Willard Bay trip # 12 OOC

[Tin-Can]

Figured maybe Willard would not be quite so crowded early this morning. Got to the south marina just barely light enough to see the docks. One other rig arrived maybe a few minutes before me. By the time I got my boat ready for  the water and backed down the ramp, was just ALMOST dawn, but light enough to see calm water. 



Rigged up 2 poles same as Saturday. Ah heck, why not ?  Worked pretty good then.  Besides, didn't take any bait 
Made a quick transit out to the feed lot area, not another boat withing sight or sound range.........Oh goodie...... a peaceful day, maybe. 
Well it was, except for pretty heavy swarm of midges that just seemed to come up out of nowhere......

 


Set my lines out and started a slow random amble toward Freeway Bay.  Had a couple pop and drops in first 15 minutes on the fire tiger trap. 
Just shy of an hour after setting out the lines, got a good solid drag stripping hit.  Nice dinner size Cat with all 3 hooks on front treble stuck in it's mouth. 



And that was all she wrote folks. Not a repeat of Saturday, but not a skunk.  Headed in about 1030-1100, temp was getting hot and bugs were getting worse, plus had some business to take care of this later afternoon.  Saw wiperhunter2 just shoving off of the dock as I was coming in.  
Cleaned my one consolation catch and headed home. Fresh kitty for dinner tonight.

[fishinfool]

Being there that early are you watching out for boils? Wipers boil in the early morning and late evening. I have had some great mornings out there this time of year. Most times on the north end in the shallow bays and just outside the marina just before sun up.

Just curious what your seeing. they would be easy to spot.

fnf

[TubeDude]

Being there that early are you watching out for boils? Wipers boil in the early morning and late evening. I have had some great mornings out there this time of year. Most times on the north end in the shallow bays and just outside the marina just before sun up.

Just curious what your seeing. they would be easy to spot.

fnf

We have all had greater times on Lady Willard than she is showing us this year.  Wiper counts are way down and shad numbers are up.  Fewer predators and more food equal non-desperate wipers.  There have been only sporadic slurps and splashes around the lake this year...with precious few actual short-lived boils.

The area around the north marina has also been subject to a lot more human activity this year...with the numbers of people free to hit the lake all through the week.  Covid crud, ya know.  I'm sure that has some effect on the fish hanging out close to the marina.  But there should be more off the campgrounds and along the north dike.  Nope.  Been there, seen that.  Pretty bleak both on sonar and visible surface activity.

[Tin-Can]

Being there that early are you watching out for boils? Wipers boil in the early morning and late evening. I have had some great mornings out there this time of year. Most times on the north end in the shallow bays and just outside the marina just before sun up.

Just curious what your seeing. they would be easy to spot.

fnf

  Nope, not seen any boils on my trips this year. Not really seen very many of the birds that like to hit the water at a boil either.  Yesterday was the worst swarm of those irritating midges that I've encountered so far this year.  Think we just need a good couple days of gully washing rain and some cooler temperatures.