Fishing and hunting report for Nov. 17

FISHING

Missouri

BULL SHOALS: High 60s, clear, 5 feet low. Outlook: Guide Del Colvin reports: Black bass good early on topwater lures off points and fair throughout the day on spoons and drop-shot rigs in 20 feet of water in mouths of creeks. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: No wadeable water. Trout good near Wildcat Shoals (but otherwise spotty) on olive wooly buggers, prince nymphs, Y2Ks, pheasant tails, San Juan worms and midges. Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective. For big trout, try large, articulated streamers near the banks with heavy, sink-tip line.

TANEYCOMO: 40s, very clear, one or two units in use late afternoons. Outlook: River Run Outfitters reports: Best time to fish is midmorning and afternoons or night, when generation is low or constant. Best stretch has been from the base of Table Rock Dam to Fall Creek. Trout good on ruby 2, primrose & pearl, and baby ruby flies with a bloodworm dropper.

NORFORK: 67 degrees, clearing, normal. Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: Lake is in final stages of turning over. Walleyes, stripers and black bass good in 30 to 50 feet of water on main-lake flats on jigging spoons; crappies good on jigs and minnows 40 feet down over brush piles.

LONGVIEW: 60 degrees, 38-inch water clarity, normal. Outlook: Longview Marina reports: bass and crappies fair (but small); all other species slow.

POMME DE TERRE: 63 degrees, cloudy, 1 1/2 foot high. Outlook: Muskie Guide Service reports: Black bass fair (but small) in shallow water on crankbaits and Rooster Tails; walleyes fair in shallow water on jerk baits; white bass fair in shallow water on rooster tails; crappies fair (but small) in 13 to 15 feet of water over brush piles; muskies fair on Glide baits and crankbaits in the shallows.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 62 degrees, stained, 1 foot low. Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: Black bass good on jigs, shaky heads and topwater baits in shallow water around docks; crappies good on jigs and minnows over shallow brush on the main lake; catfish excellent on cut bait in 50 feet of water near shad; white bass spotty off windy points.

REED AREA: 59 degrees, clear, full pool. Outlook: Department of Conservation reports: No report; area closed for managed deer hunt; area will reopen to anglers Saturday.

STOCKTON: 61 degrees, normal, 4 feet low. Outlook: Stockton Lake Guide Service reports: Crappies good on jigs and minnows in 12 to 18 feet of water near bluffs and channel drops; black bass fair to good on square-billed crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps in 3 to 8 feet of water in creeks and coves.

JACOMO: Low 60s, clear, normal. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: Channel catfish fair on shiners near the dam; bluegills very good on waxworms in rocky areas and good on crickets near the docks; crappies good on minnows around the docks — early and late is best; white bass very good on minnows and spoons in coves; black bass fair on minnows near structure.

BLUE SPRINGS: 60 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: Channel catfish poor to fair on cut bait and nightcrawlers; hybrids good on shad trolled near the dam; bluegills very good on waxworms; crappies very good (but small) on minnows near the docks early and late; black bass fair in the trees using shiners.

TABLE ROCK: 60s, dingy, 4 feet low. Outlook: White River Lodge reports: Black bass and white bass excellent from Point 15 up the White River to Eagle Rock and from Point 11 up the James River on white,  1/2 -ounce jigging spoons as deep as 70 feet; main lake fishing is poor.

TRUMAN: Mid-60s, clearing, normal. Outlook: Guide Bob Bates reports: White bass fairly good on Pop-Rs and Rooster Tails on shallow banks and off windy points; hybrids good on topwater buzz baits and over shallow humps near wind-blown banks; crappies spotty on  1/4 -ounce Swarm jigs in 16 to 20 feet of water near bluffs.

SMITHVILLE: 64 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: Catfish good on minnows, cut bait and dip baits in 10 feet of water in coves and cuts and on the flats; black bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits; crappies good on minnows in brush piles in 10 feet of water in back of coves; white bass good on pepper spoons where fish are surfacing and good on Rat-L-Traps and square-billed crankbaits off windy main-lake points.

Kansas

SHAWNEE MISSION PARK: 55 degrees, murky. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: Trout fair to good on variety of baits; crappies and panfish poor on jigs and worms after noon; catfish fair in the evenings lakewide on dip baits and liver; bass and wipers poor to fair mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

KILL CREEK PARK: 54 degrees, murky. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: Trout fair on variety of artificial baits; panfish fair on worms; crappies fair in deeper water on artificial baits; bass fair to good late on topwater baits; catfish fair on dip baits and livers off shore lines and along dam.

COFFEY COUNTY: Low 60s, clear, normal. Outlook: Coffey County reports: Smallmouth bass fair to good; catfish poor to fair (a 45-pound and a 36-pound flathead were caught this week); all other other species slow.

