12-02-2020, 11:39 PM
Like catfish, wipers don't stop feeding beneath the ice. But they do slow down a bit. The hardest part is trying to figure out where they might be...and at what depth...and then presenting something they will munch.
The current low population of wipers in Willard makes it tougher to find and catch them there. But several years ago...over on the west side...in deeper water...there were a few guys who did well. The soaked mussels or minnows right on the bottom...propping up their rods with the bails open on their reels to allow the fish to swim off a ways with the bait. Of course they also caught some silly catfish but they did hook up with some wipers too. However, they quickly learned not to fish too close together because those fish make big wide turns under the ice and get all of your neighbors involved.
Here is an except...with a picture...from my CD/Book on Willard.
The current low population of wipers in Willard makes it tougher to find and catch them there. But several years ago...over on the west side...in deeper water...there were a few guys who did well. The soaked mussels or minnows right on the bottom...propping up their rods with the bails open on their reels to allow the fish to swim off a ways with the bait. Of course they also caught some silly catfish but they did hook up with some wipers too. However, they quickly learned not to fish too close together because those fish make big wide turns under the ice and get all of your neighbors involved.
Here is an except...with a picture...from my CD/Book on Willard.