Outdoors report: Winter fishing patterns still emerging and ducks are migrating

Missouri fishing

BLUE SPRINGS: mid 50s, stained, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook Group reports: White bass can be found lakewide. Bandit 200s and 300s are a good trolling option that will get the whites, crappie, and hybrids. Hybrids have been hitting live shad near the dam and have been caught shallow from the bank as well. Watch for wind blown banks for the hybrids/whites. Largemouth have been slow in the last week but some nice ones are still being caught around the marina on Ned rigs. Crappie should be getting up shallow feeding on shad.

BULL SHOALS: 63 degrees, dingy to clear, 3 feet high Outlook: Del Colvin Guide Service reports: the shad are getting balled up more. There are baitfish in the creeks. Idle time and video gaming will pay off. I have been doing better towards backs of creeks for numbers. Some of the shad balls are getting bigger but suspended over the old creek channels. The deep bite is picking up! Mainlake shad are definitely spread out. Topwater has slowed drastically for me. Couple on el Floppo. Try spinnerbait, chatterbait, or squarebill, match color to the water color for powerfishing “shallow” if there’s wind clouds bushes/snags with deeper water close and shad. Also target shallow flats close to old creek channels with runoff. Rock crawler, wigglewart, squarebill are all working with some wind on 45 degree banks with nasty rock transition. As sun comes up, or post frontal, change tactics and slow down. Jigs and shakey head on channel swings. Brush piles are getting good if there’s shad present. Slow down when you do get bit. Find the shad, find the fish! Fish the conditions. Find Del Colvin’s online fishing report on YouTube. Below the dam: John Berry of Berry Bros. Guide Service reports: The Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam will close from November 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park will be seasonal Catch and Release for the same period. All brown trout must be immediately released. In addition, night fishing is prohibited in this area during this period. On February 1, 2021 this section will open to fishing. On the lower flows the White has fished well. 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 #14 pheasant tail nymph with a #18 ruby midge).

JACOMO: mid 50s, clear, normal Outlook: Lee’s Summit Area Fishing Facebook group reports: fishing has been slow overall. Crappie will be near brush in 10-15 feet of water or along the public docks using jigs or minnows and moving shallow. Trolling crankbaits should be a good way to find all species of fish, but even trolling has been slow. Bluffs will probably be holding more fish soon. White bass are all over the lake, including out in front of the dam. Look for wind blown banks and find them on your graphs. Look for bass along the rocky banks in the coves. Find the bait and you’ll find the fish. They’ll be up shallow. Squarebills and spinnerbaits should produce.

JAMES A. REED: 50 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Missouri Dept. of Conservation reports: Trout were stocked recently in Coot, Plover, and Honker (youth only) lakes. Fishing will reopen on Friday.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS: upper 50s/low 60s, slightly stained, 2.5 feet low Outlook: bassingbob.com reports: shallow water has been the key on bass recently, but finding keepers has been a little more tough. Less than 10 feet of water on creek channel ledges and rocky banks. Jigs and spinnerbaits along docks has been working. The crappie are schooling and docks are starting to load up. The bigger docks such as marina docks or bigger secondary point docks are high percentage places to be fishing. You might find the crappie in multiple depths on them as well. 1/16th ounce jig head with a baby shad plastic is the ticket.

LONGVIEW: low to mid 50s, clear, a little low Outlook: Longview Marina reports: a lot of crappie are being caught but most are small. They are about 18 feet down. Catfish are biting really well right now around the marina area and there are big ones being caught on livers and worms. Bass fishing is good along the drop offs and rocky areas near the beaches. Marina open 8am-3pm. Minnows won’t be available until April 2021.

NORFORK: 66 degrees, stained, 3 feet high Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: most fish have moved up to feed for the fall in the last few days. Yesterday we caught all species in less than 30 feet of water, all on spoons. The lake has been turning over for winter and it’s in the last stages of the turnover. It’s a good time to be on the water if you’re looking for that wall hanger.

POMME DE TERRE: high 50s, clear, 0.5 feet high (50 CFS) Outlook: Pomme Muskie Guide Service reports: bass are getting better since last week.. Crappie are are still slow, try either jigs or minnows anywhere from 10-30 feet deep. Muskies are hitting here and there but really have to work for them. Shad have been hard to find, but if you find them predators should be nearby. All other species slow or no reports.

SMITHVILLE: 64 degrees, clear, 0.4 feet low (8 CFS) Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: main lake brush piles 10 feet deep are still key for the crappie right now in Little Platte or Camp Branch. Early morning bite seems to have been better. They’ve been hitting around the marina and some of the docks, too. Bass are hitting in 10 feet of water or less around stumps. Catfish are fair to good in 10 feet or less on dough or dip bait. Watch for the whites busting the surface, chasing shad, in the morning or evening. They have been in the backs of coves recently and on wind blown points. All other species slow or no reports.

