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Pretty much got this from the horses mouth today. An acquaintance works for Weber Basin Water, so I decided to get the skinny on the dike at Willard. Not lookin' good this year. The plan has not been finalized, but it looks like about 200 yards of dike, near the pig farm, will have to be removed down below the level of the dike to line the "foundation" of the thing to fix the problem. He pretty much told me that they will not allow any water increase in Willard until the problem is fixed. He was not sure how long that would take, but likely would be after the major runoff of the spring. He thinks they may have to lower the level another foot or so to be able to accomplish the repairs. fortunately they wont have to lower the water any lower than it was in the drought years, so the fish should survive, they just wont have any good place to spawn. The other good side is that most of the northern reservoirs will fill this year (due to a wet fall saturating the soil, allowing for a decent runoff, even with the pathetic snowfall we have), so they won't have to use Willard for any assistance this year. He also said the pumps went belly up a couple years ago, and they have not been a priority to fix because of the wet years we have had. These plans are not set in stone yet, but they are pretty darn close to being finalized so that the work can begin. Looks like Willard will be a "little" boat only lake again this year....bummer[  ] Not sure what will happen to the annual Wiper tournament...probably have to be postponed. I will talk with him again in a few weeks to see if anything has changed.
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Thanks for the heads up Brandon. Not a good thing in some ways, but ok in others. Less boat traffic will be nice and the tubers and tooners will reign supreme.
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I'm taking my toon out on Willard this spring....hehehheheheehe![cool]
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[#800000]That really sucks!!!!! [pirate] Maybe instead of using boats for the wiper tournaments they do a tubing tournament . And i vote Tubedude not be allowed to enter!!! [ ][/#800000]
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The wife and I hope to be trying to fill our Turkey tags during that time.[cool]
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[cool][#0000ff]How about a "FLOATATION FLOATILLA"...for tubers and tooners. I had already been thinking about doing something like that. Nothing as formal as the wiperthon, but include all species in the mix, for prizes and have a "fillet and fry" at midday.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Make it open to bank tanglers and tin dinghies or anything other way someone can fish the diminished pond.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]June would be the best time for all species.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just don't ask me to put it together. I'd druther just go fishin'. Might be a part of the fillet and fry thing though.[/#0000ff]
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Makes me happy that I have my 16' flat bottom Duck boat set up for trolling[laugh][laugh][laugh].
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My jet boat thinks willard water tastes like river. Wont have all those pesky wake boarders going out. Best of all this may spur the proccess to renovate and increase the height of the dam. I am just really to see it low. Hang in there fish.
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Great idea TD. A BFT float some time in June sounds awsome. It is to bad that it has to be so low, but than again better to have it low than not have it at all. With it this low does it change where the fish will be very much?
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Thanks for the update TKB, sounds like it is going to be a tough year for those bigger boat[  ]. I hope they will be able fix it without going a foot lower but it's better to do it now than doing any temp fix and having to do it later again. I'm looking forward to that next update, thanks again.
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[cool][#0000ff]You need to click on "Reply" for the person you are replying to...not just the last post. (You replied to reelfast, but asked me a question)[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Low water will make a world of difference in how the fish act and where they will be. The last two years we have had high water. That puts the water level up into the rocks, for fish to spawn and for crawdads to live. This year the water will be below the level of the rocks during all of the spawning activity. Of course that doesn't affect wipers but it does affect all the other species...from shad, to walleyes to catfish to crappies, etc.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There will be plenty of water to sustain fish life. But, the shad will be concentrated for the predators. For awhile, the predators will have plenty to eat and it will be easy pickin's. But there will be a poor shad spawn and that will start a downhill spiral in the fish health and populations. They survived through a couple of years like that in the drought, so there is hope.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In shallower water the fish will adapt. Instead of hugging the bottom in 25 feet of water, they will simply look for the deepest water they can find...up to about 12 to 14 feet at most. Many of the fish will roam all over the lake, looking for food and deeper water. Wipers, walleyes and cats will be taken from fairly shallow water early in the year, before water temps get over about 70 degrees. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Once the water gets very warm, walleyes will get stressed and will only occasionally feed and usually at night. Wipers and cats get more active in the warmer water and will be caught all day...but at different periods according to their feeding cycles. Both are usually best during low light periods and both hit at night.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]One of the big differences in Willard fishing this year will be the clarity of the water. When the lake level drops as low as it is now, it is more affected by the wind. Any breeze at all (on Willard?) will muddy the water. That cuts way down on the ability of sight feeders, like wipers, to see lures at any distance. They still hit lures but you have to fish slower and use rattle baits. Of course they will hit bait too...crawlers or minnows. There are likely to be quite a few wipers caught by folks soaking bait for cats.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Anybody who can launch a tube, toon or tin boat from the north marina can probably find a few fish in the deep channel at the mouth and on out until the water drops to 10 or 12 feet deep. The deepest spots on the lake are over off the west side. It is a long kick in a tube or toon unless you drive to the SW corner of the dike and take your gear up and over to launch. From there you use your sonar to work around until you find some of the deep trenches left in the bottom by the earth moving equipment when they built up the dikes. Even a foot difference in the depth can sometimes be the key to finding fish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Other than than, there should be no difference at all.[/#0000ff]
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Thanks for the good info TD as always you are a wealth of knowledge.
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so you all would allow a bad fish in a 14 foot aluminum dream to attend if he found a way out of work? if thats the case keep us all posted on any "ideas" that make it to a full blown floatilla!!!
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I hope they work faster on Willard than they have on Tony Grove lake up Logan canyon. As of last fall it has been Three years since the lake has been filled. So lots of luck on getting anything to happen soon.
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Thanks for the info TD. Although the low water isn't great, I imagine we'll be able to put the smack down on a fish or 2.
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[cool][#0000ff]I certainly plan to test that theory myself.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Wanna gang up on 'em a few times?[/#0000ff]
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Sounds like fun. Pencil me in for the floatilla.
A bit of your krispy kitties do sound good.
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[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, the cats from Willard are especially tasty.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Let's all watch the situation together. You can bet I will be doing my share of "test driving" the lake to keep tabs on conditions. If it looks like a go, we will choose a date, place and time in June...sometime in May. That should let us plan something fun and semi-organized.[/#0000ff]
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