](WILLARD BAY LAUNCH — Postimages)** Started out where I had some luck on my last trip…dragging fligs in water between 5-6 feet deep. Nothing on TV and nothing on the end of my line for an hour. Moved gradually out to deeper water…from 10 to 12 feet. Nada, zip, zilch. Started working my way back to shallower and ZAP…first kitty of the day on a new tandem flig rig I was trying. It had a blue back silver flig and minnow up top and an orange tiger flig and minnow on the bottom. The first fish voted for the orange tiger. ** After another half hour of zingless string I began to suspect it might be another one of “those days”. Then I found “Kitty City”. At about 9 fow I got bit…on the pink tiger single flig rig. I was just getting into the battle when the rod with the tandem rig started bouncing. I set the hook on that rod with one hand while holding the rod with the first fish in the other hand. Then I put rod #2 back in the holder while I battled the first fish into the net…depositing it on my apron. That allowed me to devote full attention to the second fish…battling it in to the net along with the first fish. A “double dip”. The second fish took the top flig of the tandem rig…the blue back silver. Three fish on three different fligs.** ** I had brought along my spiral wrap casting rod and had it rigged with a chartreuse whirly flig. I pinned on a small minnow and chucked it out to whirl and flutter while I was tidying up and rebaiting the other two rods. That third rod had barely settled in the rod holder when it went bendo. A third fish within about 10 minutes. Looked good with that purty little whirly flig in its kisser. That was at least one fish on four different lures. ** I had fairly constant action for about 2 hours. The sun had finally crawled out from behind the clouds and the water was beginning to warm a degree or so. Most bites came around the 8-9 foot depth. But my last fish…after over a half hour without a sniff…climbed on in water just a little over 4’ deep. That was just a couple of minutes before my self-imposed quitting time of 11:45. Removed the flig from his lips and sent him back to join all the others I had released. No keeping on this trip. But I betcha if a walleye had come to play it would have gone home with me. ** ** Water was cold and colored from the big blow of the night before. I usually like to plan my trips for at least two days after a warm and calm spell…to let the fish stabilize. I wouldn’t have gone fishing yet this year if I stuck with that. Always have to jump in between storms. Maybe we will get spring by August.
It was like that at Sand Hollow, too, Pat. Cooler water and disturbed fish. (See my report) At least the water there stayed clear - due no doubt to being much deeper and nearly full - reported at 75% full. Even there, no fish were shallow, despite it being nearly the spawn. Water dropped from 58 on Tuesday to 56 on Weds. But full sun had it climb back by Weds late afternoon, when I called it quits.
More wind today all over the state, and another storm, they say. Good for more water, but bad for any pattern of fishing.
Good on you Pat, lake looked pretty flat when I went by on the way home from taking my mom to the airport. Finding the little holes between the storms has been the norm so far this spring
Looks like a busy day. Very good looking channel cats. I wonder why your not getting some larger cats. 10 lbs should be in there.
I can see on your Garmin a Sean that looks like it’s snowing, is that baby shiners?
Did you notice the outside parking lot full of cars? Fishing the inlet still.
You said a few trailers in the lot could you tell where the boat were fishing?
Sorry for all the questions not much reporting from willard this spring.
Those cats looked like a great fry, nice size and fat to.
Great job Pat.
Sounds like a pretty good day considering the weather. Ya know I’ve noticed the same pattern you pointed out this year, I’ve had several trips that I have had to change the lure to catch the next fish and I have caught few fish on the same color the same day… Probably just a coincidence, but interesting you noticed the same thing… I usually stick with the same color all day, so it’s a rough pattern for me to deal with. Later J
Oh heck, you’re making me jealous. Saw the doc today and one last appointment on the 4th of May I’ll hopefully be good as new. Great trip. Enjoyed your YouTube video account.
I’m sure glad you took up video taping your adventures Pat, sure do enjoy them and they add a whole new element to your post. Those three colors of fligs, pink and orange tigers and the blue and silver, are the same ones we have been having our best success as well. I might have missed it but how deep was the water in the marina, before you got to the channel?
](BUZZ FLIGS — Postimages) ** Thanks for the info Pat, when are you planning your next trip to Willard? I’ve been meaning to order some orange tiger fligs and it can’t hurt to pick up one of each of your new buzz tail fligs. [/quote]
After another half hour of zingless string I began to suspect it might be another one of “those days”. Then I found “Kitty City”. At about 9 fow I got bit…on the pink tiger single flig rig. I was just getting into the battle when the rod with the tandem rig started bouncing. I set the hook on that rod with one hand while holding the rod with the first fish in the other hand. Then I put rod #2 back in the holder while I battled the first fish into the net…depositing it on my apron. That allowed me to devote full attention to the second fish…battling it in to the net along with the first fish. A “double dip”. The second fish took the top flig of the tandem rig…the blue back silver. Three fish on three different fligs.** 
** I had brought along my spiral wrap casting rod and had it rigged with a chartreuse whirly flig. I pinned on a small minnow and chucked it out to whirl and flutter while I was tidying up and rebaiting the other two rods. That third rod had barely settled in the rod holder when it went bendo. A third fish within about 10 minutes. Looked good with that purty little whirly flig in its kisser. That was at least one fish on four different lures. ** 
I had fairly constant action for about 2 hours. The sun had finally crawled out from behind the clouds and the water was beginning to warm a degree or so. Most bites came around the 8-9 foot depth. But my last fish…after over a half hour without a sniff…climbed on in water just a little over 4’ deep. That was just a couple of minutes before my self-imposed quitting time of 11:45. Removed the flig from his lips and sent him back to join all the others I had released. No keeping on this trip. But I betcha if a walleye had come to play it would have gone home with me. ** ** Water was cold and colored from the big blow of the night before. I usually like to plan my trips for at least two days after a warm and calm spell…to let the fish stabilize. I wouldn’t have gone fishing yet this year if I stuck with that. Always have to jump in between storms. Maybe we will get spring by August.
