Willard 6-16

[2knots]

Dave and I hit the lake this am, had to wait at the north marina gate for about 10 mins for the gate to open at 6, got the boat ready to launch so we’re in the water very quickly once we got to the ramp. Headed down to the light pole area and dropped in with cranks on the planner boards and bottom bouncers out the back. Dave started us off with an eye on the BB and then we proceeded to drop 4 fish before he got the 2nd eye in. I followed with a perch and then a cat which we released. Got quiet where we were but quite a crowd done south in the corner, about half were jigging and the rest trolling slow. They were picking up fish so we switched to all BB’s and dropped the electric down, marked a lot of fish but we weren’t getting any hits. Finally decided to go back to cranks and cover some water. Picked up another eye right off then had to find some more active fish, hit an area and picked up a few more eyes before calling it. 2.2 -2.4 was the best speed, water temp was 68 when we started and 72 when we got off, purple #7 flicker shad was our best color. Curt and Ira showed up later in the am, good chatting with you guys. 


Funny story today
While looking for active fish my line released of the board and new I had a fish but felt very heavy, got the fish to within 20yds of the boat and saw it was a cat plus and extra line. Reeled in until we could reach the crank that was tangled and realized it was the one on the rod I reeled in, got it out and dropped the line back into the water and grabbed my rod next to to reel the cat in. Could fell the fish but at about the same spot I noticed another crank in the line so figured Dave’s gear was in it, but no it’s my crank again. Dave gets my crank out and almost hand lined the cat in but decided t.hat he would just reel in the fish on his pole, grabs and starts reeling and no fish so he figured it was his outside rod, grabbed that rod and he could tell there was a fish but he thought it was a bit light for the cat, gets it in and it’s a walleye. So apparently somebody probably lost the cat and the pole it was attached to and it snagged on both of my poles which is why it was so heavy, if we would of hand lined the fish in we know for sure.

[wiperhunter2]

Dave and I hit the lake this am, had to wait at the north marina gate for about 10 mins for the gate to open at 6, got the boat ready to launch so we’re in the water very quickly once we got to the ramp. Headed down to the light pole area and dropped in with cranks on the planner boards and bottom bouncers out the back. Dave started us off with an eye on the BB and then we proceeded to drop 4 fish before he got the 2nd eye in. I followed with a perch and then a cat which we released. Got quiet where we were but quite a crowd done south in the corner, about half were jigging and the rest trolling slow. They were picking up fish so we switched to all BB’s and dropped the electric down, marked a lot of fish but we weren’t getting any hits. Finally decided to go back to cranks and cover some water. Picked up another eye right off then had to find some more active fish, hit an area and picked up a few more eyes before calling it. 2.2 -2.4 was the best speed, water temp was 68 when we started and 72 when we got off, purple #7 flicker shad was our best color. Curt and Ira showed up later in the am, good chatting with you guys. 

Funny story today
While looking for active fish my line released of the board and new I had a fish but felt very heavy, got the fish to within 20yds of the boat and saw it was a cat plus and extra line. Reeled in until we could reach the crank that was tangled and realized it was the one on the rod I reeled in, got it out and dropped the line back into the water and grabbed my rod next to to reel the cat in. Could fell the fish but at about the same spot I noticed another crank in the line so figured Dave’s gear was in it, but no it’s my crank again. Dave gets my crank out and almost hand lined the cat in but decided t.hat he would just reel in the fish on his pole, grabs and starts reeling and no fish so he figured it was his outside rod, grabbed that rod and he could tell there was a fish but he thought it was a bit light for the cat, gets it in and it’s a walleye. So apparently somebody probably lost the cat and the pole it was attached to and it snagged on both of my poles which is why it was so heavy, if we would of hand lined the fish in we know for sure.

It was good chatting with you today Alan, pretty crazy how much the bite changed since last week but
 I noticed even more shad in the water this week, so the good catching could be over. Thanks for the hand off of the hooks and thanks for letting me borrow that cable. That's a pretty crazy story about catching that other line with the cat on it. All in all it was still a decent day, even with the late start for Ira and I.

