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Fellow fishers I am thinking about heading to Willard and trying to catch some wipers on a fly. From what I have found so far it sounds like a lefty deciever or a clouser minnow imitation would be the fly to use. Any other thoughts? What about colors? Trying to immitate shad, so i reckon grays would work.? I have never fished Willard before. I will be in a float tube, any thought on where i should go/ or a good place to put in. Thoughts or reccomendations would be appreciated. Thanks
Brad
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The only thing with a fly rod that youll catch is other flies (skeeters). Very rarely, you"ll catch wipers this way. I have yet to hear of a walleye being caught with a fly!
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not true, talk to wiperfly about that, he'll disagree and has given me some great tips in the past. Look him up bow slayer
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Ok I take that back... i recall that a fly fisherman ran into a wiper boil and he was casting into the boil (lucky and sorta cheating too).
Boils are very random and you would have to power your float tube into them.
Walleyes are bottom huggers and uses bottom bouncers, jigs and cranks to get to them. I havent seen a walleye on the top surface of the waters.
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No I saw a gent up there 2 weeks ago catching them on a woolly bugger.
Not everythig is luck.
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That's quite a naive statement. I've personly caught dozens of wipers on flies, and not just when they're in a feeding frenzy (boils). I've not yet caught a walleye on the fly, but I know I will. It's just a matter of time...
To answer the original poster's question, I've had a lot of success with both flies you mentioned and sometimes just a plain white woolly bugger. A sinking line helps get your fly down to deeper water when the fish are holding near the bottom, but I've had a lot of luck with floating lines as well. The lead eyes on a clouser really help sink the fly and also impart a nice swimming motion as you strip it back in. Good Luck!
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Naive? Perhaps only because most of the time I see fly fishermen at willard complain that they came home empty handed.... so that was sort of a blanket statement.
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With the right flies, and a proper presentation, it's pretty easy to catch wipers on a fly rod. After all, we're talking about a creature with a brain smaller than a pea. If it looks like food and moves like food (and they're in a feeding mood!) they will eat it.
BTW- Don't get lazy with your grip on the fly rod....the wipers WILL rip it right out of your hand. Savage strikes....
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Fly fishing can be an extremely effective way to catch Wipers and is certainly one of the most thrilling ways to land one. Both fly patterns you mentioned are spot on. White, Chartreuse, and Blue are my favorite colors. As for Walleye, I posted a while back that I had just accomplished a personal first… a Walleye on a flyrod. I have since boated 4 more, 2 of which went well over 20”. I have caught loads of catfish, crappie, perch, walleye, SMB, and even a stray Brown Trout from Willard on my flyrod. So don’t let the naysayers dissuade you, but you’ll probably make a lot of casts searching for them.
Now the tough part, where to go… If you are strictly on fin power I would probably head for the outlet on the north dike. You’ll have to carry your gear a ways but not too bad.
Good luck, let us know how you do.
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I use my fly rod at Willard once in a while but my son uses his all the time. Not unusual for him to catch 6 or so Wiper from the shore using sinking line and white woolly buggers and zonkers.
My shoulder doesn't let me fly fish for very long, so I switch back and forth.
I have caught many Wiper on a fly rod.
In fact, my son and I have upset other bank tanglers because we have done very well when they were not catching any.
I also target crappie with my fly rod.
Floating line with a small white or green damsel fly pattern under an indicator works great inside the N. Marina.
If you don't get any hits after a half hour, move and try again.
Wiper on a fly is a blast!
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Nice! I have yet to see a fly fisher catch one that isn't boiling from the shoreline so I would be interested in watching a video of one actually catching one at willard on youtube.com. Until I see one successfully catching wipers day in and day out, then I'm calling B.S. on this, ha ha. Please post your video on youtube.
Well you couldn't get me to fly fish... I like to think that fly fishing is reserved for rivers, streams and small lakes. I'd rather be trolling around and chatting up a storm with company on my boat.
I find bottom bouncers with certain color size spinners with crawler harnesses very deadly for wipers.... as well as certain color rattletraps with feathers of a certain color works like charm... some certain wally divers works pretty good too.... side planers are a lot of fun too, just watch it get dipped big time by the powerful wipers. Too much fun!
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I can't speak for myself as I have not caught one YET. But, Kochanut was out there last week and hooked several Wipers using a Bubble and a dangling fly...no snagging there, but direct hit.
As for Walleye on a fly, I have done that. They are on the bottom and very reachable with flies if depth is not over 50'...if it is it can be a little tougher, but like already mentioned, with the right fly, and presentation, you can catch anything that you can with bait and lures.
But also, like anything else, being well versed at fly fishing does help big time. It can take the LUCK factor out of it and make it more determined.
