Willard Wrapup (with video)

[TubeDude]

Dirty Harry says that a man should know his limitations.   I am now 80 years old and I think I got a dose of reality this week…at Willard Bay.  When I launched my float tube at the south marina on the 29th the air temp was only 18 degrees.  And with the overcast, temperature inversion and cold breeze it literally chilled me to the bone…through all of my normally adequate layers.  Damn cold.
 

The week before…on the 22nd…it was 24 degrees.  But the sun came out and there was some radiant heat, so it felt much warmer.  Still, a guy my age should be staying inside where it’s warm on days like that.
 
Both of those trips were short…with the good fishing only lasting a short time before the fish moved out or got lockjaw.  But I ended up catching about a dozen perch and a cat on the 22nd…and 7 or 8 perch and a cat on the 29th.  Kept 8 perch and a cat on the first trip and 5 nice perch on the 29th.  Much better than smelling skunk…or even an NBC day.
  

Got to try out some new lure designs and colors.  Most of them worked if I could present them right…with the right flavorings.  Had to be kept right off the bottom.  And in my float tube it is hard to maintain a solid vertical presentation.  Can’t use an anchor without tangling my legs in the rope.  And my electric motor don’t got spot lock.  So the best I can do is put out a marker buoy for close visual reference and try to stay as stationary as possible.  Seems to work okay until a breeze comes up.  Then I get pushed all over the place and my lures keep rising up in the water column away from the fish.
   

Water temp inside the south marina on the 29th was only 38 degrees.  And there was ice forming in places around the edges.  Won’t be long until it skims over and then freezes.  Usually happens around the first week of December.  So I may have made my last float tubing trip of 2023.

(LINK TO VIDEO)

[perchinski]

Nice video, Pat. Here in San Clemente helping with the new grandkids/twins, so living vicariously thru you and your perch outings. My best to you during your winter hibernation.

[TubeDude]

Nice video, Pat.  Here in San Clemente helping with the new grandkids/twins, so living vicariously thru you and your perch outings. My best to you during your winter hibernation.

Thankee sir.  I'm sure the Utah fishies miss you as much as you miss them.

Have you tried for the surf perch in your area?  Lots of fun on light tackle.  And they hit a lot of different small jigs and spinners.  Fine eating, too.

[doitall5000]

Nice video, Pat.  Here in San Clemente helping with the new grandkids/twins, so living vicariously thru you and your perch outings. My best to you during your winter hibernation.

Thankee sir.  I'm sure the Utah fishies miss you as much as you miss them.

Have you tried for the surf perch in your area?  Lots of fun on light tackle.  And they hit a lot of different small jigs and spinners.  Fine eating, too.

Thanks for your videos they are great to watch I'm always watching to see your Garmin looking for water temp and dept.   but I know what it is in the channel where you are.  Can you see anything on your side finder? Those small perch are hard to see on the side finder but you can see them on bottom lock when I zoom in .  I can't launch very easy on the south marina, much easier in the north when I'm alone. Do you know if they are still fishing up that way?  
It looks like your new jigs did very good for you that silver color looks like the best factor, pink and silver and blue and silver. You gave me those two colors but have not used them, YET.  
Those big perch fillet very nice, they are not yet bulging with eggs.  Have a nice dinner.
I have caught the surf perch too, good fun. I have not eaten them just released.

[TubeDude]

Thanks for your videos they are great to watch I'm always watching to see your Garmin looking for water temp and dept.   but I know what it is in the channel where you are.  Can you see anything on your side finder? Those small perch are hard to see on the side finder but you can see them on bottom lock when I zoom in .  I can't launch very easy on the south marina, much easier in the north when I'm alone. Do you know if they are still fishing up that way?  
It looks like your new jigs did very good for you that silver color looks like the best factor, pink and silver and blue and silver. You gave me those two colors but have not used them, YET.  
Those big perch fillet very nice, they are not yet bulging with eggs.  Have a nice dinner.
I have caught the surf perch too, good fun. I have not eaten them just released.

As with some other side scan sonars, the Garmin seems to do best with fish that are just enough off the bottom to "cast a shadow" on the bottom.  I have had varying results.  Have found some fish I would have otherwise missed, but have not seen fish that were probably there and did not show up.  Here is a screen shot of some fish I saw last Wednesday that were in water a bit shallower than I had been fishing.  Most of my earlier fish had been in about 20 FOW.  These were in only 15-16'.  I rocketed over there with my electric motor and found a few that helped me finish off my day before they disappeared.


Haven't heard any reports from the north but it is almost always better than the south.  However, since it gets hammered more the fish can be a bit more touchy.  Not as many fish come in to the south but if you find some they can usually be caught.  After Curt, Ira and I found some last week a lot of the perch jerkers followed us to the south and it has been getting more pressure.

Here are some of the new stuff I have been making...for myself and others' requests.  Ira got me making the chartreuse and pink with silver.   Those are colors that work well with the Johnson Spoons.  And they have proven very attractive to big Willard perch (and cats) too.
 

[doitall5000]

Thanks for your videos they are great to watch I'm always watching to see your Garmin looking for water temp and dept.   but I know what it is in the channel where you are.  Can you see anything on your side finder? Those small perch are hard to see on the side finder but you can see them on bottom lock when I zoom in .  I can't launch very easy on the south marina, much easier in the north when I'm alone. Do you know if they are still fishing up that way?  
It looks like your new jigs did very good for you that silver color looks like the best factor, pink and silver and blue and silver. You gave me those two colors but have not used them, YET.  
Those big perch fillet very nice, they are not yet bulging with eggs.  Have a nice dinner.
I have caught the surf perch too, good fun. I have not eaten them just released.