STOCKTON: 55 degrees, clear, 6 feet low (600 CFS) Outlook: Tandem Fly Outfitters reports: White bass are stacking up on wind blown points and flats. Spoons and road runners are the baits of choice. Crappie are scattered in the guts of the creek arms, occasionally stacking up on nearby brush. They are relating to bait and not the brush. Find the bait in the creeks and you’ll find the crappie. The jig bite is insane for bass. 3/8-7/16oz brown jig is the bait of choice right now, especially when there’s no wind. If it’s windy pick up a 3/8oz white or grey spinner bait or a wiggle wart. The bass are really keyed in on crayfish right now before they go into hibernation for the winter. That’s why the jig and wart is so effective right now. Walleye are slow, but try vertically jigging crawlers or pulling bottom bouncers. Look for them 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.

TABLE ROCK: 62 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Eric Prey of Focused Fishing Guide Service reports: Bass: There’s a deep bite starting to show up; spoons, jigging raps and drop shot rigs are working 25’-45’ deep around schools of shad in creek arms. Smallmouth are moving up shallow with the cooler days and cooler water temps, look for them to be on mixed gravel and rock main lake points 5’ - 15’ deep with a Pee Wee Jig, shaky head or Ned rig. As shad move toward the backs of creeks random fish have been schooling for brief periods, keep a top water handy for when this happens. Crappie: Most are coming off deep brush and standing timber in the rivers, live minnows below a slip float set at 15’ – 18’ has been the best option. White Bass: still tough to find, a few are being caught trolling flats with small crank baits 10’ - 15’ deep over 25’. Occasionally you will find them schooling on the surface in the river arms early in the morning.

TANEYCOMO: 58 degrees, stained, half to full unit Outlook: Phil Lilley of Lilleys’ Landing reports: fishing has been up and down. When the trout are feeding, they’re taking all things drifting, mostly on the bottom using a float, or with no indicator at all. In the Trophy Area, they’re eating scuds, eggs and worms. Our brown trout are actively spawning close to the dam, so both species, browns and rainbows, are eating egg flies and beads. The San Juan worm is working in several colors - tan, cerise, brown and pink. The fish are taking either the thick or medium sizes, non-weighted. Scuds are still about the best thing you can drift and catch trout. They’re taking tan, gray, brown and olive flies from a big #12 size down to a small #18. Because of the dingy water, I’d suggest using the bigger sizes. Our anglers are still catching some really nice rainbows below Fall Creek on nightcrawlers, drifting them on the bottom. These rainbows are swimming down from the trophy area where they’ve grown big, protected by the slot limit there. There’s been a few good days working a marabou jig, mainly 1/16th-ounce, both in the Trophy Area and down below it. White is still working, especially after the flood gates were open for 24 hours last week, but it’s cooling off. Black appears to be coming on strong, maybe because of the dingy water.

TRUMAN: low to mid 50s, stained, 2 feet low Outlook: Richard Bowling’s Guide Service and trumanlakefishingintel.com reports: hybrids and whites have picked back up on the banks, but still on shallow ledges and hopes as well. KK island area should be good. Any windy bank, point, or hump in the vicinity should have them. Crappie are somewhat scattered on the lower lake but settling into winter pattern on bluffs in 18-22 feet of water. Biting well in the upper Grand anywhere from 6-7 feet deep in 7-12 feet of water. Most have been tight to timber. Catfish have been very good all over on flats and channel ledges in 3-35 feet of water. Bass have been tough but getting better. Spinnerbaits and squarebills on wind blown banks and pockets was good this past week, especially in landlocked areas of water. Visit trumanlakefishingintel.com for in-depth daily/weekly reports and videos.

Kansas fishing

CLINTON: 56 degrees, clear, 0.6 feet low (7 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Boat Ramp #4 in the Bloomington West Park is closed. Crappie fair over brush piles and standing timber 10-20 feet deep mostly on jigs. Channel cats fair on shad, cut bait, or minnows. 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. They are hitting swimbaits and large jigs. The evening bite has been good when shad are at the surface.

