Floatin' fool on Willard

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Haven't been on the water for a couple of weeks. Hadda do it. Figgered the south marina at Willard might be seeing some crappies and wallies movin' inside. Good times in years past.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Plan A....BUSTED. Locked gates across the road at the south marina. Closed again this year after leaving it open last year. Another victim of the State Parks austerity program. Along with closing the restrooms at the north marina too. But you still gotta pay the full day fee. Lucky I got a yearround senior pass.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched my tube at the north marina just after 7 am. Purty little sunrise. Flat calm but air temp 22 and water temp 38. Gettin' nigh onto winter. Between the ice right at the edge of the ramp and the slick algae from there out I had a real skating session getting launched. Fortunately I didn't do a triple klutz. Nobody around to score it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked out through the channel to the outside. Had to keep tapping my sonar and turning it on and off. Thought it was broken. Probably just forgot how to display fish marks. Not much on the screen and even less on my line. Nary a nudge on either a dragged minnow or a tandem jig rig. Hit several spots near the marina entrance that usually produce this time of year. Nada, zip, zilch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worked back inside the marina. Covered a lot of water before seeing a few fish...suspended at about mid depth in 13 feet of water. Switched the tandem tube jigs for a tandem tiny jig crappie rig. Worked the bitty bites from bottom to top and back again. Finally had a solid whack and set the hook into something with shoulders. It took some line off the drag on my light rod. Wiper? Bigger than a crappie and harder fighting than a kitty. Walleye? Nope all around. Carpinski. Or, as I have labeled the picture with the crappie jig in its mouth..."buglemouth crappie".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thought the smell of carp was going to be the only thing to dilute the smell of skunk. But then I started to get some tentative pickups on the minnow. Whiffed a couple of them before finally getting the hook into a cookie cutter kitty...the onliest one of the day. Got several more tug and drop inquiries but nothing else got to visit my tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I worked around the whole marina...open water and around the docks. Saw some "promising" schools of fish near the docks but they were the lockjaw and raised middle fin type. I did get one poke under a dock and brought up a seegar wallie. But it flipped off the small hook before I could get it to for the camera.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That was about as empty as I have ever seen the north marina. Water level is still within a couple of feet of high water and there should be some fish moving in soon. Sometimes they wait until there has been at least some skim ice...or more. But, with the high water I am hopeful for some ice action.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The terns were abundant and active again today, as they were on my last trip a couple of weeks ago. And, as on my last trip, they were gorging on dying baby shad. Hundreds of gulls and terns were dropping to the water all over the lake and slurping up the TINY shadlets. I scooped one off the top of the water and was surprised to see how small it was...only about 1" still. They should all be over 2 to 3 inches long by now. I suspect the prolonged and late spawn is the cause...and I suspect that the dieoff of the babies is due to a combination of cold water and lack of food for their size range. Based upon the constant bird activity during the last month it is easy to project that there have been millions of the little shad leave the lake. Hopefully that will help the fishing by reducing the abundant food supply.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Off the water by about 11 am. Water temp 39 and air temp 39. What a deal.[/#0000ff]
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=79322"][#63626b]7 AM LAUNCH.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (147 KB)
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[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=79324"][#63626b]BUGLEMOUTH CRAPPIE.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (201 KB)
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=79325"][#63626b]COOL CAT.jpg[/#63626b][/url] (205 KB)
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[flygoddess]

We passed about 1 pm today on our way back from I.F. Mirror read 49° and water looked glass smooth, but there was NO ONE on there, not even anything in the parking lot at the north launch...it looked tempting for sure.
Great post!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]There was one boat that launched about 9 am and a couple of bank tanglers still fishing when I left before noon. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I figured I wouldn't have much company. I figured right. No power squadron, no bugs...and darn few fish. But, it was a nice day after the morning chill wore off a bit.[/#0000ff]
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[pa]

That's funny. We passed there around 1pm today on our way to I.F. and i did not see anyone either[] On the way back bout6:30 pm, there were beautiful Christmas lights all lit up there.
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[Fishtales23]

Sorry, TubeDude, but you gotta be nuts to fish with air temp at 22 degrees and H20 temp at 38. Brrrrrrrrr, that's all I've gotta say!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]You ain't sayin' nuttin' I ain't heerd before.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I belong to the little-known group called "Densa". It is the opposite of Mensa.[/#0000ff]
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[cpierce]

Hey I think it is great that you got out. Too bad the fish weren't more cooperative.
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[flygoddess]

[quote Fishtales23]Sorry, TubeDude, but you gotta be nuts to fish with air temp at 22 degrees and H20 temp at 38. Brrrrrrrrr, that's all I've gotta say![/quote]


That is so do able here.
This was a month ago:



And this is what to expect till May



They there are those that choose to WALK on water....[shocked]
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[TubeDude]

[quote cpierce]Hey I think it is great that you got out. Too bad the fish weren't more cooperative.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]I also belong to Masochists Anonymous. I truly enjoy pitting myself against the elements when there is a challenge. And it is always great to be fishing instead of staying home and grumbling about the winter weather.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the flip side, I also pronounce that I fish for enjoyment...not endurance. So it really helps if I can catch a fish or two...to offset the frostbite and frustration. But, I am at the age and level of experience where the enjoyment of a fishing trip is not always dependent upon the number or size of the fish I catch.[/#0000ff]
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[albinotrout]

I guess I am a fair weather fisherman, or else I just know when to come in out of the cold. [:p]
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[pontoonman]

TubeDude:

Some people go through life tragically never discovering what they really like.

Life is short, go for it once you find it.

You have found ways to do what you like, regardless of the challenge. I understand passion like this, because I also enjoy doing some things others think is impossible.

Pon

[quote TubeDude][quote cpierce]Hey I think it is great that you got out. Too bad the fish weren't more cooperative.[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]I also belong to Masochists Anonymous. I truly enjoy pitting myself against the elements when there is a challenge. And it is always great to be fishing instead of staying home and grumbling about the winter weather.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the flip side, I also pronounce that I fish for enjoyment...not endurance. So it really helps if I can catch a fish or two...to offset the frostbite and frustration. But, I am at the age and level of experience where the enjoyment of a fishing trip is not always dependent upon the number or size of the fish I catch.[/#0000ff][/quote]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. Always good to know of a fellow adventurous spirit.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I'm a bit older and somewhat more mellow these days. Most folks would not believe some of the epic adventures I have enjoyed/endured simply because I just hadda try something. I have been accused of having more guts than brains. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Like they say about flying...Any landing you can walk away from was successful.[/#0000ff]
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[kokomoslow]

What size battery do you use with your fat cat???
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I started off with a small 33 ah wheelchair battery, to try to save space and weight. I got a buy on a couple of used deep cycles...one series 24 and the other series 27. I really put them through their paces to get a feel for what was adequate without overdoing it. The only battery I ever ran to failure was the series 24...and that was after a long day with a lot of use.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Right now I am using a series 27 AGM deep cycle battery. It weighs 65#. I had to offset the weight of the battery and motor by installing a couple of boat bumpers under the front end. see pics.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]During cold weather I carry my battery in a picnic cooler bag, for insulation. The whole thing squeezes down inside the storage area behind the seat just like it was made for it. see pic.[/#0000ff]
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