Fishing and hunting report for Jan. 14
Fishing
Missouri
NORFORK: 47 degrees, muddy, 16 feet high. Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: stripers good on 1-ounce white Bink’s Spoons in 70 to 80 feet of water between the Highway 62 and Highway 101 bridges and trolling small swimbaits on the main lake; bass good on umbrella rigs along banks.
TRUMAN: 38 degrees, muddy, 15 feet high. Outlook: Cody’s Guide Service reports: blue catfish excellent on jug lines with shad to 20 feet of water in the Bucksaw and Osceola areas along the edges of the old banks. Below the dam: crappies fair to good on bright-colored jigs in the dead-water channel.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 40s, muddy, near normal. Lots of floating debris. Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: all species poor. Steve Blake Guide Service reports: catfish excellent on rod and reel with cut shad in the mouths of the creeks on the upper end.
TANEYCOMO: Clear, high, fast current. Lots of shad being sent through dam. Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: brown, rainbow trout good on shad imitations, night crawlers, spinners.
JACOMO: High 30s, clear, normal. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: crappies very good on ice jigs, micro jigs off the marina docks; bass fair on minnows off the docks.
BLUE SPRINGS: Upper 30s, fairly clear, 1 foot high. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: crappies good on jigs off the marina docks; bluegills fair on wax worms off the marina docks.
SMITHVILLE: High 30s, clear, 2 feet high. Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: crappies fair to good on jigs, minnows off the marina docks.
BULL SHOALS: 50 degrees, murky, 24 feet high. Outlook: Buck Creek Boat Dock reports: bass good on grubs, night crawlers, plastic worms in 25 to 30 feet of water along the old brush line.
REED AREA: Low 30s, clear, ice on the lake. Outlook: Department of Conservation reports: all species poor. Light fishing pressure.
POMME DE TERRE: 46 degrees, fairly clear near the dam, murky on upper end, 19 feet high. Outlook: Muskie Guide Service reports: all species poor because of high water.
STOCKTON: High 30s, muddy, 5 feet high. Outlook: Stockton Lake Guide Service reports: all species poor.
TABLE ROCK: 53 degrees, dingy, 10 feet high. Outlook: White River Outfitters reports: all species poor because of high water.
Kansas
GLEN ELDER: High 30s, clear, 1 foot low. Thin ice on lake, but not safe for ice fishing. Outlook: Wayne’s Sporting Goods reports: crappies white bass fair on small jigging spoons.
MELVERN: 34 degrees, murky, normal. Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: crappies fair on ice jigs, tube jigs off the marina docks.
HILLSDALE: 36 degrees, murky, 2.83 feet high. Outlook: Jayhawk Marina reports: crappies poor to fair on jigs in 12 to 15 feet of water off the marina docks.
POMONA: High 30s, murky, 4 feet high. Outlook: Lighthouse Bay Marina reports: crappies poor to fair on jigs off the marina docks.
MILFORD: High 30s, fairly clear, normal. Ice on ramps. Use caution. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: white bass, catfish poor to fair below the dam.
PERRY: 36 degrees, fairly clear, near normal. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reports: all species poor.
COFFEY COUNTY: 67 degrees at the hot-water outlet, low 50s on the main lake, clear, normal. Outlook: Coffey County reports: all species poor.
WILSON: High 30s, clear, 10 feet low. Ice in coves. Outlook: Knothead’s reports: all species poor.
LA CYGNE: 55 degrees on the main lake, clear, 1 foot high. Outlook: Linn County Park reports: all species poor.
CLINTON: High 30s, clear, 3 feet high. Outlook: Clinton Lake Marina reports: all species poor.
TUTTLE CREEK: High 30s, muddy, near normal. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: all species poor.
Hunting
Missouri
FOUNTAIN GROVE: 850 ducks (mostly mallards); 1,100 Canada geese.
SWAN LAKE: 14,690 ducks (90 percent mallards); 2,200 geese (mostly Canadas).
SQUAW CREEK: 12,237 ducks (mostly mallards); 200 dark geese. Ice on marshes.
NODAWAY VALLEY: 6,950 ducks; nine Canada geese. Ice on marshes.
BOB BROWN: 3,590 mallards; no geese. Ice on marshes.
GRAND PASS: 140,775 ducks; 15,500 geese (95 percent snows).
FOUR RIVERS: 137,836 ducks (mostly mallards); 25,000 snow geese.
SCHELL-OSAGE: 20,000 snow geese in the area. Ice on marshes.
MONTROSE: 7,125 ducks (66 percent mallards, the rest divers); 4,000 geese (mostly snows).
SMITHVILLE: 5,000 ducks (mostly mallards); 6,800 Canada geese; 800 to 1,000 snow geese.
OTTER SLOUGH: 18,400 ducks (mix of species); 16,500 geese (mostly snows and blues).
DUCK CREEK: 12,700 ducks (mostly mallards), 980 dark geese.
Kansas
CHEYENNE BOTTOMS: 8,000 ducks (mostly mallards); 100,000 to 150,000 snow geese. 90 percent ice-covered.
MARAIS DES CYGNES: 10,000 ducks (mostly mallards); 4,000 Canada geese. Mostly ice-covered.
NEOSHO: 25,000 mallards; no geese. Marshes are mostly ice-covered.
FLINT HILLS: 8,500 ducks (mostly mallards); 1,500 dark geese.
TUTTLE CREEK: 600 mallards; no geese.
MILFORD: 1,500 ducks; 1,200 Canada geese.
QUIVIRA: Fewer than 1,000 ducks; fewer than 1,000 geese. Ice on marshes.
MELVERN: 2,000 mallards; 200 Canada geese. Ice on marshes.
CLINTON: Waterfowl numbers vary daily.
McPHERSON WETLANDS: 1,700 ducks (mostly mallards); 50 Canada geese. 95 percent ice-covered.
JAMESTOWN: 3,000 ducks (mostly mallards); 300 Canada geese. 100 percent ice-covered.
Brent Frazee: 816-234-4319, @fishboybrent
Brent’s best bet
The fishing has been outstanding for blue catfish both above and below Truman Dam, according to guides. Big fish have been caught on jug lines baited with cut shad on Truman Lake. And below the dam on Lake of the Ozarks, fishermen using rod and reel have been successful at the mouths of creeks.
This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Fishing and hunting report for Jan. 14."