South Marina Session 7-6-12

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hit the south marina at Willard Bay this morning, with 1000 of my new best friends. Shoulda remembered that Friday is the new Saturday...and that a lot of folks are taking a few extra days off for the holiday. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Semi quiet launch at 6, but three boats launched about the same time I did...including BFTer Wipermac. Good to meet you guys. By the time I was getting outside the channel...about 6:30...the parking lot of the launch area was filling up fast.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Air temp was 60 and water temp was 73 at launch. Calm at first and then a steady NW breeze until about 10. Kept me kicking and even using my motor for position.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Wouldn't have been difficult to find the island this morning. Looked like a boat city out there a few times. But it must not have been producing well because the boats came and went pretty fast.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I was hoping to find some walleyes along the dike to the north of the marina. Worked from shallow out to about 16 feet. Didn't see much in water less than 10' deep and most of my hits were in about 12 feet. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Lost two Houdini walleyes early. Then had a bunch of small hits but no hookups. Guessed it might have been small wipers. Caught several later to help confirm that. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Kept dragging a minnow on one rod and pitching a variety of plastics and cranks on the other. Only had two pops on the minnow and neither one hooked up. Likely wiperettes again.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Picked up the occasional cookie cutter kitty on small tube jigs tipped with worm. I was using my customary tandem rig with a blue/clear sparkle jig together with a white tube with a red-eyed white head. Caught nothing over about 19 inches but they sure did hit hard and fight well on my light tackle.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Noticed a few inch-long shadlets leaping out of the water a couple of times. Tied on a small crank bait and worked that area for awhile. Got a few hits and a few more follows...from wiperettes. Brought one to tube on the crank. Got a couple more on white plastics. No bigger wipers hooked today but saw a couple back at the cleaning station.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]By 11 the power squadron was tuning up nicely. Jet skis were running up and down the rock dikes and a couple of them set up station near me and kept jumping their own wakes. I love that extra noise and I am sure the fish do too. No more bites. No more me. Boogity boogity.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Caught up with Wipermac at the cleaning station. Was glad to see it operational. They were just finishing up a nice batch of walleyes and cats, with one wiper. You guys done good.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Talked to a couple of other guys at the docks. Seems almost everybody had a little action. Not bad after a series of small fronts went through yesterday.[/#0000ff]
</htm
[signature]

[Flyfishinglover]

nice job on the kitties =)
[signature]

[BigEZ]

I think I need to pack a sling shot and a bunch of dimes so I can "tip" the jet skiers who play up close.
[signature]

[CoyoteSpinner]

Thanks for the report. Nicely done - as usual! Ah yes, the joys of summer time and water recreation.

The obnoxious wakeboat, and jetskis -in a way I get - more Powaaaa - woof woof! The guy I didn't understand earlier this week looked to be just out for a joyride. By his boat, and lack of passengers, I'd thought he was an angler, but he seemed to just be driving up and down and up and down the lake.

It was really the guy who buzzed by the shoreline some 20ft out at full wake-inducing throttle that got me. With my nose on the shore (while I was looking to see if I could find a crank of YOUR making that was lost at higher water) and a wall of water spewed over my transom - not just the backseat - but all the way up the middle of the boat.
Um, yeah - that's my camera there thanks! NOT!!! Next time I'm gonna shoot 'em with it (then report their numbers!!!) Had three inches of water in my tail section!
My word - there oughta be a law!!! Oh wait - there IS! It's called "proximity" - but somehow some of them don't realize it applies to shorelines AND other water-craft.

Hmm, nothing like the buzz-buzz sound of jetskis to break up all that danged peace and tranquility. And who wants to hear all those wild birds chattering away anyway.

I like the dime-donation idea, but I think I'd need bigger tender to properly "reward" the "squad". I'm gonna practice pitching at a football field, so I can measure my casting distance. 150 ft, that's about the halfline, no?

Anwho - glad the fish were pretty cooperative, and the cleaning station was functional. Wonder if they've fixed up the N. end's?

