# Wingfoot Thursday



## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Bite was slow, lots of lookers on the Vex. Only caught two little dink gills. Fished 10 feet straight off the main parking lot. Several shanties out scattered around. Tried ice jigs with maggots and waxies. Seems to be my pattern this year. Not sure what the problem is(maybe just me)?


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

c. j. stone said:


> Not sure what the problem is(maybe just me)?


That's the most likely.  Sorry, just couldn't resist.  More likely just not in the right spot. Was out Wed. afternoon from the main Park and was slow for me too but more because my camera doesn't work well in low light and I could hardly see with it due to the dark clouds and snow cover. But did get 25 or so and took 14 home. Couple others said they got 50 and took about half home but also said their buddies didn't get anything.


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

I was there Wed. from about 2:30 pm till 4 and caught maybe 12 and about only 6 were questionable keepers.
Talked to another guy a stones throw from where I was who had 35 keepers in about the same time frame, I have no electonics, maybe it does make the difference, oh well it's fun i like to catch and they tasted sweet!


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## ballast (Sep 15, 2011)

Eliminator said:


> I was there Wed. from about 2:30 pm till 4 and caught maybe 12 and about only 6 were questionable keepers.
> Talked to another guy a stones throw from where I was who had 35 keepers in about the same time frame, I have no electonics, maybe it does make the difference, oh well it's fun i like to catch and they tasted sweet!


electronics will double your catch, I put my personal guaranty one it. Example: when nothing on the screen I jig like crazy thumb on the bottom fish come to that crazy stuff, but they won't hit it like that. So I slow it down and give it the twitch,twitch, got um...


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

Yea lol, I'm old school. I do alright, the previous outing I caught about 35 nice chunks and 4 decent perch to boot, it was last Sunday a couple hrs. before super bowl, just sitting on a bucket jigging 2 ice rods, I like to travel light, a pocket depth finder would be about the extent of what I would like to have now and thats just for Berlin and WB, Wingfoot's just like a big bowl of water.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

nixmkt said:


> That's the most likely.  Sorry, just couldn't resist.  More likely just not in the right spot.


Yeah, what I'm thinking. Even though I live close(and probably know the lake as well as anyone), I tend to go out later in the day and since I don't have a lot of time to "hunt" for them(and not to bother others that "late"with my power auger), I usually go to a spot I've had luck previously thru the ice and wait them out! That often doesn't work out so well since under the ice they move a lot around "prime time". I caught nice gills and crappie plus a couple perch in that spot(last year) so I went straight there at 4:30 and stayed on it til 6:30 thinking they would turn on. That was the bad move. I really need to go around midday and find a few earlier and wait there for the action to pick up later. 
By the way, has anyone got into crappie there this ice season? I know I haven't!


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

Haven't seen a single crappie in 4 times out. CJ sinse you know the lake well tell me, some guy at work was telling there is a big hole near the hangar that is like 50' deep, is there any truth to this?


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Its at the floating structure in the corner of the bay off the end of the hanger but its a small area and more like 27' or 28' deep. Area around it is about 4' or 5' deep.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

nixmkt said:


> Its at the floating structure in the corner of the bay off the end of the hanger but its a small area and more like 27' or 28' deep. Area around it is about 4' or 5' deep.


That is exactly where the "deep" hole is. I heard it started out more like 60 to 100 feet deep as Goodyear Aerospace was doing some work with the Navy relative to some type sonar testing/development many years ago. Apparently the sides of the excavation have caved/silted in over the years. (It was done as a tempory installation and not maintained.) It still remains the deepest spot on the lake and for some reason, attracts crappie although I think it's simply the floating building that they relate to much the same as they would to the floating docks(with baitfish using them for cover) at a marina(ex.-the extensive marina docks at WB which is a crappie magnet very few seem to know about.) Since the tire reefs(floating and sunken) have pretty much broken apart and dispersed all over the bottom of the lake, Wingfoot desperately needs more artificial cover for the good of the fish-and fishing in general. As a member of the Engrg. Fishing Club back in the 80's,(the club location was where the Dog Park is now), every year we used to sink Xmas tree bundles a good cast off our fishing pier(concrete abutment still there near the point which looks towards the first little island). That spot was the best on the whole lake for crappie in the early Spring and for gills later as the water warmed. Those trees are not detectable anymore. As a side note , I witnessed the largest perch I ever saw anywhere(Erie included), caught(but not landed!-it came off and fell back into the lake) off that pier. That fish was easily 16-17"!


