Outdoors report: Fishing may be slowing down, but area woods and marshes beckon

Here is the fishing and hunting report for Kansas and Missouri for the week of November 7, 2018. Scroll down for a complete rundown of best bets for area hunting.

FISHING

Missouri

BULL SHOALS: low to mid 60s, clear, about 4.1 feet low. Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: A huge migration of shad is occurring and they can be found about halfway to three quarters of the way back of main creek arms. The bite has been good. Fish are feeding heavily with the cooling temps. Topwater has been a little slower recently. Wiggle warts, rock crawlers, and squarebills are starting to produce on steeper 45 degree banks with ledges and nasty rock. Spinnerbaits and plopper are working if there’s wind. Go to jig in 5-15 feet and spoon in 15-30 feet around bait if the sun pops up and water lays flat. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: The White has fished well. There was some wadable water in the last week. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. They are still hitting grasshoppers for some nice top water action. 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 beadhead pheasant tail nymph (#14) with a ruby midge (#18) suspended below it. Use weight to get your flies down.

TANEYCOMO: 51 degrees, clear (12 feet), 2 hours of slow generation right after dark Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: wadable water below the dam has been ample for bank fisherman. Some big browns and rainbows have been caught in the last week below the dam. Rainbows especially hug the banks with their backs out of the water sometimes, digging in the gravel to pick up a bug or two. Casting a small sow bug or scud, even a big mop worm or mega worm, and working it in and around these feeding rainbows will catch them. These trout are typically veterans, too, full of colors and larger than the young stockers just arriving on the scene. Anglers have scored big browns and rainbows stripping soft hackles and cracklebacks well below the hatchery outlets and below Rebar and the Chute (below the Missouri Department of Conservation boat ramp) where the current is still moving from the area but is slower, not calm. If there is a breeze and a chop on the surface that’s even better. You can try streamers like sculpins, Hybernators, leaches, woolly buggers and Pine Squirrels. Strip these in the bigger, deeper pools out in front of outlet #1, the pool below outlet #2 and from the Rocking Chair down to the Chute. Throwing a 1/32nd-ounce jigs with two-pound line is catching some good fish around the dock and up lake around Short Creek. Sculpin/ginger or brown/orange with a brown head best colors. If you’re using four-pound line, throw a 3/32nd-ounce jig instead. Join Southwest Missouri Area Fishing Facebook group for fishing updates from an engaged membership.

NORFORK: 65 degrees, clearing up, about 1.5 feet low. Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: Crappie are good on main lake brush piles on little jigs or spoons. Topwater baits early and late for largemouth and whites has been the best bite.

LONGVIEW: 52 degrees, murky, normal. Outlook: Longview Marina reports: fishing has been hit or miss. Crappie have been very good lately. White bass are also biting and good sizes are being caught. Fishing is available from the marina 7 days a week now. Hours are 8am-3pm at the marina through November. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group for daily updates.

POMME DE TERRE: 58 degrees, clear, a little high. Outlook: Muskie Guide Service reports: They’re running 50 cubic feet per second. Everything has been real slow the past week.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS: upper 50s, stained, 2.5 feet low. Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: not much changing. Crappie – are starting to move to brush in 10 feet. Minnows or jigs. Bass are starting to chase shad, topwater and shallow running crankbaits have been good. Bigger fish are still a little deeper for now. Spinnerbait bite has been picking up.

REED AREA: 50 degrees, clear, normal. Outlook: Missouri Department of Conservation reports: James A Reed is closed to fishing until the 9th. Trout have been stocked recently. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

STOCKTON: mid to upper 50s, clear, 4.1 feet low. Outlook: Stockton Lake Guide Service reports: walleye have been fair. Crappie have been excellent on jigs and minnows in brush piles 8-10 feet down. Also look around bluff ends and front of the bluffs. White bass are in hiding. Catfish are fair on shad sides around 10 feet. Bass are fair, try square bills in 5-7 feet of water. Join Southwest Missouri Area Fishing Facebook group for fishing updates from an engaged membership.

JACOMO: mid to upper 50s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: fishing has slowed down a bit with many anglers avoiding some of the cold and rainy weather. Crappie are being found and some walleye have been caught as well. If bass fishing, start to slow your retrieve down a bit. A big spinnerbait or swimbait retrieved slowly along windy banks can still be productive. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

BLUE SPRINGS: mid to upper 50s, stained, a little high Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group reports: not much has changed other than activity has slowed a bit. White bass and wipers continue being caught in good numbers. The blowhole has been a productive area. Largemouth bass are fair, with solid keepers being caught regularly. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

TABLE ROCK: 60 degrees, clear (7 feet), about 4.5 feet low. Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: fish are shallower now and can be found in the 10-15 feet range. Try a Ned Rig, shaky head, or finesse jig on gravel mixed with rock banks and points. Join Southwest Missouri Area Fishing Facebook group for fishing updates from an engaged membership.

