# Wingfoot



## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

Wingfoot is too low to launch, in case anyone has plans to go there.
Going down another 3 feet. They need to make a repair on the repair.
Quick fix once the water is low enough.
Should be good to go come ice-out. Hope so.
Good time to go and flirt with all the Big Fat Girls.


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Thanks for posting. Hope it does get back up to normal before ice. Sure seems like the low level seriously impacted ice fishing last season.


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

Yes, very much so-and destined to be another repeat this year. I was out Saturday with ugrandson, water very low and getting lower, windy as usual! Fishing stank, gs walked shoreline collecting bobbers and rusted lures/rigs! Lots of “treasures” to hold his interest! The only bright spot! As a side note, the squirrel population is “Phenomenal” out there! They should hold one of those “Special Events”(kids) and thin the herd a bit! 😊


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

c. j. stone said:


> Yes, very much so-and destined to be another repeat this year. I was out Saturday with ugrandson, water very low and getting lower, windy as usual! Fishing stank, gs walked shoreline collecting bobbers and rusted lures/rigs! Lots of “treasures” to hold his interest! The only bright spot! As a side note, the squirrel population is “Phenomenal” out there! They should hold one of those “Special Events”(kids) and thin the herd a bit! 😊


Gonna go a lot lower. They'll have those ice fish all corralled up for you guys.


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

Say..... If they want 10 ft. of water. Only a small area for them.
That would be the 15ft section, with full pool. You're only talking
a few acres.


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

REEL GRIP said:


> Say..... If they want 10 ft. of water. Only a small area for them.
> That would be the 15ft section, with full pool. You're only talking
> a few acres.


Yep, you should literally be able to “walk on the fishes backs”! However, I continue to read, and hear guys(usually ice fishers) say they’ve “Found” 20 and 20+ fow at Wft. I had a lake biologist make(what seems to still be the ‘Wft Lake Fishing Map’ available in the Wft Div 3 Watercraft Offices) while working for Goodyear 25-30 yrs ago. Took him abt a week of 8/ hr days, and admittedly, not even close to what is available in detail w/ contures, etc on other lake maps. But, there were no 20+ depths shown! Lots of 12’s, one small area w/15‘! I’ve fished Wft for over 50 yrs, off and on, “Reel Grip“ also very familiar!, and apparently he’s never found that deep. If there’s deeper than 15’, would appreciate a “screenshot“ of the Map showing approx. where it is. Maybe an “anomaly” found poking a hole in the ice exactly where there is an “underground spring”? Or possibly the area near the hangar shore where It “supposedly“ was dredged for some “sonar testing“ for the USN by Goodyear Aerospace way back when?


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

Never seen anything deeper than 15, but that don't mean it ain't there.
Except in the hole over by the hanger, tucked behind tire reef. It's 25 or so.
You have to go all the way around that island to get in there. HUGE Catfish in that hole.
You have 3 ft of water everywhere, then boom, 25 ft. Obviously dug by Goodyear, years ago
for who-knows-what. Looks like there may have been some sort of loading platform at one time.
Deepest area is out just east of that White Boy.
Long walk on the ice for Senior Citizens to the Boy, and over a mile to the hole.
Better to park on Mishler Rd. (there is a small pull-off going north) and you could hit the Boy
with a 7 iron from there.


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

No 20 or 20+ fow areas in the main lake. There is the one as noted at the floating shed west of the hanger behind the tire reef. There are two 16.5 fow and one 17 fow areas in the general vicinity of the two white aerator buoys, all relatively small. No anomalies from underground springs, just the lowest spots in the typical slightly sloping bottom there.


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

Years ago, a fisherman kept a boat at Copelands Bait Shop on Waterloo. This guy regularly caught limits of large, “Erie-sized“ walleye out of Wingfoot. Mrs. Copeland had pictures of some of his stringers under her glass countertop and told me about the guy and his fishing accomplishments! He was one her good friends and one of her best customers. She told me he had a “25 ft deep spot“ that was a cold spring under the lake(she said it was somewhere in the “middle“) but she didn’t know where. People who knew of him would follow him around and he would travel around away from his “spot” to throw them off! Perhaps someone on here knew, or heard abt this person??
Qualifier-Wingfoot was regularly stocked with walleye “fingerlings” for perhaps 15-20 years in the 70’s, thru 80’s(not sure anymore abt “exact“ years?) by the Goodyear Hunting&Fishing Club and also by Goodyear T&R. It was not unusual to catch walleye there back then. I personally caught many 16-18” “eaters”, 5# was my PB.


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

Looks like some new floating docks goin in the far east end of Wingfoot.








It will be interesting to see if they dredge out the ramp. Don't need a dock,
if you can't launch a boat.


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

Gots to be pretty high n dry over that way and going to get worse soon! Likely put those in at ice out/Spring time when lake is back up. Great place to launch a yak!


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I have launched my 14' boat over there. It's shallow, but doable.


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

There is about a foot or so of water.
With I still had my roll-off trailer.
Hasn't dropped much last few days. Hope it's enough.


