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[#0000FF]Today was a ME day. Just wanted to kick around and enjoy the wonders of nature...after the cooldown. Figured I might catch a couple of wipers and some cats for the smoker. Figured right. Kept 2 wipers and 6 cats...out of maybe a dozen caught.
Started out cool. 51 degree air temp and 68 degree water temp. Fall is on the way. Water warmed up to about 72 by noon departture. A few cats hitting out in deeper (8-9 feet) water but not as active around the rocks as they have been.
Got a sixteen inch wiper out in the deeper water and an eighteen incher close to the rocks...on blue back chartreuse shad plastics. A couple of cats ate that too. The other fish mostly came on chub minnows. You know, the blue-eyed, left-handed ones.
Only a few boats on the pond out of the south marina. Met up with BFTer r2u2 toward the end of the morning. He had made it out to the island in his banana yak...and then over to the coffer dam. Said the fishing had been much slower than in previous days. But I saw him go bendo as I was starting to motate toward the ramp. Hope he finished well.
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Shoot ! Not only missed you today, but Richard also. Was up on the north end washing worms and soaking mussels out off of Eagle Beach.
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[#0000FF]Hey, it was a nice day all around...even if we didn't share the same area. Looks like our luck was similar. I also got cats and two "junior" wipers...the smallest I have caught in several years. But fun...and tasty. Had them "surf and surf" style last night...oven broiled with shrimp.
Y'know, I'll bet we went to different schools together too.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I was out there also, helping a friend break in his new 20ft Tracker. We did not catch a single fish. First Willard skunk of the year. We tried speeds from 1.2 through 2.7. We tried crawlers bounced along the bottom. We ran several cranks off planner boards. We tried some  bladed slow death beaded rigs. Nada; zip; zero! And the weather was absolutely gorgeous with no more than a ripple all day long. [frown][/#800000][/font]
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Bob Hicks, from Utah
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]"We did not catch a single fish."
[size 3][#0000FF][font "Arial"]No married ones either?
Sorry about the skunk. Skunk happens...especially on that lake. Fickle pond.
Sounds like yesterday was one of those days when trolling was not the only game in town.
Bet I didn't burn as much gas as you guys...unless you count the breakfast burrito "residuals".
I am looking forward to the next couple of months on Willard. Usually my most productive for all species...including the big perch when they move in closer and school up in the colder water. And there are usually some willing wallies for tubers too.
I have never been left on the ramp by a fellow float tuber.
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[quote TubeDude]I have never been left on the ramp by a fellow float tuber.[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]That's because they are a much friendlier group as compared to say - snowmobiling ice fishermen; you really gotta watch them bass tards.[/#800000][/font]
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Bob Hicks, from Utah
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Looks like you did well. Sounds like Willard has been off a bit for trolling but seems they are still picking up bait. The cooler temps should get fish feeding at least I can hope. Great pics as always.
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Good to almost bump into you yesterday. After parting waters I was able to hook up with 4 cats and 1 wiper, 2 others hooked but they didn't want to play long, most likely cats from the way they felt on the end of the line. Good day to be on the water.
Some thing I forgot to tell you yesterday, one of the cats I caught on Tuesday was ripe with eggs, not newly formed but separating. I thought that interesting for this late in the season.
RJ
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[quote fish_fear_me2]Looks like you did well. Sounds like Willard has been off a bit for trolling but seems they are still picking up bait. The cooler temps should get fish feeding at least I can hope. Great pics as always.[/quote]
[#0000FF]Thanks.
Like most lakes, Willard is going through the fall transition. Shorter daylight hours and dropping water temps...dropped from 74 to 68 at launch in just over 2 weeks. Not enough to shut the fish off but enough to slow them down or change their patterns.
Trolling will still be good...when the water is clear. And that will last until the temps drop toward about 60 degrees. Then the bait and bottom bouncer crowds will catch more wipers...and walleyes.
I have been doing best on my last few trips by casting and working 3" plastics...lifting and dropping as I retrieve near the bottom. And that will continue to be effective until ice up. Sometimes you have to work it slower. Sometimes they respond better to a slow steady retrieve too. Gotta keep mixing it up until you find what the fish vote for. As long as it ain't Trump or Hillary.
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"Some thing I forgot to tell you yesterday, one of the cats I caught on Tuesday was ripe with eggs, not newly formed but separating. I thought that interesting for this late in the season."
[#0000FF]I brought home a "ripe" female a couple of weeks ago too. The biology is that not all females spawn successfully every year. Some don't find a suitable nest provided by a handsome male and don't ever get a chance to lay their eggs. As I understand it, they will usually be reabsorbed by the female.
I have also witnessed that in other species. But I have heard that in some species the "unfulfilled" females will ultimately just spew out the eggs at random. Kinda like some "welfare mothers" in the inner cities we hear about.
Good to see you again. Won't be long until the whities show up at Bear Lake. See ya there if not before.
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Hey Pat sounds like a fun day!! Sure would be nice to have less work and more fun time... But too many bills to pay so I guess no early retirement for me...
Hopefully in a week or so I might be able to tag along on one of your Willard trips... Farm's slowing down and no better time to fish, so may have to burn a few hours of vacation and join you guys...
Been so long since I've been in the toon I better check and make sure it still floats... probably need to license it again... Last trip out I'd lost more straps that hold it all together, I think I rednecked that fix by wrapping a tie down all the way around the float to attach it... Hate it when things wear out... Oh well as long as it's still fixable I'll deal with it.
Anyway congrats on a great trip and thanks for the report, fun to read and get excited for a future trip... Later J
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[#0000FF]Work is a 4-letter word. But then again, so are CASH, HOME, KIDS, WIFE...and FISH. The latter all require that you do enough of the former. Been there, done that and glad to be past it. But once you retire there are a whole new set of issues. Better to enjoy what you have, while you have it, and you will be better prepared for whatever comes after.
Would love to share some water with you again. Not likely to be next week, but maybe the week after. Should be getting even better by then. And I will be wearing waders and extra layers. Let me know when you see a hole in your schedule and we can build something around it.
By the way, I have lots of straps and buckles that could be used to shore up your "wardrobe malfunctions" on your toon. Or you can wander back into the strap and rope department of Smith and Eddies and find lots of potential fixes.
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Pat looking like maybe the 20th might be able to side step a couple meetings that I'm not really needed at, so I think if the weather is cooperative that one might work... Something to look at anyway and see if it will stay a good day... More later and thanks for the strap offer, think I've got it covered... thanks J
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[#0000FF]We can watch the weather together.
Stay in touch.
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Sounds good. I need to use my park pass, bought it in July and haven't been out since. Hoping for hungry fish too. Later J
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