Windy Day at Wildwood

UKcat · 09-02-2008, 05:07 PM

Took the family out to Wildwood for a little worm and bobber action on Saturday. Mom wanted to go someplace she could sit in her lounge chair and read a magazine, while our 11 and 12 year old boys could attempt to catch some bluegill. We decided Wildwood might be a good bet. We'd never been there and the chances were good that most folks in the Lincoln area would be tailgating on opening day for football.

We arrived about noon and happened on a nice fellow from the NGPC Fisheries Division. He directed us to the jetties on the west side, across the bridge from the camping area. Said the ramp area and fishing pier had been slow this past week and that there was hardly ever any pressure on the far side of the lake.

We made our way along the path, only to be caught up in a continuous cloud of grasshoppers.

Everywhere you stepped, dozens of the little buggers took flight. Once we arrived, we spread out and proceeded to bait up with nightcrawlers and bobbers. It was awfully windy out on that jetty, but I got the boys catching a few sunnies and bluegills, and I rigged up a baitcaster with a Senko. Caught a little 12-inch bass on the second cast, right at my feet. The boys continued to nail 3 and 4-inch sunfish and 6-inch bluegills on the protected side of the jetty, while I attempted to cast into the wind with a selection of plastics, swimbaits and lipless cranks.

No more bass came from the windy side, so after my ump-teenth wind knot having to be picked off the baitcasting reel, I decided to go catch some of those grasshoppers and join the boys for some pan fish. We had some fast and furious action with crawlers, crappie nibbles and grasshoppers under a bobber.

Altogether, we caught around 25 sunfish, 10 to 15 bluegills, and I even had a fat, 16-inch bass slam a nightcrawler. Sure did make that ol' Zebco scream and the medium-light action rod double up. He nailed it right when it hit the water and I about dropped the whole rig trying to get the drag set.

Despite the wind, it was a great day. Plenty of fish and hoppers to keep the boys interested, Mom got to relax in the sun, and I managed a nice bass, sandwiched between a dozen or so panfish. We ended it up just before 6:00 o'clock, so we timed it perfectly to have the Huskers on the radio for the drive back to Omaha.

I encourage all you serious bass fishermen to put down the expensive rigs and baits, and pick up a spincast rod with an old Zebco 33, tie on a #8 brass hook, a pinch weight and a bobber. It was a blast just to relax with the family and catch a few the way we used to. You know...when we were young and life was a whole lot simpler.

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Hookem · 09-02-2008, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UKcat

Took the family out to Wildwood for a little worm and bobber action on Saturday. It was a blast just to relax with the family and catch a few the way we used to. You know...when we were young and life was a whole lot simpler.

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Great to do that once in awhile with the kids (in my case the grandkids) and you can be assured they will remember!! Just taking them out with you and mom, spending the time together, really what is most imporant! Great you took the time to get them out!!

and yep, fun too resorting back to the days when we too enjoyed the bobber, hook and tons of little gills looking up at dad or mom and in my case..my uncle!! Good job UKcat

UKcat · 09-03-2008, 08:50 AM

Thanks, Hookem. It was a good day.

On a side note, anybody know what that big compound is just south of Wildwood. Looked kind of like a Spanish Mission. Is it a convent or monestary, or something like that?

fishon · 09-03-2008, 09:27 AM

UKcat next time you might want to give wagontrain a try. I was out with the family on Sunday and was doing the same thing catching some gills and the wind was blowing too. I cut some of the gills up to try for some cats, but ended up with a 10 or 12 inch bass it was fun. There wasn't much pressure at all.

UKcat · 09-03-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishon

next time you might want to give wagontrain a try.

Thanks, Fishon. The reason we chose Wildwood is that it is on the Omaha side of Lincoln. It was fairly easy for us to head out Hwy 92 and drop down 79 to the lake. With all the game traffic and everything else, we knew better than to try the interstate or get too close to Lincoln on Saturday.

I still want to try some of the lakes south of Lincoln. I have read plenty of reports here on the forum about good fishing down that way.

09-02-2008, 05:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
UKcat Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Northwest O Posts: 90 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Windy Day at Wildwood Took the family out to Wildwood for a little worm and bobber action on Saturday. Mom wanted to go someplace she could sit in her lounge chair and read a magazine, while our 11 and 12 year old boys could attempt to catch some bluegill. We decided Wildwood might be a good bet. We'd never been there and the chances were good that most folks in the Lincoln area would be tailgating on opening day for football. We arrived about noon and happened on a nice fellow from the NGPC Fisheries Division. He directed us to the jetties on the west side, across the bridge from the camping area. Said the ramp area and fishing pier had been slow this past week and that there was hardly ever any pressure on the far side of the lake. We made our way along the path, only to be caught up in a continuous cloud of grasshoppers. Everywhere you stepped, dozens of the little buggers took flight. Once we arrived, we spread out and proceeded to bait up with nightcrawlers and bobbers. It was awfully windy out on that jetty, but I got the boys catching a few sunnies and bluegills, and I rigged up a baitcaster with a Senko. Caught a little 12-inch bass on the second cast, right at my feet. The boys continued to nail 3 and 4-inch sunfish and 6-inch bluegills on the protected side of the jetty, while I attempted to cast into the wind with a selection of plastics, swimbaits and lipless cranks. No more bass came from the windy side, so after my ump-teenth wind knot having to be picked off the baitcasting reel, I decided to go catch some of those grasshoppers and join the boys for some pan fish. We had some fast and furious action with crawlers, crappie nibbles and grasshoppers under a bobber. Altogether, we caught around 25 sunfish, 10 to 15 bluegills, and I even had a fat, 16-inch bass slam a nightcrawler. Sure did make that ol' Zebco scream and the medium-light action rod double up. He nailed it right when it hit the water and I about dropped the whole rig trying to get the drag set. Despite the wind, it was a great day. Plenty of fish and hoppers to keep the boys interested, Mom got to relax in the sun, and I managed a nice bass, sandwiched between a dozen or so panfish. We ended it up just before 6:00 o'clock, so we timed it perfectly to have the Huskers on the radio for the drive back to Omaha. I encourage all you serious bass fishermen to put down the expensive rigs and baits, and pick up a spincast rod with an old Zebco 33, tie on a #8 brass hook, a pinch weight and a bobber. It was a blast just to relax with the family and catch a few the way we used to. You know...when we were young and life was a whole lot simpler. </IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG> __________________ UKcat My greatest fear is that when I die, my wife will sell all my fishing equipment for what I told her I paid for it.

09-03-2008, 08:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
UKcat Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Northwest O Posts: 90 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Thanks, Hookem. It was a good day. On a side note, anybody know what that big compound is just south of Wildwood. Looked kind of like a Spanish Mission. Is it a convent or monestary, or something like that? __________________ UKcat My greatest fear is that when I die, my wife will sell all my fishing equipment for what I told her I paid for it.

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09-03-2008, 09:27 AM	#4 (permalink)
fishon Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 291 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	UKcat next time you might want to give wagontrain a try. I was out with the family on Sunday and was doing the same thing catching some gills and the wind was blowing too. I cut some of the gills up to try for some cats, but ended up with a 10 or 12 inch bass it was fun. There wasn't much pressure at all.