Outdoors report: Find the bait and you’ll locate the fish, too ... and here’s a survey
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, in partnership with Kansas State University, is collecting data on outdoor recreation usage in Kansas. This study will provide data to make decisions about funding for outdoor recreation opportunities, and facility development and improvement in the state of Kansas.
Missouri
BLUE SPRINGS: upper 70s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group reports: White bass can be found lakewide. Keep an eye out for schooling activity early and late. Bandit 200s and 300s are a good trolling option that will get the whites, crappie, and hybrids. Blow hole will be good after a big rain. Largemouth have been slow in the last week. Try jigs or 10-inch worms dropped in tight to standing timber. Crappie can be found trolling or dipping trees. First place for the bass tourney was 2 fish at 7.72 pounds out of 6 boats.
BULL SHOALS: 85 degrees, dingy to clear, 23 feet and falling Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: Corp. limited access to ramps and parking, call first especially on weekends. Summer patterns are in effect. You’re going to work for them! Bite is changing a little bit everyday The Corp. has been pumping the water out which has some of the fish moving out on the points and there’s baitfish suspended deep off the points. 10-15 feet early 20-28 feet deep later in the day. Find the bait, find the fish. Fish the conditions. If it’s hot, go deep. If it’s cloudy and windy, go shallow! Getting up early for topwater with poppers and Berkley wake bait has been good. Try whopper plopper, buzz bait, or chatterbait for powerfishing “shallow” if it’s cloudy or stormy. Target shallow flats close to old creek channels with shad. As sun comes up, change tactics. Smallies/Kentuckies are stacked out on main and secondary points, sunken islands, humps, channel swings, bluffs, and bluff ends but are closer to main lake points in 26-32 feet. With shad present, fish position will change depending on sun, wind, current, clouds, etc. Still a lot of places for them to hide with high water so keep it moving. The big worm in sunken trees is catching suspended fish in 20-25ft on points near ledges bluff ends or also try 1/2 oz jig in green pumpkin orange or GP blue. Smallmouth are on gravel banks, Check the last set of bushes off long points. Del Colvin’s online fishing report on YouTube. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: The White has fished well. The lower flows we have had in the morning have been extremely productive. The hot spot has been 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 San Juan worm with a girdle bug) suspended below it).
JACOMO: upper 70s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: you need to stick to fishing 15 feet or shallower. Look for crappie near brush in 10-15 feet of water or along the public docks using jigs or minnows. Trolling crankbaits should be a good way to find all species of fish. Look for the whites schooling in the evenings now. Look for bass along the weedlines in the coves and on points. Topwater bite has still been slow. Later in the day look to go deeper with jigs off points. Bluegills are very good on small jigs tipped with pieces of nightcrawlers or crickets.
JAMES A. REED: 83 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports: largemouth bass are fair to good on a variety of baits, key is early and late in the day. Plastics, jigs and squarebills have produced and some topwater activity has been present. Channel catfish are good on cut bait and prepared baits. All other species slow.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS: mid 80s, clear, 0.3 feet low Outlook: bassingbob.com reports: flipping and skipping docks has been the best producer for bass. Targeting shady corners of the dock seems to be the ticket. You can still find them brush pile fishing is the way to go 12-15 feet deep. Crankbaits on main and secondary points have produced. Some decent reports of bass coming below Truman dam off the river channel along structure near docks. Crappie have been fair/good trolling Bandit crankbaits in 15-20 feet of water on main lake bluff ends to secondary points. You can find them in brush piles jigging minnows vertically as well. Blue and channel cats are fair to good on long flats, rocky secondary points, and main lake ledge points.
LONGVIEW: upper 70s, clear, normal Outlook: Longview Marina reports: Crappie are fair to good around the marina docks and in standing timber 8-15 feet of water and deeper on minnows. Catfish are biting well from shore all over the lake on stink bait. White bass have been good 10-15 feet down in 30 feet of water near the dam and rocky areas. All other species slow or no reports. Marina open 8am-8pm and is stocked with minnows, worms, and chicken liver in stock but need a mask to enter. Join Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group for daily updates.
NORFORK: 86 degrees, clear, 11 feet high Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: no changes. Stripers are 85-100 feet down and hitting Bink’s Spoons. Bass are biting really well on topwater baits like spooks and poppers. Best bite has been walleye hitting ¼ oz Bink’s Spoons anywhere shallow down to 25 feet.
POMME DE TERRE: 81 degrees, clear, 0.5 feet high (50 CFS) Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: Catfish are hitting trolled crankbaits and can be caught with traditional methods from docks. White bass have slowed down a lot. Crappie are biting well over brush piles but you have to hunt for them. Minnows and jigs are the ticket. Bass are hitting shallow recently but also look for brush piles and pull your baits through those to find them. Fishing is slow overall for just about everything.