TRUMAN: mid to upper 50s, muddy, about 1 foot high. Outlook: Jeff Faulkenberry’s Endless Season Guide Service reports: same as last week. Crappie are good to excellent. Some fish being caught in the creeks in 10-12 feet of water on bottom. Catfish are spotty, but fair. Look for them on creek channel ledges 15-18 feet down. White bass/hybrids – not much word in the last week. Largemouth - good using spinnerbaits. Channel catfish - fair to good on flats and channel swings about 8-11 feet down. Cut shad or prepared baits will produce fish.

SMITHVILLE: 50 degrees, clear, a little high. Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: catfish are excellent with all of the rain water coming into the lake. The backs of the creeks where the water has been flowing in should be loaded with fish. Crawlers, shrimp, or cut bait should all be good. You want current to catch fish. White bass have been very good near windy, rocky main lake points. They can be caught from the rock jettys which are easily available for bank fisherman. Road runners or small rooster tails are effective. The more wind the better. Crappie are fair, but some really nice ones have been caught recently jigging minnows or jigs around the docks.

MOZINGO LAKE: Low 50s, 1-3 feet of clarity, normal. Outlook: Fishing With Nordbye YouTube channel reports: Clarity is a little more stained. Bass have been good. They are on grass lines along banks, and near shallow standing timber. Fall patterns are in effect. They been hitting a chatterbait and spinnerbait shallow, as well as a Boyd Duckett squarebill. They are biting texas rigs and jigs as well around trees and grass. They have been hitting a Tightlines UV 4” Jig Trailer on the texas rig around trees. Crappie are good. Try fishing next to deeper trees in coves toward main lake or main lake brush piles. Most crappie are 7-8 feet down with an occasional crappie between 10-14 feet. Jigs or minnows are best. Bluegill are good. They are spread out, some shallow around grass, some deeper on points and next to trees. Best baits are worms, crickets, and panfish jigs. Join Northwest Missouri Area Fishing Facebook Group for more updates on Mozingo and more.

Kansas

Shawnee Mission Park: 48 degrees, Murky, Normal Outlook: Trout are good on worms and power bait. Crappie/panfish are fair to good on worms. Catfish are good on dough bait. Bass/wipers are fair to good on jigs or chicken liver under a bobber.

Kill Creek Park: 50 degrees, murky, normal Outlook: Trout are good on worms and power bait. Crappie/panfish are fair to good on worms. Bass are fair to good on jigs. Catfish are fair on dough bait.

COFFEY COUNTY: low 60s lake wide, at the outlet it’s 78, stained, above normal. Outlook: Coffey County reports: all species were slow in the past week. There weren’t many boats on the lake.

MELVERN: 55 degrees, stained, 2 feet high. Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: Crappie are poor with a lot of small fish caught, some keepers in and around established brush piles in Turkey Creek west of the State Park. Dark jigs and minnows are still best. Smallmouth are poor along the shoreline and rip rap face of the dam using spoons and shallow crankbaits. White bass are poor to fair lake wide on shallow crankbaits. Largemouth Bass are poor with no reports. Channel catfish are good on nightcrawlers and cut bait. Blue Catfish are good using cut bait and crappie entrails. Walleye are poor with a few shorts caught on the south side of lake near points of coves.

CLINTON: 56 degrees, stained, 0.9 feet low. Outlook: Kansas Angling Experience Guide Service reports: Not much has changed.Wipers/White Bass: good. Fish are fattening up for winter and big fish are being caught. There is an abundance of shad right now and you can often locate fish by following the seagulls and pelicans. Walleye: fair. Some Walleye & Sauger are being caught, also feeding up for winter. You may find some mixed in with Wipers and White Bass using the same baits. Crappie: fair. Fish are being caught on brush piles and channel breaks. Will not be long before they group up in brush on their winter pattern. All ramps usable. Join Northeast Kansas Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily fishing updates.

POMONA: mid 50s, stained, about 1.5 feet low. Outlook: Lighthouse Bay Marina reports: still pretty slow overall. Some crappie have been found in the last week 10 feet down. Catfish can still be productive on chicken liver or cut bait. Everything else is slow.

PERRY: mid 50s, stained up north, clear on main part of lake, 3.8 feet high. Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: crappie have been good off the rocks, have to weed through a lot of small ones. Best color has been purple/chartreuse, brown/orange, or purple/orange. Look for them 10-13 feet down. Crappie around marinas have been biting better. Blue catfish have been biting on fresh cut shad or skipjack.

