Outdoors report: Table Rock Lake has produced some great bass fishing in the last week

Here is the fishing and hunting report for lakes and reservoirs in the Kansas City area and regionally around Kansas and Missouri for January 15, 2019.

FISHING

Missouri

BULL SHOALS: 49 degrees, dingy to clear, 6 feet high Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: Fishing is fair. Look for birds, loons and gulls actively feeding to find the shad at the surface. They’ll be at the top down to 70 feet. Tops of trees are holding shad 40 to 60 feet down halfway back into major creeks. Finding shad is key! The shad seem to be breaking up in the tributaries and hollows. Look for big groups of shad on your graph. No wind or sun, go deep on drop shots, rapala ice jigs, spoons, or damiki rigs. Bushes are still holding fish. Cranking on cloudy days is good, but also try jigs on ledge transitions. Wind will help rock crawler/wiggle wart bite if you are a banks beater you need to stay in the wind on steeper banks with big rock or ledges. Jerkbait is fooling a few. Crappie are showing up in brush piles that are around shad. Del Colvin also does a video fishing report on YouTube: Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: The White has fished well. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. 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 combination is a cerise high water San Juan worm with an egg pattern suspended below it). Use long leaders and plenty of weight to get your flies down.

TANEYCOMO: 53 degrees, clear, 15,000 CFS Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: big generation expected to continue after large rain. Fishing was tough over the weekend because the upper lake was still feeling the affects of Friday night’s rain. There’s only really one thing you must do to catch a trout now and that is to be on the bottom. That’s where the fish are holding up, along with eddies near the bank. Big browns have been caught in the last week. Crankbaits and scuds have caught numerous fish. Whether you’re fishing a gray scud, cerise San Juan worm, a stick bait, a Bomber crankbait, night crawler, minnow or PowerBait, get it on the bottom and drift away.

NORFORK: 51 degrees, stained, 6 feet high Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: crappie are still biting the best of all species. The back of creeks are the best spot to find them right now vertically jigging the ¼ oz Bink’s spoon. Same method is working well for multi-species 28 feet down in the brush piles. Stripers are at 35-55 feet deep back in the creeks. They are biting Bink’s 1oz spoons. Bass bite has been on lately as well 35 feet down.

LONGVIEW: upper 30s/low 40s, dingy, normal Outlook: Longview Marina reports: Crappie have picked up recently around the marina. Folks are limiting out on 8-10 inch crappie using black and silver colored jigs 20 feet down. Fishing hours are 8am-12:30pm 7 days a week. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group for daily updates.

POMME DE TERRE: 41 degrees, clear, 11 feet high (2800 CFS) Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: crappie have been hammering over brush piles on jigs and minnows. Bass are being caught frequently on A-rigs. All other species slow.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 45 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: fish are on the winter pattern. Things have been slow recently. Crappie are 15 feet deep over brush. Jerkbait bite for bass will start picking up soon.

JAMES A. REED: 40 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports: Trout fishing is fair using a variety of baits. All other species slow. MDC has increased the Reed Area trout stocking. This week they will be stocking Jesse James (500), Fountain Bluff (1000), Chamurie (875), and Reed Area (2000). Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

STOCKTON: 42 degrees, clear, 4.8 feet high (40 CFS) Outlook: Tandem Fly Outfitters reports: Crappie are in winter patterns and are hitting 1/16th oz jigs up to ¼ oz if it’s windy. They are deep. Walleye are on main lake points with a shooter head or ¼ oz road runner tipped with a crawler. Bass are eating whatever you like to throw. Ned rig will get numbers and jigs will get you quality on main lake and secondary point in 10-30 feet. White bass are pushing up on windy points and can be caught on 1/4oz road runner or 1/4oz rooster tail.

JACOMO: upper 30s/low 40s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: not much fishing activity lately. Crappie are fair around breaks and channels over brush piles. Look for them near brush or standing timber using minnows or jigs. Bass are hitting jerkbaits and A-rigs. All other species have been slow to fair.

BLUE SPRINGS: upper 30s/low 40s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group reports: not much fishing activity lately. Whites and wipers may pick up near the Blowhole after the rains. Bass are slow but will hit jerkbaits, A-rigs, and jigs. Crappie are slow, but can be found fishing slowly over brush near channel breaks.

TABLE ROCK: 49 degrees, clear main lake (clear to muddy rivers), 5 feet high Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: For bass, crankbaits are working 8-10 feet deep on steeper chunk rock banks and channel swings. Jigs have been effective on mixed rock and gravel points 10-25 feet deep on the main lake 8-15 feet deep in the rivers. A-rigs have been working on steeper banks and points around standing timber, the fish are suspended between 15-25 feet deep holding close to the timber. The deep bite has been good on spoons and jigging lures, most fish are 40-60 feet deep on gravel points. White Bass are fair to good and most are being caught deep in the rivers 35-50 feet down on gravel points. Most crappie are being caught on jigs and baby shad lures around brush in the rivers 15-30 feet deep.

TRUMAN: 39 degrees, stained, 4.5 feet high Outlook: Richard Bowling Guide Service reports: Lake is on the rise. Fishing is still great. Crappie are being caught on the bluffs and bluff pockets fishing 18-20 feet of water and more. Fish in the mouth of the pockets and along the bluffs. Bite is good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are biting well with the creeks running. Find them along the river channels. Catch them anchor fishing in 3-15 feet of water. Fan cast the poles using fresh cut bait.

SMITHVILLE: 34 degrees, clear, 1 foot low (500 CFS) Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: Crappie are still fair to good but having to find them around the docks. White bass have been spotty. No reports on walleye recently.

