NBC Day at Willard 5-25-23

[TubeDude]

Took another run at Willard today.  Well, took a tube trip anyway.  Launched at the south marina about 7ish.  Air Temp 54...warming to about 73 by noon departure.  Water temps rose slightly from 64 to 66.  Gettin' there.  The lake is FULL.  And there were only light breezes all morning.  Just enough to keep the midges under control.


Started out trying for walleyes...with my tried and true whirly flig crawler rigs...bottom bouncing.  Started in about 15 FOW and worked out to over 21 FOW.  Saw very little on sonar and less on my line.  Finally found one area with some fishy marks and got a few hits...pop and drops.  Couldn't get hooked up.  Did have a couple of small walleyes almost to the tube before they let me have my lures back.


After a couple of hours of lookin' but not catchin' I decided to try shallower...thinking that maybe the warming water might have some kitties moving closer to the rocks.  Good move.  Got 4 cats the last two hours before I bagged it.  Although I tried some chub sweetened offerings, I caught all 4 cats on the crawler rigs.  They hit 3 different colors...chartreuse with 3 red spots, fire tiger and "wall-lime"...lime with black spots.  They all hit hard and fought well in the warming water.  Would have liked to take home some walleye fillets but 4 cats is MUCH better than a skunk.

[oldguy]

Nice to see you got out.The walleye have been tough for me too hope get out after memorial day. Thanks PAT

[FatBiker]

Pat, sorry I missed you. I arrived at 7 and watched your tube exit the channel.  Worked my way out to the feed lot. Nothing before the lot. Next couple hours four or five dumb ones picked up my marinated chicken. On the way back home I dragged one rig closer to the dike and threw swim baits with the other rod. A couple smallies liked my swim bait and another silly Kittie was looking for my. Chicken.  Not a fast and furious morning but we'll with the time spent.

[wiperhunter2]

Nice going Pat and Larry, good to hear the bit bite is better at the South end, too bad the eyes did not come out to play but hopefully that changes soon. Here is a pic one of the blades you painted for me that gave me some success on Tues.

[TubeDude]

Nice going Pat and Larry, good to hear the bit bite is better at the South end, too bad the eyes did not come out to play but hopefully that changes soon. Here is a pic one of the blades you painted for me that gave me some success on Tues.

That color (wall-lime) has been good the past three or four years...both in spinner blades and fligs.  It is what I caught my biggest cat on yesterday and had several other hits.  


Had a former BFTer and fishing buddy chat with me before he blasted off in his boat yesterday.  Said they have been doing very well on walleyes trolling mid depth with PURPLE cranks.  I tried some purple but got no love.  But ya cain't ketch 'em where they ain't...and there were just no fish in much of the area I fished. 

Also talked with another BFTer later in the day and he confirmed that the smallies are swarming along the newly flooded dikes.  They should be spawning now.

With the water temps getting to 65 and above I look for the fish to populate more of the lake and the overall fishing to get a bit better.

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Pat, sorry I missed you. I arrived at 7 and watched your tube exit the channel.  Worked my way out to the feed lot. Nothing before the lot. Next couple hours four or five dumb ones picked up my marinated chicken. On the way back home I dragged one rig closer to the dike and threw swim baits with the other rod. A couple smallies liked my swim bait and another silly Kittie was looking for my. Chicken.  Not a fast and furious morning but we'll with the time spent.

Surprised I didn't see you...but I was mostly a long ways out off the feed lot...and even over into Freeway Bay a bit.  I also got no love until I got quite a bit further down from the marina. 

We are just about into June...the magic month for Willard...all species.  Lookin' forward to better days.

[Redrebel]

Nice going Pat and Larry, good to hear the bit bite is better at the South end, too bad the eyes did not come out to play but hopefully that changes soon. Here is a pic one of the blades you painted for me that gave me some success on Tues.

Thanks for sharing the color pattern. Was something on the finder a secret?

[wiperhunter2]

Nice going Pat and Larry, good to hear the bit bite is better at the South end, too bad the eyes did not come out to play but hopefully that changes soon. Here is a pic one of the blades you painted for me that gave me some success on Tues.

Thanks for sharing the color pattern. Was something on the finder a secret?

GPS cords

[RockyRaab2]

I wouldn't give those, either. I made the huge mistake of giving GPS numbers for a mound at Willard once. I had caught a limit of crappie there. The next day, there were several boats parked right there. Never again.

[TubeDude]

I wouldn't give those, either. I made the huge mistake of giving GPS numbers for a mound at Willard once.  I had caught a limit of crappie there. The next day, there were several boats parked right there. Never again.

During the past years when crappie were more abundant off those humps, it was even worse to be in a float tube.  I would start working one of my spots and catch a couple of crappies.  Suddenly I was surrounded by boats...all casting almost into my tube.  And when I tried to move out and get away they started hollerin' on me that I was getting too close.  Sheesh.

[wiperhunter2]

I wouldn't give those, either. I made the huge mistake of giving GPS numbers for a mound at Willard once.  I had caught a limit of crappie there. The next day, there were several boats parked right there. Never again.

It has taken Ira and myself many many year to learn certain locations and while I don't mind sharing general locations or even info about what I'm using to catch fish, giving out GPS cords on an open forum is never a good idea, IMO.

[oldguy]

After fishing the gulf coast for so many years I too learned that if you put it out there they will  COME. I will  give any advice to anyone on how I am fishing but I do agree with Curt  nothing really pays off more than hard work. IMO ( the older I get the bigger it was).

[PACKFAN]

I wouldn't give those, either. I made the huge mistake of giving GPS numbers for a mound at Willard once.  I had caught a limit of crappie there. The next day, there were several boats parked right there. Never again.

I wouldnt even tell my MAMA where i catch fish at. 

[Redrebel]

Curt, you have said it many times on here before…. Location is key!

[TubeDude]

Several sayings come to mind:

1.  Ya cain't ketch 'em where they ain't.

2.  90% of the fish are in only 10% of the lake.

3.  10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish.

To boil it down...good fishermen put in the time and effort to find the fish...and usually know how to catch them once they find them.  But there are a whole lot of lazy anglers who would rather let someone else find the fish and then poach their spots.

[wiperhunter2]

Curt, you have said it many times on here before…. Location is key!

It is strange to me that fish will be in a certain area year after year and while there are times they relate to structure early in the year, later they will be out in what I call, "The Openness", where there is no structure what so ever and the only way to locate them year after year is GPS. This does not mean you can't catch them around structure but we usually do better in these wide open areas. Tubedude has said he thinks that the reason they are in these open locations is likely because of bug hatches that rise up off the bottom there and that makes as much sense as any other reason. Of course this is before the baby shad get big enough for them to feed on and they spread out to every part of the lake.

[RockyRaab2]

Dad joke:

In any lake, do you know where 90% of the fish will be?







Between the head and tail

[TubeDude]

Fish hang out where they hang out for about the same reasons as people...food, comfort or sex.  They stay where the groceries are...or where temperature and water quality are better...or where they are meeting up with other fishies to perpetuate the race. 

In Willard there is really not much structure to attract and hold fish so they are usually on the move...always looking for food or comfort.  That's why it is often difficult to find and catch fish the same place all the time...or even on the next day after a successful trip.  But, as most Willardites have found, there are a few areas that are at least good places to start...even if the fish are not always there.