For Us KC Area Guys - Fishing Reports

[AllDay]

I attached the plan of attack tomorrow. I use Google Earth for the image then Snagit grab the image and to create arrows and such. Since this is my first outting at Milford, I figure I've got to start somewhere. I may just fish the first north point as I head out of the marina. I was able to visualize the areas you were describing, thanks! Thanks for the offer for helping on Hazel, I'm certainly going to go there. The layout of Hazel looks like Wyandotte. You definitely describe a lot of your smallie successes from the southern part of the lake. Left for smallies, right for largemouth - got it!

[pocd]

Hey guys...question?

I have a "member" of my website/blog from KCMO email me and ask for recommendations for a fishing guide. He mentioned that he "just bought his license" so that would at least suggest he is a 'beginner'...although I don't really know for sure. I assume he wants to fish MO...maybe someplace like Smithville?

Anyone know someone they can recommend. I've been gone from KC too long...so no longer have the contacts. Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks....

[Bluebasser86]

Hey guys...question?

I have a "member" of my website/blog from KCMO email me and ask for recommendations for a fishing guide. He mentioned that he "just bought his license" so that would at least suggest he is a 'beginner'...although I don't really know for sure. I assume he wants to fish MO...maybe someplace like Smithville?

Anyone know someone they can recommend. I've been gone from KC too long...so no longer have the contacts. Any help would be appreciated...

Thanks....

Don't know if he does Smithville but Clyde the Guide is a stand up guy that knows how to find fish with the best of them. I believe he provides all the gear and will even pick his clients up at their house. He guides on a lot of lakes in Northeastern and Central Kansas and will fish for about anything. Everyone I've ever know that fished with him said it was a great experience.

[pocd]

Don't know if he does Smithville but Clyde the Guide is a stand up guy that knows how to find fish with the best of them. I believe he provides all the gear and will even pick his clients up at their house. He guides on a lot of lakes in Northeastern and Central Kansas and will fish for about anything. Everyone I've ever know that fished with him said it was a great experience.

Hey Bluebasser86...that's great...thanks for the info. You wouldn't happen to have a phone number would you? Does he have a web site where he can be reached?

[Bluebasser86]

Hey Bluebasser86...that's great...thanks for the info. You wouldn't happen to have a phone number would you? Does he have a web site where he can be reached?

http://www.clydetheguide.com/

[pocd]

http://www.clydetheguide.com/

Great...thanks a lot for you help...!

[AllDay]

If you go to Hazel creek send me a PM and I'll tell you what I know and try to help you the best I can.

I catch most of my smallmouth at Wyco on shakyheads or topwater and a bunch on jerkbaits in the spring. There's some really big ones in there, it's just a matter of getting them to bite.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's some good smallmouth up shallow at Milford. I caught a 4 pounder there last year when it was pretty hot out in about 4' of water off the dam. From Thunderbird it's basically a decision of if you want to target smallies or largemouth. Turn right you're after largemouth, left it's smallmouth. I've caught them both all over the lake but that just seems where I catch most of both of them. The point to the north in the cove that the marina is in is usually a good spot for wipers but never done much for smallmouth. I've actually caught some of my best largemouth around the marina and in the scattered brushpiles in the marina cove, at least towards the south end of the lake. The State Park marina cove is usually really good for smallmouths and I've caught some solid keeper largemouth up to 18" out of there also. Seems I catch most of my largemouth on jigs or cranks and most of my smallmouth on shakyheads and soft plastics, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and topwater. If you can get an overcast day out there you can have a blast fishing a spinnerbait or trap.

I've caught 2 5 pound smallmouth and 1 4 pound smallmouth from Milford. 1 5 on a jerkbait off the boatramp in the state park marina cove, 1 5 on a trick worm and shakyhead in the furthest south corner of the dam that you're allowed to take a boat, the 4 was on a 3" Gulp minnow on a 1/8 jighead swimming it in the middle of the dam. This spring I lost a 4-4.5 pound smallmouth off a lone stump on a spinnerbait on a big mud flat on one of the first main lake points on the south side near the dam. If I could figure out how to draw on this google map images I'd mark the places I'm talking about so it wasn't quite so vague.

This was the best I could do with a map. The spots I marked are mostly smallmouth spots but I've also caught largemouth and spots at several of them. I didn't mark the dam, figured it's a pretty obvious spot for smallmouth.

http://www.google.co....18182601138545

Blue, I'm looking forward to this evening into the night at Milford. I'm going to ask a newbie-to-Milford lake question: Is Thunderbird marina = State Park marina? I notice you reference State Park marina cove and I want to ensure we're talking apples to apples. Thanks again for your advice!