COFFEY COUNTY: low 50s to upper 70s, clear, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: Largemouth are slow, but fishing near the hotwater outlet is a good spot with lipless cranks, jerkbaits, or swimbaits. Walleye slow/fair on bottom bouncers, crankbaits, rattletraps, and twister-tail grubs worked along points and humps. Catfish fair/good on wind blown banks or creek channel swings and humps. Smallmouth slow/fair on small shad imitators like compact spinnerbaits or crankbaits. Crayfish imitating baits should also work. Numbers have fallen off. Whites/wipers 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. Crappie slow/fair in deep standing timber and brush piles or near the channel breaks on jigs or minnows.. Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475, call for lake conditions.

EL DORADO: low to mid 50s, stained, 1.3 feet low (5 CFS) Outlook: KS Dept. of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: Wipers/white bass are fair to good on 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 fair in standing timber and brush piles 15-18 feet deep on minnows or trolling with crankbaits. Quantity is tough to find but the quality is very good. Blue cats are fair near river channels in the lower half of the lake on fresh cut bait. Walleye fair trolling crankbaits along wind blown shorelines, points, and old roads. Depth varies greatly as water temperatures are cooling with fish being caught from 5-24 feet deep. Trout Season opened on November 1. Fishing for trout has been good on Powerbait, cheese, small jigs, spinners, and spoons.

GLEN ELDER (WACONDA LAKE): upper 40s, clear, 0.7 feet high (50 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: crappie can be found 10-20 feet deep on brush piles and other submerged structure. The best walleye fishing can now be found along the river channel south of the bluffs west to Wally World. Fish can be found in 15-25 feet of water and are feeding aggressively now. Anglers may also find fish around the Cawker City causeway and off the north shore points in the state park. Smallmouth bass fishing is slowing down but anglers are catching some fish around the state park along the north shore. Catfish can be caught just about anywhere lakewide. The best numbers in the fall can be found around the mouth of Walnut Creek, along Sandy Beach, near Takota Point, and on the flats south of the golf course. Anglers continue to catch good numbers of large white bass across the reservoir. Slab spoons, white and chartreuse twistertails, roadrunners, and Rattletraps are all good bets to catch some white bass now.

HILLSDALE: 45 degrees, stained, 0.4 feet low (45 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Some walleye are being caught on shallow flats and mud banks drifting live bait, jigging, trolling crankbaits, or casting baits while targeting structure. Crappie fair on structure and brush near channel ledges, biting well on jigs and minnows 12-16 feet deep. White bass good on wind blown points. Channel cats fair lakewide at dusk on natural and artificial baits. All other species slow or no reports.

KILL CREEK PARK: 55 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Johnson County Parks and Rec reports: Trout were recently stocked and are good on powerbait or rooster tails. Crappie and bluegill good on nightcrawlers. Bass fair on jigs/plastic worms. Catfish fair on fresh cut bait.

LA CYGNE: mid 50s to upper 70s, stained, normal Outlook: KDWPT reports: no changes. Catfishing is good from shore and excellent on set lines using sunfish or cutshad, worms, prepared baits, or liver. Start at the creek mouth. Crappie are biting well on structure. Some caught off the wall gates where water is released at the dam and also on Georgia cubes. Hot water area is getting better. White bass are excellent using shad imitations or silver spoons in the creek mouth area and hot water area. Hybrids are tough to come by. Largemouth are moving with the bait and the creek channel has been a hot spot. Crankbaits, plastic worms, and spinnerbaits should produce. Bite has been pretty decent recently.

MELVERN: 55 degrees, clear, 1.4 feet low (20 CFS) Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: Crappie are fair lakewide in deeper water over established brush piles and along the docks on minnows and jigs. Smallmouth are fair lakewide on shallow crankbaits. Dam area should be a place to target. White bass fair on shallow crankbaits and minnows on wind blown points and along the dam. Channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers and crappie entrails lakewide. Blue cats fair on cut bait on mud flats and by the marina. Walleye are poor with a few reports along the dam and a few that have been caught near the docks.

MILFORD: 54 degrees, stained, 0.5 feet high (450 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Catfish fair to good lakewide. Channel catfish are biting cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Blue catfish are being found on fresh cut bait on wind blown flats and river channel ledges. Crappie fair 10-20 feet deep suspended near points, brush, and ledges on minnows. Walleye fair on rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs, crankbaits, or bottom bouncers. White bass/wipers slow to fair along windy banks and points using jigs on the reservoir. Black bass fair on gravel banks and points.

PERRY: 50 degrees, stained, 0.8 feet high (25 CFS) Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: crappie fishing has been very good in the last week in brush piles from 10-22 feet down. Catfish have all been good lakeside and below the spillway.

POMONA: 50 degrees, stained, 1 foot low (15 CFS) Outlook: KDWPT reports: Catfish fair to good 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 8-15 feet deep. Wipers are slow but can be found moving shallow on wind blown banks chasing shad. All other species slow.

