So. Marina Sneak Attack 4-20-11

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I've been wanting to hit Willard for the past couple of weeks. But everytime I start planning a trip Mama Nature gets "wind" of it and blows it off.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I figured the only way to fool Mama Nature would be to not plan a trip but to have my gear ready and whenever a last minute forecast looked doable...to just do it. So...last night's iffy forecast had improved by this morning...and I did it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Launched at the South Marina about 7 AM. Air temp 39 and water temp a chilly 42 inside the harbor. The water also looked like chocolate milk and had lots of junk floating around in it. I later noticed a lot of runoff coming in over the baffles at the inlet.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I figured that with the cold muddy water coming in there would not be much in the channel. I figured right. Nary a bump on the way out to the main lake. A bit of a NW breeze had a "chocolate ripple" going on the water in the lake. Not looking good.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I played roller coaster on the waves for a while while dragging a minnow on one rod and throwing plastics with the other. Water temp warmed up to 45 just outside the harbor. Nothing doing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I finally broke out of the mudline and into some cleaner water. The temp also jumped up to about 47. Still not warm enough for peak activity but better than muddy and 43.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I kicked against the wind and waves for over an hour, working my way down to the feed lot area. I worked in and out in big S curves...from 8' of water to as deep as 16'. Saw almost nothing on sonar and felt absolutely nothing on either rod.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]At 8:45 the sun broke through the clouds, the water calmed down and warmed to 48 degrees...and my minnow rod jumped for the first time. Set the hook and brung in a nice cookie cutter kitty. Skunk relief.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No more bites for a while so I powered down to my "zone" and put out two bait lines. The kitties were home even if nothing else was. I brought in several in quick succession...keeping seven and throwing back several. I figured it would be a simple matter to top off my limit (8) whenever I wanted to. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That was when the kitties turned finicky. I had a series of "pop and drop" hits and lost two hooked fish on the way to the tube. That almost never happens. I put up one bait rod and started throwing plastics again with my second rod. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The weather forecast called for the weather to "change" about noon. So I was keeping an eye on the clouds in the distance. At 11 AM I began working my way back toward the harbor entrance. I was still dragging a minnow on the bait rod and pitching plastics on the second. About 11:30 I finally got the hook into another kitty and got it into the tube. Done.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then I noticed a big dark cloud moving fairly fast in my direction. I figured Mama Nature finally guessed that I had sneaked onto the lake without giving her any warning and she was coming to punish me. So, I brought in my rods, kicked my little trolling motor up to high and boogied for the ramp. I made it in plenty of time to avoid getting wet. But, Mama Nature caught up to me on the way home and spit on me for most of the trip.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That's okay. I got mine.[/#0000ff]
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[Strikes_R_Us]

Nice report! I was wondering if you were ill (or worse[]) havent seen a post for quite a while. I was considering hitting Willard this weekend, but with the muddy water, I might wait a bit.

p.s. I hope you did'nt drink the chocolate milk to wash down those nice looking kitty's!
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[Lawdog330]

Nice work Pat, I too was wondering if you had been out lately. You always seem to find a way to catch a load of fish where ever you go.

By the way I accidentally reported your post to the mods. I wasn't paying full attention to my cursor when I clicked to post a reply. Sorry Mods you can disregard.

Again nice work, p.s. We used some of those bass jigs I bought from you at Christmas for my son down in Sand Hollow, they worked great. Thanks
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, it's been quite on the tubing front. Had to do some high-powered visiting in California and Arizona for a while. But I posted a report on Utah Lake last week.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No worries about the chocolate milk. Got better things to wash down kitty fillets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Between cold water and dirty water it is going to be a while until conditions are better for ALL SPECIES on Willard. But I just hadda sneak in a trip.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]You tryin' ta get me banned or something? The mods already shift threads around enough. Maybe this one isn't enough about fishing. Depends on how ya look at it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad you did well down south. Wish I could get down there to play in the warmer weather. [/#0000ff]
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[WyomingMoose]

Do the catfish in willard reproduce in large numbers TD? Or are they stocked in large numbers annually?

Most times I fish there I catch a few on crankbaits, jigs, etc. They seem to be just about everywhere. I know sometimes you have to look for a group of them but on any given day they seem to be all over the place. I'm sure you have some hot-spots after fishing it for so many years...

