Outdoors report: New year means new outdoor adventures in search of fish, ducks

Here is the fishing and hunting report for lakes and reservoirs in the Kansas City area and regionally around Kansas and Missouri for January 1, 2019.

FISHING

Missouri

BULL SHOALS: 50 degrees, dingy to clear (10-12 feet) visibility, 0.88 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. Tops of trees holding shad 40 to 50 feet down halfway back into major creeks. The shad seem to be breaking up in the tributaries, and hollows. Look for big groups of shad. Graph time pays off! 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 but need to stay in the wind on steeper banks with big rock or ledges. 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 the Wildcat 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: more midge hatches recently, especially towards evening. Trout are hitting the surface, taking both dries and emergers. Zebra midges should be working fished under an indicator 12-24 inches deep. Also, if the fish are rising, strip a soft hackle, crackleback or even a wooly, and you should get some chasers. Fishing where the current picks up and the surface is broken has been key some days for getting into the trout. “The Narrows” has been a good spot lately. Try 1/32nd and 1/16th oz marabou jigs and dark colors and you should find the fish.

NORFORK: 51 degrees, stained, normal 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: Largemouth and crappie have slowed down in the last week. You can find crappie 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 open again Jan 2nd at 8am. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group for daily updates.

POMME DE TERRE: 44 degrees, clear, 3.5 feet high (1000 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: 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. Ice has been intermittent. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group for daily updates.

STOCKTON: 44 degrees, clear, 2.7 feet high (40 CFS) 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.

JACOMO: upper 30s/low 40s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: 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: Whites and wipers have been slow to fair on windblown banks. Bass are hitting jerkbaits, A-rigs, and jigs but are still slow. Crappie are slow, but can be found fishing slowly over brush near channel breaks.

TABLE ROCK: 50 degrees, clear main lake (clear to stained in rivers), normal 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, clear, 3.4 feet high (0 CFS) Outlook: Richard Bowling Guide Service reports: Lake is on the rise. 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, 0.2 feet high (8 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 good on the main lake with a walleye mixed in. Annual drawdown will start Dec 23.

Kansas

MELVERN: 39 degrees, stained, 1.5 feet high (20 CFS) Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: All boat ramps accessible. Crappie are 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: 43 degrees, dingy, 0.2 feet high (7 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. Boat Ramp 1 and 2 (Marina) are open in the State Park. The west ramps (#3) in the State Park are closed. Also, one of the Bloomington Ramps (#7) is open, but the docks may not be in.

PERRY: upper 30s, clear, 0.5 feet high 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 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: 36 degrees, stained, 1.9 feet high (1000 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: 38 degrees, stained, 2.8 feet low (1200 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, 1.6 feet high Outlook: KDWPT reports: Crappie are fair in brush piles or near the heated marina dock using minnows and jigs about 20 feet down. Walleye are slow but some have been found on shallow rocky points and adjacent mud flats. White bass are good on windblown points. Bass are moving deeper and slow plastic baits are the best tactic.

GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): 38 degrees, stained, 0.6 feet low (300 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: 38 degrees, clear, 0.7 feet low (1200 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: upper 30s/low 40s, stained, 0.2 feet low (6 CFS) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: All boat ramps usable. 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

Eagle Bluffs CA: Last report 12/31 - roughly 6065 ducks observed, 4500 mallards. 44 hunters harvested 45 ducks in the last week.

Fountain Grove CA: Last report 12/31, 55,000 ducks observed, 41,000 mallards, 5500 teal, 2700 gadwalls, and 2700 pintails. 50 hunters harvested 74 ducks in the last week.

Four Rivers CA: Last report 12/31, roughly 9400 ducks present, about 9100 mallards. 39 hunters harvested 51 ducks in the last week.

Grand Pass CA: Last report 12/31, roughly 10,000 ducks present, mostly mallards. 36 hunters harvested 92 ducks in the last update.

Nodaway Valley CA: Last report 12/31, roughly 1600 ducks were present, mostly mallards. 26 hunters harvested 31 ducks in the last week.

Otter Slough CA: Last report 12/30, roughly 36100 ducks were present, 12700 mallards, 6600 gadwalls, 3000 pintails, 9800 teal, and other assorted species. 85 hunters harvested 206 ducks last week.

Loess Bluffs NWR: Last report 12/23, roughly 8,300 ducks were present along with 38,400 geese. Mostly mallards and snow geese.

Swan Lake: Last report 12/17, roughly 48,790 ducks were observed including 45,900 mallards. Through 12/8, 292 hunters have harvested an average of 1.34 ducks per hunter.

Kansas

CHEYENNE BOTTOMS: Duck season now closed.

MARAIS DES CYGNES: Last report 12/30 - 5000-7,000 ducks. Adequate to abundant water in all units. This weekend (Sat & Sun): 94 ducks / 134 hunters = 0.7 success. Season: 3,518 ducks / 2,583 hunters = 1.4 success. Season goose harvest: 29 dark geese, 2 snow geese.

NEOSHO: Last report 12/30 - 20,000-25,000 ducks, mainly Mallards. 1,500 White-fronts, 1000 Canada Geese and 8,000 Snow Geese. Staff will continue to stage up water levels as the season progresses. Average water depths are around 12 to 16” deep. Walk in hunters should take caution in the oxbow in 2B, the boat lane on the south end of Pool 1,and the far east side of 2A. Other than these areas, walk in hunters will be hard pressed to find water over knee deep. No ice currently. Regular Season 2019 - Hunters are averaging 1.85 BPH through 12/22.

PERRY: Last report 12/19 - 1500 waterfowl were seen on the area with most of them being goldenyes, a few hundred other mixed species including geese were seen in the area. West River Boat Ramp/Parking is inaccessible and will remain closed until renovations can be completed. Kyle Marsh parking lot is accessible, but water levels are still high and more work will need to be completed to get it back to its original condition. Due to significant and repeated flooding wetland habitat conditions and cover are poor.

QUIVIRA: Last report 12/27 - there were roughly 4,100 geese and 5,400 ducks on the area. Mostly mallards and snow geese.

MELVERN: Last report 12/29 - 3 Duck Marsh - Both units are pumped, approx. 40 Mallards and 30 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. No waterfowl were observed; Shoveler Slough - Approx. 25 Mallards were observed; Refuge - There were approx. 1,000 ducks observed.

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.