MELVERN: 59 degrees, clear, 1 foot high. Outlook: Melvern Marina reports: Smallmouth bass and white bass good on crankbaits over river channel and near dam; crappies good early on jigs and minnows off the docks and over brush piles in 12 to 15 feet of water; catfish fair on cut bait lakewide (a 38-inch blue catfish was caught this week).

CLINTON: 57 degrees, fairly clear, 1 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Clinton Marina reports: Crappies good on jigs off docks; catfish fair; all other species slow.

POMONA: 60 degrees, clear, 2 feet high. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks & Tourism reports: Catfish good on cut bait, dip baits and nightcrawlers; white bass and wipers fair to good on variety of baits; all other species slow.

PERRY: 59 degrees, clearing, 2 feet high. Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: Crappies very good on jigs off docks and on breaks in 8 to 18 feet of water.

MILFORD: 60 degrees, clear, 2 feet high. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: Wipers and white bass good early and late in the back of coves on Double W Shad Flutter Spoons and Bubbas.

HILLSDALE: 61 degrees, murky, normal. Outlook: Jayhawk Marina reports: Crappies fair on jigs in 6 to 10 feet of water; white bass fair; all other species slow.

LA CYGNE: Low 70s, clear, normal. Outlook: Linn County Parks reports: All species slow.

GLEN ELDER: 60s, clear, 1 foot high. Outlook: Wayne’s Sporting Goods reports: Walleyes fair on jigs and worms in 15 feet of water; white bass fair to good on spinnerbaits and Flicker Shad; wipers and stripers fair trolling.

TUTTLE CREEK: 61 degrees, clear, 4 1/2 feet high. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: All species slow. Only one boat ramp open with a dock.

WYANDOTTE: 60s, clear, full pool. Outlook: Wyandotte Boat Rental reports: Crappies fair late on minnows or jigs in 18 to 25 feet of water off main-lake points; bass good (but small) on variety of baits; white bass fair; bluegills very good on wax worms and crickets.

EL DORADO: 60s, clear, normal. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks & Tourism reports: Catfish fair in creek channels and drifting shad on flats; crappies fair on jigs and minnows in 8 to 12 feet of water near brush; walleyes fair (but spotty) on a variety of baits.

HUNTING

Missouri

BOB BROWN: 19,300 ducks, mostly mallards and pintails. Moist-soil food status good; water normal. Nov. 8-12, 185 hunters averaged 2.6 ducks apiece.

NODAWAY VALLEY: 6,850 ducks, mostly pintails. Moist-soil food status good; water normal. Nov. 8-12, 143 hunters averaged 1.1 ducks apiece.

SQUAW CREEK: 32,821 ducks, mostly mallards. 2,800 acres of wetlands; habitat conditions good.

MONTROSE: 2,265 ducks, mostly gadwalls. Moist-soil food status poor; water normal. Nov. 9-13, 69 hunters averaged 1.3 ducks apiece.

FOUR RIVERS: 33,465 ducks, mostly mallards. Moist-soil food status good; water normal. Nov. 8-12, 139 hunters averaged 1.4 ducks apiece.

SCHELL-OSAGE: 23,065 ducks, mostly gadwalls and mallards. Moist-soil food status good; water normal. Nov. 9-12, 365 hunters averaged 2.1 ducks apiece.

GRAND PASS: 50,000 ducks, mostly mallards and teal. Moist-soil food status fair to good; water normal. Nov. 8-12, 284 hunters averaged 2.1 ducks apiece.

FOUNTAIN GROVE: 23,125 ducks, mostly mallards and teal. Moist-soil food status excellent; water normal. Nov. 8-12, 332 hunters averaged 0.9 ducks apiece.

SWAN LAKE: 26,450 ducks, mostly mallards. Most units are awarded through an online draw conducted every two weeks via www.swanlakepermits.com.

Kansas

CHEYENNE BOTTOMS: 10,000 to 25,000 ducks, mostly shovelers, gadwalls and teal; 4,000 to 10,000 geese, mostly white fronts. Water levels vary. Nov. 5-9, duck hunters averaged a bit less than 2 birds apiece.

MARAIS DES CYGNES: More than 25,000 ducks, mostly teal; 100 geese. Water levels good; habitat good. Nov.12-13, 184 hunters averaged 2.1 ducks apiece.

NEOSHO: 15,000 to 20,000 ducks, mostly early migrants. Hunting conditions fair. Nov. 12-13, 49 hunters averaged 1.7 ducks apiece.

PERRY: Low numbers. Hunting conditions poor.

TUTTLE CREEK: 80 ducks. Hunting conditions poor.

MILFORD: 25 ducks. Hunting conditions poor.

QUIVIRA: 36,488 ducks, mostly pintails; 23,982 geese; 2,000 sandhill cranes. Water levels are fair to good in most hunting-zone water impoundments. Whooping cranes present; area is closed to hunting.

MELVERN: 27 ducks. Hunting conditions fair.

This story was originally published November 16, 2016 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Fishing and hunting report for Nov. 17."