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My buddy Dave. ( afk2fish) has also caught many wipers on the fly! Especially early season when they are fickle and tough .. in fact he does better than I do most of time! !! We typically launch in SE corner and do Great!
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I too have caught many wipers on the fly rod! as Wiperfly said white, chartrues, pink and white are all good options. Clouser type or buggers, Zonkers will all work if you can find the fish! I also find that fishing from a tube or pontton boat is more effective than a boat! the wipers seem to disperse when you go over them with a boat.
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White-on-white or yellow-on-white clouser minnows. On the rocks for smallmouth, 20 yards off the rocks for wipers, or close to a sandy beach for catfish.
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I have used a fly rod to troll with sink tip line and white muddler minnows. I have succeeded in 2 hook-UPS by casting with no fish landed. Very thrilling to see a wiper take you to the backing and then jump on the reel-up. But I have yet to land one from casting. Maybe in the future if I have some more time like a week or two...
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I have caught many, many wipers on a fly. It doesn't have to be in a boil either. I find it interesting that some don't believe it unless they see it, especially when they aren't really looking for it. Even when many others claim to have seen or done it. Admit you may be wrong. Doesn't mean you are weak. Be a little open minded. Flyfishing is not just for trout on a stream. Be creative and have fun with it. They are a riot on a fly.
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You brought up a good point. When I fish Utah lake on my toon, I catch more cats. My sucess is limited in my canoe. I'd probably do better with my toon. Tubedude uses his tube so he doesn't travel real far even though he has a motor. I've been using my canoe cuz its less restrictive and I can travel farther and faster.
I suppose I'd spook the wipers less if i use fins. Maybe I'll try it.
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What type of line works the best most the time?
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[cool][#0000ff]Contrary to what some "naysayers" may have you believe, wipers are caught all year long by flyrodders...using flylines and flies. Not dry flies, but larger white or silver streamers or buggers. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]With today's new technology in lines and ongoing discovery of new presentation techniques there are literally no fish within the top 50 feet of the water column that cannot be taken on a fly. Heck, there are even a few "specialists" who use leadcore line on fly rods and dredge up macks from way down there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]More important than the tackle you use is your knowledge of wipers and what they are doing at any given time of the year. Be at the right place to intercept them...and present the right flies...the right way...and you should be able to expect some hookups. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Those who overgeneralize and claim that you can only catch them at one time of the year with one kind of presentation...topwater at boil time...show a complete lack of knowledge about wiperology and about fly fishing in general.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As far as spooking the wipers with one type of boat vs another, that is not often a problem. True, you will sometimes do better while trolling if you run your lures off to the side of the boat with a planer board. But a high percentage of all wipers caught on Willard are caught by unsophisticated lure washers who simply drag lures until they catch a fish...or go home. At times the wipers act like salt water wahoo and will hit lures within feet of the prop wash. At other times you have to fish over a hundred feet of line between the boat and the lure.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the fish are active and chasing food they pay no attention to stationary watercraft. They may actually bounce off the sides of your boat while chasing shad. I have had them just about jump into my float tube with me. However, the bozos who think it is clever to run through a boil wide open while others are fishing it...well, they need to be taught the downside of eunuchry.
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[#0000ff]Gas motors will usually not cost you many strikes. Electric trolling motors are quieter but not as efficient for trolling for hours at the high speeds often necessary for catching wipers. Fin power alone will get you to a targeting fishing area but will not allow you to cover much water...and trying to troll at 3.5 mph will give you a hernia...or hisnia.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The best program for flyfishing wipers from shore is to get in as much time as possible from mid April to around the end of May...varying by each year. When water temps approach 65 the wipers go into spawn mode and cruise the banks and look for moving water...or agitated water. That is your second best shot at getting a wiper on a fly...in fairly shallow water...close to shore. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The absolute best is during the boils. But that takes a combination of good timing and good luck. Wipers go where the groceries are and the little shad fry schools can get blown all over the lake. They might be thick along one section of dike in the morning and out over open water by afternoon...or vice versa. You have to watch the birds and be ready to rocket to a new boil before the fish go down. Some boils last for hours. Others are a few tail slaps and it's over.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are a tuber or tooner you can sometimes enjoy wide open wiper mania inside the north marina while all the power squadron have blasted off for parts unknown in the main lake. I have had days when I caught wiper after wiper...all by my lonesome...while casting into very skinny water right next to the shoreline. Of course I have had plenty of the other kind too...with only a few silly kitties to keep me busy. Those "inside" days usually coincide with the outside boils. Same deal. The wipers come inside to chow down both on shad fry and baby carp that are also present inside by late July and into August.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is no guarantee that you will catch more fish from a tube or toon. But, by using your fins to help move you slowly into position...and maintain hands free control...you can focus on fishing rather than controlling your boat.
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