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Since my lucky catch last Sunday (2 Mar) of 2 respectable size LM Bass in the North Marina at WB, just had to go back. But had to drop off the -"Tin-Can" for some maintenance and servicing. Then had to get the TinCan tow truck (my 2005 GMC) serviced. So didn't get to WB till about 1230 this afternoon. Just didn't feel like the walk out to the outlet point, so parked my self at the bottom of the boat ramp about 20 yards from the active ramp center. Somewhat cloudy, some breezy, but not real bad. Got all settled, 2 lines in the water with my favorite lazy man's bait (Maverik night crawlers), looked down between my feet, and "hey, been wanting one of those" found a set of forceps with curved jaws. A bit muddy and a bit rusty, but some WD40 and a wire wheel should fix that. Ok, into my top pocket. Hey, some activity on the ramp. A fellow Lund owner backing his boat into the water to test run the motor. Got to meet the gentleman, Gene, newly relocated from Colorado. Says he has looked at BFT, but not yet set up a profile. Hope he does, and hope we meet up more thru this season. Gene says "...hey, Bald Eagles..." and points off to the north. I turn to look, and soon as I get my head turned, I hear my left hand pole skittering along the rusted metal pipe it's propped up on. I turn, reach, and grab the rod handle just before it gets out of my reach. Something with some shoulders, and a bit of attitude. Carp..? Na, my first kitty this year. This cat doesn't look as if it's missed any meals over the winter, quite fat and healthy.
Well did my CPR thing, released Mr. Kat, hooked up another worm, set the line back out, and resumed the conversation with Gene. After that, no more bites, the wind came up a bit more, clouds got some darker, and I figured I came, I caught one, I met another friendly angler with a good boat ( I'm just a little biased cause I have owned 2 Lund boats, including the current "Tin-Can") so the day wasn't wasted. Wish I'd had my better camera, Mr. Bald Eagle sat so perfectly still in that tree by the ramp. But my cell cam just don't zoom enough.
Oh, one Post Script - soaked those forceps in WD40, went to my wire wheel. Man they where cleaning up so nice......then most of one of the jaws broke off where it was rusted all the way thru. [:/] But still a not a bad day.
Taking the other half (the wife, not the forceps) to breakfast in the AM, then I'm heading back to WB.
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Is the water way up in the marina ? Last I checked it was only 3 or 4 ft deep.
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Nice going Forest, sounds like a good outing. Anytime you can catch anything out there, this time of the year you are doing good. I know Gene, I meet him out at the bay last Fall, he even went out fishing with me once before ice up, nice guy.
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hogstalker - Don't know exactly how deep north marina is right now. But water is up. There were 9 boat trailers in the north lot when I left there today about 3 PM. And I watched 3 or 4 launch while I was there. some in the 18 - 20 ft. range with big outboards. They went out the channel and into the main body without any problems that I noticed, and I was sitting right there on the north point of the channel.
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Curt, After 2 catch something days, I got hit with the skunk today[mad]. But it was a beautiful day. I may even have my Tin Can back by next weekend. Stopped by Petersen's this morning to drop the boat cover off. They already had her in the shop, had changed the impeller, tightened up the pivot tensioner, changed the oil, oil filter, and replaced the bushing on the tiller arm pivot. Were waiting for a lower end bushing on the impeller shaft and something up on the throttle arm.
Don't forget to set your clocks up an hour tonight.
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Not that I'm admitting being there and getting skunked but the marina has a lot of different depths depending on where you go. It was only 3-4' if you try going up in towards the slips. But if you go from the ramp out the channel it is 4-6' till you get out of the channel then it gets down to 11' and I found some 15' deep areas. Water temp was 46 degrees when I left around noon. Trolling didn't work for me but I had a GPS failure and couldn't find the area I wanted to troll and my old spots are dry or really shallow now. Guess missing fishen Willard last year got me out of the game got to learn new low water spots. Later J
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Thanks for depth info.used to be a good area for the Crappie spawn. Probably not that great this year.
Oh well, so many places and different fish to catch it's hard to decide.Man, I love spring!
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You're welcome. I wanted to try the crappie up by the creek inlet but it was so shallow I didn't try getting my boat up in there plus I didn't graph any fish inside the marina at all. But with 6' depth I'd had to be right on top of them and motors usually spook them at that distance. Lets hope for a good runoff so our old spots come back to life. Later J
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If I have learned one lesson at Willard, it is the fact that what worked last year (or even last week, or even yesterday) quitepossibly won't work now or tomorrow. WB is a challange every time I go there. Maybe that's why I keep going back. My favorite quote about WB is " it will make a liar out of ya in a hurry". But if I get my boat out of the shop this week, I'll be back on the water as long as the weather holds.
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It is one big pond and sure has a bunch of hiding spots. Think we waved to ya on the way in Saturday. Was in the trihull beater boat. Hope next trip will make up for a rough last one. Later J
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[#0000FF]There's an old saying..."You gotta taste the bitter to appreciate the sweet." Willard sure lives up to that. I catch fish most trips...sometimes more than others. But, as you said, every trip is a new trip...and you gotta use the "biblical system"...SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND...or not.
Since I moved back to Utah over 10 years ago I can count the number of trips I have been skunked on the fingers of one hand. All but one of those skunks was on Willard. On the flip side, I have had many truly memorable sessions that will live forever in my fond rememberies.
Shoot me a PM when you are semi planning something and we might be able to gang up on a few of those silly fish.
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Yea Skunked, that was me on the point, soakin worms and snoozin. It may be a bit cool still, but out where you were drifing, was the general area I caught all my late season Cats last year. And a bit closer in toward the swim beach is where I pulled a couple 'deep draft in shallow water without sonar' boat operators off the sand bars.
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That area we anchored/drifted has some cool topo features with a couple foot drop offs so I figured I might find something in that area, but didn't graph anything and nothing grabbed a hold. I was surprised how few fish I graphed after covering a big area that morning. I guess they all knew a better place to be. Thanks for the info. J
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Curt, Called the shop on my boat this morning. They say the last part they need for the tiller arm is being shipped from the factory, and coming by truck. Expect it in next 5 days, and they hope to have boat done next week. So I guess it's do some more "bank tangling" as Rocky says, this weekend. If I make it out, I'll be in same approx. area. Have a good one if you hit the water this weekend.
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