This is my first year chasing wiper boils at Willard.
I was wondering what ends the boil season? Is it colder mornings? Or the water temp. have to drop to a certain point? I would imagine when the bait is gone, for what ever reason wiper stay deep.
Anyways I would like help from all the Willard Wanderers. Thanks
Wow nice haul… when were those harvested and were you using top water stuff?
No top water stuff. I was on the bank so I was using Kastmasters. Gets me out to the outer boils. Next year I will have a pole rigged with a Spook or popper for those closer ones.
Ok, so I’m like officially jealous. [unimpressed]
Nice stringer. When you said “chasing boils” I pictured high-power boat. So were you jogging up and down shore then?, or find some hot-spots right in front of ya? where did you fish from, and what time of day? I’m guessing dusk. Seems to be when they get busy the most!
Right place, right time - it can be on fire.
Kastmasters were what a feller and his wife used - kinda a rainbow pattern - light, spotted (see pic). I have a silver with white bucktail that I’m itching to fling out there.
Those are some nice fish - congrats on getting on the boils. You said more about the size of your bait than your fish. Did you weigh any of your catch!? Some look pretty chunky. Heard tails of 7+ lber a while back. Now THAT would be fun!
As far as boil duration - dunno. I’m sure temp - forage base - have their impact. I think now the boils are heating up now - two fold - cooler temps, thinned shad population. I’m hoping to hit it Friday. Tool around the north end. Don’t know about “chasing” anything - but who knows. Some kitties, maybe wiper if they wanna play. Still want to meet the Walleyes!!!
Tried the S. Marina the last couple times, N. Marina is calling me next I think. I think my smoker needs to kitties to keep it busy! Wipers welcome!
Thanks for the post. It’s good news! Gotta hit it!
Dang all from shore should be some good eats the cold ends the boil season.
We tried Kastmasters a few weeks back during a boil in the evening, and they didn’t want anything to do with the ones I tossed and lost snagging up. I was using a 2" silver and a silver and blue. Is this similar to what you were tossing? We ended up using 2" pearl tails with pretty good success.
You mentioned Spooks. Very good choice in the medium sizes. The larger ones get bumped a lot, but you miss a lot of hookups. I caught quite a few on spooks the last few years right before dark, and that was the most fun fishing top water I’ve ever had. I had fish slapping frantically at a spook 8 to 10 times before finally catching a hook. If you don’t use braid, set your drag loose, they’ll snap you off every single time (zing-snap, zing-snap, zing-snap). I’ve had them snap off on 25lb Power Pro with the drag set to a medium level on the take. They run off like a freight train at full speed, and it’s one heck of an adrenaline rush. Get’s the heart beating real good.
that is a killer stringer. I want to start fishing for wiper. I might go saturday, but I might just go to pine view for some muskie. congrats on the huge wipers
Went back out to the South Dike last night. Fished for Cats and did OK. My 9 year old Grandson caught his first Kitties. They were of the " cookie cutter " variety. No boils in the last two trips. Lots of boats doing stupid stuff at the south dike and free way bay area.[crazy]
Seems the action is slowing for the year.
We do good from the bank cuz we are fishing for cats but are ready for wiper boils. We keep an extra pole rigged with the “right sized lure”(same size as the shad note pic)Keep our eyes open for bait and wiper boils.
Then run to the spot. Good exercise.
We will be out again tonight. Any BFTers are welcome to come over and say hey.
I will also be out there tonight hopefully we can find some boils good luck
Hey Bryce, I thought you knew better than that. Are you gonna keep looking for boils until Willard ices up?
We had a few “late” boils this year…after a few days of weather in the 80’s that brought water temps back up to around 70…ideal wiper water. But every time the weather blows cold air for a while the surface activity shuts down. Current water temps are under 60 degrees…about what it is in April…not wiper boil water. And the next few days ain’t gonna make it any warmer.
Troll slower with brighter lures or plastics. Forget the Spooks.
