Fishing report: Uneven weather makes for mixed results on the water
Here’s the fishing report for areas around Kansas City in Kansas and Missouri for the week of March 29.
Missouri
BULL SHOALS: low 50s, stained, normal. Outlook: K Dock Marina reports: crappie – fair to good using live minnows on top of brush piles and structure. Best colors of swimming minnows have been: pink & chartreuse, pearl and smoke/glitter. Most have found them from the 36 lake marker down to the Arkansas line. The water is a few degrees warmer down the lake. The coves near K Dock are really starting to produce some good numbers of big crappie as well. Black Bass (Large Mouth, Small Mouth & Spotted Kentucky’s) – hitting on an A-Rig, Jerk Baits and 1/2 oz or smaller jigs. Bass will start hitting the thread fin shad and searching for crawfish for protein coming out of the winter months. A Ned Rig is a great plastic to throw in the spring. Many reports of bass being caught on Wiggle Warts and Rock Crawlers in brown/tan and red craw colors in the wind. Crank them down in the 5 to 8 ft range right now. Make contact with the rocks on the high bluff sides and then slow your retrieve. Remember, these fish are still a little slow coming up from 48 degrees water! Walleye – fair trolling with small to medium crank baits. Still deep, but that should change soon. Hitting spoons off of points. White Bass – head to the Beaver Creek arm of the lake. If we get the high temps this weekend, they should be feeding there and you’ll catch them on white rooster tails or silver rattle traps. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Brothers reports: On the White, the hot spot has been Rim Shoals. There are some caddis coming off in the afternoon. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers (#8, #10), Y2Ks (#14, #12), prince nymphs (#14), zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead #16, #18), pheasant tails (#14), ruby midges (#18), root beer midges (#18), pink and cerise San Juan worms (#10), and sowbugs (#16). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective (my current favorite is a pink worm with a prince nymph (#14) suspended below it). Use weight to get your flies down.
TANEYCOMO: 44 degrees, clear, running 1200-2500 c.f.s consistently Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: fishing has been good. Berkley pink Powerworm has been the hottest bait for most anglers, drifting and fishing it under a float 5-6 feet deep from Short Creek down past Lilley’s dock. Drifting minnows or night crawlers from Fall to Short Creek and around Monkey Island has produced some nice rainbows. In the trophy area, white and white/gray 1/16th ounce jigs up closer to the dam and sculpin/ginger from Lookout to Fall Creek have worked well, with the Narrows being the hottest area by far. Use 2-pound line to throw the small jigs. Decent numbers have been caught on gray scuds under a float, but stripping a sculpin pine squirrel in the Narrows area was the best. They're also still hitting spoons - Cleos and Kastmasters. Flood gates were opened morning of 3/28 when lake level at Table Rock reached 916 feet.
NORFORK: low 50s, clear, slightly below normal. Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: stripers/hybrids – good night bite going using stick baits for first two hours after dark; white bass – good during the daytime back in the creek; bass – slow with some smaller ones being caught; crappie – good in brush within 10 feet of the bank.
LONGVIEW: 44 degrees, murky,0.6 feet high. Outlook: Longview Marina reports: crappie – excellent around the marina on jigs, both numbers and quality sizes are being caught; bass – poor; walleye – the local fisheries biologist says the males are up on the dam with the females moving in soon. Their first sampling on Tuesday night yielded 60/fish per hour, all males. A few walleye have been caught below the dam dragging a minnow on a jig head along the bottom. Trolling crankbaits along the dam, as well as casting paddletail swimbaits or jerk baits from the bank parallel to the shoreline should be productive in the coming weeks. Fishing is available around the dock during marina hours from 7am-3pm. Minnows have arrived at the marina. Special note from Tyler: If you’re a social media user, the “Lee’s Summit Area Fishing” Facebook group has an engaged membership that posts regular updates throughout the week.
POMME DE TERRE: 50 degrees, 1.5 feet of clarity, 2.7 feet high. Outlook: Muskie Guide Service reports: crappie – fair to good around the docks in deep water and off brush piles using minnows and jigs tipped with crappie nuggets; bass – good on crank baits, jerk baits, and spinner baits in shallow water, tournament over the weekend yielded several 20lb pound bags; walleye – fair on jerk baits; all other species – slow or few reports.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 46 degrees, muddy, about 5.5 feet low. Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: all species slow or no reports due to the weather.
REED AREA: 42 degrees, murky, lakes are high. Outlook: Department of Conservation reports: crappie - good before the rain on sunny days using tube jigs and minnows near brush piles; trout - good on power bait, inline spinners and small jigs on windy banks; channel catfish - good where water is flowing into lakes; bass - good at the end of last week on slow moving baits, all other species slow. Special note from Tyler: If you’re a social media user, the “Lee’s Summit Area Fishing” Facebook group has an engaged membership that posts regular fishing updates throughout the week.
