Outdoors report: Crappie bite very good across MO, KS lakes, plus latest on hunting

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, loons and gulls actively feeding to find the shad at the surface. They’ll be at the top down to 70 feet, halfway back in creeks into major creeks, tributaries, and hollows. No wind or sun, go deep on drop shots or spoons. Bushes are still holding fish. On cloudy days 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, two units all day Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: Spill gates were shut and turbine operation was reduced. Drifting scuds has been productive from the dam down to Short Creek. 1/16th-ounce jigs using two-pound line is working well. The black and yellow jig is producing. Smaller weights are okay with less flow, try 1/8th oz bell weights or split shots to get drift rigs down. The flow is great from Cooper Creek down for using the pink Berkley’s Power Worm under a float. Start four feet down and go deeper from there. Use four-pound line, although two-pound would get you more bites. Fly fishing using a scud under a float should work well as long as you get the scud to the bottom. Use a big enough float to float the scud and the weight needed to get it to the bottom. Fish the scud at least six- to eight-feet deep just about anywhere and go deeper if needed. If the size 12’s aren’t working, go smaller. Use gray, brown, tan, or orange scuds.

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: 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: 47 degrees, clear, 2 feet high (50 CFS) Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: crappie have been hammering over brush piles on jigs and minnows. Bass have been hitting jerkbaits and spinnerbaits. Some muskies are being caught with a 47.5 incher landed recently. Whites are still hitting as well and shad are being seen in the back of coves.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 48 degrees, clear, 2 feet low 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: 33 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports: Trout fishing is fair using a variety of baits. All other species slow. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

STOCKTON: 47 degrees, clear, 2.5 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: not many reports in last week. Crappie are fair 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: few reports in last week. Whites and wipers have been slow to fair on windblown banks. Crappie are slow, but can be found fishing slowly over brush.

TABLE ROCK: 52 degrees, clear main lake (stained in rivers), 1.8 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: 40 degrees, clear, 2.3 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: 35 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, 1.3 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. All other species poor or no reports.

CLINTON: 43 degrees, dingy, 1.2 feet high (1500 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Crappie are biting well and should start to bunch up over channels. Anglers have been catching fish mainly using jigs and minnows over brush.

PERRY: upper 30s/low 40s, clear, about 2 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 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 fair 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: 34 degrees, stained, 2.4 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, 0.6 feet low (4000 CFS Mon) 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, 0.9 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): 39 degrees, stained, normal (1000 CFS Mon) 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: 43 degrees, clear, 1.1 feet high (8,000 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: Very few reports on fishing this past week. All species are considered slow other than blue cats Willow Lake has been stocked with 2,670 trout so far this year.

WILSON: low 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, 0.3 feet low (13 CFS Monday) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: All boat ramps usable. Wipers are fair vertically fishing jigs along roads, points, breaks, or other fish holding structure. White bass are 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

Eagle Bluffs CA: Last report 12/10, roughly 27950 ducks were observed. 36 hunters harvested 25 ducks in the last week.

Swan Lake: Last report 12/10, roughly 78,800 ducks were observed including 77,796 mallards. 31000 geese also present, almost all Snows. Through 12/8, 292 hunters have harvested an average of 1.34 ducks per hunter.

Four Rivers CA: Last report 12/8, roughly 6353 ducks present. 28 hunters harvested 47 ducks in the last week.

Grand Pass CA: Last report 12/4, roughly 39,200 ducks present. 19 hunters harvested 53 ducks for a 2.79 average in the last week.

Otter Slough CA: Last report 12/8, roughly 38720 ducks present. 83 hunters harvested 174 ducks for a 2.1 per hunter average.

Fountain Grove CA: Last report 12/8, no duck survey reported. 81 hunters harvested 128 ducks in the last week for a 1.58 per hunter average.

Loess Bluffs NWR: Last report 12/2, roughly 23,400 ducks were present along with 42,800 geese.

Nodaway Valley CA: Last report 12/8, roughly 31500 ducks were present. 42 hunters harvested 94 ducks in the last week for a 2.24 per hunter average.

Kansas

CHEYENNE BOTTOMS: Last report 12/5 - Around 5,000 ducks, mostly mallards. Around 250,000 geese, mostly snows, but still holding some Canadas and whitefronts. Goose number vary depending on day. Most of the birds are staying in the refuge. For the period of 11/30-12/5, hunters have averaged 0.79 ducks per hunter.

MARAIS DES CYGNES: Last report 12/9 - duck count unknown. This past weekend (Sat & Sun): 147 ducks / 118 hunters = 1.2 success. Harvest was > 90% mallards. Season: 2,206 ducks / 1,654 hunters = 1.3 success.

NEOSHO: Last report 12/6 - 20,000-25,000 ducks, mainly Mallards.1,000 White-fronts, 300 Canada Geese and 8,000 Snow Geese. Hunters are averaging right at 2 BPH through 12/6.

PERRY: Last report 12/6 - A few hundred mixed species including geese were seen in the area. Due to significant and repeated flooding wetland habitat conditions are poor.

QUIVIRA: Last report 11/26 - 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: Last report 12/6 - 3 Duck Marsh - Both units are pumped, no waterfowl were observed at the time of the survey; 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. (NOTE: Motorized boats are prohibited); Refuge - There were approximately 200 waterfowl observed 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.

This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 12:40 PM.