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Made it out to Willard and over the dike with my float tube by 2 PM. Fished until 5:30. Managed to catch 10 kitties, 2 wipers and a couple of SMBs all on my fly rod using dark crystal buggers. Two of the kitties were my biggest this summer. Tough to get an accurate measurement with the 18 inch scale painted on my stripping apron, but as best as I can tell, one went 26 inches and the other one was 27. The bigger fish was significantly heavier and took 15 minutes to land.
Larry
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Thanks for the report. Sounds like a good trip. I fished it yesterday out of the South marina, both fishing the rocks and open water. Didn't find any cats, only wipers and carp. I was throwing flies as well. Hose big catch must be fun in the fly rod.
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Your report prompted me to Google catfish on the fly. Wow you really surprised me.[shocked]
So when you used your Wooly Bugger did you drift or do a retrieve to make it act like a minnow?[fishon]
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I tried to stay 30 feet off the dike and threw the crystal bugger as close to the rocks as possible. Using a sink tip line, I stripped/paused/stripped the bugger back to me. Moved a little down the dike and repeated. I'll be honest, until this summer, I had no idea you could consistently catch catfish on a fly. TubeDude turned me on to it and it's been a ball. Anything less than 10 fish in a couple or three hours is a dissapointment and I've had multiple 20+ fish days. Also, they've recently ran a grader over the dike road. I'll give it a few days to dry out then be back out this week. I've also been getting some nice SMBs. See attached picture
Larry
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WOW! Thanks for the post. I'm planning on hitting Willard next Sat. the 1st. I've been debating taking my float tube since I'm picking the family up at the airport and its a long drive, but after hearing this I think I may have to bring it...
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Sorry for the thread heist, but having only been to Willard Bay once before and now looking at Google Maps it looks like you can drive below the south side of lake and also possibly on the North end as well? I just hate kicking around in my tube forever just to get to the spots I want to fish. Or do you fish right outside the marina and over to those areas?
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Here's a picture of three buggers that have been working well. I particularly like the blue one, but all three have caught a bunch of fish.
Larry
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[#0000FF]Here's something that should help you find your way.
Some of the best fall fishing from a float tube is right outside the north marina. That is where I will be going Tuesday and will post a report. You launch from the ramp, kick out the channel and then work around from shallow to deep. Having sonar really helps.
There are often fish on the edge of the dredged channel that goes straight out from the marina entrance...past the buoys. But you will find more fish to the north usually than to the south. If you have the stamina and the weather is decent you can work your way over toward the rock dike to the north. But watch out for a south wind. That will make it tough to get back.
As the attached maps will show, there is an access road along the south dike...and it goes around to the NW corner...where FatBiker has been fishing. But with the front going through and the water cooling it might move the fish elsewhere. You may want to try around the SW corner. Easy hike up over the dike and a beach to launch from. Often good fishing too. There is no access road now on the north dike. That gate is closed.
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