Oh yeah…GOOD LUCK.
rajjah dat! i will give it my best! if there are no boils i guess i can troll around til i find some willing wipers..
Oh yeah, and don’t forget your fweinds the walleyes. November into December can be a good time for them…especially between the north marina and the north dike…over the humps and bumps.
If you don’t use braid, set your drag loose, they’ll snap you off every single time (zing-snap, zing-snap, zing-snap). I’ve had them snap off on 25lb Power Pro with the drag set to a medium level on the take. They run off like a freight train at full speed, and it’s one heck of an adrenaline rush. Get’s the heart beating real good.
Finally learned that up and landed a musky on light tackle. Now if I’m trolling planer boards - will they take the board/lure and all and go???
Only wiper I hit felt like a brick on the end of the line, and it was small by Willard standards. Same story - hooking up a Crappie after Perch. Thunk - doesn’t want to move. Fun tugs!
So TD - boils are over? Seemed like they were getting hot of late - based on reports. I’m hoping to take a run to N. Marina Fri evening - warm the last few days, though getting cool at night. Think there will be kitties or crappies hanging in the marina? Any good spots to find the eye’s at the N. end?
Still out to target fall-bass. Maybe I can get the smallies to play with a wacky rig, or a tube or two.
**Wipers have the reputation of hitting harder and putting more stress on tackle than other Utah fishies. I would have to agree with that. But I have long maintained that fish don’t break lines…fishermen do. Give the fish a chance and he will take advantage of it. You need a rod, reel (drag) and line balanced for the task at hand. Some like braid…for the instant hook setting and maximum feel. Others prefer quality mono or fluoro for the added bit of shock absorption on the strike. But it all goes out the window if you use a pool cue rod and wimpy line…or a reel only half spooled with old poor quality line…and a balky drag. **
There are no absolute rules that everybody can and will agree upon as to the proper selection of tackle and lures…and trolling speed. It is great to get suggestions from others on favorite lures, trolling speeds, holding areas, depths to troll, etc. But, since there are some indefinable differences between anglers, boats and tackle it is pretty tough to duplicate exactly what others are doing. AND…that might be wrong the next day…or even later the same day. Wipers move around and their moods and activity levels change with changing light and temperature and visibility. They can go from completely cold to wide open in minutes…for no apparent reason…except to them. They can also shut down in the middle of a major boil…never to return to the surface. Drives ya nuts.
I have never been a big fan of trolling…“washing lures”. Sometimes that is the only way you can find widely dispersed fish…and fish that are active. But on other days all you get is a long boat ride and more of an inferiority complex…especially when you see other guys filleting limits back at the fish cleaning station.
The bottom line is that on any given day there will be some active fish SOMEWHERE…and they will be susceptible to SOMETHING. The key is to always go armed with an assortment of lures in different sizes, colors and depth ratings. Use the sonar and watch the birds. The hardest part is always finding the fish. Once you find them you can start messin’ with the tackle until you get lucky.
**Boils might NOT be over. But, if you want to buy an insurance policy against finding any more I will happily take your money. Basic “rockfish” (stripers, white bass & wipers) biology tells us that they are most active within certain temperature ranges…which may differ from water to water. In Willard they are historically most active on either side of 70 degrees. We have seen the last of those water temps until late May of next year. **
With current water temps being somewhat below 60 degrees, it would take a long string of 80 to 90 degree days to get it back up over the 70 degree mark. What is the weather forecast for the next week…month…several months?
Yes, we did have some boils as recently as a couple of weeks ago…after an unseasonably warm period. That is over. Probably so are the boils.
As the nighttime temps drop, so will the water temps. When it gets between 50 to 55 you can get excited about finding some slab crappies back inside the north marina. There will also be some small schools outside…off Pelican Beach and Eagle Beach…and over the underwater ridges and humps outside the north marina. There will also be some walleyes hanging out there and if you fish jigs for crappies you can score a walleye or two. Or, if you slow troll some plastic shad-looking stuff for walleyes, you are likely to catch some big crappies too. Maybe even a “luke warm” wiper.