[AllDay]

Blue, I'm looking forward to this evening into the night at Milford. I'm going to ask a newbie-to-Milford lake question: Is Thunderbird marina = State Park marina? I notice you reference State Park marina cove and I want to ensure we're talking apples to apples. Thanks again for your advice!

http://www.google.com/mapmaker?gw=10&ll=39.164208,-94.778152&spn=0.014807,0.031972&z=15&vpid=1345220238158&t=h&lyt=large_map&hll=39.164574,-94.779019&hyaw=272.0630192742051

I attached a link of the areas (the NE point) I hit up at Wyandotte lake (Google Mapmaker is cool!). All of July at night (8PM till Midnight) despite the daytime temps being > 100'F, I always caught LM bass and never got shut out. The best color is black, blue, or junebug and the most effective plastics are 5"-7" ribbon tails. Wacky worms have also worked. About Milford, I've reviewed your google map route and compared that to the lake's depth topography and I will fish the routes you recommended b/c the routes are on the deepest end of the lake.

[Bluebasser86]

Blue, I'm looking forward to this evening into the night at Milford. I'm going to ask a newbie-to-Milford lake question: Is Thunderbird marina = State Park marina? I notice you reference State Park marina cove and I want to ensure we're talking apples to apples. Thanks again for your advice!

The state park marina is the last ramp on the north side by the dam. Thunderbird is the next to last ramp on the north side of the lake going towards the dam. Thunderbird is in the state park I guess but the other ramp in the state park doesn't have a name I don't think.

[AllDay]

The state park marina is the last ramp on the north side by the dam. Thunderbird is the next to last ramp on the north side of the lake going towards the dam. Thunderbird is in the state park I guess but the other ramp in the state park doesn't have a name I don't think.

It was a tale of two halves (like in sports): at 7:30 PM at launch time from the southwestern boat ramp (see attached) where I changed the plan to launch from the south end of the lake instead of the marina. I noted the point where it was just explosive - bites on every other cast if not every cast on a crawdad (yellow/red) crankbait. I even hauled in two catfish in a row (off cranks!). But when the sun set, it was a totally different story: bites crawled to a near-hault. I'm wondering if smallmouth aren't the night biters like their largemouth cousins? With largemouth, I can hit them all night and have and I was hoping for the same with smallies but not this time. I'm seriously considering going to Hazel Creek next weekend. I have the topographic map of it and will study it. I have to run for now but I can send it to you later (not like you need it, you've boated the lunkers out of there already!).

[Bluebasser86]

It was a tale of two halves (like in sports): at 7:30 PM at launch time from the southwestern boat ramp (see attached) where I changed the plan to launch from the south end of the lake instead of the marina. I noted the point where it was just explosive - bites on every other cast if not every cast on a crawdad (yellow/red) crankbait. I even hauled in two catfish in a row (off cranks!). But when the sun set, it was a totally different story: bites crawled to a near-hault. I'm wondering if smallmouth aren't the night biters like their largemouth cousins? With largemouth, I can hit them all night and have and I was hoping for the same with smallies but not this time. I'm seriously considering going to Hazel Creek next weekend. I have the topographic map of it and will study it. I have to run for now but I can send it to you later (not like you need it, you've boated the lunkers out of there already!).

Never have done much good night fishing for smallmouth. I've tried at Melvern too and caught nothing but flatheads until it got light out. I've caught a couple at Wyco on spinnerbaits and shakyheads with finesse worms but not near the numbers I catch if I'm after largemouth. I know they bite at night though, some guides are pretty successful fishing for smallmouth at night.

[kylek]

Anyone have any luck at Pony Express Lake in Cameron, MO? We went out today and only caught 2 fish. One on a buzzbait and one on a frog in a little cove with some lily pads. This lake has our number.. We can never seem to develop any type of pattern.

Anyone have any info on this lake? I would appreciate any that you all can give out.

Thanks

Kyle

[Bluebasser86]

Anyone have any luck at Pony Express Lake in Cameron, MO? We went out today and only caught 2 fish. One on a buzzbait and one on a frog in a little cove with some lily pads. This lake has our number.. We can never seem to develop any type of pattern.

Anyone have any info on this lake? I would appreciate any that you all can give out.

Thanks

Kyle

Anyone I've ever talked to says it's good for catfish and that's about it but I've never fished it myself.

[kylek]

Anyone I've ever talked to says it's good for catfish and that's about it but I've never fished it myself.

It's a tough one that is for sure. They had a tourney out there 3 weeks ago, I think, and it took 17lbs to win. I have no clue where or what they were using and they sure weren't telling!!!!!

I noticed your favorite lake for smallies is Milford. Whats the best time of year to catch a mess of them? It looks like it is about 2.5 hrs from my house, but would be well worth it to hook into a few.

[Bluebasser86]

It's a tough one that is for sure. They had a tourney out there 3 weeks ago, I think, and it took 17lbs to win. I have no clue where or what they were using and they sure weren't telling!!!!!

I noticed your favorite lake for smallies is Milford. Whats the best time of year to catch a mess of them? It looks like it is about 2.5 hrs from my house, but would be well worth it to hook into a few.

Be faster to drive to Melvern from where you're at, probably an hour closer than Milford is. Either lake mid April-early June and then late August-until the water drops below 45 are good times to be at either lake. Milford is my favorite of the two but I fish Melvern more because it takes an hour instead of 2 hours to get there.

