2021 Willard Bay Trip # 20

[Tin-Can]

I know it's Saturday before Father's Day, but I just could not stay home. Got on the water at the south marina about 720 a.m. 





Decided today to run the west wall and work as many lures as I could.  Got to about 100 yards off the wall about half way between light pole and south west corner, turned south first, put out 2 different traps that I can't remember how long it's been since I had them in the water.  Worked south at about 2.0 to 2.5 mph. (Hoping for ABC anything but Cats   ) Was a fairly good walleye chop breeze and the power squadron had not quite made it that far south west yet. 

Had only been in that south direction about 15 minutes and outside pole bent over and line stripped out.  Grabbed it up, tightened up the drag some, and felt like a heavy Cat.  It was........... dang, I had hoped I was using a lure they wouldn't want and trolling fast enough to keep it up off the bottom.  Well, boated and CPR. Thats pretty much how it went the next 90 minutes.  Got almost to the bottom of  the south west corner, swung out in a wide U turn, just got headed north and inside rod bent over. Repeat performance. 


    


Trolled all the way to the light pole, no joy. Swapped over both lures,  started the right turn heading east intending to run around out in the "openness"  and rod bent over again.  Another Kitty, but one with even more attitude.  Got him into the net and saw another line wrapped around his dorsal fin.  Not mine. Looked to be some light 6 lb. mono, had a weight, a flasher, and a plastic shrimp, various snaps and swivels and about 30 yards of line. 


      

After getting that one unwrapped and unhooked, he looked to be a possible bumper for the Cat Contest.  (Yep, posted on Contest Forum) 
Well the power squadron finally caught up with me, and out numbered me. So removed the lures, ran to my old Cat grounds at feed lot. Set up my lines with bait and drifted about 2 hours, boated one more WBCCC, released. Packed it up and headed out. 

[r2u2]

I know it's Saturday before Father's Day, but I just could not stay home. Got on the water at the south marina about 720 a.m. 





Decided today to run the west wall and work as many lures as I could.  Got to about 100 yards off the wall about half way between light pole and south west corner, turned south first, put out 2 different traps that I can't remember how long it's been since I had them in the water.  Worked south at about 2.0 to 2.5 mph. (Hoping for ABC anything but Cats   ) Was a fairly good walleye chop breeze and the power squadron had not quite made it that far south west yet. 

Had only been in that south direction about 15 minutes and outside pole bent over and line stripped out.  Grabbed it up, tightened up the drag some, and felt like a heavy Cat.  It was........... dang, I had hoped I was using a lure they wouldn't want and trolling fast enough to keep it up off the bottom.  Well, boated and CPR. Thats pretty much how it went the next 90 minutes.  Got almost to the bottom of  the south west corner, swung out in a wide U turn, just got headed north and inside rod bent over. Repeat performance. 


    


Trolled all the way to the light pole, no joy. Swapped over both lures,  started the right turn heading east intending to run around out in the "openness"  and rod bent over again.  Another Kitty, but one with even more attitude.  Got him into the net and saw another line wrapped around his dorsal fin.  Not mine. Looked to be some light 6 lb. mono, had a weight, a flasher, and a plastic shrimp, various snaps and swivels and about 30 yards of line. 


      

After getting that one unwrapped and unhooked, he looked to be a possible bumper for the Cat Contest.  (Yep, posted on Contest Forum) 
Well the power squadron finally caught up with me, and out numbered me. So removed the lures, ran to my old Cat grounds at feed lot. Set up my lines with bait and drifted about 2 hours, boated one more WBCCC, released. Packed it up and headed out. 




Good going Forest! Doesn't Nancy fish with you any more?

[doitall5000]

I know it's Saturday before Father's Day, but I just could not stay home. Got on the water at the south marina about 720 a.m. 





Decided today to run the west wall and work as many lures as I could.  Got to about 100 yards off the wall about half way between light pole and south west corner, turned south first, put out 2 different traps that I can't remember how long it's been since I had them in the water.  Worked south at about 2.0 to 2.5 mph. (Hoping for ABC anything but Cats   ) Was a fairly good walleye chop breeze and the power squadron had not quite made it that far south west yet. 

Had only been in that south direction about 15 minutes and outside pole bent over and line stripped out.  Grabbed it up, tightened up the drag some, and felt like a heavy Cat.  It was........... dang, I had hoped I was using a lure they wouldn't want and trolling fast enough to keep it up off the bottom.  Well, boated and CPR. Thats pretty much how it went the next 90 minutes.  Got almost to the bottom of  the south west corner, swung out in a wide U turn, just got headed north and inside rod bent over. Repeat performance. 


    


Trolled all the way to the light pole, no joy. Swapped over both lures,  started the right turn heading east intending to run around out in the "openness"  and rod bent over again.  Another Kitty, but one with even more attitude.  Got him into the net and saw another line wrapped around his dorsal fin.  Not mine. Looked to be some light 6 lb. mono, had a weight, a flasher, and a plastic shrimp, various snaps and swivels and about 30 yards of line. 


