Fishing report for July 15
Missouri
▪ JACOMO: 79 degrees, clearing, slightly high. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: flathead catfish good at night on shad, cut bait on the flats; channel catfish very good at night on stinkbait, chicken liver in the coves and off the docks; bass good on topwater frogs early; bluegills good on crickets, red worms, waxworms; crappies fair on minnows early off the docks.
▪ SMITHVILLE: 78 degrees, murky, 51/2 feet high. Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: white bass good on small crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, Pepper Spoons off main-lake points and humps; black bass good on Senkos, creature baits in the flooded brush and vegetation; channel catfish good on chicken liver, shrimp off main-lake points and in the back of coves; crappies fair on minnows, jigs along bridge pillars; walleyes fair on small crankbaits off main-lake points. Below the dam: channel, flathead catfish fair to good on cut bait.
▪ BULL SHOALS: 86 degrees, clear, 31 feet high. Outlook: 125 Marina reports: walleyes fair on jigs with night crawlers in 20 feet of water in the main channel; catfish good on limblines with cut bait, stinkbait.
▪ TANEYCOMO: Clear, heavy releases; 4 units running. Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: trout good drifting night crawlers.
▪ BLUE SPRINGS: 79 degrees, clearing, 1 foot high. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: channel catfish good early on stinkbait, chicken liver in the coves; bass fair on shiners; crappies fair early on jigs in rocky areas; bluegills good on crickets, wax worms in rocky areas.
▪ STOCKTON: 82 degrees, clear, 81/2 feet high. Outlook: Stockton Lake Guide Service reports: blass fair on plastic baits, spinnerbaits in shallow brush; walleyes fair to good on night crawlers in 16 to 18 feet of water; crappies fair on minnows in 25 feet of water in brush; catfish very good on fresh shad drifting in 15 to 20 feet of water on flats
▪ NORFORK: 84 degrees, clear, 15 feet high. Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: stripers excellent on 1-ounce white Bink’s Spoons in 40 to 60 feet of water.
▪ LONGVIEW: 79 degrees, 37-inch clarity, 1 foot high. Outlook: Longview Lake Marina reports: crappies fair to good (but mostly small).
▪ ▪ REED AREA: 78 degrees, dingy, full pool. Outlook: Department of Conservation reports: largermouth bass fair early and late on a variety of baits; bluegills, redear sunfish fair on red worms under a bobber; catfish fair on cut bait 2 feet under a bobber.
▪ LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 82 degrees, murky, 11/2 feet low. Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: bass fair to good on crankbaits, plastic worms, jigs in 12 to 18 feet of water off main-lake points; crappies fair on minnows 15 feet down in main-lake brush; catfish good on rod and reel juglines, trotlines 20 feet deep on cut bait on main lake.
▪ TABLE ROCK: 80 degrees, off-color, 10 feet high. Outlook: White River Lodge reports: bass fair on wobblehead Biffle Bugs with Chompers Twin Tail or Speed Craw trailers in front of bushes to 20 feet of water.
▪ TRUMAN: 80 degrees, Osage arm is murky, other arms clear, 16 feet high. Outlook: Steve Blake Guide Service reports: crappies poor to fair (a few are being caught on minnows in 7 to 15 feet of water in the back of major creeks); largemouth bass fair on plastic worms in the flooded brush; catfish good on cut shad on juglines on main-lake flats. Below the dam: white bass fair.
▪ POMME DE TERRE: 82 degrees, clear, 20 feet high. Outlook: Muskie Guide Service reports: bass poor to fair (a few are being caught on Brush Hogs in flooded trees).
Kansas
▪ WILSON: 83 degrees, clear, 9 feet low. Outlook: Knothead’s reports: stripers good on leeches black salties, minnows in 30 to 40 feet of water in Lucas Point area; smallmouth bass good on a variety of lures, minnows in rocky area channel catfish good on live bait lakewide.
▪ WYANDOTTE: 85 degrees, stained, normal. Outlook: Wyandotte Marina reports: bass fair to good on topwater lures early, plastic baits during the day; channel catfish fair at night on worms, liver, shad; bluegills good on crickets, red worms, wax worms.
▪ MILFORD: 82 degrees, clear on the lower end, murky on upper end, 2 feet high. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: wipers fair to good on topwater chugger-type baits early and late and on Bubbas, spoons during the day; catfish good.
▪ PERRY: 80 degrees, clearing, 2 feet high. Outlook: Tightlines Bait and Tackle reports: catfish good on minnows in the spillway; crappies fair on minnows.
▪ KILL CREEK: 80 degrees murky, normal. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: catfish good on liver, cut bait along the north shore and in the flooded timber on the south side; bass fair early on spinnerbaits, plastic baits on the south side; crappies fair on jigs, minnows in the flooded timber.
▪ SHAWNEE MISSION: 80 degrees, murky, normal. Outlook: Johnson County Park and Recreation District reports: catfish good on cut bait, stinkbait in the south cove and along the north shore; bass fair on plastic baits along the north shore; panfish fair off the docks and along the dam.
▪ COFFEY COUNTY: 90s at the hot-water outlet, 85 degrees mid-lake, clearing, normal. Outlook: Coffey County reports: smallmouth bass fair; other species poor.
▪ POMONA: 82 degrees, murky, 3.7 feet high. Outlook: Lighthouse Bay Marina reports: wipers poor to fair on spoons, crankbaits; catfish good on minnows along the banks.
▪ EL DORADO: 82 degrees, fairly clear, 2 feet high. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reports: walleyes good on crankbaits on the flats; white bass, wipers fair to good on shad imitation lures; blue catfish poor to fair on fresh cut bait.
▪ GLEN ELDER: 85 degrees, fairly clear, normal. Outlook: Wayne’s Sporting Goods reports: catfish fair on dip bait in areas that have been chummed.
▪ HILLSDALE: 84 degrees, clearing, 2 feet high. Outlook: Jayhawk Marina reports: all species poor.
▪ LA CYGNE: 95 degrees in the hot-water outlet, mid 80s on the main lake, clearing, normal. Outlook: Linn County Park reports: flathead catfish good on limblines with cut bluegills along the banks; white bass fair on jigs near the subemerged bridge.
▪ CLINTON: 82 degrees, fairly clear, 3 feet high. Outlook: Clinton Marina reports: all species poor.
▪ MELVERN: 79 degrees, murky, 2 feet high. Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: crappies fair off marina docks; catfish fair on minnows lakewide.
▪ TUTTLE CREEK: low 80s, muddy, 6 feet high. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: all species poor.
Other area waters
▪ GRAND (OKLA.): 80 degrees, murky, high. Outlook: GrandFishingReport.com reports: white bass good on jigging spoons, Go-Go Minnows two hours before dark in the Elk Creek, Horse Creek and Honey Creek arms; bass fair on jigs, large plastic worms, 6XD crankbaits along long sloping points with pea gravel; catfish, crappies fair.
▪ WHITE RIVER (ARK.): Clear, 4 units running. Outlook: Gaston’s White River Resort reports: brown trout good on suspending stickbaits, No. 7 gold countdown Rapalas; rainbow trout very good on night crawlers Fly fishermen have been catching trout on pink or red San Juan worms,.
| Brent Frazee, bfrazee@kcstar.com.
Brent’s best bet
Night crawlers, the most traditional bait, are making news this week. At both Lake Taneycomo and the White River, they are the bait of choice for trout fishermen.