Willard First time Wipers

[FishSlayer2000]

[#000000]Having never fished for wipers at Willard before, I thought I would give it a try considering how much attention its been getting lately. Ended up going out Friday evening around 5pm. headed out from the south marina and headed along the south dike with no luck. So we made a u-turn and headed towards freeway bay and it took a long time before I hooked up with my first wiper. What an awesome fight! Caught a few more soon after that and then it became to dark to stay and find our way back to the marina. Later that night I couldn't stop thinking about how those fish fight, So I decided to take my kids out the next evening and im happy to say each one of my kids landed 1 wiper a piece. Largest was 21" and smallest was 16" and all ware caught after 7pm. [/#000000]
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[Old_Coot]

Thanks for that interesting report. I've been considering some evening fishing out there myself but wasn't sure if the bite would be worth my while. Looks like it is.
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[albinotrout]

Great pics thanks for sharing. Looks like you're hooked on wiper.
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[HD7000]

Sounds like your hooked like the rest of us are now! Next time you troll into one, quickly reel up the other lines and start casting... It is even better to hook up on a 22' 5lb wiper while casting/reeling! They hit it like a freight train!
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[fishinfool]

Great report and Pictures, You wondered why there were so many reports on them. Now you know.

Trout fishing will never be the same. HA HA.

fnf[cool]
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[SkunkedAgain]

Great report and I think you found what the rest of us have found with the wiper, great fight and good to eat too. Hard for me to want to chase planter trout if the wiper are feeding. Hope the state keeps planting lots of replacements. Later J
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[FishSlayer2000]

Thanks Guys for all the support. Does anyone have an idea how big they get in Willard? My biggest wiper was 21", Is that on the larger size? or is 17"-18" average size.
And when do they start to boil? And are they harder to locate and catch when that is happening? Just thought I would pick your brain, it looks as if you guys know what your talking about. Its ok if you don't want to give out to much info. I will be out there finding out for my self regardless.
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[Old_Coot]

A 21" wiper out of Willard would be considered big wiper. A 17-18" wiper is not bad either. (Now that is just for Willard. Different lakes = different size categories).

Typically, they start to boil after the 4th of July right up to the end of fall. The boils are most noticeably beginning in mid-Augist. However, the last two or three years have not been active boil years. Yea there have been boils reported but by in large, ther has been such a huge shad population that time of year, that the wipers didn't need to coral and ambush the shad to get them. We jokingly said that "all the wiper have to do is swim forward with their moths open and they will get plenty of shad to eat." On years when the shad population is down, the boils really come alive.

When the boils are active, it is quite easy to see where the boils are at ... all you have to do is watch the sky for the birds (egrets) diving into the water. When the egrets are circling and dive bombing, there is pretty certain to be a boil happening in that general area.

As for asking for info on catching wipers at Willard, there ain't very many secrets. That lake is a "put-n-take" lake. As wipers are taken out of the lake, the DWR puts them back in. Don't get me wrong ... I'm not advocating taking limits just because you can, but it certainly isn't like the mackinaw at Bear Lake and the Gorge or some browns and bookies in some streams where it is better to practice C&R. My point here is that I am sure any question you would want to ask will be answered if not in public here, for sure in a PM.

--- Coot ---
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[GEEZER]

Good on ya man! Best part by far is the grins on those young faces. You gave them a memory that'll last a lifetime. Mighty good looking kids I might add.
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[mtncat1]

fishing is fun looks on your kids face is priceless thanks.
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[FishSlayer2000]

Thanks OLD_COOT!
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[fishinfool]

[quote Old_Coot]When the boils are active, it is quite easy to see where the boils are at ... all you have to do is watch the sky for the birds (egrets) diving into the water. When the egrets are circling and dive bombing, there is pretty certain to be a boil happening in that general area. [/quote]

You mean them terns my friend the egrets are the white crane like birds you see on the dikes when the shad are thick they like to walk the edge picking them off when they get close to shore.
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[RockyRaab]

[#800080][size 3]It's only a shad pun, but one good tern does deserve another.[/size][/#800080]
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[Old_Coot]

[quote fishinfool][quote Old_Coot]When the boils are active, it is quite easy to see where the boils are at ... all you have to do is watch the sky for the birds (egrets) diving into the water. When the egrets are circling and dive bombing, there is pretty certain to be a boil happening in that general area. [/quote]

You mean them terns my friend the egrets are the white crane like birds you see on the dikes when the shad are thick they like to walk the edge picking them off when they get close to shore.[/quote]

Ya know Tony, all the years I have been fishing boils out there, I must say, I still am not sure which birds they are that circle and dive bomb. I just know they are small white ones.

In fact, one year, I had a guy on my boat who claimed to be an avid bird watcher and told me they were egrets. So I stuck with that. But honestly I am not sure.

This question has bugged me for so many years, I think I may actually post a seperate post asking if anyone is sure which birds they are ... unless you are yourself quite sure they are the terns that are diving.[:/]
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[RockyRaab]

I believe that the terns we see at Willard are Forster's Tern. Here's a closeup:


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[wiperhunter2]

That is indeed the bird that drives on the shad at Willard. I do believe there is another too, that is slightly larger that doesn't have the split tail but I think it is also a tern.
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[fishinfool]

Curt have you also noticed the small gull, it's not a Tern and looks like a small seagull. When there on the shad you can hear them from a half mile it seems like.
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[wiperhunter2]

I have seen them but I always thought they were young of the year regular gulls. Do you think they are a different type of gull Tony?
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