Kc Area Fall Get Together 2013

[Bluebasser86]

Alright fellas, time to get the fall shindig rolling. I'm going to try to keep everybody as happy as possible but that's about impossible I imagine. I know everyone likes Melvern for it's smallmouth that fight hard and are super easy to catch most of the time but I've heard several requests to broaden our horizons with a new lake with new challenges. After all, it's figuring out a new puzzle that makes us better fishermen right?? So, the fall 2013 classic will be at Lake Wabaunsee.

http://www.kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/Fishing/Where-to-Fish-in-Kansas/Fishing-Locations-Public-Waters/Region-2/Eskridge-Lake-Wabaunsee

The good:

It's a 216 acre lake in the Flint hills surrounded by docks and lots of rocks. It gets some pretty good vegetation by summertime and fall and you can catch fish a foot deep or deeper than 20' if you want to. It has very good populations of largemouth and smallmouth and very big examples of both. I wish I could get the pictures off my phone that Sam (Flash) has been sending me from this spring. He's caught a few in the 8-10 pound range out there this spring along with several smallmouth over 4, just incredible. I see us having no problem with the size of the lake being too small as we caught fish behind guys and had fish caught behind us all day last Thursday. I felt it was a little slow at times and we still put a combined 80 bass (plus lots of crappie, sunfish, a walleye, and a couple drum) in the boat. Normally it has a really good jig bite but fish can be caught almost any way you'd like to fish for them. If we don't have at least a couple 5+ pound fish caught I'd be shocked. The lake gets pretty light pressure because of it's location and the hassle of the day use stuff and the 18" length limit keeps a lot of fish in the lake.

Now for the bad:

It's a pretty long drive time to get out there for most of us. It takes me about an hour and 20 minutes from Gardner (partially because highway 56 is closed from the west side of Baldwin City to highway 59 and will be into October). If you take I-70 it takes even longer because there is no direct route to it. There is a faster, shorter bypass than the detour KDOT provided that I'll show anyone that is planning on taking 56 to get there. 

There is also a day use fee. I believe it's $20 for a boat pass for a day and then $2.50 a person for a day fishing permit. So it isn't terrible, especially if you split it with your fishing partner. There is also a zebra mussel inspection before you can put your boat on the water and they will spray your trailer/motor/livewell/bilge with a water/bleach mix before you launch to kill anything that may be attached to your boat. It's a minor annoyance and depending on which lady is working the boathouse it may be a pleasant conversation or you may feel like you're on trial. 

I'm sure there are going to be some guys who aren't willing to make the drive or deal with the hassles of getting onto the lake but for those of you who do I feel you will not be disappointed, I feel the lake has a state record largemouth and smallmouth in it and from what I've heard fall is one of the best times to try to catch one of them. 

As for the date I'm thinking late September/early October, more specifically September 28th or October 5th. If either of those dates will work for you and you'd like to attend then send me a PM and we'll get this thing rolling. If you would like to fish but won't because of the location let me know. If there isn't enough interest because of my choice of venue then we'll go back to voting on the location. 

 

Teams-cookout items

Mr_Scrogg/partner-burgers and cookies

CCC-Drew/partner

pbrussell/partner

Bluebasser86/kanasbassfisher08-cups,drinks,utensils,plates. 

Wachati/Hi Salenity-brats and buns,beans, coleslaw, desert. 

Chris Schauer/Sizzlefry

Cbass12/partner-charcoal

basshunter0731/Jared

[Mr_Scrogg]

Im open for either. Thats right around my wedding anniversary, we was gonna get a cabin at Wilson for some smallies, but Ill change it up for the Fall Meet.

Its about the same distance to Melvern also.

Put me down as a boater with a partner.

[Doc-Drew]

I'd be up for that. Put me down as a boater with a partner. One question. Since they have to inspect the boat and everything, is there a certain time they open?

[Bluebasser86]

I'd be up for that. Put me down as a boater with a partner. One question. Since they have to inspect the boat and everything, is there a certain time they open?

Sun up to sun down right now. I'm not sure if that will change later in the year. I know they aren't open on Wednesdays during most of the year then they aren't open during weekdays starting sometime in October I think. 

[fknlo]

Do you know if the daily use fee applies to kayaks as well?  I can't find any information anywhere.  

[Mr_Scrogg]

Do you know if the daily use fee applies to kayaks as well? I can't find any information anywhere.

I would say yes. Winfield City Lake has a permit you must buy, I bought it for my kayak trip.

Better to be safe than sorry. But you could always call and ask.