MILFORD: 57 degrees, stained, 8.9 feet high Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: KDWPT last updated 10/31. Catfish are good along flooded flats on cut bait, worms, and shrimp. Crappie are fair 5-10 feet deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows; walleye are fair and scattered near flats, points or ledges using jigs, worms, and crankbaits 10-20 feet deep; white bass/wipers – fair along windy banks, humps, and points chasing shad, try jigs, spoons, jigs, crankbaits and topwater have been very good lately; smallmouth – fair near deep gravel/rock points and banks on jigs, crank baits, and topwater lures; largemouth – fair near points and deeper coves with brush/rock on jigs, crank baits, spinner baits, and topwater lures. Join Northeast Kansas Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

HILLSDALE: 50 degrees, stained, 1 foot high. Outlook: Jayhawk Marina reports: Crappie – fair on pink jigs and minnows using minnows in 6-10 feet deep; channel catfish – fair on chicken liver, worms, or stink bait on the bottom and river channels. No reports on walleye or largemouth. The fishing dock opens at 7am, kids 12 and under are free. Join Northeast Kansas Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

LA CYGNE: 78 degrees at hot water outlet, upper 50s, clear, normal. Outlook: Linn County Park reports: no updates to report. Crappie have been fair. Bass are slow and you really have to work for them.

GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): 52 degrees, clear, 1.2 feet high Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reports: KDWPT last updated 10/22. Crappie are fair. Look around flooded habitat along the banks early in the day and late in the evening. The fish will move to the deeper brush piles and other structure during the day. Fishing with minnows is best. Walleye are fair to good near the state park shoreline, especially off the main lake points, near the dam, and in Walnut Creek this time of year. Try trolling with crankbaits or vertically jigging slabs or swim baits. White bass/wipers are good along the Cawker City causeway, the upper end of Walnut Creek, near the outlet with the high releases, off the rocky banks in the state park, and off main lake points and foundations. They are very aggressive now so finding them is typically the hardest part as they will be willing to bite on just about any traditional lure. Black bass have been good. Topwater is effective, but using plastic worms, Senkos, and Ned rigs will also work well. Catfish are good nearly lake wide. Anglers should concentrate near the outlet with the current outflows and up the rivers and creeks where there is still some inflow. Shad sides, shad gizzards, chicken liver, and shrimp are all good baits to try now.

TUTTLE CREEK: 60 degrees, stained, 27.2 feet high. Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: last KDWPT online update was 10/30. The lake is very high. All fishing has been slow due to high water. Trout fishing season started on November 1st at Willow Lake, which is located in the Southeast corner of the Tuttle Creek State Park below the dam. Willow Lake was stocked with 1,350 rainbow trout on 10/30/18 and these fish should be biting now. These fish are usually caught on commercial trout baits, worms, corn or lures. Limit is 5 fish a day. Join Northeast Kansas Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

WILSON: mid 50s, stained, a little high. Outlook: Knothead’s Bait Shop reports: stripers have been good on the west end. Walleye have been good in the weeds. Channel catfish have picked up a lot in the last week.

EL DORADO: upper 50s, stained, 0.4 feet high. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks & Tourism reports: KDWPT last updated 10/12. Blue catfish fair. Creeks and areas with inflow will be a good bet using live or fresh cut bait. There is a 25 to 35-inch protective slot limit with daily creel limit of five per day with no more than two 35 inches and longer. Wipers – good. Watch for surface feeding activity in the evenings and use shad imitating lures such as jig and plastics, spoons, crankbaits, or inline spinners. Be sure to properly ID your catch as there is a 21-inch minimum length limit and 2/day creel limit on wiper. White bass – fair and same as wiper report. White Perch – slow, look along breaks or on humps using small jigs, spoons, or spinners. White crappie – good and are being found 12-15 feet deep near timber in deeper water or on brush piles on jigs or minnows. Channel catfish – fair to good drifting fresh shad on the flats is a good tactic this time of year. Liver and stink baits fished on the bottom on windy points or shorelines is also producing. Walleye – fair on medium sized crank baits (#7 and #9) trolled along breaks, windy flats, and old roads have been catching walleye. Vertically fishing slab spoons near old roads or ledges also producing.

HUNTING

Missouri

BOB BROWN CONSERVATION AREA: On 10/29/18, a total of 10,250 ducks were observed. This was made up of 710 Gadwalls, 2300 Mallards, 4900 Pintails, 2070 Teal, 150 Wigeon and other assorted species.

FOUR RIVERS CONSERVATION AREA: On 10/29/18, a total of 17,940 ducks were observed. This included 2800 Gadwalls, 4100 Mallards, 6450 Mixed dabblers, 2605 Pintails, and other assortment of species.

NODAWAY VALLEY CONSERVATION AREA: On 10/29/18, a total of 12,210 ducks were observed, including 1920 Gadwalls, 5580 Mallards, 600 Mixed dabblers, 2680 Pintails, and 1430 Teal.

