minersville wipers

[PACMEN]

Spent the Sat. at Minersville trying to catch our first wipers.
No such luck.
Caught a lot of 12"-z16' rainbows but none of the targeted fish.
Looks like there must be a learning curve to this wiper catching.
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[TyeDyeTwins]

When its hot its hot, when its not its not. If you keep at it you will be rewarded. Dont give up.
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[PACMEN]

Two trips and nothing to show for it. Sure hope it picks up for them.
I've read they put up a great fight.
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[wormandbobber]

The wipers in Minersville are not going hungry right now....lots of 2-3 inch chubs to be munched on. Fishing for them will probably pick up as the water warms. Last year, our best success did not happen until mid-June. I haven't caught any yet this spring, but my brother did land a few of his own:
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[PBH]

[quote PACMEN]
Looks like there must be a learning curve to this wiper catching.[/quote]

Not sure if there is a learning curve or not. I think it's more what wormandbobber said: they aren't going hungry.


There is a huge difference in the wipers at Minersville (Newcastle, Otter Creek) vs. Willard. At Willard, those fish are pretty much having to search for food. Just look at the pictures of wipers caught up there vs the wipers caught down here. It's obvious which group of fish are eating well and which group is looking for anything it can to eat. How else do you explain the mussel bait fad?


Keep fishing. You'll pick a couple up eventually.
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[albinotrout]

I think lake depth may have an added effect as well. Willard is shallow, where others are deep and will have areas for the fish to hang out at during hotter months.
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[PBH]

Minersville depth certainly isn't an optimistic quality!!

While it might be deeper than Willard, it's probably only by a couple feet. I don't think you can find a spot on Minersville much deeper than 20 feet right now.
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[ducksfresh]

[quote PBH][quote PACMEN]
Looks like there must be a learning curve to this wiper catching.[/quote]

Not sure if there is a learning curve or not. I think it's more what wormandbobber said: they aren't going hungry.


There is a huge difference in the wipers at Minersville (Newcastle, Otter Creek) vs. Willard. At Willard, those fish are pretty much having to search for food. Just look at the pictures of wipers caught up there vs the wipers caught down here. It's obvious which group of fish are eating well and which group is looking for anything it can to eat. How else do you explain the mussel bait fad?

The Mussel bait "FAD" at Willard is due to the fact that a lot of gizzard shad die off from the cold and the wipers forage on their dead bodies.

Keep fishing. You'll pick a couple up eventually.[/quote]
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[wormandbobber]

I don't get your point....the gizzard shad die off, so the wipers forage on their dead flesh and that's why fishermen are using mussels? Huh? I would think that if the wipers were foraging on dead gizzard shad that using a hunk of dead fish as bait would be the go to bait.Heck, I would do my best to get a hold of some pre-packaged and commercially sold gizzard shad for bait....if that were the case.

But, I am willing to bet that if wipers are feeding on mussels it is because they are out of their preferable prey options....and the remaining gizzard shad in the lake are too big to eat and the young of the year have not appeared. But, I don't know....
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[JLTD]

The " muscles fad " intrigues me. I was wondering this the other day while fishing Huntington north. I can personally attest to their productivity at Willard. But have never heard of their use anywhere else with a good wiper poplution. I know the wipers at Newcastle will take anchovies as bait but this isn't much of a surprise considering it's one of the most popular baits at lake Powell for stripers. But this leads to the question are they targeting native muscles as a forage base? If so shouldn't this method be universal to catching wipers in lakes that have a muscle population? If not what is it about the muscles that makes wipers want to eat them so badly? Either way I have to imagine this "fad" would bring some level of success in other places. I am almost exclusively C and R so I haven't opened many wipers bellies to see what was for lunch. But this whole idea does make me curious.
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[JLTD]

On a side tangent, if they are targeting native muscles as forage. How would they impact say a quagga/zebra muscle poplutaion? I know maybe its wishful thinking but it would sure be nice to imagine something good coming from those god forsaken invaders. Nice fat wipers that would be awesome! But like I said probably wishful thinking.
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[PBH]

[quote JLTD]The " muscles fad " intrigues me. ....
I know the wipers at Newcastle will take anchovies as bait but this isn't much of a surprise considering it's one of the most popular baits at lake Powell for stripers.[/quote]

Ask yourself another question: Why are anchovies popular at Powell?
Answer: until this year, they were really the only option for most people. This year, people can use striper, chubs, sucker, etc. to chum with. Prior to that, the only available option for chum was anchovies.

