Voted for Willard 11-8-16

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Already voted NO on president. Elected to go fishing today...with FatBiker. We both voted for the south marina at Willard Bay. Two way unanimous.

A cool 35 degree air temp at 7 am launch. Water temp was 53...just reversing the numbers. Warmed to 55 by the time we left at noonish. But there was a cool mist coming off the water early. Didn't help me get rid of my departing cold cough.

Calm, with only a slight ripple of a breeze. Water fairly clear. Carp sticking their noses up at us all over the place. Musta been Trump fans. A couple of them scared the stuffin' outta me when they exploded right behind my tube. Hadda be Trump sympathizers...always tryin' to intimidate folks.

First bite at 8...a nice little cookie cutter kitty. Took a left-handed, blue-eyed chub minnow. Then a couple of pop and drops over the next hour. Right about 9 I made a long cast with a chartreuse shad. I got a chomp when the jig touched down and set the hook into a homely footlong walleye...skinny with the left side gill cover missing. Don't know how long it has lived that way but it didn't look good.

Bites seemed to come on the hour for me. My next "voter" climbed on about 10. It fought hard and took some line off the drag. Wiper? Nay. Just a juiced up kitty. Must have just voted for Hillary.

Had a few more isolated light inquiries and a couple more pop and drops. That was it. At least I smelled like fish and not skunk.

FB had a long dry spell. He didn't hook his first fish until I had my third. It was also a cat...as was his second and final fish on the way back to the ramp.

We consulted our appropriate sayings manual and came up with "It was a beautiful day, with good company. Doesn't matter if the fishing wasn't all that good." We've both used that one before so we were again unanimous in our vote.
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[Sirfilletalot]

I also went to Willard this morning with 2 family members. Launched at the south marina around 8:30. Caught 3 nice wiper right off the get go.....then nothing after that. Fished until around 2 pm with no other takers. Saw lots of fish on the finder, but they seemed to have lock jaw.
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[Piscophilic]

Sounds like a great way to spend Election Day this time around! I'm glad you got out and found voters. Thanks for another enjoyable report.

Did it look that walleye had been injured?
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[TubeDude]

"Did it look that walleye had been injured?"

[#0000FF]It was either a deformity or a very old wound that had healed. It looked like a straight cut. But if someone had done that kind of damage it would have likely killed the fish. The gills were red and healthy. But it sure has not been feeding well. Most of the walleye taken from Willard lately have been bulimic.[/#0000FF]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Good that you were able to find a few active ones early. We covered a lot of water...as much as possible in float tubes...and we didn't see much on sonar. The fish have been scattered and you sometimes have to work to find them...and then find the active ones.

We did not find any bait concentrations and no schools of fish. Just one here and one there. And most of them were not in a voting mood.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Pat been wondering all day how it turned out. Thanks for the report. You still thinking about Thursday? I think I'm good to go, but not set on any one location. Boats available if you want to try something different. Later J
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[Sirfilletalot]

We covered a lot of water also. From the light pole to the SW corner is where we marked most of the fish. Most of the fish were in 15 FOW or deeper. There were a few groups along the south end also that looked like smaller fish. It was a beautiful day to be on the water.
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[RockyRaab]

Hey TD; you voted, we boated. See my post about Pineview.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I'm still planning on the north for Thursday. There is deeper water close in than at the south. Plus, more of the non-cat species start moving in this time of year. At least in past years. Who knows what the new president will do to the fishing?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Just read your post but had not replied yet. Glad you guys were able to "hook up". Boated and voted do rhyme...but just ain't the same. Ask Trump.

Glad you guys found some respectable perch. Nice of you to shake the big ones off your line to let the cap'n prevail. Y'gots class.
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[FatBiker]

TD, it's always a pleasure to spend some time on the water with you. I was starting to smell a skunk until we turned the corner and headed back to the marina. The second one was just north of the arena and was a little better fish. They tasted right good for dinner tonight.



Larry
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[SkunkedAgain]

Sounds good I'm game. Let me know final details tomorrow night and I'll meet ya there. Later J
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[Tin-Can]

Hey Jeff, you and Pat heading to WB tomorrow (Thursday)? I was thinking about changing the name on my boat to "SickLeave" then call my boss in the morning and say "hey, I'm on sick leave today".
I went out last Sunday from the north marina at Willard. Beautiful day, very light breeze, clear blue sky, and managed one short but fat Cat, released.
I just might hit the bay from the north end again in the morning about first light.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Yep heading there, see you there... J
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