I thought you figured out the Friday-Sat thing last year? Of course your usual Wed mid-week outing would have been a zoo THIS week (trust me - I KNOW!).

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Guess I can't play dumb about the Friday crowds. Don't have to work too hard at it nohow. I always expect the worst and I am seldom disappointed. But there are sometimes I really wish my expectations weren't so easily met on the negative side...and more often met on the positive side.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Had one big Gitanic boat come roaring toward me like he was going to pass between me and the dike...less than a short cast away. As he got closer I brought up my camera where he could see it. That got him to make a hard turn out into the lake but at the same high speed. His bow wake had me hanging as many as I could hang for a few bounces. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There were several boats and jet skis that did a similar move. They all seemed to want to express their displeasure that I was taking up their valuable space and that I didn't belong on their lake. They pushed it as far as they could...coming directly at me...and then veering off before they got into the citation zone.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I need to either replace one of my rod holder tubes with a surface to surface missile or simply go back to my sanity and quit tempting fate by fishing when the wackos are about.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My own damn fault. Haven't been fishing for a couple of weeks and not sure when I might squeeze another trip in between major weather events. Desperation makes us do desperate things.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[montanaman]

You are a brave soul! "...1000 of my new best friends". [laugh]You owe me a new keyboard.

When I lived in Northern Utah a few years ago, one of my nephews was a conservation officer at the time. He took me on a patrol of Willard one fine summer Saturday. The Darwinism that I witnessed was actually unbelievable.

I miss those wipers on a fly rod though. One of the most fun experiences I've ever had.
[signature]

[PACKFAN]

I launched the old Crestliner shortly after you. I don't fish the crowds so it took my son and I a little while to find the eyes, but once we found them we landed 15 eyes keeping a dozen of the largest and were done in less than 2 hrs. Beautiful day, slight breeze from the NE and very few if any bugs, temps in low 80's. Alot of HAFB works a shift with every other Friday off so Friday is my Sat. every other week. We ran into WiperMac as we were coming in, it looked like he and his friend were cleaning some eyes as well as a couple wipers at the fish cleaning station. I'm going to see if I can coax the Mrs. into going out in the morning to see if we can pick up a couple eyes. It will be fresh eye fillets for supper tonight.[fishin]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Glad you are still getting in to them. It really pays to know the lake and to have the mobility to check out all your spots until you find some active fish. I found a few fish but they were decidedly inactive...at least for me...and 1000 of my closest new friends.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Good luck to you and Lady B. Weather was nice enough today to almost make up for the "zephyrs" on other days.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

" The Darwinism that I witnessed was actually unbelievable."

[cool][#0000ff]I think they all live by the laws of "survival of the fastest". There seems to be a predominant attitude that the biggest and/or fastest craft has dominance over all lesser craft. Too bad the brain pan does not match the boat size thing. Seems to work in inverse proportion.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[KC5]

I have always wanted to mount a paint ball gun to my tube and let them come close. I think deer creek is the worst. Rich kids in daddy.s 100'000 boat and absolutely no respect for others. One of these days I'm going to do it!
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, I have experienced the DC crowd too. But the local old geezers (and young geezers) who troll for the newly planted hatchery pets in the fall are even worse. They are going slow so they are not subject to the 150 foot proximity rule. But they think it is really clever to troll right over the top of someone anchored or in a float tube. I have had them go by so close I could almost touch them with my rod. And they just stare off into space and pretend you are not even there. Several times when I have said something snarky...like "Hey, are you guys running out of lake to fish?" they get all hostile and fire back "Shut up, crybaby. You don't own the lake." As if they did.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Gotta be careful about how you handle those things. These days there are lots of wackos that do wacko things. And you never know who is "carrrying" and what it will take to set them off.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In my younger and wilder days I employed a variety of "idiot repellent" tactics. I have been known to keep a stout rod rigged with a big lure covered with trebles...for firing at boats or skiers. Have actually hooked a few...including a jet skier that I hauled off his craft and reeled in to my tube...screaming.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have also used slingshots. I used to be quite proficent with my custom made models and could knock sparrows off the line from 50 feet or more. I used marbles to rattle off boats...and take out a windshield or two. And I (regrettably) shot a water skier in the behind as he layed over to spray me within a few feet of my tube. That got me busted and should have put me in jail. But the ranger who showed up to investigate couldn't stop laughing and took it easy on me. The boater could not explain how he got close enough for me to shoot him in the "nether regions" without violating the law. And I claimed self defense.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I lost count of the times I have bounced sinkers off boats or at least got them to stay further away to dodge my casts. The really bad part is that on most of these occasions I was all by myself in a remote part of the lake and the idiot boats were deliberately harassing me. I say it would be a case of justifiable homicide if you hit them with a surface to surface missile. Unfortunately, under today's laws, it is illegal to protect yourself and your sanity with anything but words.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[Troll]

