**Cherry blossom blooming as a crappie indicator is not a bad thing. But it is just a beginning. Over the years I have been fishing Willard I have established that Mothers Day is the midpoint…when crappie fishing is usually wide open.
In some of the southern states the locals watch for the locust and/or dogwood to start blooming…as the signal for buying minnows and brush dunking for “papermouths”, “specks” or “sac-a-lait”…all local monikers for crappies.
I truly believe that yesterday may have been the official crappie “kickoff” on Willard. Early morning the water temps were only 51 and the crappies were non-existent…no sonar marks, no bites, no nada. But as the water moved up past about 54 the fish seemed to start moving in from the open lake. But there were still no actual schools. Just singles and doubles here and there. Took a lot of prospecting. Many of our fish were taken by making long casts into 13-14 feet of water and counting down to middepth before reeling or slow trolling.
Just before noon there seemed to be an actual rush to the shallows. Our catch rate went up and the boats that had been fishing “Rocky’s Reef” began catching a few fish too.
Lemme know if you want some immoral support on any of your yakventures. May is also the time when those silly wipers start pretending that they are spawning. And it’s a good time to try for post spawn walleyes. Prime time for floatation fisherfolk to hone their skills upon Willard’s waters.
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I am here taking care of the world for you and wishing i was on the water with all you boys. I was thinking of going out this afternoon but with teh weather calling for wind it looks like it will be a bust. Guess I will just get back to my spring cleaning and yard work. blahhh Fishing is a hell of a lot more fun.
Way to go! That is a great looking basket of fish and it sounds like a great day on the water for and all all you talked to.
I wish I had time to venture farther than Utah lake once in a while. I enjoy the good size and numbers of kitties there, but a I would like to get a few nice crappie now and then.
Thanks for sharing! Even if it is a form of torture[;)]
Wow wish I had known - would have liked to have met a few of the BFT regulars. I fished Willard Wednesday with my son and Thursday with my brother. Same results both days - a few nice walleye early, totally turned off around 10 and started targeting wiper and got a few of those both days as well. Thought about looking for some crappie but I need to get to know Willard a bit better.
**Nice 'eye in the pic. Looks like you know that part of Willard well enough.
You might wanna get some BFT stickers to put on your boat or your car. We all look for those things and most of us are pretty good about helping a fellow BFTer with inside info.
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Got to say howdy to SotallyTober early this morning and HD7000 as I was leaving. Seems like this was BFT day up there, even if nobody posted the memo.
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It was good to see you out there, and those were some hogs for crappie in your basket! We never found the crappie but trolled up a dozen wiper and one eye. Looks like the switch has been turned to the “on” position!
**Good to meet you too. Always enjoy your reports, even if they do make me a bit jealous…jealous of your catches but not of the gas money you spend towing and running the boat. I have a tough time getting my tube up on plane to make the run across Willard.
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**Hopefully, one of the moderators will see your question and get your mailing address from you. Sometimes they are out, however. If they can’t supply any shoot me a PM with your mailing address and I will make sure you get a few.
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