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## eyecatchum2 (Mar 30, 2010)

I have caught about 12 crappie (7 keepers) in 2 trips. Fished Fri. the 7th from 10-3:30 (left at prime time, had to get home for prior commitment) and had the most diverse mixed bag I ever caught there - gills, crappie, perch, rock bass, LM bass, and a 12" bullhead, in 12' FOW, most taken on micro jig and powerbait, did better then maggots. Threw back the bass and about half of the others - kept 17 for supper. When I left there were 4 shanties and 1 more guy walking out.

WF has not been on fire but I have always caught enough for a good meal.


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

Every time I've been on wingfoot I haven't had a problem getting on crappies in both size and number. A few days I've taken home 30+ 9.5"-12" crappies. Staying away from the crowds is a major factor I believe. And working bigger baits.. Wingfoot is my closest lake to home so I do hit it a lot and know where and what to look for... Good luck all heading out in 10 mins and meeting fish2win out there.



























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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

> . Good luck all heading out in 10 mins and meeting fish2win out there.
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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

They were going good again today!!! Not on fire but a steady pick.. Got sick of the snow and Sean had to leave so we called it quits at 245


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

I fished 1pm till 4 moved twice and only like 6 gills and a perch to show, maggots and pinmin 2' off bottom on about 7FOW out from the flagpole. What am I doing wrong?


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Eliminator said:


> I fished 1pm till 4 moved twice and only like 6 gills and a perch to show, maggots and pinmin 2' off bottom on about 7FOW out from the flagpole. What am I doing wrong?


Hey did I ever tell you my first new car was a '69 taxicab yellow Cougar Eliminator? (I think I did.) Also, I once caught a 5# walleye on a twister tail in that spot you were on. 
Anyways, back to subject, one thing you did wrong was leave before the "Magic Time" of the last hour before dark. You might try a little closer to the bottom also the perch are normally close to or on the bottom. JMTCW.


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## Fish2Win (Jan 21, 2009)

I don't believe in the magic time for wingfoot. I caught crappie all day today and I started at 6:30am and left at 2:30. I kept 16 crappie between 9.5- 11.5 and 4 good gills. Crappie came on 5 mm gold fiska with pink, pearl flake and flo green nuggies. Prolly caught a 100 fish but Erie and I drilled 75 plus holes and hopped through holes all day. We never fished in the shanties once.


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

Yes CJ I'm the one with the '70' 428 drag pak cougar, it eats well.
I have yet to catch a crappie, here's all I brought home tonight, embaressing.


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## Bantam3x (Sep 12, 2010)

Just out of curosity how hick is the ice...


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

10-12" approximately, ice was under pressure from all the snow accumilating because when you punched a hole water would erupt out of it, can't help but to think it may have effected the bite.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Eliminator said:


> Yes CJ I'm the one with the '70' 428 drag pak cougar, it eats well.
> I have yet to catch a crappie, here's all I brought home tonight, embaressing.


I had the 390 HO(345 HP). It ate tires! 
Anyhow, couple trips and you have a good meal for two. I'm no Pro, but I've had Wft. gills turn on bet. 4:30-6(the norm for me) such that I had to put one rod in the bucket. That is thru the ice, they(gills) seem to eat all day on soft water but thru the ice, it's Magic to me.


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

Fish2Win said:


> I don't believe in the magic time for wingfoot. I caught crappie all day today and I started at 6:30am and left at 2:30. I kept 16 crappie between 9.5- 11.5 and 4 good gills. Crappie came on 5 mm gold fiska with pink, pearl flake and flo green nuggies. Prolly caught a 100 fish but Erie and I drilled 75 plus holes and hopped through holes all day. We never fished in the shanties once.


We did both however get in the shanties at 1 point in time but that was to do some paperwork lol...... Last year seemed like the magic hour bite was good and daytime sucked. Well I've seen a 180 this year and I've got more crappies during day than prime time and night... I will say we both easily handled 100+ fish on the day and never used meat all plastics..... Now 2 trips ago it didn't matter what went down the hole they were hitting it!!!!


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