Willard...Weather or Not 5-17-23 (PICS ADDED)

[MrShane]

Weather forecrash for today was partly cloudy and calm conditions.  NOT.  Got wind gusts and soaking rain on two different cells before noon.

Launched at the north marina just before 7 am.  1 boat launched ahead of me and there were about 10 trailers in the lot when I came in before noon.  Air temp was a pleasant 52...warming to just over 70 at noon departure.  Water started out at 57 and warmed only slightly to  a bit over 58 by noon. 

Water level was the highest I can ever remember seeing it.  Good for the fishies but not for fishermen.  Fish are spread out more and unsettled with the colder water and changing water conditions.  I saw very little on sonar today and caught less.  I did see some stacks of fish in the Eagle Beach area but since I got no bites from them I am guessing they were spawning shad.  I know if they were crappies I would have caught some.  Right.

Covered a lot of area with a lot of different lures and baits.  Worked the area outside the marina first.  Then Eagle Beach.  Then over to the north dike...up and down at different depths.  Tried bottom bouncers with worms, fligs with minnows, jigs with plastics and Gulp Minnows...and even some crank baits and hybrid lures.  Had two hits all morning.  The first was a freight train wiper.  Hit a fire tiger whirly flig with a crawler setup.  Stripped line on several short runs.  Had it on for over ten minutes.  But when it was coming in on the surface to the net the small crawler hook pulled out and he swam off.  Easily over 24 inches and probably close to 10 pounds.

The second bite was just as the last rain squall was settling  down.  Hit an orange tiger whirly flig with minnow.  Thought it might be an active cat...it was fighting so well.  But discovered it to be a 14" smallmouth.  At least it chased away the skunk I had been smelling.

Amazing there have been so few cats showing up.  Usually can't keep them off this time of year.  Talked to a couple of other guys back at the ramp and they expressed similar luck and similar observations.  Not much going on.  The bottom of Willard looks like a big desert on sonar.

PS...can't post the pics for some reason.

Hi Pat,
I was out Monday with my two little grandsons of 3 and 6 and struggled also.
First hit was a good fish, a Wiper or Channel most likely. I let both little ones have the pole but they couldn’t hang on so I grabbed it before it went over. In process of holding pole but letting them reel 
it in the fish came unbuttoned and we never saw it.
Then 6 yr old got bit and he landed a decent Walleye.
Then 3 year old got bit but I had to hold pole while he reeled and we lost a Walleye just shy of net.
After that we got one more hit, most likely a Perch or small Smallie.
That was it.
Was hoping for more action for the kiddos but grateful for at least one fish in the live well for them to poke and prod.
Also grateful for the pack of Oreo doublestuffs they brought for the ‘boat picnic’!
Better luck to both of us next time!!