[2knots]

Yea I noticed shad schools in quite a few spots also. Glad I could get the leaders to you, maybe you’ll need 1 or 2 before it gets really slow

[Jmorfish]

I guess no use for a new thread on this, as me and a buddy were out there floating around just like everyone else today..Unlike most of you though, this was my boat's first trip here this season, so it pains me to hear you say the best may be over..I guess I should have launched at the So. marina, as that's about where we headed to from the No. marina..so we were fishing by 0730, hooking up about 15 mins later..We did best til about 1000, then 2 larger cats in the NW corner about 1100, then slowly headed back out to the "Openness", and from there and back to the No. marina we had 3 more good hookups...4 average walleyes, 2 large cats, 4 large perch, and 2 smallish wipers were our take..1 very small wiper netted and released, 2 very large walleye missed the net right at the boat..our planer boards worked for 4 fish, but bottom bouncers were best for us, catching 9 and missing a few others...bugs were treacherous, but a very good fishing day...

[PACKFAN]

I guess no use for a new thread on this, as me and a buddy were out there floating around just like everyone else today..Unlike most of you though, this was my boat's first trip here this season, so it pains me to hear you say the best may be over..I guess I should have launched at the So. marina, as that's about where we headed to from the No. marina..so we were fishing by 0730, hooking up about 15 mins later..We did best til about 1000, then 2 larger cats in the NW corner about 1100, then slowly headed back out to the "Openness", and from there and back to the No. marina we had 3 more good hookups...4 average walleyes, 2 large cats, 4 large perch, and 2 smallish wipers were our take..1 very small wiper netted and released, 2 very large walleye missed the net right at the boat..our planer boards worked for 4 fish, but bottom bouncers were best for us, catching 9 and missing a few others...bugs were treacherous, but a very good fishing day...

Son and I were on the water fishing by 7:30 i always stay away from the fleet and we hit some quiet water that we had to ourselves we landed 13 walleye and kept 9, 4 wipers, 2 channel cats and one large perch we pulled up at 1:30 as the power squadron was starting to arrive. We trolled flicker shad with only a couple fish caught with them on planer boards the ticket for us today was worm harnesses on down riggers trolled at 2.5 MPH.

[wiperhunter2]

I guess no use for a new thread on this, as me and a buddy were out there floating around just like everyone else today..Unlike most of you though, this was my boat's first trip here this season, so it pains me to hear you say the best may be over..I guess I should have launched at the So. marina, as that's about where we headed to from the No. marina..so we were fishing by 0730, hooking up about 15 mins later..We did best til about 1000, then 2 larger cats in the NW corner about 1100, then slowly headed back out to the "Openness", and from there and back to the No. marina we had 3 more good hookups...4 average walleyes, 2 large cats, 4 large perch, and 2 smallish wipers were our take..1 very small wiper netted and released, 2 very large walleye missed the net right at the boat..our planer boards worked for 4 fish, but bottom bouncers were best for us, catching 9 and missing a few others...bugs were treacherous, but a very good fishing day...

Glad to read you were able to get out there Joe, after reading Packfan's post below yours, maybe there is still a few more weeks left until the end. Could be location. Where we found them last week, we were in a spot where no one else was fishing and we were not marking any shad, this week there was shad all over, so it could be, if you fish where no one else is fishing, you might till be able to do well, hopefully Pete will answer this post and let us know if he was marking shad in the area he was fishing. By the way, how long is a large cat and a smallish wiper? Totally agree with you on the bugs, they were bad, glad the wind was blowing some, to keep the worst part of them down.

[wiperhunter2]

Son and I were on the water fishing by 7:30 i always stay away from the fleet and we hit some quiet water that we had to ourselves we landed 13 walleye and kept 9, 4 wipers, 2 channel cats and one large perch we pulled up at 1:30 as the power squadron was starting to arrive. We trolled flicker shad with only a couple fish caught with them on planer boards the ticket for us today was worm harnesses on down riggers trolled at 2.5 MPH.

