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Skipped work yesterday and hit the bay with my FIL. Started early so I kept telling myself the fishing will get better when it warms up. Washed most of my lures and got the dust off, but no hits all morning so I went to the guarantee fish catcher and sunk some mussels for a couple hours, was just about to quit when I got a single bump. So we sat there for another hour with nothing. Finally gave up and started trolling back. Didn't get the second poles out before my FIL nailed a nice crappie.
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About then my wife started to wonder if I was still fishing. So we headed in, trolling of course. Half way back my FIL nailed a nice 22" eye and I went home sun burned and skunked. Later J
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We had a tough evening also. Had 4 'hits' trolling with nothing on the line when we got to the rods. My experience has been that is more typical of walleye, and maybe even a crappie, than for wipers. Who knows. Had a couple of best days ever on Willard earlier in the year, now the last two outings back to near and true skunk.
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I was pretty disappointed after all the good stories last week, I was ready to have a great day... didn't turn out that way for me... Later J
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Here's Rich's eye.... Later J[inline "Rich eye.JPG"]
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That's too bad that the wipers totally shut off after that last storm! Hopefully they will be back on Saturday for what the weatherman is forecasting to be another wet flotilla...Thankfully though, it doesn't look like as big of a storm this time!
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That is a beautiful crappie. I have yet to catch a crappie there.
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I'm hoping that the fish bite and the rain holds off for Saturday, but I've decided my science of picking good days is flawed... I did hear several folks saying the walleye bite is really picking up, so that's a good thing... I didn't try any bottom bouncing and maybe I should have. I couldn't have done much worse.... I really didn't graph many fish all day, so maybe I was just in the wrong spots all day... But it was a pretty day to be out soaking in the nice sun and cool breeze.. I love fishing even on slow days... J
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Thanks, it was a very nice fish, and the eye was good too... So quality was there, just low on numbers, especially for me... Willard is a different spot, it seems like you can catch everything trolling there, were some areas you never get crappie trolling.. I think timing is big on Willard crappie too, so if you're there trying in the next month or so, I'll bet you'll get one... And they are really nice sized this year.. If I was targeting crappie I don't think I would be catching them, so just fish for wiper and walleye and use a little smaller crank and you should be in business... It was a fire tiger that worked for both fish yesterday..
Going to try something new to me on these fish, going to smoke them.. I usually don't use the hi quality fish taco meat on smoked fish, but since we only had two fish, I thought I'd try it and see how it turns out...Thanks for the reply... Later J
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[#0000FF]Trolling? Washing lures? The best way to fish Willard? I dunno. I caught a fish there once and I wasn't trolling.
Smoking walleye and crappie? Now you gone and done it. If you think the fish gods din't like you before, wait until you waste those tasty morsels in the smoker. In truth, they will probably taste fine. But as a general rule fish with coarser and/or oilier flesh are better candidates for the smoke.
I have tried to smoke wipers and was not impressed with the end result. And I'd like to think I know my way around a smoker. But, like they say about other things...it's all good. Some better than others.
Oh yeah. Sorry I missed the stellar day. But I had commitments...and a small garden to get in. Both taken care of. Free to fish. Free at last. Now if Mama Nature will get back on her meds.
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Hey Pat,
Took my FIL and didn't have room in the toon for both of us, so ended up in the boat... Thus the lure washing. Had I made the trip solo in the toon, would have been a different approach, however, I did soak and drag a minnow for quite some time without the slightest nibble... Now it wasn't blue eyed and left handed or a chub, but did try the flies and the plastics per some of my toon tactics with no  s either.. I see some did better later in the day and with the marabou that I didn't manage to try... Figures I'd miss the favorite flavor of the day...
I have a bad memory, I think I tried wiper or walleye smoked before and didn't turn out so good, but since I didn't have any cats and wanted to try your method, I used what I had... I'll see what happens... Tried your dry rub method and was surprised how much moisture it pulls out of the meat overnight... will rinse and spice tonight and try the smoke... Hope I didn't waste it...
I should have known when you weren't going fishing yesterday that it wouldn't be a good day, I forget how well you're tuned into the best days... I'll have to pay more attention next time... Thanks for the info and catch ya later... J
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[#0000FF]Hey Jeff, if it's any consolation, I did try left handed blue eyed chubs on each of my last two trips to Willard. Didn't fish them all day...just long enough to know that I was doing better on the other stuff so I put it up. No bites at all in an hour of dragging that stuff last trip. Hmmmm?
Can't claim to have the weather and fishing dialed in ANYWHERE. But I do have some experience, several sources to check and sometimes just plain good luck in helping to pick good days. But I take no credit for the good ones...nor blame for the bad ones.
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I can't even get the cats to eat my minnows this year. I hate wasting them so maybe I'll start leaving them in the freezer until later on in the summer. So far cut bait and crawlers seem to be best for me. Well I guess we have a couple Willard events and if I don't start doing better I'll probably get back after those cats before they shutdown on me. Later J
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