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Anybody been out there recently? Have they let it start to refill yet? If not, any info on progress?


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

Still dropping slowly. Not quite as low as is was last time.
Haven't made repair yet, but I don't think it will be long.
I see Duck Hunters launching small boats, into about a foot or less of water.


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

REEL GRIP said:


> Still dropping slowly. Not quite as low as is was last time.
> Haven't made repair yet, but I don't think it will be long.
> I see Duck Hunters launching small boats, into about a foot or less of water.


Thanks. Not a good portent for ice season though. Was hoping the 2” of rain we got Friday was going to be a helpful boost to the level getting back to normal.


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

As soon as they patch the leak, it will start back up.
I often wonder where water comes into WF.


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Any updates on the dam repairs?


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

I haven't heard, but I notice the water is up about 5-6 in. Could be
from the rain. I was told it is an easy fix, once the water level is right.
Maybe they are done, I don't know.
I gotta go to their office on Monday, to see about our Swap Meet permit.
I'll see what I can find out.


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## sonar (Mar 20, 2005)

c. j. stone said:


> Years ago, a fisherman kept a boat at Copelands Bait Shop on Waterloo. This guy regularly caught limits of large, “Erie-sized“ walleye out of Wingfoot. Mrs. Copeland had pictures of some of his stringers under her glass countertop and told me about the guy and his fishing accomplishments! He was one her good friends and one of her best customers. She told me he had a “25 ft deep spot“ that was a cold spring under the lake(she said it was somewhere in the “middle“) but she didn’t know where. People who knew of him would follow him around and he would travel around away from his “spot” to throw them off! Perhaps someone on here knew, or heard abt this person??
> Qualifier-Wingfoot was regularly stocked with walleye “fingerlings” for perhaps 15-20 years in the 70’s, thru 80’s(not sure anymore abt “exact“ years?) by the Goodyear Hunting&Fishing Club and also by Goodyear T&R. It was not unusual to catch walleye there back then. I personally caught many 16-18” “eaters”, 5# was my PB.


CJ.. That "Ol Guy" was Max.. And He kept a rowboat a Copeland's & also had an another boat at Mogadore back in the 80's.. He was a Character to say the Least...! I remember one of his best quotes..."These GD walleyes,, keep F n up my Crappy fishin..!!!" He only used oars... & He trolled ,using cane poles , rayon line ,3/8 oz sinkers ,& cp swing spinners with worms or Minnie's for his catches of walleyes.. There was also another guy Craig,who also kept a boat on Copeland's,& I fished with Him,a lot back then..& He had lots of pictures of bass - walleyes,in Marie's bait shop too ..


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

Vince, I don’t think it was either of them(but so long ago who knows?), and I'm sure plenty of ”old timers” had their “hot spots”. This guy wasn’t “old” and he always fished alone(according to Mrs. Copeland). And seems like he only fished for walleye.


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

nixmkt said:


> Thanks for posting. Hope it does get back up to normal before ice. Sure seems like the low level seriously impacted ice fishing last season.


I suppose you’re referring only to ice fishing, but in any case, having two years in a row with lower than normal water levels during the Spring spawning season(IMO) can only negatively impact the fishing of any lake long term-esp a smaller lake like Wft. Just when it seemed to be turning around in size and numbers of panfish, dam repairs are happening! My observations are that Wingfoot “today“ is sadly only a figment of the very good fishing lake it used to be(not withstanding it’s still a fair bass lake and only that due to most bassers typically practicing catch & release)! Catfishing is also very good and only to the extent that the DNR stocks catfish very heavily in all the lakes they manage. I don’t catfish, or bass fish, so I might be a bit bias in my observations.


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Was referring only to ice fishing since have only been ice fishing there the last few years. Good news though is the latest repairs are completed (per Dist. 3) and the water level is already much higher than last ice season and likely will be back to normal before or by spring.


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

That’s good news for sure. Last Spring when the crappie should have been in at my spots, the spots were just not viable(high and dry to an inch or two). I caught a few “hangers-on” a bit farther out but most were immature smalls. Thank goodness my son had good intel at Mogadore and saved the season.


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## sonar (Mar 20, 2005)

c. j. stone said:


> Vince, I don’t think it was either of them(but so long ago who knows?), and I'm sure plenty of ”old timers” had their “hot spots”. This guy wasn’t “old” and he always fished alone(according to Mrs. Copeland). And seems like he only fished for walleye.


Charlie.. if we're talking about the 80's & early 90's..?
That's probably Craig... Marie called him Mac.. He's a year older than me..


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## Cull'in (Nov 21, 2005)

REEL GRIP said:


> Wingfoot is too low to launch, in case anyone has plans to go there.
> Going down another 3 feet. They need to make a repair on the repair.
> Quick fix once the water is low enough.
> Should be good to go come ice-out. Hope so.
> Good time to go and flirt with all the Big Fat Girls.


Now you and I both know there arent any big girls left in there...😁😉


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## REEL GRIP (Jan 11, 2013)

I don't have a clue what you you are talkin about.
We'll talk more at the Swap Meet.
See Ya there.


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