Willard Fly Slam, 08/31

[FatBiker]

Manged to complete my first Willard Fly Slam (four species in the same day) yesterday at Willard.

Equipment used:

Rod. Reddington 5 Weight. I made a quick trip to Cabela's last night for a six weight, the 5 weight was a little light, especially on the carp.

Reel. Cabela's Premier II.

Line. Type IV, Full Sinking line.

Flies. Red/black Chrystal bugger and a white Chrystal bugger. Both flies were tied on a sz 6 hook. Tied some more tonight on sz 4s. Kitties liked the Red/White bugger a little better and the wipers seemed to prefer the white one. If you look at the picture, not much tail left on the white bugger. In all cases, the fish were hooked well into their mouth. Obviously, taken without hesitation.

Final take for the day:

7 wipers

6 cat fish

1 crappie

1 ugly old carp

1 big old yard long grin

Ran into Dubob at the north marina after filleting some white fish and the crappie. Sounds like he had another good day. Always good to see him.


Larry
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Excellent.

Now if you had added a smallmouth and/or a walleye it would have been a "grand slime".

Were the fish in close to the rocks or out a little deeper?
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[remo_5_0]

Very nice! Congrats.......although the socks and sandals thing needs to go [laugh]
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[FatBiker]

TD, right on the rocks. If the wind isn't too bad, I'm taking my tube out today and launch off the rocks. Thanks for your advice on the flies. Both worked. I like ypur idea of a grand slime. Smallmouth have been hard to find. I think I've only caught two this summer. I did get a walleye a few weeks ago on a flyrod a few weeks ago in the same area. Remo, socks and sandles is an "old codger" thing. Someday, you'll be old enough to understand.[]



Larry
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Hey Larry, the next time you are down this way I might hand off some "hot head" flies...made with a large front (weightless) bead of hot melt glue. I paint the heads like jig heads...with eyes. They cast about the same as any other fly of similar size but have a lot of visual appeal. Willard fish love 'em. Have done well on crappies and wipers in the spring on the white patterns...blacks too.

I have a writeup showing how to make them if you'd like to try doing some yourself.
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[RockyRaab]

I don't make flies any more, but back in the day, one of the simplest streamers was made from parachute cord.



Paracord comes in a bazillion colors these days, including glow in the dark. But with plain white cord and some permanent markers, you can make something that looks a lot like TD's blue-backed Willard Wonders. You could even add a hot glue head, come to think of it.
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[retch_sweeney]

Squirt some Smelly Jelly liquid up inside that paracord streamer for an irresistible offering.
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[doitall5000]

Very good report thanks. I was up there wed morning, as well. Trolled for the morning then bait for two hours three locations. Caught three small fish. Not very many people on the water. That was Great !
I'm hopping you were able to see what the fish had been eating. Whats in the rocks that has them in there? Thanks doitall
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF][#FF0000]"I'm hoping you were able to see what the fish had been eating. Whats in the rocks that has them in there?"[/#FF0000]

Willard is always a healthier lake when the water remains high enough to flood at least the lower levels of the rocks. Crawdads are able to spawn and find better cover. Walleye and catfish spawn in the rocks. And the young of all species use the rocks as a nursery to protect them from predators. But the predators flock to the rocks to at least get a shot at some unwary fishy tykes.

In years past...BS (before shad)...crappies and crawdads were the main forage for walleyes, cats and a few bass. Both crappies and crawdads hung out around the rocks...year round. So you could fish the rocks all day, every day, and do well. Once the shad became the main forage item...and they spread all over the lake...the predators followed them and the fishing tactics changed.

During the last ten years or so the rocks have been exposed more than they have at least partially covered with water. That has really made it tough on spawning walleyes and catfish...and crawdads. And it has been tough on anglers who enjoy fishing the fish near the rocks.
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[FatBiker]

The kitties I kept were full of little fish, most likely shad. A couple of the wipers pucked shad when I unhooked and released them. TD tells me the red/black bugger imitates young catfish and the Chrystal bugger shad.



Larry
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Y'know, Larry, I'm guessing that the baby shad are using the rocks as cover this year too. That may account for not seeing as many bait balls in the open lake.

When I launched about daybreak at the north marina there were a lot of shadlets all along the shoreline there...slurping midges. I'm sure the midges hatch a lot around the rocks too.

I also saw a large gathering of terns just resting along the bank at Eagle Beach. In years past the wipers have boiled on the shad in there...right up against the beach. I'm thinking the terns may have been in on a couple of those feedings and were patiently waiting for the wipers to show up again. A wiper I got last week was pretty close to shore at Eagle Beach.

Those who routinely do a CSI on the stomach contents of the fish they keep have reported seeing a lot of young catfish in the wipers in times past. It is possible the wipers are cruising the rocks looking for shadlets but settling for any kind of protein that volunteers for lunch.

By the way, there are a couple of other black combos that work well. One is the "midnite fire". It is a mostly black with some blue and red flakes in the chenille body. The other is black with a chartreuse line down the belly or back.

And my most effective Gulp Minnow is the 3" smelt pattern...which has a dark back and pale underside. That can represent both shad and baby catfish if the fish aren't too picky.
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