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Willard to Echo
#1
We went up to Willard two times within the past couple of days with mediocre results. We got there early this time in search for wiper and crappie. We trolled and casted around the north marina just outside of eagle beach to the north dike. We caught several crappie trolling with white jigs and shad lures and a few small wipers. Then some genius wakeboarder decided to zip right behind our boat within thirty feet. I saw our lines start to move and they started pulling drag. I tightened the drag and my lines snapped. Almost instantly the wakeboarder grabbed his leg and fell. If you are reading this I would like my jigs and lures back please. And yes I do have many pictures of you and your boat. We ended up throwing anchor and casting and landed small wipers and crappie even hooking into a few doubles. No boils and shad everywhere! As we returned to the north marina when it started getting dark we found a bird hooked through the foot and tangled in fishing line. We netted it and released it. Not a bad friday the 13th for the bird but can't say the same for the wakeboarder. We stayed and catfished through the night and caught just small cats on bait.

We went up again the next evening to the south marina in search of cats. It was pretty fast fishing for cats in the 14-18 inch range. But the accumulation of many days worth of mosquito bites started to get to us. We packed up and headed to Echo. I had a few frozen chubs as bait and instantly started getting our lines harassed. When I reeled in to check my bait all that was left was the skin. Crawdads everywhere! I started casting larger baits and had a nice fish on. It ended up burying in a rock and rubbing my line off. I reset and about 45 minutes later I had another one on. It turned out to be a 9 pound cat that fought harder than anything I've caught at Willard. We ran out of bait pretty quick due to the crawdads. No mosquitos and nice cats. I think I'll make a few more trips up there soon. Anybody want to join?
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#2
Here is the bird we untangled.
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#3
I would say serves the wakeboarder right. Maybe next time he will think twice about coming around a fisherman.
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#4
I'm pretty sure they are clueless. I don't think they had any idea where the lines came from. That one guy broke three of my lines all in one swoop. After he fell the boat didn't move for thirty minutes. I made a few trolling passes right by them and they didn't say anything. I really believe he didn't know where it was from. I have to re-spool one of my reels because I didn't get to it quick enough.
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#5
You sure have the cat catching figured out, even at Echo, nice job on the crappie and small wipers. Too bad about the bozo running over your lines but for anyone that has spent any time there knows, it will happen to everyone, sooner or later[mad]. By the way, what kind of bird do you think that was? Cool looking eyes.
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#6
Nice work landing a boarder!!!! I have come close to putting a jointed j-13 in a guys calf, they don't care!! The cat is cool too. What did you catch it on?
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#7
Too bad about the irresponsible wakeboarder. I don't understand why boats (fishing and watersports) can't stay 150' away from other boats. I'm pretty uncomfortable that close to other boats especially with my kids in the water.

Anyway, awesome job on the catch and release of the bird. Looks like the fish gods Smiled down on you for a job well done!
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#8
You caught the wakeboarder, you should've gutted him too.
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#9
The bird was a grebe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Grebe
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#10
Really, wow, I didn't know Grebes had that little flat top thing going on, I guess I never got that close to them before. Thanks for the info Cpierce.
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#11
The funky "flattop" was probably from the net, but it looks like a young western grebe to me. I could be wrong though. I am not an expert!

I borrowed a picture from wikipedia:
[inline 800px-Western_Grebe,_Bosque_del_Apache_NWR.jpg]
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#12
Flattop:
[inline Bird1.jpg]
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