Our state has poor spawning in most places for cats... and ly we don't have a hatchery. Our trading parter (Arkansas I believe) won't trade with us anymore? I'm really hoping they get something going again.

You guys are lucky having a lake that just seems to be full of channel cats. (Utah Lake is similar).
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[WaveWolf]

[#502800]Hey TD, Is that a transom mount motor that you just reversed the shaft on, and is it a 36" or 42" shaft? [/#502800]
[#502800] I'm going to sell the old bass boat and join the tubers?[/#502800]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The channel cats in Willard ARE prolific. There have always been good numbers of them...as far as I can remember going back to the '70s. I usually fish for crappies, wipers and/or walleyes first but I know I can always count on the kitties to cooperate even if the other guys are being difficult.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Willard is an ideal lake for catfish spawning...when the water is up and the rocks along the dikes are well covered. In low water years they don't do as well. But there are usually plenty of the "cookies" available for those who want them. All cats are naturally reproduced. No stocking.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Before wipers and smallmouth...and gizzard shad...the lake was mainly "the big three"...cats, crappie and walleye. And fishing was fantastic for all three...all year round.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The crappie were much more plentiful...if a bit smaller on average. Had days of over 200. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The walleyes were all over...and bigger. You could keep six fish but only two over 20". Many times I released 30 or 40 fish and ended up with a couple of 5-6 pound fish...releasing many larger ones...and nothing under 20".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Cats averaged only slightly larger than today's "cookie cutters"...about 19 to 20 inches. But there were a lot more BIG cats. I used to catch lots of 5-6 pounders and plenty over 10. Today it is rare to catch anything bigger than 4#. Still some bigguns in the lake but not many.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of the year the cats are spread out around the lake and you can find a few almost anywhere. But when conditions are tough I sometimes have to cover a lot of water to find a "zone". That was the case yesterday. Virtually all of my bites came from an area about 50 by 100 yards...or smaller. And that was after fishing an area about a half mile long by 200 yards wide without a bite.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here's a copy of a map I just put together to help a fellow tuber who wanted to catch more kitties.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]That is a Minnkota Endura 30...30# thrust and 30" shaft. Just right for tube power. And yes, you do have to undo the head and reverse it so that the motor pulls the tube backwards. Quick and easy. No engineering degree required.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are serious, shoot me a PM and I will send you the writeup I put together on "Motorizin'". It has all the poop on batteries, motor mounts, frames, etc. I would also be happy to help you get your tube set up. You know where I live. [/#0000ff]
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[WyomingMoose]

Interesting thanks for the map and details.

I remember a member on here Bearnk82? He was catching some nice 8-15lb cats at night off the rocks with crawfish crankbaits. (rattles). This was last year.

I'm going to try at night for some of the bigger cats in there. Later in the year. I'll probably float some cutbait shallow above the rocks and cast something or another out deeper and just troll up and down the dyke slowly.
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[lavaman]

Great post, and thanks for sharing the map.

Can you drive along that north dike or is it walking only?
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[GEEZER]

Pat,

How does that saying go, A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do? If it takes sneakin' DO IT! Good on ya. Gotta say I think you're a lot tougher than I am what with gittin' in that cold water like that.
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[TubeDude]

[quote lavaman]Great post, and thanks for sharing the map.

Can you drive along that north dike or is it walking only?[/quote]

[cool][#0000ff]See the attached map. Take the i-15 turnoff, go under the freeway to the west. Instead of turning left (south) into the state park angle up to the right up onto a dirt road to the right of the ranger facilities. It only goes a short ways and there is a gate. You have to walk from there. If you plan a long hike and a long day it is a good idea to bring your shopping cart to load up your stuff.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you do not have a parks pass you will need to feed the "iron ranger" $3.[/#0000ff]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hey Tom, you're plenty tough. No problem there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The key...as with any outdoor activity...is to be properly dressed for the occasion. Dress for success. I have a couple of good warm layers under some neoprene waders and i am probably warmer than most of the guys runnin' around the lake in their boats.[/#0000ff]
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[WaveWolf]

[#502800]OK ...... I'll take you up on that ....... I need to come down anyway, to get a fix from the lure paint fumes with ya ....... pm sent.[/#502800]
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