STOCKTON: rivers - 54 degrees, main lake - 47 degrees, main lake – clear, rivers - muddy, about 2.6 feet high. Outlook: Stockton Lake Guide Service reports: walleye – fair on jerk baits after dark on main lake points, some fish caught from the bank along the dam; white bass – good in the rivers; largemouth – A-rigs and jerk baits on main lake points have been productive.
Special Note from Tyler: if you’re a social media user, the “Stockton Lake Fishing” Facebook group has an engaged membership which provides excellent daily updates.
JACOMO: mid to high 40s, stained, a little high Outlook: Forty Woods Bait & Tackle reports:
Fishing activity was good before the weekend but has slowed down a lot. Crappie – slow, but some caught around the dock; catfish – fair on night crawlers or cut shad; white bass – mixed in with crappie; walleye – no reports, but surveys showed the males are up along the dam and females won’t be far behind; all other species – slow or no report. Special note from Tyler: If you’re a social media user, the “Lee’s Summit Area Fishing” Facebook group has an engaged membership that posts regular fishing updates throughout the week.
BLUE SPRINGS: mid to high 40s, stained, 0.9 feet high Outlook: Forty Woods Bait & Tackle reports: crappie – fair around the dock; channel catfish – fair on nightcrawlers lake wide; hybrids – some reports around the dam trolling or throwing umbrella rigs. Special note from Tyler: If you’re a social media user, the “Lee’s Summit Area Fishing” Facebook group has an engaged membership that posts regular fishing updates throughout the week.
TABLE ROCK: low to mid 50s, main lake - stained, some river channels still murky, 0.4 feet low. Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: all bass species – good to excellent. The fish have been moving shallower. On the lower end of the lake, wiggle warts and rock crawler still working on rocky banks. The spinnerbait bite is picking up in less than 5 feet throwing parallel to the bank. Swimbait has been the most productive on windy, gravel points. The mid lake is showing similar patterns. Look for areas where it goes from rock to gravel. In the James River area, the spinnerbait has been the best bait – white and chartreuse colors. In the White River area, the swimbait has been the best bait by far. Use a ¼ oz head along gravel banks. Crappie and white bass are improving in Long Creek and the King’s on jigs and road runners. Try targeting them around standing timber and in brush piles on secondary points.
TRUMAN: 45 degrees, muddy, 2 feet high. Outlook: Truman Lake Guide Service reports: crappie – fair in the creeks, but continued fluctuating temperature is moving them in and out. The upper Grand River seems to be best currently. Spider rigging is proving very productive with minnows. Anglers using jigs are also doing well. Below the dam, the bite has been good in the dead water area in 17-22 feet of water. White bass/hybrids – haven’t turned on, but have had some reports below the dam. Spoonbill – good on the Osage arm of Truman Lake and near Talley Bend. Jeff Faulkenberry Outdoors reports: blue catfish – excellent in 10 to 12 feet of water and should be lights out in areas with where freshwater from this week’s rain is flowing in. Fresh cut shad is your best bait. Special note from Tyler: If you’re a social media user, the “Truman Lake Area Fishing” Facebook group has an engaged membership that posts regular updates throughout the week. This is a great place to find daily updates for below Truman Dam.
SMITHVILLE: 45 degrees, clear, 2 feet low. Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle: All species have been slow or no reports. Walleye still haven’t moved up.
Kansas
SHAWNEE MISSION PARK: 50 degrees, murky, normal. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: trout – fair to good using Powerbait; crappie/panfish – fair on plastic grubs; catfish – poor, but can be caught using cut bait; bass/wipers – poor, but try jigs or plastics.
KILL CREEK PARK: 47 degrees, murky, normal. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: trout – good using Powerbait; crappie/panfish – fair on small plastics; bass – poor, but worms can be productive; catfish – poor, but try cut bait.
COFFEY COUNTY: Upper 60s degrees at hot-water outlet, clear, 3 feet low. Outlook: Coffey County reports: largemouth – fair; smallmouth – slow to fair; white bass – good; wipers – slow; walleye – slow; crappie – fair; catfish species – slow to fair with more blue catfish being caught.
MELVERN: 46 degrees, visibility around 7 feet, 1.4 feet low. Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: crappie – fair and catching good numbers of 6-9" fish around the docks and in the crack by the heated dock using dark jigs and minnows on occasion. Numbers above 10" are increasing, particularly in early morning and mid-afternoon. Smallmouth - poor to fair along the shoreline and rip rap face of the dam using spoons and shallow crankbaits; white bass - fair lake wide on jigs and minnows; all other species – poor with no reports.
CLINTON: 48 degrees, clear, 0.3 feet high. Outlook: Clinton Marina reports: Crappie – fair to good on jigs and getting better in 12-14 feet around the dock. Courtesy docks at all boat ramps in Bloomington Park are in the water and ready for use.
