06-10-2010, 09:05 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Thanks fer the kindly comments. I hope you realize that I only post the one out of ten trips that I catch fish. Gotta maintain my rep.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That tray is my "sushi board"...a rigid plastic replacement for the wimpy mesh aprons that come with the tube. I make them from either the lids or cut out bottoms of plastic storage containers. They still work for fly line platforms...if you fish flies...or as combination tackle benches, fish control tables or bait cutting boards. I attach a metal ruler (cut down yardstick) both to help me stay legal where there are slots or size limits and to record accurate lengths. You can also carry a retractable tape or go to the sewing notions section of Wally World and get a cloth tape.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Why is it a "good thing" to only catch one walleye that big? The regs say you can only keep one OVER 24", but a total of ten. And, my fish basket will easily hold a limit of legal sized ones.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In the attached closeup you can better see the small jig I caught the walleye on. Same one I was using for crappies. Over the years I have caught grundles of walleyes up to ten pounds out of Willard on those small morsels...especially late in the fall. When they are not very active they hit small stuff better.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am also attaching another picture that I did not include with the first batch...of a kitty with a remnant minnow hanging out of its mouth. I use minnows for all species and catch walleyes and wipers on them too. The minnows usually come off once the fish is hooked and starts thrashing around. The two chartreuse beads are a little sumpin' sumpin' I add for extra color and attraction? Sometimes I catch almost all my fish on the rod with "bling" and very little on the other rod fished with the same hook and bait but without the jewelry. Works on trout, perch and walleye too...with your choice of baits.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Backing up a bit, carp DOES work very well in Willard. The kitties love it. But the minnows are more appealing to the wipers and walleyes so I go with the "equal opportunity" bait...minnows...or sometimes whole crawlers. Sometimes one of each on two different rods. Bait buffet.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I fish the bait on the bottom, but without weight. Just a swivel about two feet up from the hook with a leader slightly heavier than my 8# line. More abrasion resistance and the swivel helps reduce twists in the line if the bait spins a bit...or if fish twist and turn while you fight them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The NO BOATS buoys are intended to keep the power squadron out of the narrow inlet. I verified that it is okay to take tubes up the channel. Sometimes I can do very well in the channel and not get bit elsewhere. My crappies and walleye yesterday came from an area I discovered years ago. The channel is dredged and in a couple of places there are humps or holes that create a fish attraction for some species some of the time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That channel is tough to fish from shore. When the water level was down there was a lot of brush that grew up on the shallow shelf that was exposed by the low water. It is all flooded now and almost impossible to get a lure or fish through it back to the bank. One of the wipers I hooked yesterday made a run for that brush like he had been there before and knew how to "post bail" for a quick release.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]However, where the inlet comes in over the baffles there is a big deep scour hole. It can often be great fishing for all species. But, you gotta be friendly and enjoy company because when the fish are in the happy harvesters will be there too. However, if you bring your own rock to stand on you can sometimes have good fun...but not on a weekend or in the evening.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Once the crappies actually finish spawning you can sometimes do well on them fishing right inside the channel to the west of the marker buoy (no boats). They sometimes cruise in small schools around the open water area, looking for baby shad or the fry of other species that are their primary prey. Small jigs below a bobber or retrieved slowly at mid depth will get some bigguns. If you have a small boat try anchoring in the channel and using a crappie light over the side at night. They used to have a light out at the entrance to the channel. I would kick out there at night in my tube and fish the edge of the light pattern on the water. Got grundles of BIG crappies that came in for the fry that came to the top for the bugs attracted by the light.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Yes, I usually hit the water early. Hey, I'm an old guy. Crash early and get up early. Or as I often say..."I get up at 4 and wake up at noon." Seriously, if I have walleyes in mind I like to work the earliest I can. I used to be on the water before daybreak before they began closing the gates at night...back in the OLDEN DAYS. But, in truth, I probably catch as many walleyes during the day as early or late. Heck, the one I caught yesterday was eating brunch...at noon.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Last issue...the walleyes are definitely through spawning and are in their annual active post spawn feeding binge. June is the magic month for walleyes on Willard. They will be cruising all over the lake, feeding up to replace fat lost during the winter or during the spawning activities. Once the water temp passes the 60 to 65 degree mark they are at their peak of metabolic activity and feed constantly...and constantly look for food. If you can find them you can usually get them to munch...even if you are a 90 percenter.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]One of my favorite recollections from years past happened about mid June one year. There were a couple of goobers in a very small tin boat with a noisy motor cruising up and down the dike to the south of the south marina entrance. They had one rod between them and took turns fishing. Since they had done a good job of demolishing the cooler full of beer they started with they were somewhat "casual" about their fishing. They were dragging around a big chrome spoon...about the size I used to use for salt water. Not much attention to how far back it was or how fast they were going. And, with little control there was a "snake in the wake"...with the boat making big S turns...not by design.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]What chapped my hide was that I was working my best lures with my best walleye rods and finessing the heck out of the fish...and I had caught only a couple of "average" 23 inchers. These guys were hooking and reeling in HUGE spawned out mama walleyes that were probably all well over 25 inches. They weren't keeping them...just cranking them in and tossing them back and then handing the rod off to the other guy.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Obviously those fish were on a post spawn feeding binge and the happy boaters were working over a feeding area. At least that is what I kept telling myself through clenched teeth. If nothing else it reinforced what I keep saying..."More walleyes are caught by accident than by design."[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Okay...you just got a whole bunch of info from one posted questionnaire. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Here's some pics.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That tray is my "sushi board"...a rigid plastic replacement for the wimpy mesh aprons that come with the tube. I make them from either the lids or cut out bottoms of plastic storage containers. They still work for fly line platforms...if you fish flies...or as combination tackle benches, fish control tables or bait cutting boards. I attach a metal ruler (cut down yardstick) both to help me stay legal where there are slots or size limits and to record accurate lengths. You can also carry a retractable tape or go to the sewing notions section of Wally World and get a cloth tape.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Why is it a "good thing" to only catch one walleye that big? The regs say you can only keep one OVER 24", but a total of ten. And, my fish basket will easily hold a limit of legal sized ones.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In the attached closeup you can better see the small jig I caught the walleye on. Same one I was using for crappies. Over the years I have caught grundles of walleyes up to ten pounds out of Willard on those small morsels...especially late in the fall. When they are not very active they hit small stuff better.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I am also attaching another picture that I did not include with the first batch...of a kitty with a remnant minnow hanging out of its mouth. I use minnows for all species and catch walleyes and wipers on them too. The minnows usually come off once the fish is hooked and starts thrashing around. The two chartreuse beads are a little sumpin' sumpin' I add for extra color and attraction? Sometimes I catch almost all my fish on the rod with "bling" and very little on the other rod fished with the same hook and bait but without the jewelry. Works on trout, perch and walleye too...with your choice of baits.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Backing up a bit, carp DOES work very well in Willard. The kitties love it. But the minnows are more appealing to the wipers and walleyes so I go with the "equal opportunity" bait...minnows...or sometimes whole crawlers. Sometimes one of each on two different rods. Bait buffet.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I fish the bait on the bottom, but without weight. Just a swivel about two feet up from the hook with a leader slightly heavier than my 8# line. More abrasion resistance and the swivel helps reduce twists in the line if the bait spins a bit...or if fish twist and turn while you fight them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The NO BOATS buoys are intended to keep the power squadron out of the narrow inlet. I verified that it is okay to take tubes up the channel. Sometimes I can do very well in the channel and not get bit elsewhere. My crappies and walleye yesterday came from an area I discovered years ago. The channel is dredged and in a couple of places there are humps or holes that create a fish attraction for some species some of the time.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That channel is tough to fish from shore. When the water level was down there was a lot of brush that grew up on the shallow shelf that was exposed by the low water. It is all flooded now and almost impossible to get a lure or fish through it back to the bank. One of the wipers I hooked yesterday made a run for that brush like he had been there before and knew how to "post bail" for a quick release.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]However, where the inlet comes in over the baffles there is a big deep scour hole. It can often be great fishing for all species. But, you gotta be friendly and enjoy company because when the fish are in the happy harvesters will be there too. However, if you bring your own rock to stand on you can sometimes have good fun...but not on a weekend or in the evening.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Once the crappies actually finish spawning you can sometimes do well on them fishing right inside the channel to the west of the marker buoy (no boats). They sometimes cruise in small schools around the open water area, looking for baby shad or the fry of other species that are their primary prey. Small jigs below a bobber or retrieved slowly at mid depth will get some bigguns. If you have a small boat try anchoring in the channel and using a crappie light over the side at night. They used to have a light out at the entrance to the channel. I would kick out there at night in my tube and fish the edge of the light pattern on the water. Got grundles of BIG crappies that came in for the fry that came to the top for the bugs attracted by the light.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Yes, I usually hit the water early. Hey, I'm an old guy. Crash early and get up early. Or as I often say..."I get up at 4 and wake up at noon." Seriously, if I have walleyes in mind I like to work the earliest I can. I used to be on the water before daybreak before they began closing the gates at night...back in the OLDEN DAYS. But, in truth, I probably catch as many walleyes during the day as early or late. Heck, the one I caught yesterday was eating brunch...at noon.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Last issue...the walleyes are definitely through spawning and are in their annual active post spawn feeding binge. June is the magic month for walleyes on Willard. They will be cruising all over the lake, feeding up to replace fat lost during the winter or during the spawning activities. Once the water temp passes the 60 to 65 degree mark they are at their peak of metabolic activity and feed constantly...and constantly look for food. If you can find them you can usually get them to munch...even if you are a 90 percenter.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]One of my favorite recollections from years past happened about mid June one year. There were a couple of goobers in a very small tin boat with a noisy motor cruising up and down the dike to the south of the south marina entrance. They had one rod between them and took turns fishing. Since they had done a good job of demolishing the cooler full of beer they started with they were somewhat "casual" about their fishing. They were dragging around a big chrome spoon...about the size I used to use for salt water. Not much attention to how far back it was or how fast they were going. And, with little control there was a "snake in the wake"...with the boat making big S turns...not by design.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]What chapped my hide was that I was working my best lures with my best walleye rods and finessing the heck out of the fish...and I had caught only a couple of "average" 23 inchers. These guys were hooking and reeling in HUGE spawned out mama walleyes that were probably all well over 25 inches. They weren't keeping them...just cranking them in and tossing them back and then handing the rod off to the other guy.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Obviously those fish were on a post spawn feeding binge and the happy boaters were working over a feeding area. At least that is what I kept telling myself through clenched teeth. If nothing else it reinforced what I keep saying..."More walleyes are caught by accident than by design."[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Okay...you just got a whole bunch of info from one posted questionnaire. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Here's some pics.[/#0000ff]
[signature]