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Slow day at Willard today 4/17/23
#1
Ira and I got out on Willard today and had the boat in the water at 8 am. Water temp had again dropped below 50 degree. We headed over to the SW corner where the water was a little warmer at 50 but much clearer than the South marina and channel, which was muddy. After 2 hrs and no fish we headed over to Freeway bay, lots of boats and shore anglers but we saw no one catching fish. We trolled close to the shore to see if we could find some willing wipers but no luck but we did see Skunked again. After several tries with different methods and no success we finally went back to the tried and true, fligging and picked up two cats on pink tiger fligs. We finally called it quits at 2pm and went in. Overall a nice day but very slow catching, Water temps never got above 51 degrees but likely did after we left, as warm as it was getting.
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#2
(04-18-2023, 03:04 AM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: Ira and I got out on Willard today and had the boat in the water at 8 am. Water temp had again dropped below 50 degree. We headed over to the SW corner where the water was a little warmer at 50 but much clearer than the South marina and channel, which was muddy. After 2 hrs and no fish we headed over to Freeway bay, lots of boats and shore anglers but we saw no one catching fish. We trolled close to the shore to see if we could find some willing wipers but no luck but we did see Skunked again. After several tries with different methods and no success we finally went back to the tried a true, fligging and picked up two cats on pink tiger fligs. We finally called it quits at 2pm and went in. Overall a nice day but very slow catching, Water temps never got above 51 degrees but likely did after we left, as warm as it was getting.

Good day for a boat ride for me also pretty slow on the west side. No fish for me today
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#3
Hey Curt, was good to say hey to you and Ira... We stayed in that same spot till about noon seeing fish move in and out, but could not buy a bite... Then we seen a big dust cloud to the west, so fearing that meant big wind, we headed back close to the north marina and drifted across the humps 3-4 times with nothing, but the big wind never showed, so we headed to the kitty condo and did a little drifting there... I picked up 3 cats with the biggest 23.5" they were fun to catch, but no real pattern to what they took, one was on the orange whirly flig with night crawlers. The other two were on one of Pat's proto type big pink whirly fligs, forget what he called it, but I had a chub tail on that rig anyway I'd about forgot what a hit looked like by the time we finally got those hits... It was really slow for us... As we pulled out I ran into a guy that told me he had one of his best wiper days ever.. He was fishing where I started little south of that area... Anyway don't know if I just left too soon or what, but I sure was hoping to find the kind of wiper day it sounded like they had... Oh well I guess I chose wrong...

Alan I really appreciated the intel before I got there.. I didn't make it over to try the crappie, there were a bunch of pontoons over there and I was having difficulty controlling where my boat was drifting.. Anyway sure was more fun than working, but the way the bite turned out, I could have worked till noon and then went fishing and still did just as well... But you just don't want to believe that, so you go early anyway...

I know I don't fish weekdays often, but dang there were sure a lot of fisherman after it for a Monday... Doesn't anyone work anymore? Or did everyone see the last warm day before the storm and wanted to take a chance before it cools off again??? That was my rationale... But it felt like a weekend for people...

Curt thanks for the report, I was sure you had probably limited and left early, but I heard you had another pick up to make... Congratulations.. Later Jeff
When things get stressful think I'll go fish'en and worry about it tomorrow!
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#4
I came out to the north marina about noon and only spent an hour on the water. I didn't do any fishing as this was the dust-off cobweb run. I did some maintenance throughout the boat over the winter, had a sensor on main motor that I replaced. This was the first chance I got to check it out. The issue for sensor replacement was motor would hesitate & die when throttling from idle up to power or hole shot. No issue restarting motor and throttling up from there was good. With new sensor hesitation gone and hole shot great. Real test will be altitude. Come on ice off!  
Both sonars read water temp at 53°.
[Image: P3100003.jpg]
Harrisville UT
2000 7.3L F250 Superduty  '07 Columbia 2018 Fisherman XL Raymarine Element 9HV 4 Electric Walker Downriggers Uniden Solara VHF
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#5
Was hoping all you guys would have a stellar day out there, guess the fish weren’t on the same page. Glad you got the boat out for its shakedown Roger and all is good
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#6
(04-18-2023, 03:04 AM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: Ira and I got out on Willard today and had the boat in the water at 8 am. Water temp had again dropped below 50 degree. We headed over to the SW corner where the water was a little warmer at 50 but much clearer than the South marina and channel, which was muddy. After 2 hrs and no fish we headed over to Freeway bay, lots of boats and shore anglers but we saw no one catching fish. We trolled close to the shore to see if we could find some willing wipers but no luck but we did see Skunked again. After several tries with different methods and no success we finally went back to the tried a true, fligging and picked up two cats on pink tiger fligs. We finally called it quits at 2pm and went in. Overall a nice day but very slow catching, Water temps never got above 51 degrees but likely did after we left, as warm as it was getting.
I have been suprised by the number of shore anglers out during the week. But I guess everything else is still locked up with ice or running high and muddy so Willard at UL are about the only options for them. I have got to get some fresh bait and then Cookie and I will probably join the bank tanglers Sat for our first spring run
Remember: keep the lid on the worms, share your jerky, and stop by to say hi to Cookie and the Cowboy-Pirate crew
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#7
I think it's supposed to be warming up again a little by Saturday, so maybe they will start up again... Hope so... J
When things get stressful think I'll go fish'en and worry about it tomorrow!
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#8
One thing I forgot to mention was this blotched cat I caught, seems we have caught one like it before but you don't see they very often, anyone else ever caught one with this type of birth mark?

[Image: blotch-cat.jpg]
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#9
(04-19-2023, 02:18 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: One thing I forgot to mention was this blotched cat I caught, seems we have caught one like it before but you don't see they very often, anyone else ever caught one with this type of birth mark?
Yep.  Both from Willard and Utah Lake.    I called this one "Cat with tats".

[Image: CAT-WITH-TATS.jpg]
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#10
(04-19-2023, 02:34 PM)TubeDude Wrote:
(04-19-2023, 02:18 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: One thing I forgot to mention was this blotched cat I caught, seems we have caught one like it before but you don't see they very often, anyone else ever caught one with this type of birth mark?
Yep.  Both from Willard and Utah Lake.    I called this one "Cat with tats".

[Image: CAT-WITH-TATS.jpg]

LOL, good one Pat.
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