SHAWNEE MISSION PARK: 55 degrees, clear, normal Outlook: Johnson County Parks and Rec reports: Trout were recently stocked and are good on black wooly buggers or on powerbait. Crappie and bluegill are fair on small plastics and worms. Catfish are fair on fresh cut bait. Bass and wipers are fair on spinnerbaits and squarebills.

TUTTLE CREEK: 50 degrees, stained, 3.4 feet high (200 CFS) Outlook: Kansas Department of Wildlife reports: Crappie fair in brush 8-12 feet deep on jigs/minnows. Look for them to move shallow now. Lake and connected river system have a great population of channels and they are biting shallow. You’ll find bass in the southern third of the reservoir. Saugeye are fair to good and best in the River Pond or at Rocky Ford.

Missouri hunting

SWAN LAKE: On 11/5, roughly 5,220 were observed. 4974 mallards, 112 wood ducks, and the rest mixed species were observed. 5000 snow geese also present.

COLUMBIA BOTTOM CA: On 11/1, 3,685 ducks were observed. 2200 mallards, 400 pintails, 320 gadwalls, 240 teal, and other assorted species.

DUCK CREEK CA: On 11/2, 13,450 ducks were observed - 6925 mallards, 3217 gadwalls, 1890 pintails, and other assorted species.

EAGLE BLUFFS CA: On 11/2, 17,374 ducks were observed - 8600 mixed dabblers, 5850 mallards, 1200 gadwalls, 950 teal, 550 pintails and other mixed species.

FOUR RIVERS CA: On 11/10, 45,155 ducks were observed. 31,000 mallards, 12,000 mixed dabblers, teal and other assorted species.

GRAND PASS CA: On 11/2, 56,000 ducks were observed - 16800 gadwalls, 19040 mallards, 2800 pintails, 11200 teal, 5600 mixed dabblers, and other mixed species.

MARAIS TEMPS CLAIR CA: On 11/3, 3900 ducks were observed - 1000 pintails, 950 gadwalls, 1600 mallards, and other mixed species.

MINGO NWR: On 11/2, 9,920 ducks were observed - 1548 teal, 3698 mallards, 2304 gadwalls, 699 mixed dabblers, 805 pintails, and other mixed species.

MONTROSE CA: On 11/2, 2575 ducks were observed - 2100 mallards, 250 teal, and other mixed species.

OTTER SLOUGH CA: On 11/2, 30,350 ducks were observed - 9105 gadwalls, 9105 mallards, 6070 pintails, 2125 shovelers, 2125 teal, 910 mixed dabblers, and other mixed species.

SETTLES FORD CA: On 11/2, 764 ducks were observed - 700 gadwalls, 50 mallards, and other mixed species.

Kansas hunting

CHEYENNE BOTTOMS: As of 11/10, 15,000 - 20,000 ducks, mostly pintails, greenwings, shovelers, gadwalls, mix of divers, some mallards have shown up. Goose numbers are extremely variable day to day. Somedays this past week there have been 50,000+ geese, other days only around 5,000, mostly snows, but still strong numbers of whitefronts and very few Canadas.

MARAIS DES CYGNES: As of 11/6, 30,000+ mostly mallards and green wing teal. Good numbers of gadwall and pintails, as well as a few wood ducks left around the area. Almost no geese observed.

NEOSHO: As of 11/10, 30,000+ mixed ducks (70% Mallard, the rest are early season migrants such as Pintail, Gadwall, Wigeon, Green Wing Teal and Blue Wing Teal). 10,000+ White fronted geese, 20,000+ Snow Geese and 1000 Canada Geese.

PERRY: As of 11/4, due to heavy hunting pressure and warmer weather, bird numbers and hunting success has dropped significantly. We will update numbers as conditions change and when we conduct another survey.

TUTTLE CREEK: As of 11/10, 500 ducks were observed.

MILFORD: As of 11/5, due to heavy hunting pressure and warmer weather, bird numbers and hunting success has dropped significantly. Throughout the week roughly 150-200 mix bags of birds were observed.

QUIVIRA: no recent estimate reported.

MELVERN: As of 10/29, 3 Duck Marsh - 170 mallards, 10 wood ducks, 50 pintail, 70 teal; Willow Marsh - 20 mallards, 10 wood ducks, 30 pintail; Sundance Marsh - 8 mallards, 7 wood ducks, 12 gadwall; Lowman’s Cove - 4 mallards, 9 gadwall, 4 hooded merganser; Shoveler Slough - 600 pintails, 600 mallards, 250 teal; Refuge - 1000 coots