Willard Crappie

[TubeDude]

I would like to hear what you do for the smallies.  I haven't targeted them at Willard.

With improved water levels the past few years, the bass (smallmouth and largemouth) have had better spawning and more non-shad food...like crawdads.  Of course they chow down on shad when available too, but they tend to have a more varied diet than wipers or walleyes.  And they prefer hanging out around structure rather than roaming the lake like the two aforementioned predators.  Higher water provides more flooded brush and the water levels stay up into the rock dikes.  That's good for basskind.

Until recently, a high percentage of all smallies and largies caught at Willard were taken mostly on lures and baits being fished for "other species".  But with the increased numbers...and sizes...there are more anglers specifically targeting the "brown bass" (smallies) and green bass (largies).  So far the numbers and sizes are not greater than at Pineview, but the power squadron problems are a lot more tolerable.  Both species will hit the shad imitation plastics and hardbaits fished for walleyes and wipers.  But sometimes working crawdad colors in cranks or plastics will get more bass.

Here's a few words and pictures on the subject.