Way to go Gale, sounds like you and your son had a great day. Were you marking many shad in the area you were fishing? What color were the blades on the worm harness you were using?

[TubeDude]

I launched my tube out of the south marina and fished several areas out on the east side.  Very slow until about 10:30 and then I limited on walleyes...and threw back a couple more small ones.  Also got one cat and one perch.  Will post a separate report later...with pics and some video.

My assessment is that the series of small storms and the cold front moving through the previous days both affected the fish and dropped the water temp a couple of degrees.  And I believe that the extended spring and cool water will also lengthen the walleye bite.  The shad won't be big enough to feed them for a while yet.

On my side of the lake I couldn't score anything on a variety of cranks...and even bottom bouncers earlier.  Finally found some active fish and caught all of them on crawler rig whirly fligs fished on the bottom under 1 mph.  Never say never...and never say always.

[doitall5000]

I launched my tube out of the south marina and fished several areas out on the east side.  Very slow until about 10:30 and then I limited on walleyes...and threw back a couple more small ones.  Also got one cat and one perch.  Will post a separate report later...with pics and some video.

My assessment is that the series of small storms and the cold front moving through the previous days both affected the fish and dropped the water temp a couple of degrees.  And I believe that the extended spring and cool water will also lengthen the walleye bite.  The shad won't be big enough to feed them for a while yet.

On my side of the lake I couldn't score anything on a variety of cranks...and even bottom bouncers earlier.  Finally found some active fish and caught all of them on crawler rig whirly fligs fished on the bottom under 1 mph.  Never say never...and never say always.

Maybe you found a warmer spot of water in the east end, a little shallower water.  About 11 o'clock I boated over to the feed lot and no one was there. Did see lots of shade balls. Thought I might find you but no.

[TubeDude]

Maybe you found a warmer spot of water in the east end, a little shallower water.  About 11 o'clock I boated over to the feed lot and no one was there. Did see lots of shade balls. Thought I might find you but no.

Actually, the water where I found the fish was a degree or so cooler than where I had been fishing out from the feed lot...closer to where the water is coming in from the inlet.  And I was still in the 21 to 22' depth range.  But all the fish I was seeing on sonar were orienting to the bottom, so I figured they may be a little less active and want a slower presentation.  So I went from trolling cranks to slow dragging my whirly flig crawler rigs...at between .5 and 1 mph.  Got bit within a couple of minutes of using that approach and limited out in the next hour and a half.

You probably couldn't find me because I am such a small guy...and that bright red tube is hard to see too.  But I was a long ways south from the feed lot by 11...and right in the middle of my catching period.  If you had shown up I probably wouldn't have talked to you.  That's how I roll.

I also saw lots of shad blobs.  But I suspect they are still very small and it will be at least a month before they contribute a lot to the food chain.

[doitall5000]

Maybe you found a warmer spot of water in the east end, a little shallower water.  About 11 o'clock I boated over to the feed lot and no one was there. Did see lots of shade balls. Thought I might find you but no.

Actually, the water where I found the fish was a degree or so cooler than where I had been fishing out from the feed lot...closer to where the water is coming in from the inlet.  And I was still in the 21 to 22' depth range.  But all the fish I was seeing on sonar were orienting to the bottom, so I figured they may be a little less active and want a slower presentation.  So I went from trolling cranks to slow dragging my whirly flig crawler rigs...at between .5 and 1 mph.  Got bit within a couple of minutes of using that approach and limited out in the next hour and a half.

You probably couldn't find me because I am such a small guy...and that bright red tube is hard to see too.  But I was a long ways south from the feed lot by 11...and right in the middle of my catching period.  If you had shown up I probably wouldn't have talked to you.  That's how I roll.