As with some other side scan sonars, the Garmin seems to do best with fish that are just enough off the bottom to "cast a shadow" on the bottom.  I have had varying results.  Have found some fish I would have otherwise missed, but have not seen fish that were probably there and did not show up.  Here is a screen shot of some fish I saw last Wednesday that were in water a bit shallower than I had been fishing.  Most of my earlier fish had been in about 20 FOW.  These were in only 15-16'.  I rocketed over there with my electric motor and found a few that helped me finish off my day before they disappeared.


Haven't heard any reports from the north but it is almost always better than the south.  However, since it gets hammered more the fish can be a bit more touchy.  Not as many fish come in to the south but if you find some they can usually be caught.  After Curt, Ira and I found some last week a lot of the perch jerkers followed us to the south and it has been getting more pressure.

Here are some of the new stuff I have been making...for myself and others' requests.  Ira got me making the chartreuse and pink with silver.   Those are colors that work well with the Johnson Spoons.  And they have proven very attractive to big Willard perch (and cats) too.
 

That side finder really shows that school very helpful.  I like those green tear drop jigs. Have you used them yet. Looks like a warming spell next week!!

[TubeDude]

That side finder really shows that school very helpful.  I like those green tear drop jigs. Have you used them yet. Looks like a warming spell next week!!

I have put the green teardrop into my trial rotation and have caught at least 2 fish on it.  But haven't spent a lot of time with it exclusively.  Have had reports from others that have done well on other jigs in that hot green color.  


Yeah, it does look like a bit warmer next week...but also a bit breezier.  Not good for us floaty guys.  But the forecasts are for all day and it is usually calm enough in the morning for some tubing.  And forecasts can change a lot within a few days.  We shall see.  Might still get out another time or two.

[Redrebel]

Dirty Harry says that a man should know his limitations.   I am now 80 years old and I think I got a dose of reality this week…at Willard Bay.  When I launched my float tube at the south marina on the 29th the air temp was only 18 degrees.  And with the overcast, temperature inversion and cold breeze it literally chilled me to the bone…through all of my normally adequate layers.  Damn cold.
 

The week before…on the 22nd…it was 24 degrees.  But the sun came out and there was some radiant heat, so it felt much warmer.  Still, a guy my age should be staying inside where it’s warm on days like that.
 
Both of those trips were short…with the good fishing only lasting a short time before the fish moved out or got lockjaw.  But I ended up catching about a dozen perch and a cat on the 22nd…and 7 or 8 perch and a cat on the 29th.  Kept 8 perch and a cat on the first trip and 5 nice perch on the 29th.  Much better than smelling skunk…or even an NBC day.
  

Got to try out some new lure designs and colors.  Most of them worked if I could present them right…with the right flavorings.  Had to be kept right off the bottom.  And in my float tube it is hard to maintain a solid vertical presentation.  Can’t use an anchor without tangling my legs in the rope.  And my electric motor don’t got spot lock.  So the best I can do is put out a marker buoy for close visual reference and try to stay as stationary as possible.  Seems to work okay until a breeze comes up.  Then I get pushed all over the place and my lures keep rising up in the water column away from the fish.
   

Water temp inside the south marina on the 29th was only 38 degrees.  And there was ice forming in places around the edges.  Won’t be long until it skims over and then freezes.  Usually happens around the first week of December.  So I may have made my last float tubing trip of 2023.

(LINK TO VIDEO)

Nice video Pat, looks like the redrebel even made an appearance. Hope to see you out there soon!

[MrShane]

That side finder really shows that school very helpful.  I like those green tear drop jigs. Have you used them yet. Looks like a warming spell next week!!

I have put the green teardrop into my trial rotation and have caught at least 2 fish on it.  But haven't spent a lot of time with it exclusively.  Have had reports from others that have done well on other jigs in that hot green color.  


Yeah, it does look like a bit warmer next week...but also a bit breezier.  Not good for us floaty guys.  But the forecasts are for all day and it is usually calm enough in the morning for some tubing.  And forecasts can change a lot within a few days.  We shall see.  Might still get out another time or two.

Hey Pat,
I had a similar wake-up call this month.
2 1/2 weeks ago I filled my muzzleloader cow Elk goal in dry roads and hoody weather.
Took about 4 hours.
Last Saturday I helped my son fill his tag, with vehicles slipping off the road and a brutal freezing 20 hour hunt.
I’m too old for packing Elk out of snow filled canyons.

[Therapist]

Loved your video!! What were you tipping your jigs with?? Is that tear drop a commercial mold or one of your own manufacture??
have to get you and Tube Babe out on the pontoon this spring !!

[TubeDude]

Loved your video!!  What were you tipping your jigs with??  Is that tear drop a commercial mold or one of your own manufacture?? 
have to get you and Tube Babe out on the pontoon this spring !!

Thanks, Matt.  I was using either a whole small minnow...or half a larger one.  Guys who catch only larger chubs usually use chunks or small pieces of fillets...with or without salt.  Some of the "regulars" use small shiner minnows or even pieces of perch meat.  The main thing is that fishy smelling stuff seems to work better than crawlers when the fish are feeding mostly on the little shadlets.  However, when they get really picky, you can use a page out of the ice fishing book...a very small jig with only a pinch of worm on it.  
 

The "tear drop" jig head is actually from a tube jig mold I have...for pouring on larger hooks for fishing tubes.  The ones in the picture are 3/16 oz. on size 4 hooks.  But the smaller 1/8 oz. also works well...on size 6 hooks.  And when I hammer the jigs on those heads they come out as a really good flat head...I call "perch tears".  The ones in the picture have little propeller blades on them but I make them without too.  Good profile.