      

After getting that one unwrapped and unhooked, he looked to be a possible bumper for the Cat Contest.  (Yep, posted on Contest Forum) 
Well the power squadron finally caught up with me, and out numbered me. So removed the lures, ran to my old Cat grounds at feed lot. Set up my lines with bait and drifted about 2 hours, boated one more WBCCC, released. Packed it up and headed out. 

That's an interesting rig for Willard, flasher and shrimp?! Good flasher for Jordanelle/ strawberry.  
I used riddle trap before but could only get cats.  Walleyes were more liking flickershads and blade baits.

  I've been getting a good bite fishing only 8 or 10 feet down.  Don't know why but seams crazy to me. I guess that's where they are chasing the shad.  

Hope to see you again this week..

[Jig-fisher]

I enjoy reading about your "retirement" adventures out at Willard and Utah Lake. Way to keep adding to your cat total.

[Tin-Can]

Richard,

"Good going Forest! Doesn't Nancy fish with you any more?" 

Last May 2020 she began working from home, then a couple months ago she had to start working 1 week at the office, and 1 week from home. So many of the people at her job have quit or retired the past year, and new employees haven't been hired to replace them, they have offered (and almost required) her to work lots of overtime. So it's been 12 hours OT on Saturdays.

---

I enjoy reading about your "retirement" adventures out at Willard and Utah Lake. Way to keep adding to your cat total.

  Thanks Paul.  Beginning to look like Willard is about the only body of water that still has sufficient water    .

---

I know it's Saturday before Father's Day, but I just could not stay home. Got on the water at the south marina about 720 a.m. 





Decided today to run the west wall and work as many lures as I could.  Got to about 100 yards off the wall about half way between light pole and south west corner, turned south first, put out 2 different traps that I can't remember how long it's been since I had them in the water.  Worked south at about 2.0 to 2.5 mph. (Hoping for ABC anything but Cats   ) Was a fairly good walleye chop breeze and the power squadron had not quite made it that far south west yet. 

Had only been in that south direction about 15 minutes and outside pole bent over and line stripped out.  Grabbed it up, tightened up the drag some, and felt like a heavy Cat.  It was........... dang, I had hoped I was using a lure they wouldn't want and trolling fast enough to keep it up off the bottom.  Well, boated and CPR. Thats pretty much how it went the next 90 minutes.  Got almost to the bottom of  the south west corner, swung out in a wide U turn, just got headed north and inside rod bent over. Repeat performance. 


    


Trolled all the way to the light pole, no joy. Swapped over both lures,  started the right turn heading east intending to run around out in the "openness"  and rod bent over again.  Another Kitty, but one with even more attitude.  Got him into the net and saw another line wrapped around his dorsal fin.  Not mine. Looked to be some light 6 lb. mono, had a weight, a flasher, and a plastic shrimp, various snaps and swivels and about 30 yards of line. 


      

After getting that one unwrapped and unhooked, he looked to be a possible bumper for the Cat Contest.  (Yep, posted on Contest Forum) 
Well the power squadron finally caught up with me, and out numbered me. So removed the lures, ran to my old Cat grounds at feed lot. Set up my lines with bait and drifted about 2 hours, boated one more WBCCC, released. Packed it up and headed out. 

That's an interesting rig for Willard, flasher and shrimp?! Good flasher for Jordanelle/ strawberry.  
I used riddle trap before but could only get cats.  Walleyes were more liking flickershads and blade baits.

  I've been getting a good bite fishing only 8 or 10 feet down.  Don't know why but seams crazy to me. I guess that's where they are chasing the shad.  

Hope to see you again this week.. 

I was a bit  by that rig. That was pretty light line for dragging around with that terminal tackle and a 1/2 oz. weight. Most of the fish at Willard would probably break the line on the initial hit and run, never mind the bottom snag potential.  There was so much line with all that, I'd bet it broke off closer to the reel. 

Willard can sure be fickle. I started using Bill Lewis Rat-L-traps back in 2004. I had just bought my first boat, a 2004 Lund 1700 Pro Sport.




I knew absolutely NOTHING about trolling. Most all my fishing since I was about 7 or 8 had been from a bank with bait. In 2004 I had just been here in Utah from Georgia for 5 years, working at Hill AFB. I met an older gentleman out on Willard several times who also had a Lund. He gave me lots of advice and was the one who recommended Rat-L-Traps.  I bought a small collection of them, and was amazed at how many Wiper, and the occasional Walleye I would catch each trip. Since 2004 I've replaced the first boat, acquired lots more and varied tackle, including flicker shads, all sorts of lipped and lipless cranks, just to name a few.  In my smaller 2007  Tin-Can   I don't have near the storage space, so I can't carry all the gear I have.  I tried planer boards, and didn't like them.   I have the best results at controlling the depth of my traps by the speed of my troll. With the trolling plate deployed I can run as slow as .50 or up to 3.0 mph. 

I may try to hit Willard again this coming week, but need to get some periodic maintenance done on my truck first.