I also saw lots of shad blobs.  But I suspect they are still very small and it will be at least a month before they contribute a lot to the food chain.

You continue to be the teacher / master of Willard bay. 
Bet the bugs were on you at .5 mph.

[PACKFAN]

Son and I were on the water fishing by 7:30 i always stay away from the fleet and we hit some quiet water that we had to ourselves we landed 13 walleye and kept 9, 4 wipers, 2 channel cats and one large perch we pulled up at 1:30 as the power squadron was starting to arrive. We trolled flicker shad with only a couple fish caught with them on planer boards the ticket for us today was worm harnesses on down riggers trolled at 2.5 MPH.

Way to go Gale, sounds like you and your son had a great day. Were you marking many shad in the area you were fishing? What color were the blades on the worm harness you were using?

I only saw a few small clouds of what i believed to be shad,  we kept 4 decent size wipers  and tossed one back that i believe was the smallest we have ever caught there maybe 6 or 7 inches smallest walleye we kept was 16 inches the largest just under 22. One cat weighed 4 1/2 lbs the other 3. I'll give her one more shot next week then i'm headed back home to Wis for a few weeks fishing bass, northern pike and bluegills, I love the Northwoods of my home state.

[TubeDude]

You continue to be the teacher / master of Willard bay. 
Bet the bugs were on you at .5 mph.

A few...but not too bad.  However, they really like that red tube and almost cover it sometimes.  Keeps them away from me but I have to hose down my tube after a trip.  Hundreds of dead midges stack up in the low spots.  I do always have a mesh head net if they get too thick.  

[doitall5000]

We managed 3 jumbo perches. I tried everything but the right thing. Sad thing is I was carrying the right stuff just thought speed was the answer. Yes I could see them crawling in the mud. I tried 3 oz bottom bouncers at mock speed, didn't work for me.


Just captured 3 perch. And a zillion midges.

[Paddler]

I fished from about 2:45 until 8:45. I was seeing water temps of 67, even below later in the day. Very few shad schools IMO, lots of fish orienting to the bottom. Released 2 small walleye, hooked 3 wipers, one long line release, bumped a nice one off with my net, kept one decent one and a perch. My last fish hit an SR5 running at 8' in 23' of water, thought it was another wiper but instead it was a 24" cat.

Thinking I may need to use my downriggers given what I saw and caught. One year down at Yuba a couple of locals were using lead core to get small cranks deep enough to reach the fish. They were hammering big walleye, rumor has it they were taking a limit home and returning later in the day for another.

I'm thinking it will go longer, at least three more weeks. Which is a good thing given the fairly dismal kokanee reports.

[Jmorfish]

I guess no use for a new thread on this, as me and a buddy were out there floating around just like everyone else today..Unlike most of you though, this was my boat's first trip here this season, so it pains me to hear you say the best may be over..I guess I should have launched at the So. marina, as that's about where we headed to from the No. marina..so we were fishing by 0730, hooking up about 15 mins later..We did best til about 1000, then 2 larger cats in the NW corner about 1100, then slowly headed back out to the "Openness", and from there and back to the No. marina we had 3 more good hookups...4 average walleyes, 2 large cats, 4 large perch, and 2 smallish wipers were our take..1 very small wiper netted and released, 2 very large walleye missed the net right at the boat..our planer boards worked for 4 fish, but bottom bouncers were best for us, catching 9 and missing a few others...bugs were treacherous, but a very good fishing day...

Glad to read you were able to get out there Joe, after reading Packfan's post below yours, maybe there is still a few more weeks left until the end. Could be location. Where we found them last week, we were in a spot where no one else was fishing and we were not marking any shad, this week there was shad all over, so it could be, if you fish where no one else is fishing, you might till be able to do well, hopefully Pete will answer this post and let us know if he was marking shad in the area he was fishing. By the way, how long is a large cat and a smallish wiper? Totally agree with you on the bugs, they were bad, glad the wind was blowing some, to keep the worst part of them down.

