11-15-2017, 12:36 AM
[#0000FF]Willard was plan B today. FatBiker and I had planned to hit Pineview but were kinda turned off by the "variable" weather forecrash. So we met up at the north marina at Willard and launched about 7:30. Air temp was a mild 41. Water temp was a cool 47 and bounced back and forth over 47 all day.
We had brief sessions of rain a couple of times but not enough to get soaked. And the wind kept changing speed and directions to keep us poor old guys working hard with our fins. It always seemed to blow from the direction we were trying to kick...until we got there. Then it would reverse.
Lots fewer shad visible either on the surface or on sonar today. A few clumps here and there but nothing close to what it has been. Quite a few terns and gulls uptimistically flying around...waiting for whatever...but they didn't make many splashes on shadlets. Needless to say...no boils. Although there were bubbles breaking on the surface that could have been fish burps...or???
FB and I both tried a variety of lures, baits and presentations. However, as with my last trip to the area the hot ticket proved to be a fire tiger finish mini flig...decorated with a small left-handed and blue-eyed minnow.
Larry and I each scored 3 cats. No walleyes and no wipers. But I did manage to finesse a porky 13 inch perch as we were coming back in and I saw some "interesting" marks on sonar. I missed two hits before I finally got a good hookset on the one and only perch of the day.
Then the fun began. The ramp was covered with the slickest algae you can imagine. I made it to the dry ramp without performing my coveted "triple klutz". Larry wasn't so lucky. After getting everything almost up on the ramp, he kicked his feet skyward and did a beautiful butt flop. Scored 9.3. However, he managed to push his tube back into the water and it was promptly claimed by the building offshore breezes. Amazing how much wind a float tube can catch and how fast it scoots across a deserted harbor.
Been there, done that before. Carefully got back in my tube and hooked up the electric motor to the battery again. Threw a rooster tail all the way across the harbor to run down and attach a rope to the errant tube. Larry was properly grateful and humbled. We both laughed.
But when I went up to get my vehicle to stow my gear for the ride home...I wasn't laughing. It wouldn't start. Plenty of juice in the battery and the starter motor worked fine. But somehow it was not getting any fuel. Never had any real mechanical problems with the little white beast...but today it had me inventing some new fishing words.
Had to get a tow to Salt Lake. Won't know how much my fun day on the water will cost me until my mechanic completes his diagnosis tomorrow.
Man. Ya cain't beat fun.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
We had brief sessions of rain a couple of times but not enough to get soaked. And the wind kept changing speed and directions to keep us poor old guys working hard with our fins. It always seemed to blow from the direction we were trying to kick...until we got there. Then it would reverse.
Lots fewer shad visible either on the surface or on sonar today. A few clumps here and there but nothing close to what it has been. Quite a few terns and gulls uptimistically flying around...waiting for whatever...but they didn't make many splashes on shadlets. Needless to say...no boils. Although there were bubbles breaking on the surface that could have been fish burps...or???
FB and I both tried a variety of lures, baits and presentations. However, as with my last trip to the area the hot ticket proved to be a fire tiger finish mini flig...decorated with a small left-handed and blue-eyed minnow.
Larry and I each scored 3 cats. No walleyes and no wipers. But I did manage to finesse a porky 13 inch perch as we were coming back in and I saw some "interesting" marks on sonar. I missed two hits before I finally got a good hookset on the one and only perch of the day.
Then the fun began. The ramp was covered with the slickest algae you can imagine. I made it to the dry ramp without performing my coveted "triple klutz". Larry wasn't so lucky. After getting everything almost up on the ramp, he kicked his feet skyward and did a beautiful butt flop. Scored 9.3. However, he managed to push his tube back into the water and it was promptly claimed by the building offshore breezes. Amazing how much wind a float tube can catch and how fast it scoots across a deserted harbor.
Been there, done that before. Carefully got back in my tube and hooked up the electric motor to the battery again. Threw a rooster tail all the way across the harbor to run down and attach a rope to the errant tube. Larry was properly grateful and humbled. We both laughed.
But when I went up to get my vehicle to stow my gear for the ride home...I wasn't laughing. It wouldn't start. Plenty of juice in the battery and the starter motor worked fine. But somehow it was not getting any fuel. Never had any real mechanical problems with the little white beast...but today it had me inventing some new fishing words.
Had to get a tow to Salt Lake. Won't know how much my fun day on the water will cost me until my mechanic completes his diagnosis tomorrow.
Man. Ya cain't beat fun.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]