04-21-2015, 09:10 PM
[#0000ff]Seems like at least every other BFT member in Utah was at Willard today. Albinotrout already reported our meetup...and seeing Coot and his ridealong. Also met GumbyK and Humpy at the fillet station after I got off the water...and talked to a few lurkers and other BFTers.
I launched about 6:45...after several boats had already hit the high seas. Air temp 45...10 degrees warmer than last Monday. Water temp started at 56 (3 degrees warmer than last week) and rose to almost 58 by late am departure. Oh yeah, the murky water of the weekend has cleared up nicely. Good and green.
As last week, I was on a crappie quest. No other species were harmed in the compiling of this report. I did sorelip a couple of wipers and a small walleye but allowed them an early escape.
Part of my plan today was to break in a newly built 7 weight flyrod. First time I have toted a fairy wand on my tube for a while. Strung it up with a WF sink tip line. Figured that would work about right for presenting flies in the 5-8 foot crappie zone. And I figured right.
Started out prospecting with my high-low hanger shot rig...with a white jig on the bottom and a blue/clear sparkle on the top. Threw 1/16 oz. tube jigs on the second rod...in the same colors. Had my first footlong crappie on the blue hangershot within five minutes of beginning fishing right outside the marina.
Moved around trying different depths and presentations...finding a crappie here and a crappie there. No schools. But enough that I could have had a limit in less than an hour. Only kept a few and kept trying to find a good area to flex the flyrod. Kept catching a good mix of 12, 13 and 14 inchers. There were a few darker males mixed in so it looks like they will get serious about spawning soon.
About 9 am I had kept 8 crappies and they were hitting with enough regularity that I put up the plastics and brung out the feathers. Game on. Man, that sink tip and a tandem hot-head fly rig really got some attention. I tried both stripping after the sink and slowly kick-dragging. Both worked. Got another grundle of slabs.
About 10ish my left knee started complaining and I had caught plenty of crappies to properly train my new rod. Had ten in the basket and cruised in to the ramp.
The lake was still calm, with only a light ripple. Hope everybody caught plenty of fish. And hope the incoming weather system does more good than harm.
[/#0000ff]
[signature]
I launched about 6:45...after several boats had already hit the high seas. Air temp 45...10 degrees warmer than last Monday. Water temp started at 56 (3 degrees warmer than last week) and rose to almost 58 by late am departure. Oh yeah, the murky water of the weekend has cleared up nicely. Good and green.
As last week, I was on a crappie quest. No other species were harmed in the compiling of this report. I did sorelip a couple of wipers and a small walleye but allowed them an early escape.
Part of my plan today was to break in a newly built 7 weight flyrod. First time I have toted a fairy wand on my tube for a while. Strung it up with a WF sink tip line. Figured that would work about right for presenting flies in the 5-8 foot crappie zone. And I figured right.
Started out prospecting with my high-low hanger shot rig...with a white jig on the bottom and a blue/clear sparkle on the top. Threw 1/16 oz. tube jigs on the second rod...in the same colors. Had my first footlong crappie on the blue hangershot within five minutes of beginning fishing right outside the marina.
Moved around trying different depths and presentations...finding a crappie here and a crappie there. No schools. But enough that I could have had a limit in less than an hour. Only kept a few and kept trying to find a good area to flex the flyrod. Kept catching a good mix of 12, 13 and 14 inchers. There were a few darker males mixed in so it looks like they will get serious about spawning soon.
About 9 am I had kept 8 crappies and they were hitting with enough regularity that I put up the plastics and brung out the feathers. Game on. Man, that sink tip and a tandem hot-head fly rig really got some attention. I tried both stripping after the sink and slowly kick-dragging. Both worked. Got another grundle of slabs.
About 10ish my left knee started complaining and I had caught plenty of crappies to properly train my new rod. Had ten in the basket and cruised in to the ramp.
The lake was still calm, with only a light ripple. Hope everybody caught plenty of fish. And hope the incoming weather system does more good than harm.
[/#0000ff]
[signature]