SMITHVILLE: 85 degrees, clear, 0.6 feet high (8 CFS) Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: Crappie are good 8-10 feet deep in 15-20 feet of water. Minnows are best and you need to be looking for main lake brush piles. Bass are fair and being caught shallow on spooks and frogs early in the morning. Big worms are still producing in brush piles from 5-12 feet. Catfish are good in the backs of creeks on nightcrawlers and cut bait. Live bluegill are best for flatheads. White bass are fair/good on the main lake. Most success has come spotting them busting the surface on main lake points. Walleye have been poor overall, but some being caught in 9 feet on rocky bottoms using a Shad Rap.
STOCKTON: 79 degrees, clear, 1.5 feet low (870 CFS) Outlook: Tandem Fly Outfitters reports: fishing has been a little tougher, seems there’s been another shad hatch and fish are gorging i.e. not wanting to eat your bait. Walleye are still being caught but a lot of shorts in the last week. Jigging crawlers or pulling bottom bouncers are good ways to get them. Look for them on main lake points using a 1/8th- 1/4oz jig tipped with a night crawler. With a bottom bouncer and a worm harness, target main lake points and main lake flats. The whites are schooling throughout the lake still around points surrounded by flats in the evenings. Throw a 1/4oz silver spoon or a 1/4 white road runner. Crappie are still suspended in 12-25ft and can be caught trolling with flicker shad or near brush or standing timber with a jig or minnow. Very light bite and have to work through a lot of little guys. The bass are on main lake points eating a 10in worm or a jig. Dragging neds and tubes should pull a few smallies off rocky points.
TABLE ROCK: 83 degrees, clear main lake (clear to stained in rivers), 0.5 feet low Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: For bass - With the water shut off, the bite has slowed a little while the fish get acclimated to no current. Most are being caught around 28’-35’ deep on long gravel points on the main lake with a drop shot rig. A few fish are starting to show up on the brush piles in the river arms; 12’-20’ seems to be the most productive depths. 7” – 10” Texas rigged worms have been the ticket. Crappie: Most are coming off deep brush around docks in the rivers, live minnows below a slip float set at 15’ – 18’ has been the best option. White Bass have basically disappeared, a few are being caught on spoons on gravel flats 25’ – 35’ deep but they have been very scattered and hard to target.
TANEYCOMO: 56 degrees, clear, no generation in mornings Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: generation finally shut off Tuesday at midnight and stayed off for 11 hours. We are hoping this will be the pattern for the next week. It will take about a day or so for trout to get used to the “new normal” and then should resume feeding normally. Nightcrawlers have been the best bait recently and you’ll need to inject them with air to float off the bottom with no generation. As water continues to clear up heading into the fall, you’ll need to start using 2-pound line. 4-pound is probably okay still for the next couple weeks. Dry fly fishing was very good in the mornings when 1-2 units were running but now will have to figure out a new pattern with water off. #14 tan scud and #16 primrose & pearl under a float 3-4 feet deep has caught some fish. The pink power worm under a float should still be good and pick up as trout get used to the new water pattern.
TRUMAN: low 80s, stained (muddy in river some arms), 0.6 feet high (3,200 CFS) Outlook: Richard Bowling Guide Service reports: crappie are being caught in 10-25 feet of water fishing in all arms of the lake fishing anywhere from 8-17 feet down on flats and in brush biles. Minnows are your best bet. Fish the flats, road beds, and isolated trees for the best bite. Cats are being caught on the flats in 8 feet of water out to 14 feet drift fishing and using fresh cut bait, lots of eaters and slots being caught lately. Bass are on main lake points with channel swings coming in on them or in brush piles off shore 6-12 feet deep. Hybrid Mania Guide Service reports: hybrids are still tough but picking up. You need to have live bait to have a chance right now. They are suspended 23 feet down in about 33-34 feet of water but they’ve been really scattered. Trumanlakefishingintel.com is a newly launched membership website that offers in-depth, daily/weekly fishing reports for Truman Lake with many of the top guides contributing quality info.
Kansas
CLINTON: 81 degrees, stained, 0.6 feet high (800 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Boat Ramp #4 in the Bloomington West Park is closed. Crappie are hitting over brush piles and standing timber 15-20 feet deep mostly on jigs. Channel cats fair on shad, cut bait, or minnows. Walleye fair on flats and can be targeted with jig and a nightcrawler or trolling with crankbaits. White bass fair/good casting crankbaits on the dam or windy points. Wipers have been mixed in. Look for humps in deep water along channel breaks to target wipers. Outlet can be good for wipers when there’s a large flow of water.
COFFEY COUNTY: upper 80s/low 90s, clear, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: Largemouth are slow/fair fishing around shallow woody cover. Use jerkbaits, swimbaits, crankbaits, or rattletraps. Also try Carolina rigs over rocky points. Walleye are slow/fair on bottom bouncers, crankbaits, rattletraps, and twister-tail grubs worked along rocky shore line. Humps and points should produce some bites. Catfish have been fair/good on wind blown banks or creek channel swings and humps. Crappie are in deep standing timber and brush piles or near the channel breaks on jigs or minnows. Smallmouth are fair on crankbaits, swimbaits, and finesse plastics around rocky habitat. Offshore humps and dropoffs, using drop shot rigs should produce. Whites/wipers are fair to good on shad imitation lures like small spinners, crankbaits or bucktail jigs. Look for schools of shad or focus on wind blown flats or rocky points. Vertical jigging slab spoons is also a good technique. Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475, call for lake conditions.
