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Willard lures?
#1
With the flotilla at Willard coming up in less than three weeks, it's high time to get some lures together for fishing there. I would appreciate it if all who have some insight on the best lures for each species would please share that here. What else is needed to fish there? Any particular bait? Jsyk, I'm not totally clueless but would like to hear about more options. I'm sure others are in my same boat (pun intended) and can't afford to buy a boatload of lures so if anyone can prioritize them would be good. Oh, and size and color would be helpful too.
The older I get the more I would rather be considered a good man than a good fisherman.


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#2
My Willard basics include
 
1-2 oz. bottom bouncers with worm harness rigs, I purchase at Sportsman's, my favorite colors are perch and purple perch patterns. they will catch Walleye, Wipers and Catfish. this tactic works great middle of May to the Middle of June. Several years ago there was a post about fishing them at a high rate of speed 2-3 mph as apposed to the more traditional .5-1 mph. I have done best fishing them fast in this late spring early summer window. I will generally run a bottom bouncer set up off each side and crankbaits off of the rear corners of my boat.

 Lipless crank baits like 1/2oz. Rattletraps and #5 Rattlin Raps, popular, colors are chrome with black or blue back, Fire tiger and Perch patterns, they will catch all three species but Wipers and catfish most likely. fish them 1.5-3mph making lots of turns.

 Shad Raps and Flicker shad, #5 and #7 size, in fire tiger, shad, crawfish, purple are also a good option. same as lipless lots of turns.

 Soaking mussels can also be an effective tactic for catching wipers. I will troll cranks until I find a group of fish or one of my favorite drops, hump, bump or hole then set anchor and fish cooked Muscles on a number 4 hook with no weight.

 Flig There are a number of Flig experts on the board and they can expound on their rigging and fishing technique.
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#3
If you are just pulling crankbaits, it is hard to beat flicker shads.  I've caught a lot of fish pulling those lures while other offerings go untouched at the same time out at Willard.  Fire-tiger, perch, shad colors, even purple backed ones all work at times.  The small size is what I like.  I also will run a crawler spinner harness behind a bottom bouncer, but run a bit slower with those.  Flicker shads work even at slower speeds and I've run the harnesses and the shads at the same time and caught fish on both.
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#4
(04-25-2022, 04:37 PM)Jig-fisher Wrote: If you are just pulling crankbaits, it is hard to beat flicker shads.  I've caught a lot of fish pulling those lures while other offerings go untouched at the same time out at Willard.  Fire-tiger, perch, shad colors, even purple backed ones all work at times.  The small size is what I like.  I also will run a crawler spinner harness behind a bottom bouncer, but run a bit slower with those.  Flicker shads work even at slower speeds and I've run the harnesses and the shads at the same time and caught fish on both.
I agree with this. But the one thing about flicker shad is almost everyone of them need to be tuned right out of the box. They never run straight. So it's the first thing I do when using them. They also can get hammered so much you will have to retune them often. I also use the holographic green and blue rattlin rapalas often when casting or trolling the dike. #5 is the go to size for me.
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#5
At previous flotilla's I've even done well casting 3-4" curly tail jigs at the shore and bouncing them back to me... Got a nice 24" eye last time we met there using this technique... Glass Shad in white has caught a lot of fish for me in past years as well... But I'll probably end up using something different again this year... Never know what they will want, just fish it with confidence and it will probably work... Later J
When things get stressful think I'll go fish'en and worry about it tomorrow!
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#6
I have been holding back for just such an occasion. When fishing Willard for wipers, there is really only one lure.


[Image: 20220426-194141.jpg]
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#7
There have been a lot of good suggestions and input.  Just one reminder.  In past years the water level is well up into the rocks at this time of year...and working the dike was often a good way to score some wipers in the spring.  But this year the water has barely made it to the bottom of the rocks so far.  If there is not at least 4-5 feet of water up into the rocks it might not be as productive to throw plastics and small cranks along the shoreline.  But the wipers will still likely be cruising shallow around the lake perimeter.  Just might take a different approach.  However, if the mussel dunkers are still getting them shallow you should be good to go.
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#8
Good point Pat, I used to be able to troll a bottom bouncer at the transition from dike to sandy bottom and always keep from getting skunked at Willard, but with that area high and dry my fall back is not there this year... I'll have to watch out for the stripped cat this year.... Good thing we're going when the bite is better than other times of year... Later J
When things get stressful think I'll go fish'en and worry about it tomorrow!
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#9
(04-27-2022, 11:46 AM)TubeDude Wrote: There have been a lot of good suggestions and input.  Just one reminder.  In past years the water level is well up into the rocks at this time of year...and working the dike was often a good way to score some wipers in the spring.  But this year the water has barely made it to the bottom of the rocks so far.  If there is not at least 4-5 feet of water up into the rocks it might not be as productive to throw plastics and small cranks along the shoreline.  But the wipers will still likely be cruising shallow around the lake perimeter.  Just might take a different approach.  However, if the mussel dunkers are still getting them shallow you should be good to go.
They filled the canal yesterday.  No
way of telling how long it will stay full. Hopefully its inflow and not already pumping water out.  Already seeing folks in Plain City watering there lawns as of it's business as usual.  Hope it isn't another hot summer
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#10
(05-02-2022, 09:01 PM)FatBiker Wrote:
(04-27-2022, 11:46 AM)TubeDude Wrote: There have been a lot of good suggestions and input.  Just one reminder.  In past years the water level is well up into the rocks at this time of year...and working the dike was often a good way to score some wipers in the spring.  But this year the water has barely made it to the bottom of the rocks so far.  If there is not at least 4-5 feet of water up into the rocks it might not be as productive to throw plastics and small cranks along the shoreline.  But the wipers will still likely be cruising shallow around the lake perimeter.  Just might take a different approach.  However, if the mussel dunkers are still getting them shallow you should be good to go.
They filled the canal yesterday.  No
way of telling how long it will stay full. Hopefully its inflow and not already pumping water out.  Already seeing folks in Plain City watering there lawns as of it's business as usual.  Hope it isn't another hot summer

Not sure how much faith you have in the weatherman/lady but the other night they were predicting a dryer than normal May and June and a wetter than normal July and August do to a more active monsoon season predicted for those months.......Hope so.
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