Another question: why do anchovies work well as bait for stripers at Powell?

Answer: the stripers at Powell are starving to death! When anchovy fishing is productive at Powell it coincides with HIGH striper populations and LOW shad populations. Those fish are starving. They are eating ANYTHING they can find. Anchovies are legal for chumming, and thus you end up with lots of starving fish concentrated in schools targeting chum slicks.




[quote JLTD]But this leads to the question are they targeting native muscles as a forage base? If so shouldn't this method be universal to catching wipers in lakes that have a muscle population? If not what is it about the muscles that makes wipers want to eat them so badly?[/quote]

Just like those starving stripers at Powell, I think the wipers at Willard are targeting those mussels because it is the only available thing for them to eat! They have eliminated the other available forage supply, and are eating what all the anglers are tossing out for them to eat!

Try tossing out mussel at Otter Creek or Newcastle (where bait is legal to use) and see if the results are any better or worse than any other bait. I think you'll find that the fish in those lakes have plenty of available forage, and thus using a mussel may not work any better or worse than anything else you throw out.




Look at the pictures being posted of Willard wipers vs. Newcastle and Minersville wipers. The Willard wipers look very similar to Lake Powell stripers: razor-backs. They are skinny. They are hungry. This makes fishing success very good.
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[JLTD]

All valid points, I think the thing that interests me is that it seems like if the wipers were starving and had eaten them selves out of food than all apex preditors should also be starving I.e. in the case of Willard the cats and walleye. But yet I personally have never caught a cat or wallet on a muscle. Not saying it doesn't happen but to me it seems if the forage base is depleted than all predictors should be starving.
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[richyd4u]

To continue with the phenomenon of wipers hitting weird bait...when I lived in KY for 10 years, one of the best baits for wipers was chicken livers, yes...chicken livers. And this was in lakes FULL of other forage options. Just weird. I prefer catching them on any lure I can get them to hit...nothing hits as hard and furocious as a wiper/striper! Need to get over to Newcastle here soon...killed them there last year at the end of May.
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[weinerz4chopz]

Had 28' on my finder last weekend.
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[PBH]

[quote weinerz4chopz]Had 28' on my finder last weekend.[/quote]

pretty pathetic, isn't it?
Hopefully these storms will provide a little relief. I hope we have a wet summer....

OK, I exaggerated a bit -- but even at 28', that isn't much different than Willard, and certainly not a reason to explain the difference in action for the wipers. How deep is Willard? 20'? 25'?

At fool pool, Minersville is certainly deeper, and certainly provides better habitat with cooler summer water temps. I think that's why you see the current state record from a southern water, vs. Willard. These other waters the state is finally stocking wipers in are just better lakes for growing large wipers. Further, I think we've finally found a suitable fish to provide realistic chub control!
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[Fowl-Hook]

Currently Willard/s depth is 17 ft along the west trench +/_ ? 1ft.
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[PACMEN]

Don't know how to do the quote box, would if I could.
PBH says starving stripers at power. I have been hearing that the gizzard shad are doing real well and consequently the stripers are doing a bunch better. Is there any truth to this?
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[Saltslam]

I believe PBH stated that years when the shad population are in a bust cycle the stripers are starving and thus will take anchovies regularly. When the shad are in a boom cycle, such as is being reported this year, they are a bit trickier to catch. Years past you went to the dam or areas around the dam and caught stripers till your arms gave out. With the shad doing well they stay in the canyons and feed on them so you have to find them, but they are healthier.
The one thing I'm curious to see if how the wipers fare in Minersville after they wipe out the chubs. With the condition of the lake right now I imagine in a month or two the chubs won't have anywhere to hide. The wipers will be able to swim from one side of the conservation pool to the other in about two seconds!
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[wiperhunter2]

[quote PACMEN]Don't know how to do the quote box, would if I could.
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It's pretty easy, just hit the quote button, right beside the reply button, the quote and reply to the member you want to reply to comes open with the quote right there.
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