[Bluebasser86]

Do you know if the daily use fee applies to kayaks as well?  I can't find any information anywhere.  

You could call the boathouse to be sure but I would be almost certain that it will. Either way you will still have to buy a day fishing permit. We tend to like to make it a team thing if we can get you a boater but if not it is plenty small to fish from a kayak without any problem. 

[Mr_Scrogg]

Im going to advise to NOT fish from a boat fknlo. Its an EXPENSIVE suggestion. ROFLMAO

[pbrussell]

Sometimes ya gotta pay to play...

I've been wanting to fish this lake for a minute or two anyway so count me in as of right now.

[bkohlman]

I am a maybe, with a partner.....trying to convince my boss (who is an avid club fisherman) to go with me.

[Wachati]

Put me down as a boater. I think this is a great idea. Not too excited about the drive to pre-fish, but think it will be well worth it.

[Hi Salenity]

I'm in! Peter do you want to try for 3 in a row?

[Wachati]

I'm in! Peter do you want to try for 3 in a row?

Three in a row for you, I'm going for 4 thx to being teamed up with Clayton on the first one lol. Also I didn't see on Clayton's first post of what we are going to do as far as measuring/weighing this time around. If everyone has operational live wells, are we going to do a weigh in at the end? Also would you change your profile pic, I'm kinda getting creeped out by you looking at me upside down while I type.

[Bluebasser86]

Three in a row for you, I'm going for 4 thx to being teamed up with Clayton on the first one lol. Also I didn't see on Clayton's first post of what we are going to do as far as measuring/weighing this time around. If everyone has operational live wells, are we going to do a weigh in at the end? Also would you change your profile pic, I'm kinda getting creeped out by you looking at me upside down while I type.

I would still rather not bring the fish to a weigh in. It just doesn't make sense to risk killing fish to weigh them in a bragging rights tournament. What we could do is have everyone bring digital scales, we'll have a controlled object we'll weigh with each, like an anchor, and then we can weigh our fish on the water and record the weights instead of the lengths. I know it may not be the most accurate way to do it but again it's just for fun and as long as everyone's scales are close then it should be fine.

[Hi Salenity]

Three in a row for you, I'm going for 4 thx to being teamed up with Clayton on the first one lol. Also I didn't see on Clayton's first post of what we are going to do as far as measuring/weighing this time around. If everyone has operational live wells, are we going to do a weigh in at the end? Also would you change your profile pic, I'm kinda getting creeped out by you looking at me upside down while I type.

Can you see the love in my eyes?

[Mr_Scrogg]

Reminds me of Buffalo Bill off Silence of the Lambs.

[kanasbassfisher08]

well i will post! im in for sure ill be a boater or non boater idc really probably boater but idc like a i said just let  me know and we are going to eat right i didnt see anything about food

[Bluebasser86]

well i will post! im in for sure ill be a boater or non boater idc really probably boater but idc like a i said just let  me know and we are going to eat right i didnt see anything about food

Yeah we'll have food afterwards again. Got to have something to look forward to if the lake makes a liar of me and doesn't produce for us! Your boat would work fine but if we have enough people then you can fish as a nonboater too.

[Mr_Scrogg]

I wish I could have brought back some of that link sausage from a restaurant in Myrtle Beach. Portuguese woman makes it. Man was it good!!!! Bet it would be killer grilled on a bun!

[cbass12]

As long as we do this on October 5th put me down as a boater. I have a reunion with all the guys from my college baseball team the weekend of September 28th.

[retro basser]

Pretty busy time of year for me but i'm definatley up to try Wabunsee and think the fee is worth it.

 

Also you OP guys can bypass the construction on 56 by taking a Left onto Haskell off of 23rd street in Lawrence.  Just take it straight south to where it stops in a T and take a right onto County highway 458.  That leads right to 59 HWY South which meets 56 past the construction.

 

I guess that sounds like a pain in the ass now that i write it but compared with dragging a boat past the 15 stoplights going through 23rd and south Iowa route it's pretty nice. 

[Bluebasser86]

Well it's going to have to be October 5th for me to make it now. The "Classic" for my Wyco Wednesday nighters is going to be the 28th and 29th of September. So unless a bunch of guys can't make it that day we'll plan for it to be that Saturday. 

[Mr_Scrogg]

Good for me

[kanasbassfisher08]

hey blue dont know if this matters but big bass bash is that weekend?

[Bluebasser86]

hey blue dont know if this matters but big bass bash is that weekend?

I'm not going to have the money to fish the Wyco fish off and then the BBB the next weekend. I'm just going to have to hope I can get into one next year.