06-24-2003, 07:04 PM
(06/23/03)We fished Willard yesterday and caught one 22" walleye and 10 wipers between 17 and 20 inches in 4 hours. Fished open water areas out off the west dike and east and south of the island. Water was quite turbid yesterday. I have been out of state for about two weeks. Getting mixed reports from anglers on success at Willard. Thanks. Thomas D. Pettengill
Hi,Tom Sounds like you did better than most people have been doing,one concern, I have noticed the wipers seem pretty skinny this year,How do you fill about the shad population in willard,are they doing alright?I have not seen much bird activity,Is it still to early to expect to see large schools of shad on the fish finder?Just curious in what your graphing are you seeing the shad schools.I really like seeing your reports so I visit both site all the time,I hope I dont bother you when I ask how your doing on the water,I'm the one in the seaswirl with the top on it,I always look for you when I'm on the water because I figure no one knows willard like you do.I was also wondering if you have your VHF radio on when your at willard,some of the bft members are getting marine radios and we will be on channel 68,this will be state wide,so if where on strawberry or deer creek if someone is there and on fish it will eliminate the time it takes to find the fish.Thanks for all you do for are fishing in the state. Tony
It's too early to see birds feeding on small shad yet. It won't be long. The shad numbers (adults) is good. We had lots of shad produced last summer. I am starting to see lots of clutter in the water and some hints of schools of very small shad, that will all change quickly now. The wipers have been thinner the last two springs and the walleyes have been fatter. I don't know what is happening but the lower water seems to have changed the balance in favor of the walleyes finding more food during the winter and the wipers less. This spring the adult wipers have been feeding heavily on plankton which isn't a good food source for adult sized predators. They will begin eating this years hatch of shad soon. Usually sometime in early July the predators switch to this years hatch of shad as they approach the 2" size. When that switch occurs the walleye bite ends and the wipers become more active. I have my radio on some and off a lot. Use it mainly to monitor weather if there is a threat of a storm. Thanks for the channel 68 info. I'll start to monitor it some.
TIGHT LINES Tony[cool]
[signature]
Hi,Tom Sounds like you did better than most people have been doing,one concern, I have noticed the wipers seem pretty skinny this year,How do you fill about the shad population in willard,are they doing alright?I have not seen much bird activity,Is it still to early to expect to see large schools of shad on the fish finder?Just curious in what your graphing are you seeing the shad schools.I really like seeing your reports so I visit both site all the time,I hope I dont bother you when I ask how your doing on the water,I'm the one in the seaswirl with the top on it,I always look for you when I'm on the water because I figure no one knows willard like you do.I was also wondering if you have your VHF radio on when your at willard,some of the bft members are getting marine radios and we will be on channel 68,this will be state wide,so if where on strawberry or deer creek if someone is there and on fish it will eliminate the time it takes to find the fish.Thanks for all you do for are fishing in the state. Tony
It's too early to see birds feeding on small shad yet. It won't be long. The shad numbers (adults) is good. We had lots of shad produced last summer. I am starting to see lots of clutter in the water and some hints of schools of very small shad, that will all change quickly now. The wipers have been thinner the last two springs and the walleyes have been fatter. I don't know what is happening but the lower water seems to have changed the balance in favor of the walleyes finding more food during the winter and the wipers less. This spring the adult wipers have been feeding heavily on plankton which isn't a good food source for adult sized predators. They will begin eating this years hatch of shad soon. Usually sometime in early July the predators switch to this years hatch of shad as they approach the 2" size. When that switch occurs the walleye bite ends and the wipers become more active. I have my radio on some and off a lot. Use it mainly to monitor weather if there is a threat of a storm. Thanks for the channel 68 info. I'll start to monitor it some.
TIGHT LINES Tony[cool]
[signature]