POMONA: mid 40s, clear, 1.4 feet low. Outlook: Lighthouse Bay Marina reports: crappie –fair in the Dragoon Creek area, mostly smaller fish caught with larger ones mixed in.
PERRY: 43 degrees, stained, about 2 feet low Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: fishing activity has been slow the past few days. Crappie – were good around the marinas and off brush piles on the lake in 17 feet of water using red/chartreuse jigs before this past weekend; blue cats – getting better on the north end of the lake on shad sides; all other species – slow or no reports. Courtesy docks are available at all Corps managed boat ramps.
MILFORD: 43 degrees, clear, full pool. Outlook: Vic Oertle Guide Service reports: lake is up about 3 feet. Crappie – fair in brush from 10 to 30 feet deep on jigs, but sizes have been small; blue catfish – good numbers being caught above the town of Milford on cut bait; all other species – slow. Be aware of a new regulation for Blue Catfish in 2018: all blues between 25"-40" must be released. Creel limit is still 5, but only 1 can be 40" or longer.
HILLSDALE: 47 degrees, stained, 0.8 feet low. Outlook: Jayhawk Marina reports: crappie - fair to good numbers on jigs around docks in 15-20 feet with about 1 out of 10 being a keeper; catfish – good on shad sides or chicken livers; all other species – slow or no reports. The KDWPT is netting and milking walleye on the dock from 9-11am this week on D dock.
LA CYGNE: 58 degrees at hot water outlet, 2 feet of clarity, a little high. Outlook: Linn County Park reports: They are running water through #2. All catfish species – fair to good on cut shad or chicken liver. A blue catfish over 80 pounds was caught in the last week. Crappie – still biting about the same this past week on jigs; largemouth bass – some big fish were caught in last week and overall bite was getting better. Try in the riprap areas using crank baits, plastic worms or spinner baits. White bass/wipers – slow, but an 18” was caught in the last week.
GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): mid 40s, clear, about 1 foot low. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reports: no updated report from week to week. Activity has remained relatively the same. Crappie – fair off the river channel in 20-25 feet of water around brush piles and other natural cover using small jigs and spoons; walleye – fair along the river channel on the lower end of the reservoir and off the main lake points near Walnut Creek and along the state park shoreline using plastic swim baits and jigging raps. The walleye have also moved to the dam in preparation for the annual spawn and anglers have started fishing the dam after dark. Catches have been minimal thus far, but should pick up as the spawn progresses. Floating jerk baits should be most productive. White bass/wipers – fair, but no big numbers yet. As the spring spawn commences in mid-April, anglers will have much better success fishing for white bass along the dam and causeway and up the rivers. Currently, anglers may find some fish hanging out along the river channel on the west end and may be able to catch a few using slab spoons. Glen Elder Pond: trout – excellent in either the outlet area or in the pond using a variety of small jigs and inline spinner baits as well as salmon eggs, Powerbait, and cheese. Latest batch was stocked March 5th. Anglers fishing the park pond and the Glen Elder outlet between now and April 15 must purchase a trout stamp ($14.50) if age 16-74 and must adhere to a daily creel limit of 5 fish per day. Anglers 15 and younger may fish the park pond without a trout stamp, but the daily creel limit is 2 trout per day.
TUTTLE CREEK: 45 degrees, upper end – stained, normal. Outlook: Vic Oertle Guide Service reports: crappie – slow to fair with average sizes being caught; all other species – slow or no report.
WYANDOTTE: 48 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Wyandotte Boat Rental reports: crappie – slow; bass – catching some nice fish in deeper water; trout – scattered but still widely available in the lake; catfish – best bite is at night on liver or shad, liver, or night crawlers.
WILSON: 44 degrees, clear (10 feet), 0.2 feet high Outlook: Hines Guide Service reports: shut off again with dropping temperature; blue catfish – starting to bite in west end; all other species – slow or no report.
EL DORADO: upper 40s/low 50s, clear, 4 feet low. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks & Tourism reports: white bass/wipers - have been caught on windy points casting plastics. Wipers greater than 21 inches and white bass 15 to 16 inches have been caught! Crappie – being caught with similar methods; walleye – fair to good on the dam after sunset on crankbaits, jerk baits, and minnows with fish 26 to 28 inches reported. The spawn will be occurring for the next couple of weeks. Be aware there is a 21 inch length limit and 2/day creel limit.
Tyler Mahoney is a Rockhurst University-educated outdoors fanatic who works to support his hunting and fishing habits. Read more of his next-generation insight at mahoneyoutdoors.com.
This story was originally published March 28, 2018 at 8:40 PM with the headline "Fishing report: Uneven weather makes for mixed results on the water."