07-03-2008, 06:28 AM
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 2][#002850]Fished Willard with a neighbor and his grand son this evening. We launched at about 5:00 PM at the South marina and didn’t get off the lake till after sundown:30.
Water temps were 85+. The water is warming so fast that I figured that the wipers might be getting a bit lethargic. And I was right. The fishing had slowed considerably from a week ago when there were reports of 15-20 fish nights. Even though we did manage 5 walleye and 4 wipers, all but one of the wipers were very small. The one good wiper measured just under 22 inches.
[inline Brices-nice-Wiper-444.jpg]
We caught everything trolling 2.5 to 3.5 mph and used standard fare lures like Rattle Traps, Pointers, and Rapalas.
Everyone I talked to at the cleaning station was also saying how the fishing had slowed markedly since just a few nights ago but seemed to turn on a bit around 8:30-9:00 PM. One fellow at the cleaning station was a member of the Rocky Mountain Anglers and was checking stomaches. He sounded frustrated to find nothing in them.
I am of the opinion that right now, the best wiper fishing is in the mornings between 8:00 and 10:00 AM.
There were frequent single wiper tail flips regularly out in the middle but nothing close to what I would call a fishable “boil”. I suspect it will be a while yet before the shad are large enough for the wipers start boiling in earnest. Those tail flips have been going on for about a week now. A couple nights ago I tried some top-water lures for them but to no avail.
Oh, and they now have 4 buoyes out over the island.
[signature]
Water temps were 85+. The water is warming so fast that I figured that the wipers might be getting a bit lethargic. And I was right. The fishing had slowed considerably from a week ago when there were reports of 15-20 fish nights. Even though we did manage 5 walleye and 4 wipers, all but one of the wipers were very small. The one good wiper measured just under 22 inches.
[inline Brices-nice-Wiper-444.jpg]
We caught everything trolling 2.5 to 3.5 mph and used standard fare lures like Rattle Traps, Pointers, and Rapalas.
Everyone I talked to at the cleaning station was also saying how the fishing had slowed markedly since just a few nights ago but seemed to turn on a bit around 8:30-9:00 PM. One fellow at the cleaning station was a member of the Rocky Mountain Anglers and was checking stomaches. He sounded frustrated to find nothing in them.
I am of the opinion that right now, the best wiper fishing is in the mornings between 8:00 and 10:00 AM.
There were frequent single wiper tail flips regularly out in the middle but nothing close to what I would call a fishable “boil”. I suspect it will be a while yet before the shad are large enough for the wipers start boiling in earnest. Those tail flips have been going on for about a week now. A couple nights ago I tried some top-water lures for them but to no avail.
Oh, and they now have 4 buoyes out over the island.
[signature]
] This has got to one of the best walleye catching years in recent memory, not only are there a lot of them but they are big. Thanks for sharing.