Hey Curtis...my 2 perch were about 12.5", my cat 21" (that's way big enough for me), my 3 walleye 15 to 15.5", my releaser wiper 8", and  the 2 my buddy kept 10 and 12"...I was surprised we didn't stumble into any larger wipers on crank baits, but was especially grateful for the luck we did have...BTW....for any Newbie 'Bottom Bouncers'...I know better, but forgot to cut the large part of the nite crawler's tail off from the last hook of the nite crawler harness...and lost at least 3 good hits with the fish getting a good feeding of crawler, and not the hook...Use a fat, juicy nite crawler, but cut off, and only leave 1" sticking behind that last hook...Way better hookups after that...

[wiperhunter2]

That will happen at times even if you do cut off that part of the crawler that hangs way too far beyond the hook. We lose fish like that on every trip and sometime it happens even on a lure. Sometimes eyes just don't comment and take the whole thing, different from the wipers, they usually get hooked every time because they are more aggressive, IMO. Those smaller wipers are likely the ones that were planted last year after the DWR heard complaints about there not being as many wipers in there. Wipers are so bony that you don't get much meat off a 12 incher, IMO they need to be 15 to 18 inches before you get much meat off them.

[Paddler]

That will happen at times even if you do cut off that part of the crawler that hangs way too far beyond the hook. We lose fish like that on every trip and sometime it happens even on a lure. Sometimes eyes just don't comment and take the whole thing, different from the wipers, they usually get hooked every time because they are more aggressive, IMO. Those smaller wipers are likely the ones that were planted last year after the DWR heard complaints about there not being as many wipers in there. Wipers are so bony that you don't get much meat off a 12 incher, IMO they need to be 15 to 18 inches before you get much meat off them.

I feel the same way about walleye.  I don't think you get enough meat off those under 16" to justify taking them.  I talked to another angler at the cleaning station last trip and told him I'd released a couple of small walleye.  He joked that releasing walleye was a sin.  I told him that next year those fish will be 18", and releasing them is better for the fishery.

[Jmorfish]

That will happen at times even if you do cut off that part of the crawler that hangs way too far beyond the hook. We lose fish like that on every trip and sometime it happens even on a lure. Sometimes eyes just don't comment and take the whole thing, different from the wipers, they usually get hooked every time because they are more aggressive, IMO. Those smaller wipers are likely the ones that were planted last year after the DWR heard complaints about there not being as many wipers in there. Wipers are so bony that you don't get much meat off a 12 incher, IMO they need to be 15 to 18 inches before you get much meat off them.

You're right on the small wipers, and I personally don't keep one over 18" either...let 'em go, and maybe someone else will catch it and also release it...if you ever watch Upper Midwest walleye tournaments, you'll often see, while trolling, that they are holding the rod, and when they feel that light tic of a bite, they kind of swoop their rod back, giving the walleye a better chance to 'take it', for a better hookup...I just wouldn't want to be doing that when a big cat or big wiper hit...

[wiperhunter2]

That will happen at times even if you do cut off that part of the crawler that hangs way too far beyond the hook. We lose fish like that on every trip and sometime it happens even on a lure. Sometimes eyes just don't comment and take the whole thing, different from the wipers, they usually get hooked every time because they are more aggressive, IMO. Those smaller wipers are likely the ones that were planted last year after the DWR heard complaints about there not being as many wipers in there. Wipers are so bony that you don't get much meat off a 12 incher, IMO they need to be 15 to 18 inches before you get much meat off them.

I feel the same way about walleye.  I don't think you get enough meat off those under 16" to justify taking them.  I talked to another angler at the cleaning station last trip and told him I'd released a couple of small walleye.  He joked that releasing walleye was a sin.  I told him that next year those fish will be 18", and releasing them is better for the fishery.

The difference is, wipers have larger bones than eyes and if you trim off that red meat from a wiper, like a lot of folks do, you get even less meat. Personally, I don't keep any wipers, IMO, they are better fighters than eaters.