12-24-2019, 03:28 PM
[#0000FF]DISCLAIMER: My success or failure on any particular body of water...on any particular day...should not influence the fishing plans of any other anglers.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]As we all come to know, fish are fickle. They move around a lot and their feeding patterns are subject to their own whims and motivations. Whatever happened yesterday is yesterday. Today could be completely different...or the same. The only way to ever know is to just go fishing and do the best you can to make it happen. The best time to go fishing is whenever you can.
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[#0000FF]All that drivel aside, I do have some basic guidelines I try to follow to help improve the odds. One of those is to plan my trips for a day when there have been at least a couple of nice stable weather days ahead of it. Fish do respond to changes in the barometer and wind conditions. And it may take them a couple of days to settle down and resume "normal" activities...like feeding.
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[#0000FF]Yesterday was not a "prime" day...and I was not anticipating stellar success. Even catching the one nice perch was a pleasant surprise. Woulda liked to have put more in the basket but at least I avoided the smelly kitty.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]My personal prediction is that as soon as the marina is fully capped with good walkable ice the perch will move in around the whole marina. The depth right now is higher than it has been during the winter for many years. Also likely that there will be some crappies, wipers and even walleyes come through the ice at Willard this winter. Of course those silly catfish are always there to play...and they seem to bite well under the ice.
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[signature]
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[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]As we all come to know, fish are fickle. They move around a lot and their feeding patterns are subject to their own whims and motivations. Whatever happened yesterday is yesterday. Today could be completely different...or the same. The only way to ever know is to just go fishing and do the best you can to make it happen. The best time to go fishing is whenever you can.
[/#0000FF]
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[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]All that drivel aside, I do have some basic guidelines I try to follow to help improve the odds. One of those is to plan my trips for a day when there have been at least a couple of nice stable weather days ahead of it. Fish do respond to changes in the barometer and wind conditions. And it may take them a couple of days to settle down and resume "normal" activities...like feeding.
[/#0000FF]
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[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]Yesterday was not a "prime" day...and I was not anticipating stellar success. Even catching the one nice perch was a pleasant surprise. Woulda liked to have put more in the basket but at least I avoided the smelly kitty.[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]
[/#0000FF]
[#0000FF]My personal prediction is that as soon as the marina is fully capped with good walkable ice the perch will move in around the whole marina. The depth right now is higher than it has been during the winter for many years. Also likely that there will be some crappies, wipers and even walleyes come through the ice at Willard this winter. Of course those silly catfish are always there to play...and they seem to bite well under the ice.
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