Outdoors report: Some of us went fishing instead of shopping last week: the report

Here is the fishing and hunting report for lakes and reservoirs in the Kansas City area and regionally around Kansas and Missouri for December 4, 2019.

FISHING

Missouri

BULL SHOALS: 54 degrees, dingy to clear (10-15 feet) visibility, 13 feet high Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: Fishing is fair on cloudy days. Look for birds to find the shad at the surface. They’ll be at the top to 25 feet down halfway back in creeks on secondary points to all the way back into major creeks and tributaries. No wind or sun, go deep on drop shots or spoons 30-50 feet down close to main channel. Bushes are still holding fish. Try jig on ledge transitions. Wind will help spinnerbait and rock crawler/wiggle wart bite but need to stay in the wind. Crappie are showing up in brush piles. 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 the 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, heavy flow all day (spill gates open) Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: The key to catching trout right now on Taneycomo is to get your fly, lure or bait to the bottom and keep it there while drifting. Drifting scuds (freshwater shrimp) is still the best thing to fish with, even below Fall Creek. It wouldn’t hurt to use a little bigger scud with so much water running, like a #10 or #8. Gray is still the best color, but you could try brown, olive or tan. On a sunny day, try one with ultraviolet material mixed in to the dubbing.With the heavy generation, crank baits on the bottom are working again for bigger trout. For drifting anything on the bottom, go to either 3/16- or ¼-ounce bell weights. You really need to feel the weight ticking on the bottom or you won’t get bit. Night crawlers has been the best live bait below Fall Creek. The better fishing has been from Scotty’s Trout Dock down through the Branson Landing. Crappie are schooling up around the structure in front of the Landing and close to the Fish House. They can be caught on a minnow or jig under a float or casting a swimming minnow or jig. The 1/8th ounce sculpin/peach marabou jig with an orange head has been pretty hot.

NORFORK: 52 degrees, stained, 5 feet high Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: all flood gates are open to lower the lake in anticipation of spring rains. Crappie is still the best bite in the creeks over brush piles. Stripers are at 35-55 feet deep back in the creeks. They are biting Bink’s 1oz spoons.

LONGVIEW: 41 degrees, dingy, normal Outlook: Longview Marina reports: walleye have been caught frequently from the marina recently. Largemouth have been good in the last week. Crappie are good lakewide using black/pink jigs 15 feet down with some big ones caught near the marina. They’ve been better in the coves than at the marina recently. Whites are still hitting on windy banks. Fishing hours are 8am-12:30pm M-F. Marina will close Dec 23-Jan 2 for holiday. There won’t be minnows at the marina until March 2020. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group for daily updates.

POMME DE TERRE: 49 degrees, clear, 1.5 feet high (50 CFS) Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: white bass are hitting on wind blown banks. Crappie are great on jigs and minnows over brush. Shad have been in the coves in the warmer weather. All other species slow.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 52 degrees, clear, 2 feet low Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: fish are on the winter pattern. Things have been slow recently. Crappie are 18-20 feet deep in brush. Jerkbait bite for bass will start picking up soon.

JAMES A. REED: 39 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports: Trout fishing is fair using a variety of baits. Crappie are slow to fair using jigs and minnows near brush. All other species slow. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

STOCKTON: 49 degrees, clear, 1.3 feet high (40 CFS Tuesday) Outlook: Tandem Fly Outfitters reports: Crappie starting to make tradition to their winter patterns and are hitting 1/16th oz jigs up to ¼ oz if it’s windy and 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 1-30 feet. White bass are pushing up on windy points and can be caught on 1/4oz road runner or 1/4oz rooster tail. Fishing is excellent across the board. If you like to fish now is the time to be on Stockton it’s absolutely on fire!

JACOMO: upper 30s/low 40s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: Crappie are fair to good around the docks. Look for them near brush or standing timber using minnows or jigs. Fish really slow near the bottom. 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: whites and wipers have been fair to good on windblown banks. Crappie are slow to fair and can be found fishing slowly near the bottom or very close to structure.