Kansas

MELVERN: 35 degrees, stained, normal (20 CFS) Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: All boat ramps accessible. Crappie are fair to good near established brush piles and along the docks on minnows and dark jigs. Smallmouth are fair lakewide on shallow crankbaits. White bass are fair on shallow crankbaits on wind blown banks. All other species poor or no reports.

CLINTON: 40 degrees, dingy, 1 foot high (500 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Good reports of crappie coming from deep water down to 30 feet over channel breaks and brush using small jigs. Very delicate bite, anglers are lowering down jigs and trying to keep them still. Boat Ramp 1 and 2 (Marina) are open in the State Park. The west ramps (#3) in the State Park are closed as is Campground 3 for repairs. Also, one of the Bloomington Ramps (#7) is open, but the docks may not be in.

PERRY: mid to upper 30s, clear, 0.3 feet low Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: Crappie are very good around the docks and moving deeper 15-25 feet down. White bass and smallies have been biting well in the last week.

COFFEY COUNTY: low 40s, clear, about normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: Fishing continues to be very slow for the few that made it out. White bass and wipers will hit if you can find them. Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475. Be sure to call ahead for lake conditions.

LA CYGNE: low 40s, clear, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: all ramps open. White bass are fair near the hot water outlet. Some wipers have been caught out over the bridge. They can be found chasing gizzard shad on the surface as well. Largemouth are slow on deep side of riprap areas and weed beds. Jerkbaits will pick up soon. Crappie are close to brush in 5-12 feet of water on jigs or minnows. Catfishing is good on cutbait. Fish feeders are off for the year. For information on the Linn County Marina boat ramps, call 913-757-6633.

POMONA: 36 degrees, stained, 0.8 feet low (15 CFS Tues) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Fish feeders are off. Crappie are good with some nice fish caught especially around the rock quarry, the heated docks and along Dragoon. Best baits are dark jigs and/or minnows. All other species slow.

MILFORD: 37 degrees, stained, 2.7 feet low (2000 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Channel catfish fair on cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Blue catfish fair on fresh cut bait. Target wind blown flats. Crappie fair 10-20 feet deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows. Walleye good near rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs. White bass and wipers are fair on jigs in the river on the north end of the reservoir.

HILLSDALE: 30 degrees, stained, 1.3 feet high Outlook: KDWPT reports: Crappie are fair in brush piles or near the heated marina dock using minnows and jigs about 20-25 feet down. Walleye are slow but some have been found on shallow rocky points and adjacent mud flats. White bass are slow to fair on windblown points. Bass are moving deeper and slow plastic baits are the best tactic.

GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): low to mid 30s, stained, 1 foot low (700 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: The area west of the Cawker City causeway is nearly 100% ice covered as of Thursday, December 19th, but the ice is only 1-2 inches thick. Ice formation has begun in many of the coves around the reservoir. The two boat ramps in the state park are still open (Marina and Osage), but Boller Point is iced in and not usable to launch boats at this time. Crappie are fair and can be caught from the bank around Granite Creek, Osage Cove, Marina Cove, and the south bluffs. Walleye are fair to good in 5-10 feet of water early and late in the day near Walnut Creek, along the dam, and off the north shore points along the state park. Smallmouth fishing has been great around the state park area and along the dam. In addition, anglers should be able to find these guys in Osage Cove, Walnut Creek, Granite Creek, Mill Creek, and Schoen’s Cove. White bass are outstanding and being caught on the lower end of the reservoir around the dam and state park area as well as the Walnut Creek area. Good numbers of 15 to 17 inch fish with 4-10 pound wipers mixed in.

TUTTLE CREEK: 32 degrees, clear, 3.2 feet low (1500 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: All species are considered slow other than blue cats. Willow Lake has been stocked with 2,670 trout so far this year.

EL DORADO: mid to upper 30s, stained, 0.65 feet high (256 CFS) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: All boat ramps usable. More trout stocked Dec. 19. Trout fishing has been very good on traditional trout baits such as PowerBait, cheese, spinners, spoons, and small jigs and flies. Crappie are fair and being found in flooded timber and brush piles on minnows and jigs. Wipers are fair vertically fishing jigs along roads, points, breaks, or other fish holding structure. White bass are slow to fair on main lake points and windy shorelines on curly tailed grubs or inline spinners. Blue cats are fair on fresh cut bait on windy points and shorelines.

HUNTING

Missouri

North and Middle Zone now closed for ducks.

South Zone - 10 Mile Pond CA: Last report 1/9, roughly 42,900 ducks were observed including 45,900 mallards. Week prior to 1/9, 20 hunters harvested 31 ducks for an average of 1.55 ducks per hunter.

Kansas

MARAIS DES CYGNES: Last report 1/14: less than 5,000 ducks. 3,000 white-fronted geese. Note: White-fronted goose season is CLOSED until Jan 25th. Weekend (Sat 1/11 and Sun 1/12): 147 ducks / 70 hunters = 2.1 success. Season: 4,053 ducks/3,041 hunters = 1.3 success. Season goose harvest: 44 dark geese, 2 snow geese.

NEOSHO: Last report 1/13: 15,000 ducks, mainly Mallards. 2,500 White-fronts, 1000 Canada Geese and 10,000 Snow Geese. 10% ice cover. Regular Season 2019 - Hunters are averaging 1.85 BPH through 1.5.2020.

MELVERN: Last report 1/6: 3 Duck Marsh - Both units are pumped, approx. 40 Mallards and 60 Canada geese were observed; Willow Marsh - North and South units are partially pumped. Approx. 30 Mallards were observed; Sundance Marsh - This unit is pumped, no waterfowl were observed; Lowman’s Cove - All units are completely full. 3 Canada geese were observed; Shoveler Slough - Approx. 40 Mallards were observed; Refuge - There were approx. 200 ducks observed. 0 ice cover.

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.