Do you still carry your radio, Pat?
I've found that scares them away just like the camera. They think your calling in to the ranger when they see you whip out a radio or phone. They tend to go completely away because un like a camera where you have to get back to shore to turn them in , they are expecting the ranger to be waiting for them at the launch.
[signature]

[flygoddess]

That is assuming they KNOW they are doing wrong. I am betting a lot have no idea.

Plus sometimes they are legal, just ignorant. The one time I made this same trip with TD, I was 20 feet off the rocks. I watched a boat running along the rocks get closer. I made it obvious I was casting towards the rocks...he put the boat in idle and mind you, this was a very loud idle, and waited till I lift my rod tip up again, then he proceeded to cruise between me and the rocks. No wake so legally legal. But idiot is another story.
[signature]

[k2muskie]

[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Had a very similar incident happen to us last weekend. [/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]Working a shoreline I look to the east behind us and here comes a huge wake board boat bow up in the air full of passengers. As its getting closer, I have my 7.5” 3.5 oz TD Stink Pickle in operation, locked and loaded with 3 finely tuned 5/0 engaged projectiles.[/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000][/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]However, as Mrs Fate Fairy would have it the wake boarder falls. Instead of turning this boat out away from the shore and us, the driver turns it in towards the shoreline bringing it within well within 50' of us. I’m sternly watching and no-one in the boat even looks our way for me to engage in a friendly conversations with. Driver turns the boat and they head back east to get the wake boarder.[/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000][/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]I resume fishing thinking I will just let this one go as we were having a great fishing day (what a mistake). When I hear the roar of the boat as I turn around well within 50’ and its 3-4' wake going past us filled to the brim with passengers. I raise my hands rod in hand TD SP lure still out and yell as the boarder goes by hey expletive its 150'.[/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000] [/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]I tell fish'n partner next time I’m casting away. She states let’s just get the hull number instead. Okay I say get the camera and I’ll use the cell phone to video it.[/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000] [/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]About 45 minutes pass and yep you guessed it here comes that same boat. Argh but I am posed with cell phone waiting...yep Mrs. Fate Fairy strikes yet again and boarder falls. This time they are about 75' off our bow and to the west.[/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000] [/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000]I see the boarder swimming to get into the boat and the driver looking at me walking to the back and standing on the swim deck and says hey "I'm Sorry" about earlier. I then asked do you know how far away from a wakeless boat you are required to be...he looks perplexed and someone else says 50'. I then ask don't you folks read any rules thank God there are lines on the road and amazing you passed the written test to get a vehicle license...its 150' I say back to him read the rules for operating a boat on water. I hear them say 150’ I thought it was 50’.[/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000] [/#000000][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][#000000][size 3]So as I hear them conversing on the boat about OMG 150’ the priceless ahhh haaaa moment happens… the driver asks me how far they are from us. Oh you have to ask I state with a beaming ...so fully operational, locked and loaded I cast the 7.5” 3.5 oz TD SP past the back of their boat. Priceless as time-slowed way down as I watched this boat and all on board in slow motion all heads turning watching this lure sail past the back of their boat. I then confirm to them you are approx 75' away as I just casted this lure approx 110' and I doubt I can cast it 150'. I do believe they got the picture of how close they were to us the first time. Never saw them the rest of the time we were on the water.[/size][/#000000][/font]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]The radio thing works. I like to depress the ring button for a few seconds and then say something like "Ranger requested at the north dike...100 yards from channel entrance." The loud ring is usually enough to get attention. And that has also gotten a few Knolls "regulars" to pack up and go instead of a confrontation.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Unfortunately, I was flying (fishing) solo yesterday and did not bring a radio. Usually only wear one when with TubeBabe or other anglers who also have them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Probably the biggest problem with many of those power squadron types is that they simply ain't payin' attention to where they are going. I have had some roar by within feet of me and never know I was there. I could see them having a good time with the driver of the boat looking backwards instead of forwards. That kind of boat operation is what caused the recent tragedy with the swimmer at Pineview. That's one of the big reasons I try to limit my tubing trips to weekdays and times when the sleep-in wackos are off the water.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Good story. I admire your restraint and your attempt at diplomatic education. I think I would have launched the missile.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You bring up another pet peeve...one that I think all of us angling types can relate to. Why do water skiers always have to run so close to anglers, especially when they have a whole wide open lake? And part two of the same question is why do they always have to dump the skier so close to us? I think they are all insecure and need attention. Why else would they scream and yell so loudly whenever they go by other people? Just like my kids in the swimming pool...a lotta years ago. "Look at me, Daddy."[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Y'know, those wakeboarders must either be very brave or very foolish. If I saw a couple of tough looking anglerettes like you gals I think I would just naturally stay pretty far away. Scary enough on the snowmobiles but inside a high powered muskie wagon...well, that is intimidating.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Keep up the good work.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[KC5]