EL DORADO: upper 70s, stained, normal (17 CFS) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: no changes since last report. Wipers/white bass are hitting off the main lake points and deep water areas during mid-day hours. Trolling cranks in areas where the wind is blowing into or across is a great way to locate active fish. Crappie are in standing timber and brush piles in water 12-15 feet deep. Minnows are best bet but can also troll for them with small crankbaits. Blue cats are fair near river channels in the upper half of the lake on fresh cut bait. Walleye have been caught on the flats on jig and crawler combos in water 9-12 feet deep.
GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): upper 70s, clear, 1 foot high (500 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: There have been good numbers of crappie caught around the grate on the north end of the dam due to the high releases. Crappie can also be found around submerged structure throughout the summer. Recent angler reports combined with locations of tagged walleye indicate there are fish hanging out near the mouth of Mill Creek and Walnut Creek as well as toward the upper end in some cases all in 20 feet or less. Smallmouth bass fishing continues to produce with anglers catching some fish around the state park along the north shore and along the dam. Catfish are good and anglers have turned to chumming for channel and blue catfish. Fermented soybeans, wheat, and milo all work well. Large white bass are hitting across the reservoir on slab spoons, white and chartreuse twistertails, roadrunners, and Rattletraps.
HILLSDALE: 76 degrees, stained, 0.8 feet high (5 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: some walleye are being caught on shallow flats and mud banks drifting live bait, jigging, or trolling crankbaits. Most crappie are in brush or isolated structure using jigs or minnows. White bass fair on wind blown points. Channel cats are fair/good being caught lakewide at dusk. All other species slow or no reports.
KILL CREEK PARK: 81 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Johnson County Parks and Rec reports: trout are slow, try powerbait. Crappie and bluegill are slow to fair on nightcrawlers and minnows. Bass have been fair on topwater (early morning) and plastics. Catfish are fair on dough bait and nightcrawlers.
LA CYGNE: mid to upper 80s, slightly stained, low Outlook: KDWPT reports: catfishing is good from shore using sunfish or cutshad, worms, prepared baits, or liver. Start at the creek mouth and look for water inflows. Set lines have been very productive. Crappie are on structure and getting better in the last week. Some caught off the wall gates where water is released at the dam and also on Georgia cubes. White bass are fair to good using shad imitations or silver spoons in the creek mouth area. Wipers are chasing shad at the surface and some have been found in the middle of the lake. Notes from area local: Best bass bite has been yum dinger green pumpkin red fleck rigged wacky style. Some keepers caught on green pumpkin tube.
MELVERN: 81 degrees, clear, 0.4 feet high (20 CFS) Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: Crappie are fair to good lakewide in deeper water over established brush piles and along the docks on minnows and jigs. Smallmouth are good lakewide on minnows, crankbaits, and jigs on rocky banks. White bass are fair on shallow crankbaits and minnows on wind blown points and along the dam. Channel catfish are good with a few caught near cleaning stations and in the outlet area on nightcrawlers. Blue cats are fair on mud flats. Walleye have slowed down a bit but can be found over mud flats towards the west end of the lake.
MILFORD: 80 degrees, stained, 3 feet high (1500 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Catfish are biting very well overall. Channel catfish are biting cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Blue catfish are typically caught on fresh cut bait on wind blown flats and river channel ledges. Crappie are fair 10-20 feet deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on minnows. Walleye are slow to fair on rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs, crankbaits, or bottom bouncers. White bass/wipers are good along windy banks and points using jigs on the reservoir. Black bass are fair. Find the smallies on gravel banks and points.
PERRY: 80 degrees, stained, 1.5 feet high (25 CFS) Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: folks are catching crappie and catfish below the spillway. Crappie fishing has been good lakewide. Bigger fish are still being caught in Slough Creek in the timber on minnows. Anglers are catching their limits of cats at Devil’s Gap/Hog Toff using Triple S dip bait, shrimp, or chicken liver. Whites are being found at the Devil’s Gap area.
POMONA: 80 degrees, stained, 0.3 feet high (15 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Catfish are your best bet here on worms, dip baits, sunfish entrails, cutshad, and stink/prepared baits. Both of the parks provide many good shorelines for bank fishing. Crappie are biting well on minnows in the rock quarry and in brush piles. All other species slow.
SHAWNEE MISSION PARK: 81 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Johnson County Parks and Rec reports: trout are slow to fair on powerbait. Crappie and bluegill are hitting small plastics, worms, and minnow imitation lures. Catfish are fair on cut bait. Bass and wipers are fair on plastic baits and squarebills.
TUTTLE CREEK: 80 degrees, stained, 0.4 feet high (5,000 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: Crappie have slowed with high water. They can be found in brush 8-12 feet deep on jigs/minnows. White bass population is poor but can be found trolling. Catfish are fair on fresh cut bait on flats and channel swings. You’ll find bass in the southern third of the reservoir. Look for them in flooded bushes or structure with the high water. Saugeye are fair to good and best in the River Pond or at Rocky Ford.
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.