I voted for Willard Bay... again

[Tin-Can]

Had WB totally to myself today from 830 a.m. to about 1230 p.m. when a big family pontoon boat snuck very quietly behind me. If it hadn't been for the driver trying to crank the big motor, I may not have even known he was there. 

Beautiful fall day, and managed to put 5 Cats in the boat, released all.   And snagged up someone's lost pole. Released it also, in the south ramp dumpster. 

[Jig-fisher]

Way to chase the skunk away Forest!  Those cats look healthy.

[lovetofish]

The Catfish must reproduce very well there. Of all the people that fish there for other species that's seems to be 90% of what gets caught.

[Tin-Can]

The Catfish must reproduce very well there. Of all the people that fish there for other species that's seems to be 90% of what gets caught.

A good general reason for that may be because Catfish will eat just about anything, and at Willard they also regularly hit slow trolled lures.   Catch rates / types of fish tend to run on a cycle at Willard. Varies due to lots of variable conditions. TubeDude can explain it better than I can.  This year the Catfish have been plentiful, and seem to be slowly increasing in size and numbers back to what was once more common at Willard.   And they are healthy, good eating fare. 

All I know for sure is, if I specifically target another species like Wiper or Walleye or Crappie, I usually get skunked.  But if I go out with the general intent to drown worms, or soak bait, or do random non species targeted lure trolling, I get skunked less often. And for at least this year, the area out around the south wall feed lot tower  has been very productive for me for Cats. 

A couple old sayings I believe in:  You don't leave fish, to find fish. And you don't mess with success.      

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Way to chase the skunk away Forest!  Those cats look healthy.

  Yea Paul, yesterday was a great day all around.  Even the smallest one yesterday ( # 4 ) had a full belly. And a couple bigger ones spit up some this years baby shad.   Been lots of dead shad floating.  Even saw several in the dirt and rocks at the marina dock ramps.

[FatBiker]

Good job Forrest. Made a run out of the north marina Monday afternoon. After a couple, three hours I'd resigned myself to my first Willard Skunk since early May. Coming back into the marina I took a quick lap. Just off the handicap pier, one rod did the happy dance. No skunk yet, but it's bound to happen. Stopped just off the ramp to reel in. Just as I picked up my second rod, a perch decided it was dinner time. He was mostly right, except it was mine and not his. Sounds like I need a farm lot run this week before the weather changes.

[TubeDude]

"Catch rates / types of fish tend to run on a cycle at Willard. Varies due to lots of variable conditions. TubeDude can explain it better than I can."

Cats in Willard have had ideal conditions for spawning,  recruitment and growth the past few years.   A large part of that is attributable to the decline in wiper numbers.  When wiper populations are up, they impact catfish in a couple of ways.  First, since wipers cannot feed on shad all year...with several months having no shad of edible size...they must eat other things.  That includes young catfish.  Lots of wipers caught in the late spring...after catfish spawn and before young shad are big enough to eat...will have one or more baby cats in their innards.  Fewer young to grow old reduces overall numbers of cats.

The other impact is the result of wipers also enjoying a meal of crawdads.  In the years before wipers were put into Willard there were a lot more cats...and a lot of larger ones.  That was because there were abundant crawdads and the cats fed heavily on them...a rich food resource.   A large number of wipers scouring the lake for any possible edibles before the shad are large enough to eat will snarf up a lot of catfish chow.  And it takes more food to make bigger fish.

Walleyes also eat crawdads when they get hungry enough.  But they do not have as much impact on catfish numbers and sizes as the wipers.

I have always enjoyed the cats from Willard...both for catching and for eating.  None better anywhere in the USA.  And I have eaten catfish all over the country.  True, most of my fishing trips are made in pursuit of "ABC"...anything but catfish.  But I usually expect to catch a few cats and will  purposely change up my gear, bait and presentations to catch them if nothing else wants to play.  I got no pride.

[Tin-Can]

Good job Forrest.  Made a run out of the north marina Monday afternoon. After a couple, three hours I'd resigned myself to my first Willard Skunk since early May. Coming back into the marina I took a quick lap. Just off the handicap pier, one rod did the happy dance. No skunk yet, but it's bound to happen. Stopped just off the ramp to reel in.  Just as I picked up my second rod, a perch decided it was dinner time. He was mostly right, except it was mine and not his. Sounds like I need a farm lot run this week before the weather changes.

 Larry,  I'm going back out to south end tomorrow. Had to do some volunteer work today. Weather looks to be getting not so good come the weekend, maybe Friday. 

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The Catfish must reproduce very well there. Of all the people that fish there for other species that's seems to be 90% of what gets caught.

See TubeDudes explanation reply.........  see I told  you he could explain it.   For me, fishing is a relaxation choice. So I don't get quite as well educated on all the details.  That's too much like work...............