A couple of years ago, I hit deer creek in a 14' fishing boat, I headed over to the far side along the tracks and started fishing. Minding my own business fishing along when some dink in daddy's expensive boat and loaded with teenagers come flying by me less than 30' away. I proceed to yell and scream a them and they think its pretty funny, they flip the boat around and come at me again, I had my 8 year old son with me, this time they came full bore within 20' and turn around again and come at me again, by this time I have waves 4-5' high throwing me all over and I am doing everything I can to stop from flipping the boat. One more time they come at me, I hear the kids in the boat just a laughing, As they come by me this time they turn the boat and a huge wake hits my boat, Water starts pouring in over the transom in the back and the boat starts to fill with water, its coming in so fast I can't stop it. They get scared and head out of there, I am yelling for help as my boat is filling fast. There is now about 2' of water in the bottom of the boat and coming in fast, Fortunately the boat has alot of foam in the floor and kept me afloat, My son was screaming and was scared to death. I was grateful when another fishermen witnessed what happened and came to help out, once the boat filled up with water it leveled out and stopped coming in. but we were soaked, my gear was floating out of the boat. The other boater hooked up a line and drug me to the boat ramp across the lake. My boat was in bad shape, water in the motor, soaked floor and seats, lost fishing gear. We found a ranger and the other guy helped me identify the boat. They took off to locate them but I never heard another word, don't know if they caught them, punished them or what, i waited a couple hours for him to come back but he never did so I went home to see if i could salvage the boat.

Thats why I want to carry a paint gun, or something to let them know I am sick of it.
[signature]

[TyeDyeTwins]

Nice "WIPE" you got there. The small ones taste great too ya know.

Still you love the pussy cats huh?[]
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Those widdle wipers hit much bigger than they turned out to be...sizewize. But they all got a gentle release and a stern lecture to avoid fishermen until they get much bigger.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The kitties received an invite to dinner. Yum.[/#0000ff]
[signature]

[Gemcityslayer]

Was going to comment: I hope everyone else is throwing those little wipers back like you are Pat.

They sure look like white bass at that size!
[signature]