willard bay

[PREDATOR]

I have been out several times this week. Today the temp was mid fourties. There was about eight boats total out on the lake. About fifteen guys fishing the north marina along the east side. As for how the fishing has been, well slow would be the word I would choose. I have caught a few fish each time out, but usually you can find the fish holding together in a certain area and they will be there for a while. Not this year. But, I am starting to formulate an opinion as to why this is. A few trips out at the end of this month ought to confirm or erase my current thoughts. Due to the small size of the fish I believe that the younger stock of fish have not been in the lake long enough to establish consistent yearly patterns. I have yet to catch a decent size fish, or seen caught this year. Tactics that have worked well in years past seem to get less productive each year as the fishing pressure on willard increases. Today I got my fish on the south dike about a hundred yards apart and about a half hour apart. I had one hit about five feet from the side of the boat but missed it. It felt more like a walleye than a wiper but who knows. I noticed on the west dike was where all the boats were congregated. Two on the north end and the rest in the middle. They were all trolling slow with electrics, but werent catching any fish. When I told them about the couple I got they promtly headed that direction. Must be something I dont know about with this slow trolling for wipers The rocks really did a number on my fuzz-e grubs. All the heads are chipped up now. Anyways, its been the same story all week, a few fish all hard earned. But today was a killer day to be out on the water. Tommorow will be even better. Oh, and the dikes and parking lot are covered in bugs. Not mosquioes luckily. I know this is going to be wrong, but they looked to me like black mayflies. I only know zero files so they were probably something else but in my book they were black mayflies!

So, theres your report. Not much to report, but if you are dying to get that first wiper of the year, they are out there. Based on what I have seen this year, consider yourself lucky if you get one over three pounds this year. I am sure there are a few of the big ones left, but as of the end of last year and the beginning of this year all I caught or heard about people getting as an average were the small ones.
[signature]