Willard Bay ice fishing

[fearfish]

I Drive by Willard Bay and was wondering why no one has said anything about it being iced over is it fishable and is it good ice fishing has any one tryed to see how thick the ice is
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[hogstalker]

It's probably because Willard is a very tough place to figure out for ice fishing especially with such low water levels. I have caught fish there through the ice in years past in both north and south marinas, but the water was a lot higher than it is now.I doubt if we will here much about Ice fishing at Willard this year.
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[The_Red_Leaker]

Do you or does anyone know if the South Marina is open for the winter this year?
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[r2u2]

[quote The_Red_Leaker]Do you or does anyone know if the South Marina is open for the winter this year?[/quote]

The Gate to the south marina was locked shut a month or so ago. You can walk in though.
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[fearfish]

Have u ever ice fished there
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[The_Red_Leaker]

Been a couple of years ago but yes I have fished there. Got into some good sized perch but not much else.
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[Waalleyeslayer]

ive seen its frozen driving by but I have promised myself that ill never fish that body of water again that lake and I are bad juju.
that just means more fish for yall
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[fearfish]

Ya I haven't had much luck on that lake either But I would really liketo catch some walleye through the ice
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[fishjon]

I spent a lot of time targeting walleye through the ice out there a few years ago. I caught a very few, bit believe it or not I caught a whole bunch of channel cats. They sure were tasty coming out of that cold water.
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[fearfish]

Well shoot sounds like them dreams just died
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[TubeDude]

[#0000ff]Back in the 70's and 80's Willard Bay was one of the very few waters open to ice fishing...along with Utah Lake and Yuba. Deer Creek was opened to perch only in the early 80's and other lakes...like Strawberry...were opened in later years. There used to be trout seasons and only lakes without trout were open for winter angling.

Before the introduction of shad and wipers Willard was a very different lake. The forage base for the predators was a mix of crappie fry and sunfish...both bluegills and green sunnies. That kept the predators (like walleyes and catfish) closer to the dikes and inside the harbors, where their groceries preferred to hang out.

It seems that Willard was almost always full during the winter too...and there was plenty of depth inside the harbors. That is where the ice fishing happened. Hardly anybody ever ventured out onto the open ice. No need to. Easy to fill a bucket with crappies and bluegills. Always the chance at a walleye or catfish.

Those of us who targeted walleyes learned to get on the ice before daybreak and quietly drill two or three holes. Then we put up the auger and sat down over our first choice holes and started jigging. If we guessed right, there would be a procession of small walleyes (not many over 20 inches) coming by under our holes and we could score a few before the other "ice-holers" came out to join us. Once they started banging holes with their axes and stomping all over the place the walleyes went bye bye.

These days the walleyes mostly remain in the open lake...following the shad. Find where the shad are holding during the winter and you will find both walleyes and wipers nearby. But both species do cruise around slowly under the ice...looking for the odd bit of edibles. And they will both hit a variety of jigs...tipped with worm or fish flesh. Perch meat is good. Whole small chub minnows work too. Some guys like to just bait a jig or spoon with a small piece of minnow...like the head or tail.

This year the water levels are almost record low. The fish are going to be in the deepest water they can find. That is most likely the deeper holes and trenches along the west side. However, there are still fish holding in some of the deeper pockets straight out from the north marina and out from the north dike. It takes some searching to find the good areas but once you find a productive zone there are likely to be fish moving through at some time of the day. And in the shallower water it is sometimes better to pick a spot, set up and fish quietly for a while to see if any fish you spooked will move back in.

Bonus fish for winter ice fishing on Willard are the ever-lovin' kitties and the increasingly common perch. Both hit well under the ice and are both decent sized and good eating. But if you can find a hump that attracts crappies you can have a field day. Just don't post a report with GPS numbers or you will never get to fish it again.

You can catch wipers under the ice. They slow way down but they do feed all winter. They hit all kinds of jigs and spoons...especially with a bit of bait. But soaking a whole dead minnow just off the bottom is even better. The main problem with landing wipers under the ice is that they swim around in a big circle and will wrap anybody else within close proximity to you. You also have to have good line to withstand the wear on the ice.