TABLE ROCK: 54 degrees, clear (muddy in rivers), 3 feet high Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: Bass can be caught on a variety of baits and depths. Small jigs, tubes and Ned rigs are working on mixed gravel and rock points 10-20 feet deep. On windy days crankbaits and spinnerbaits are effective on steeper banks and around wood cover 5-10 feet deep. Deep fish are holding on gravel points 32-52 feet deep and can be caught on Jigging spoons. White Bass are starting to show up on gravel flats in the river arms, most are 25-35 feet deep and can be caught on jigging spoons. White crappie are good on jigs and live minnows fished around standing timber 12-18 feet deep.

TRUMAN: 42 degrees, clear, 3.1 feet high Outlook: Richard Bowling Guide Service reports: Crappie are on big time and being caught on the lower lake fishing the bluffs and the bluff pockets in 16 feet of water and more fishing 15 feet down. Jigs and minnows both working. Catfish are along the river channels and can be caught anchor fishing in 3-15 feet of water. Fan cast the poles using fresh cut bait.

SMITHVILLE: 37 degrees, clear, 0.7 feet high Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: things have been slowing down. Crappie are still good but having to find them around the docks. White bass have been good on the main lake with a walleye mixed in.

Kansas

MELVERN: 45 degrees, stained, 1.2 feet high (20 CFS) Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: All boat ramps accessible. Crappie are very good near established brush piles and along the docks on minnows and dark jigs. Smallmouth are fair lakewide on tubes and shallow crankbaits. White bass are fair on shallow crankbaits on wind blown banks. Channel cats are fair lakewide on nightcrawlers and livers. Blue catfish are fair at the west end of the lake and in the stilling basin on shad sides and entrails. Walleye are poor, but a few have been caught trolling deep crankbaits recently.

CLINTON: 43 degrees, dingy, 3.5 feet high (21 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Crappie are fair to good and should start to bunch up over channels. Anglers have been catching fish mainly using jigs and minnows over brush.

PERRY: low 40s, clear, about 5 feet high (3000 CFS) Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: Rock Creek Marina and Slough Creek boat ramp are open. Channel cats are good near the flooded shoreline. 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 to mid 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 to mid 40s, clear, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: all ramps open. White bass are fair near the hot water outlet. Largemouth are fair on deep side of riprap areas and weed beds. Jerkbaits will pick up soon. Slow moving baits are the ticket. 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. An 88 pound blue cat was caught in November. For information on the Linn County Marina boat ramps, call 913-757-6633.

POMONA: 38 degrees, stained, 2.2 feet high (15 CFS Monday) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Fish feeders are off. Catfish have really slowed down. Cutbait or prepared baits are best right now. 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. White bass/wipers have been slow.

MILFORD: 45 degrees, stained, 1.3 feet high (6000 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Channel catfish are fair on cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Blue catfish are fair on fresh cut bait. Target wind blown flats. Anglers are also targeting flooded areas around the lake for catfish. Crappie are fair to good and are 10-20 feet deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows. Walleye are good near rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs, crankbaits, or bottom bouncers. White bass and wipers are fair on jigs in the river on the north end of the reservoir.

HILLSDALE: 37 degrees, stained, 0.8 feet high (3 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Crappie are fair in brush piles using minnows and jigs about 10-25 feet down. Keeper walleye have been caught off the docks on larger jigs. White bass are good on windblown points. Channel catfish are good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): low 40s, stained, 0.4 feet high (700 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Crappie are good shallow feeding on shad and other small fish 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 with reports of many 3-4 pound smallmouth caught 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. There are good numbers of largemouth bass being caught in the state park coves, along Granite Creek, and along the south bluffs. 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: 46 degrees, clear, 8 feet high (12,000 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: Not much to report with high water. Saugeye continue to be found downstream in the River Pond. Catfish have been fair on the main lake. Willow Lake has been stocked with 2,670 trout so far this year.

WILSON: low to mid 40s, clear, 0.7 feet low Outlook: KDWPT reports: Stripers are fair caught shallow in cooling temps. Walleye are fair drifting soft plastics early and late near vegetation 4-10 feet down. Marshall Cove and the Sawhill/Duvall area are holding shallow walleye. Channel cats are good throughout the reservoir on worms and dough bait. Blue cats are best at Minooka West and Duvall to Horseshoe bend in 6-20 feet of water. White bass are fair on 1/16 oz. jigs on windblown points near Lucas.