GRAND PASS CONSERVATION AREA: On 10/29/18, a total of 65,400 ducks were observed, including 15600 Gadwalls, 25200 Mallards, 1000 Mixed dabblers, 1000 Mixed divers, 18400 Pintails, and 4200 Teal.

FOUNTAIN GROVE CONSERVATION AREA: On 10/29/18, a total of 33,450 ducks were observed. This was made up of 1500 Gadwalls, 15000 Mallards, 750 Mixed dabblers, 500 Mixed divers, 7500 Pintails, 500 Ring-Necked ducks, 2500 Shovelers, 5000 Teal, and 200 Wigeon.

MONTROSE CONSERVATION AREA: On 10/29/18, a total of roughly 2300 ducks was observed made up mostly of mixed dabblers.

LOESS BLUFFS CONSERVATION AREA: On 10/29/2018, a total of 23,310 ducks were observed along with 9,443 geese. A good mix of Gadwalls, Mallards, Green-Winged Teal, and Pintails were present.

Kansas

CHEYENNE BOTTOMS: Pike Lot in 3B has a lot of water on it, and is closed. Use foot crossings throughout the area unless you like filled waders. 40,000-50,000 ducks. Currently there are a good mix of shovelers, teal, pintails, gadwall, wigeon, and a lot of divers. A few mallards are starting to show up. Goose numbers have increased, around 20,000-30,000, mostly whitefronts and a few Canadas and snows. For the period of 10/29-11/2, hunters have averaged 2.94 ducks per hunter. Hunters are required to use the electronic Daily Hunt Permit system.

MARAIS DES CYGNES: 20,000 ducks. Mostly early migrants (pintail, gadwall, shoveller, teal), but perhaps 30% mallards. Teal Season: 666 teal / 341 hunters = 2.0 teal/hunter. All hunters must check-in daily using iSportsman electronic check-in from a PC, smartphone, or by phone before hunting and check out at the end of the hunt regardless of harvest

NEOSHO: 20,000 ducks; mainly Mallards and Teal. Good numbers of Gadwall, Pintail, and Wigeon. 100 Canada Geese, 350 White-fronted Geese. iSportsman (electronic daily hunt permit system) is required for all hunters. There is now a zero tolerance policy on failure to comply with iSportsman and check station requirements.

PERRY: A waterfowl survey was conducted on 10/24/18 and approximately 6,500 ducks were observed around the area. A wide variety of species were present including Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, Wood Ducks, Teal, Mallards, and a few diving ducks. Use caution when accessing Kyle Marsh’s west unit as water levels are still above normal and some areas are unable to be accessed by walk in hunters. Both East and West Kyle are full and boat access is available. They will continue to draw any units down that are above normal pool to get them down to a more desirable level. They are also pumping, and will continue to pump all week into West River and Northwest Marsh. iSportsman (electronic daily hunt permit system) is required for all hunters. There is now a zero tolerance policy on failure to comply with iSportsman and check station requirements.

TUTTLE CREEK: On 10/24/18, 30,000 ducks and 200 Canada Geese were observed in the area. Hunting conditions are good but there is a lot of deep water so be careful. A permit/survey is required to hunt the Tuttle Creek Wildlife Area.

MILFORD: On 11/1/2018, 450 ducks were observed in the area. Expected hunting success considered poor. There have been two floods back to back this fall so far. The river crested 6 feet above flood stage in early September and 1 foot above in early October. The lake is now close to 10 feet above conservation pool which has backed flood waters onto many wildlife area roads and hunters will need to use extra caution when navigating the deep water. The boat ramps on Gatesville/Lower smith and Mall creek are not usable due to the flood waters being too high.

QUIVIRA: On 11/1/18, a total of 57,064 geese were observed along with 38,098 ducks. A majority were ruddy ducks, but there were good numbers of Pintails, Green-Winged Teal, and shovelers.

MELVERN: All hunters must check-in daily using iSportsman electronic check-in from a PC, smartphone, or by phone before hunting and check out at the end of the hunt regardless of harvest

Current Mallard Migration Rank = 0 (0 = no mallards and 10 = peak migration). Observed 11/2/2018 ( 11:00 AM ): 3 Duck Marsh- Both units are pumped and full of water, 20 unknown ducks were observed; Willow Marsh- North and South units are pumped and full, 6 teal and 5 unknown large ducks were observed; Sundance Marsh- No ducks were observed at the time of this survey; Lowman’s Cove- Full of water; Shoveler Slough- LOCATION: South parking lot for this Shoveler Slough is at the intersection of W 317th St. & S Davies Rd. No ducks were observed at the time of this survey. (NOTE: Motorized boats are prohibited); Refuge- About 100 unknown ducks and 20 coots were observed; Melvern Lake Reservoir: About 5 teal and 50 coots observed around the lake itself, largely near coves around the western portion of the reservoir.

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.