prey on the shad indeed feed heavily on them. That shows that even catfish have adapted to the seasonal abundance of shad and have come off the bottom in order to partake in the feast.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Smallmouth Bass [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Smallmouth bass have become a pleasant surprise to anglers at Willard Bay. Interviews show that they have never before been caught in either the large number or size (up to 14 inches). Best fishing began in late May and has continued through August. Look for smallmouth along the east dike and both north and south of the south marina entrance. Fish are also found in the inlet channel and the north marina but do not appear to have spread substantially any further than that.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The most effective way to pursue these fish is to pitch jigs or flies into the riprap along the east dike or to troll small crankbaits (Rattle Traps and Shad Raps) close to the riprap. When selecting lures and color schemes remember that their preferred prey are crayfish. [/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Bluegill / Green Sunfish[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]Bluegill and green sunfish are found throughout the reservoir. However, best success for them has been in the same areas as the smallmouth bass. Those fish are most effectively caught with worms or for faster action and lower hooking mortality, use small jigs slowly retrieved from the riprap along the dikes.[/font]
[font "Times New Roman"]The introduction of gizzard shad has been a mixed blessing for anglers at Willard Bay Reservoir. The well being of the predatory fish, both on an individual and population level, has benefited. Conversely, the populations of panfish have declined somewhat. The extreme fluctuation in prey availability has intensified the seasonal success of anglers. Many quit fishing when the young of the year shad appear while others change tactics and continue to be successful well into late summer.[/font]
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[url "http://www.utahoutdoors.com/pages/willardhow.htm"]http://www.utahoutdoors.com/pages/willardhow.htm[/url]
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[Libertized]

I too am getting very tired of the BS. I know it is just in good fun with the upcoming tournament and all. But I come to this forum for good information (hopefully), and often make decisions based on what I see here. I don't want to spend my time trying to decide if what I read is truth or lie. I know certain people are going to stretch the truth from time to time, and that we can't always believe everything we see in print. But I just don't want to see this board continue to encourage false reports. It would then become useless to me, and I would hate to see that happen. Let's just keep it on the up & up. If you don't want to give away your secrets then don't post them! But don't intentionally try to mislead by making false posts, no matter how outrageous they might be.

[fishinfool]

LMAO,You guys are cracking me up!I'm also fishing the north dike.Thats where all the big fish hang out,Libertized PM me and I will let you know where the fish are.
Later,FNF[cool]
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[MGB]

No BS. Heres my hog I caught today 21", and I released him.
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[Coldfooter]

Nice fish Mike.
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[wiperhunter2]

All the 20" plus fish we caught today had red on there bellys, I guess it was from going threw their false spawn. See you tomorrow Mike.
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[wiperhunter2]

Chris, here is a wiper that was caught in Colorado, I think last year, the weight was around 27 lbs, a new state record. You might need to enlarge it to get an idea just how big it is, enjoy.
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