EL DORADO: low 40s, stained, 0.1 feet low (13 CFS Monday) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: All boat ramps usable. Wipers and white bass are fair trolling or casting crank baits along windy shorelines. Blue cats are back in the river channels now. Crappie are fair near timber or brush piles on minnows and jigs. Walleye are fair trolling #9 and larger crankbaits along windblown shorelines, points, and flats.

HUNTING

Missouri

Columbia Bottom CA: On 12/2, roughly 450 ducks present. 1.25 daily average harvest per hunter in last week.

Swan Lake: On 12/1, roughly 64,000 ducks were observed including 59,600 mallards. 65000 geese also present, almost all Snows. Through 12/1, 242 hunters have harvested an average of 1.33 ducks per hunter.

Duck Creek CA: On 12/2, roughly 5800 ducks present. 105 hunters harvested 134 ducks for a 1.28 average per person in the last week.

Four Rivers CA: On 12/1, roughly 8500 ducks present. 31 hunters harvested 32 ducks in the last week.

Grand Pass CA: On 12/1, roughly 39,000 ducks present. 70 hunters harvested 115 ducks for a 1.64 average in the last week.

Mingo NWR: On 11/12, roughly 1966 Gadwalls, 5158 Mallards, 341 Mixed dabblers, 41 Mixed divers, 142 Pintails, 155 Ring-Necked ducks, 260 Shovelers, 392 Teal, and 61 Wigeon were observed.

Otter Slough CA: On 11/27, roughly 33600 ducks present. 85 hunters harvested 92 ducks for a 1.08 per hunter average.

Fountain Grove CA: On 11/18, roughly 350 Gadwalls, 31500 Mallards, 350 Pintails, 1750 Ring-Necked ducks, 350 Shovelers, and 700 Teal were observed. 103 hunters harvested 274 ducks in the last week for a 2.66 per hunter average.

Loess Bluffs NWR: On 11/18, roughly 17,000 ducks were present along with 153,000 geese.

Nodaway Valley CA: On 12/1, roughly 30800 ducks were present. 33 hunters harvested 98 ducks in the last week for a 2.97 per hunter average.

Kansas

CHEYENNE BOTTOMS: On 11/27, less than 3,000 ducks, mostly mallards. Around 250,000 geese, mostly snows, but still holding some Canadas and whitefronts. Most of the birds are staying in the refuge. For the period of 11/23-11/27, hunters have averaged 0.70 ducks per hunter.

MARAIS DES CYGNES: On 12/2, estimated 15,000-20,000 ducks. Thanksgiving holiday (Wed thru Sun): 283 ducks / 331 hunters = 0.9 success. Harvest was 80% mallards. Season: 1,812 ducks / 1,362 hunters = 1.3 success. Season geese = 13 (all Canada geese).

NEOSHO: On 12/3, 25,000-30,000 ducks, mainly Mallards. 1,000 White-fronts, 300 Canada Geese and 8,000 Snow Geese. Hunting success continues to be low Most of our birds have been here since late October and have become very “stale”, feeding mostly at night. Hunting pressure continues to be high.

PERRY: On 11/22, a few hundred ducks were observed with Goldeneyes being the main species. West River Boat Ramp/Parking area and Kyle Marsh Parking area/ramps are still inaccessible due to flood waters and siltation.

HILLSDALE: On 11/21, a large influx of waterfowl recently occurred on the Hillsdale Wildlife Area. Mallards, wood ducks, gadwalls, American Wigeon, Northern shovelers, blue-winged teal, and green-winged teal have all been surveyed. Large groups of geese with numbers in the 500’s have been seen in flight over the area. Most divers have moved on.

QUIVIRA: On 11/25, there were roughly 42,000 geese and 10,600 ducks on the area. Ducks were mixed species of mallards, northern pintail, and green-winged teal. Geese were primarily white-fronted and snows.

MELVERN: On 11/27, 3 Duck Marsh - both units pumped and about 16 mallards; Willow Marsh - North and South units are partially pumped with no waterfowl observed at the time of the survey; Sundance Marsh - This unit is pumped, no waterfowl were observed at the time of the survey; Lowman’s Cove - All units are completely full. No waterfowl were observed at the time of the survey; Shoveler Slough - No waterfowl observed at the time of the survey; Refuge - There were approximately 100 waterfowl at the time of the survey.

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.