Be careful if you go out on the ice from the north marina. Stay close to the far edge of the channel until you are past the end of the point. It is shallower there in case you hit a weak spot. And there is often thinner ice in the middle of that channel, due to an incoming spring or something. But if the ice is thick enough you might even try drilling a couple of holes right in the middle of that channel. It is deeper there and sometimes holds some fish. Otherwise, go straight west from the channel at least 50 to 100 yards and start checking depths. Once you get in over 8 feet of water you can get serious.
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[fearfish]

Well I'm going to have to try it I take it 8 feet of water is deep out there and I appreciate The advice and knowledge
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[PACKFAN]

If I remember correctly Pat, Mantua and Holmes Creek (My favorite) were open to ice fishing when I got stationed here in 76. I had a 1972 Ford Bronco and drove it out on the ice off the South Marina boat ramp one year. There was probably 15 or 16 inches of ice there that year. I had fished it the evening before and knew the thickness so the next morning when I took a couple newbees from the South out for their first ice fishing trip and drove out on the ice they about tore the inside of my Bronco apart trying to get out. The one airman from Kentucky wouldn't talk to me all morning. Being raised in Northern Wis. I was used to driving out on the ice once it had 10 inches or so of ice.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]You are right about Mantua and Holmes Creek. Some good times on both of them...but the fishing was a lot different. Usually productive and more solitude.

Mostly trout in Mantua those days...with a few sunfish, bass and even crappies. No perch. Hardly anybody ever fished it through the ice.

There were lots of big bluegills in Holmes Creek and some whopper crappies too. Plenty of largemouths when you could find them, along with occasional walleyes. Again, there just weren't many ice anglers in those days and most winter trips to that little pond were lonely...just the way I like it.

Funny story about truckin' on Willard. I have been back to your old stompin' grounds and have fished from those permanent ice shanties they tow out on the ice for the season. Now that is some serious ice.

Saw some guys take an old truck on the ice at Walleye Point on Yuba back in the olden days. No problems the first week but a couple of weeks later it ran over a refrozen and snow covered pressure crack and went in nose first. At least the guys got out with their gear but the truck became "structure".
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[Fishrmn]

[quote TubeDude][#0000FF]You can catch wipers under the ice. They slow way down but they do feed all winter. They hit all kinds of jigs and spoons...especially with a bit of bait. [red]But soaking a whole live minnow just off the bottom is even better.[/red] The main problem with landing wipers under the ice is that they swim around in a big circle and will wrap anybody else within close proximity to you. You also have to have good line to withstand the wear on the ice.[/#0000FF][/quote]

Probably great advice. I just hope nobody takes it. [crazy][crazy]
[fisherman]



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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Oops. Good catch. I edited in the correction.

Of course live minnows WOULD likely work better, but this is Utah. Gotta be dead minnows.
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[flygoddess]

Which states can you use live these days?
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[altizerbd]

Using dead bait is incredibly foreign to me. I grew up castnetting bait and fishing them under floats for LMBs. A lot of saltwater fishing involves live bait. In the southeast live bait is just customary.
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[flygoddess]

So, is Utah the only state that does not allow it like corn?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Until recently, Utah and a few other troutaholic western states were the main holdouts for using live bait. But with the increased incidence of nasty fish diseases and parasites there has been an increase in the number of states that put severe limitations on the use of live bait...or now prohibit it. Can't provide an accurate count.

I have fished almost every state in the union over my fishing career. And while I generally prefer to use artificials (even flies) there are waters and species that offer much greater fishing for those who use live minnows...either natural to the waters or purchased at local bait suppliers.

Contrary to what most purists would have us believe is that fishing with live bait requires no skill and is akin to using dynamite. It is true that simply soaking a minnow can often produce fish for even the most unsophisticated goober. However, there are plenty of times and places where it requires a high degree of knowledge and skill to present a live bait properly to fish that get a lot of pressure.

We have had discussions on this board over the years about the WHY of not allowing live minnows. The ongoing litany from the DWR side is that it helps prevent the introduction of invasive species. True, it keeps those who obey the laws from illegally using live bait and/or transporting "bad juju" to trout waters. But it has apparently not had much effect on the bucket biologists to whom our regulations never seem to apply. The law abiding anglers are prevented from enjoying another fun side of angling just because of the "what if" factor.

I use both a cast net and minnow traps to gather several different legal species of minnows for bait. But my minnow trips seldom coincide with a scheduled fishing trip. So I kill and freeze the minnows anyway and do not really miss having the live ones...well, maybe not too much. There are a few minnow rich waters that are also decent fishing, for trout. But it is not always possible to find and catch a quantity of the minnows on any given trip. So it is generally better to gather your minnows while you may and freeze them for later trips.
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