**Catfish will play as long as you can brave the cold to fish. I got them right up until iceup last year…in the aforementioned places outside the marina…fishing for other species or dragging minnows. Surprisingly, they hit jigs well even in cold water. **
Well your right again TD! The situation last night was in deed slower. The Cats were biting slower (missed quite a few) and the wiper stayed out till right at sundown. Even then they were not as bold as last week where they came right in close to shore and stayed close boiling for over an hour. Last night a small school came as close as 100 yards from the south bank and hung there. Only a few stragglers cooperated and got within 50 yards.(casting distance). Guess its time to start looking for a boat.
Shore fishing is great at times, but very limiting. My toon works but that is a VERY long row from either harbor..[frown]
I asked a boater who was close to the bank what the water temp was, he said 63 Deg.. Seemed like a bit warmer than I thought. I am curious what the water temp is now.
I am still hoping to get into one more good boil, so I will keep at it for another week or two. With the colder temps coming up next week, I am afraid all I will get are some nice tasting Kittes..Not so bad.
**Glad you at least got some action. Slow is better than zero. The weather for the next few days ain’t gonna help the fish activity levels but it will also help create another feeding session afterwards. Just not as aggressive or as fast. **
In past years I do fairly well through November, but not as much on lures. White tubes and shad plastics produce all species but I catch more and bigger fish on minnows…dragged on the bottom.
You are right. It is a long trip to “our” honey hole. But I still do it with fin power on my float tube. I fish it all the way down. Glad I got the electric motor for the trip back. You really should look into putting one on your ride. Adds a whole new dimension. You can still use fin power for positioning but you have a choice of oars or motor for quick spurts to different spots…or longer trips…or to fight back against the wind…or even trolling. (Yuck)
Thinking that maybe Pineview will be ready for me by the end of next week.
Sounds good on the pineveiw next week.It will be nice to float again.
Send a PM when your ready. Evenings are best due to my JOB. Yuck.
I will look into a trolling motor for next year. My toon maybe a bit light for the extra weight. With the way "some of the boaters act on Willard it may be a bit sketchy with the wakes and all. Still its worth a try.
I have long maintained that fish don’t break lines…fishermen do. Give the fish a chance and he will take advantage of it. You need a rod, reel (drag) and line balanced for the task at hand.** **
+1
Well said TubeDude. And I would add that knot quality (the right knot properly tied) is also important.
Just as TubeDude has maintained that “fish don’t break lines … fishermen do.” I have always maintained that there is no reason for breakoffs for the fish that you are targeting.
If you are curious as to more details about my ideas on how to prevent breakoffs, check out the attached document I wrote to myself recently.
“My toon maybe a bit light for the extra weight.”
Good point. Another consideration is the balance. On a shorter toon it is more difficult to add the battery and motor and then to reposition the angler so that you float level. I have seen toons where the nose was pointing skyward once the motor and battery were added. Not good.
Maybe you can win the lottery this winter and acquire a larger craft for motorized tooning. I would keep the smaller model for “normal” situations where size and weight are considerations. Plenty of spots where you don’t need anything more.
Stay in touch. I generally prefer morning fishing but on Pineview I often do better in late afternoons for crappies. Warmer too.
“And I would add that knot quality (the right knot properly tied) is also important.”
BINGO! Can’t believe I overlooked that point in my diatribe. I shake my head in wonder every time I read a post on here that includes “The fish broke off at the knot”…or something similar. I can’t believe how many otherwise savvy anglers spend a bunch of bucks on good tackle, gas up their expensive boat and then drag around high priced lures attached with shoddy knots. The fish and the lure manufacturers don’t mind but losing fish for the wrong reasons (bad knots) can sure spoil a good fishing trip. Expensive too.
Always a good idea to learn the most efficient knots…both for attaching lures and for connecting lines to leaders…especially if using braid as your main line with a fluoro or mono leader. Some of that stuff really is tough to knot together. Gotta learn the “uni knot” if you gonna do that stuff.