Willard Bay "Smoke on the water....."

[Tin-Can]

Slept in today, got on the water about 0830. Except for the smoke, wasn't a bad day. Trolled all the usual areas with most of the usual lures, at most the usual speeds....results.....none of the usual suspects.[:/]

Had bought some worms, and had some mussel meat that I had left in the freezer last weekend (planned to take to UL) So dropped my hook between the feed lot and the coffer damn and out in about 7-8 fow. Hooked up one rod with a crawler, and one with a mussel.
Now, before anybody goes off on me, I just read the comments on the 2016 Fishing Regulation meeting report. I saw that someone wants to ban mussels cuz folks are leaving the shells everywhere. Well, I bought a bag of mussels OUT of the shell, so no shells to have to open, and none to litter. I agree, I don't like the shells everywhere either. But there is a easy and cheap way around that.
Ok, back to fishin...........[unimpressed] Wasn't on that spot long and drag started screamin on one pole. Yep, first kitty tried to make off with my mussel. Boated, and in the live well. 8 minutes later, one of his buddies tried to run with the second piece of mussel I had just put out.

22 minutes later, first Wiper of the day sucked up a worm and headed for Willard (the town, not the lake) 11 minutes later, just barely got that line back out, and the other one (with a mussel) took off with the drag screaming like maybe one of the power squadron folks had snagged it........no........wait a minute.....no power squadron folks in 1000 yards..........yep another Wiper. Now this was the fun part, was reeling that one in and the other line with a worm took off in the opposite direction..........yeee haw !! A 2fer ! Boated them both, and released the little guy, even let him keep the mussel that was in his mouth. [sly] 6 minutes later, bendo and scream again, boated Wiper keeper #3. Then, like a lite switch, or like someone said, "ok you got your limit" the bite stopped [:/] . Ok, move...........dropped hook again just about in the middle of Freeway Bay. Got the lines out, and well.....waited. When the bite slows down like that I usually use that time to do some tackle maintenance. Had a couple new hook and weight leaders tied up, and something started doing the "stealth" nibble on one line. Got ya! Cat # 3, in the well.
Decided, OK, you got 6 fish in the box, consider yourself lucky and call it a day. 17 minutes later started bringing in the lines, and BAM, hit the worm on the move....Wiper # 5. But got my limit, CPR you go, and made the run for the marina.

I think I have enough fish for the birthday party [sly]

P.S. I met up with a BFT member on the ramp this morning. He was with his son, in a new to him small boat. Said it was his first time with that boat and first time on Willard. Said he didn't post much, mainly was a lurker. Didn't catch the BFT name he gave. But I gave some advice about where to be careful of his depth, helped him back his rig down the ramp so he could start the boat motor and get to the dock. And I gave him my cell # in case he got in a jam. Never heard from him, so I assume he made it off the water OK. Hope he caught some fish.
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[albinotrout]

You had a great day. Great report!
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[Fishbum82]

Hey Tin Can. That was me that you met at the boat ramp today. Sure appreciate your help. Can't tell you it wasn't comforting to have your number out there in case something went wrong...but all was good. Boat ran great. I had hoped we'd hook into some wipers but after trolling our Rapalas for two hours or so we decided to drift with some worms. Ended the day with five channel cats. My son and I both had a blast. Hope to run into you again sometime ! I'll be getting out a lot more now that we have the boat.

*** also just wondering where do you buy mussels and how do you keep them on the hook ?
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[Tin-Can]

Was nice meeting you Sunday also. Glad you at least boated something that swims.....[sly]. That's better that some others Sunday.
Some folks buy the pre-cooked mussels in the shell, and some leave their shells along the banks, and that irritates others. I found bags of pre-cooked mussel meat out of the shell in the frozen fish section at Wal-Mart, Winco, and sometimes Macey's. No shells to open, or leave behind. I bought this bag to take to Utah Lake last weekend, and forgot it in the deep freezer. When I decided to go out to WB yesterday, I took them out and put them in my boat live well Saturday evening so I wouldn't forget them....again [:/]. Yesterday is really the first time I have used them with any degree of success. Some guys say they use a circle hook, one guy told me he only thawed them out part way.
I used them yesterday on a #4 Mustad bait hook on one line and on a larger hook that is normally used in a rubber worm or jig for Bass. I didn't try to troll them, or cast them too far, and used them with a 1/4 oz. egg weight rigged in a drop shot. With about 2 feet of leader to the hook. I was thinking I was using them to target Cats, but the Wiper hit them pretty hard, and that is what surprised me. I did try on the bigger hook because of it's long shank, I put a piece of worm up on the hook near the eye, then 2 mussels, then another piece of worm on the bottom and just over the hook . Don't know if that worked any better or worse, but I caught my last Wiper on it and he hit it like a south bound Frontrunner. Guess you could say there isn't any right or wrong way. Whatever way catches fish, works.
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