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Launched out of the north marina about 4:30. Talk about an adventure. There is one spot in the middle of the ramp that lets you back in far enough to be able to push your boat off without to much effort.(17 foot aluminum) We walked our boat out to the first bouy to be on the safe side. You have to stay on the north side of the marina or you will end up on a gravel bar in a hurry. watched a jet ski jam up his motor with rocks on that gravel bar. The water stays right around !.3 to 1.7 feet deep. I lowered my outboard down until the prop was just under surface and was able to go out the rest of the way. We trolled all the way to the lightpole along the north dike and about half way down the west dike before turning around without a single hit. About half way back up the north dike we picked up our first fish. After our first one they started coming pretty regular but it was getting dark in a hurry and I didn't want to lose one of my planer boards. We boated 5 wipers along the north side on green grubs w/white jig heads. We were trolling 3.0 mph in 10 to 12 feet of water. My boy was also able to catch his first top water wiper out of a small boil right out in front of the marina in 9 feet of water. He was casting the same green grub. All in all it was well worth the adventure of getting on the water. We pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. (3 jet skis, two small fishing boats and two water ski boats)
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Good report. Did you see anyone fishing from shore?I have been wanting to get out there and give it a try from shore.Are the wiper hitting in close?
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We seen three guys fishing from the rocks on the north dike but couldn't tell if they were doing anygood. We did see a few fish surfacing right next to the shoreline on the west dike.
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Next time someone gets out,try casting up to shore with a prism shad,last fall they where right up on the rock or sand chasing shad againest the bank.
are the terns smaking the water good now?
are there white egrets on the shoreline?Sure sign there are shad next to the bank.
thanks for any info,hope the water comes up a little before the water cools off this fall.
Thanks for the post.
Tight Lines
Tony[cool]
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Tony, when I was there Sunday night we tried casting the prism shad to the shore but no luck but we did catch a couple casting into the deeper water, away from the shore. We saw a few terns but very few were hitting the water and we saw no white egrets.
Crestliner, thanks for the report, I was thinking about sending you a PM but I did not think you would want to go with the water being so low, I guess I was wrong. WH2
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Never be afraid to ask me if I want to go fishing. I'm always up for a challenge.
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I hit Willard for the last couple hours of daylight last Sunday. I did not take my boat. I drove my truck down the back side of the west dike and then climbed over the dike to the water. The wind was from the northeast and it never did let up that evening. The only benefit was it kept all the bugs away. They stayed on the back side of the dike. Even with the decent sized waves and murky water (because of the waves), I could see wipers hit the surface periodically. None of my topwater stuff worked however. I did manage to catch one decent wiper on a chrome belly blue back jerk bate. I kind of enjoyed wading around in waste deep water and making a few casts instead of trolling for a change. A couple of float tubers were working the west dike just to the north of me. I never did get a chance to talk to them so I'm not sure how they did.
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Thanks for responding Crestliner,Wiperhunter,Rip-n-Lips,I have a feeling the shad didn't have a good spawn this year,the terns and the egrets are not there for a reason.no shad.makes me wonder if the wiper population was to big the last few years and depleted the food base,I didn't see any adult shad on the dike this spring,there usally all over the place in the marina's when there spawning,curious if any of you guys have seen the same thing.all the wipers I caught this year where very skinny and not as aggressive,last year at this time there where thousands of terns,smacking the water all over the lake,hundreds of egrets on the shoreline,wonder whats happening,hate to see the fishery go thru a bust cycle like powell did.
any coments would be great
Tight Lines
Tony[cool]
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I think it is still to early to tell how the shad spawn went but this month we should know. I saw a lot of shad in the North marina this spring but no where else. So far this year the wiper numbers are down overall but I think the hot temps have something to do with it. I guess time will tell if we can get on Willard by the end of the month. WH2
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May have to pitch the canoe over the west dike,but am hoping the same thing,some cooler weather may help get some water back in there.
I hope your right,you and some others have been fishing them wipers along time,the end of august,have you caught anymore fish on that modified lure or is it,in the takle box tell next spring like mine.LOL.
keep me posted.
Later,Tony[cool]
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It seems in each of the last three years that things are different from the year before and what happened last year will not be the same this year. Like I said I think it is the hot tempertures and with that the low water levels.
I tried the gold Wally diver yesterday at Deer creek with no luck. It has been at least a month since I caught a fish with it. WH2
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Shad are fairly tough, so let's keep our fingers crossed. However, Willard Bay is a bathtub. There's no buffer (depth) to protect the Bay from nature. The water temperature trend follows the air temperature trend so closely (even at depth) that I can't imagine the fishery would be the same from year to year. Our weather's been so weird in recent years (precip and temp). There are so many variables to consider. Temperature, oxygen, nutrient influx, food (for predator and prey), cover, etc, etc. I think the best we can do is hope that Mother Nature dishes out what's best for the prey population and hence the predator population from time to time. The DWR can do some good with planting and regulations, but they can't whip Mother Nature at her own game if she's intent on an outcome that's contrary to what we would like.
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You are so right RipNLips, I think the DWR could help by lower the limit or at least, put a one over 20 inch slot limit in place until the water level becomes a little more stable. One good thing with the low water level, it is taking a lot of pressure off the fish, with fewer fishermen on the water. WH2
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