Wilhelm Choices

Troll small (4"ish) medium to deep diving wobbling style lures using 8 to 10 pound test line 40 to 50 feet behind your boat at a speed of 1 to 2 mile an hour.

You'll cover more water and increase your chances to catch both walleye and crappy.

As for Musky, no doubt the deeper water, at William, has warmed to the point of sending Mr Toothy to the heavy weeds looking for cooler water with higher oxygen content.

I would think before sun up or after sun down, would increase chances of getting a Tiger in your boat, lobbing musky lures near the shoreline.

Wilhelm as you probably know, sucks when it comes to structure and water depths rarely exceed 15 feet and when it does, doesn't last long. Exception to that rule will be found near the dam (18+ ft) but again, doesn't last.

Just as with any other body of water, there will be those anglers that know where and when to find the fish. Also, there will be those anglers who catch fish while the guy along side catches nothing.

As for me...... stupid fish.

Good times and tight lines.

fallschirmjaeger
What would you do on a balmy August Saturday if you were in my shoes?

Drink beer...lol

Never had much luck pulling "Tots" at Wilhelm or Pymy and I've been buying the things since the first day they hit the shelves at Fergies many, many, tooo many moon ago. Heck,🤔 I still have the first one I bought.

I haven't fished Wilhelm since May of 18 but when I did, my go to lures were "Shad" style. in silver/black.

To assure I was at the depth I wanted to be, (line out controlled)vI set my troll speed in deeper water then worked my way toward shallow water keeping an eye on the depth finder. When the lure bumped bottom at my desired depth I'd head back out to deeper water where the bait would be about a foot or two from the bottom.

Get to know the action of your rod tip when you know there is no fish cause a change in the action means ya hooked maybe a fish or lump of weed. If the rod goes over board, ya hooked a sunken ship or sumpthin. That sucks.

Mind too, lighter line lets a lure dive deeper then when using tow rope.

Good times and tight lines annnnnd, it don't count if their ain't no pics.

I have done well on crappies, walleye and nice sized bass many trips by trolling hot n tots at Wilhelm. Go for it! GL. 

Trolling on Willie now. 3 smallish crappie so far with 2 being black and a better one being white....

Super to hear you had a good day on the lake and did get 'some' fish. ummm, not that I'm askin for "spotburn" or nothin like that but could maybe you hint, where ya was fishin....... so I don't waste my time going there. 😝 just kidding of course, enjoyed your report.🍻

As for Pike being stocked, careful what ya wish for. When Wilhelm first opened it was not difficult to catch those toothy critters most anytime any day. Problem was, not many over "hammer handle" size.

Yummy tasting fish if ya know how to fillet them. Which is a problem with controlling the critters by fishing. Very few anglers fish for em.

Anyways, your post got me thinkin, Wilhelm sounds like a place to visit next week to try out my new marine starting battery.👍