[kylek]

Be faster to drive to Melvern from where you're at, probably an hour closer than Milford is. Either lake mid April-early June and then late August-until the water drops below 45 are good times to be at either lake. Milford is my favorite of the two but I fish Melvern more because it takes an hour instead of 2 hours to get there.

Thanks!! I will have to get there soon and try it out. I have only caught 2 smallies before at Coffey County but they were just a fluke... We were fishing for whites when I caught them. Would love to get a few more under my belt as well as getting my father in law on the board.

What would you recommend this time of year to catch them?

[Bluebasser86]

Thanks!! I will have to get there soon and try it out. I have only caught 2 smallies before at Coffey County but they were just a fluke... We were fishing for whites when I caught them. Would love to get a few more under my belt as well as getting my father in law on the board.

What would you recommend this time of year to catch them?

Depends on the time of year but if you get a 3" Berkley powerminnow and put it on a 1/8oz jighead and cast it to the dam or flat, rocky points and just reel it fast enough to keep it off the bottom you'll catch lots of them. Probably the biggest smallmouth I've ever hooked ate that exact combo off the dam at Melvern and promptly jumped and spit my bait right back at me. I'm guessing she was in the 6lb range, maybe bigger. I did catch a 4 pound smallie on that rig at Milford off the dam too, along with every other fish that swims in both those lakes. Shakyheads, cranks, spooks, spinnerbaits, traps, jigs, and jerkbaits in the spring and fall are all good baits. The smallmouth in my avatar ate a tiny Lucky Craft CB zero in American shad color on a flat point in about a foot of water last fall at Melvern.

[kylek]

Depends on the time of year but if you get a 3" Berkley powerminnow and put it on a 1/8oz jighead and cast it to the dam or flat, rocky points and just reel it fast enough to keep it off the bottom you'll catch lots of them. Probably the biggest smallmouth I've ever hooked ate that exact combo off the dam at Melvern and promptly jumped and spit my bait right back at me. I'm guessing she was in the 6lb range, maybe bigger. I did catch a 4 pound smallie on that rig at Milford off the dam too, along with every other fish that swims in both those lakes. Shakyheads, cranks, spooks, spinnerbaits, traps, jigs, and jerkbaits in the spring and fall are all good baits. The smallmouth in my avatar ate a tiny Lucky Craft CB zero in American shad color on a flat point in about a foot of water last fall at Melvern.

Thank you!!! I am sure I will be planning something soon!!!! Hope I have a good story to post about when we get finished!!!!

[AllDay]

Never have done much good night fishing for smallmouth. I've tried at Melvern too and caught nothing but flatheads until it got light out. I've caught a couple at Wyco on spinnerbaits and shakyheads with finesse worms but not near the numbers I catch if I'm after largemouth. I know they bite at night though, some guides are pretty successful fishing for smallmouth at night.

Although it's too bad that smallmouths aren't expected to be hearty nighttime eaters like their largemouth counterparts, there's consolation in knowing you tried for nightime smallies too and had challenges. For me then I'll continue pursuing the nighttime largemouths, I love doing that. I attached a pic of my nighttime adventures over the July 4th weekend at Miami. That lake rocks. During the day I prefer 7"-12" green pumpkin ribbon tail worms; at night it's black, black/blue fleck or junebug colors. The key for me is casting right on the bank, they eat it up.

[Bluebasser86]

Anyone want to fish Wyco for a few hours Tuesday morning? I don't get off work until 8am so it would probably be around 9 when I got out there and I'm only going to fish for a few hours so I can get a little sleep that afternoon.

[Hi Salenity]

Anyone want to fish Wyco for a few hours Tuesday morning? I don't get off work until 8am so it would probably be around 9 when I got out there and I'm only going to fish for a few hours so I can get a little sleep that afternoon.

I could use some pointers on that lake, I'd go.

[AllDay]

Anyone want to fish Wyco for a few hours Tuesday morning? I don't get off work until 8am so it would probably be around 9 when I got out there and I'm only going to fish for a few hours so I can get a little sleep that afternoon.

Blue,

I gather you work nights and I'd definitely go if I could, however, I work days and the only times I can fish mornings or evenings/nights are on weekends. In fact, I have yet to fish mornings at Wyco b/c I always fish nights - speaking of which I went last night and tried out for the first time my video camera sunglasses. I boated a largemouth in the hour I spent over the waters. I'll try to post it today or so if I can get a moment to upload to YouTube! I have a Pelican Predator two-man bass boat and she gets her done (55 lbs thrust Traxxis trolling motor and 2.5 HP Mercury outboard motor). This Saturday early morning I'm very much considering going to Hazel Creek b/c your pics of what you landed at Hazel just got me fired up! Are you working Fri night/Sat morning?

[Jim Fish the Zarks]

Hi all,

I just read some of the posts on this string and find it refreshing to finally find a forum that is active with people that are willing to share information.

I'm new to the board, and have just gotten back into fishing after a nearly 25 year hiatus. I'm 39 and started to miss the days I had on the lake with my dad. I typically fish the Lake of the Ozarks, but this fall and winter I'll likely fish lakes more local to the Overland Park area.

I just bought a boat (Tracker Targa) and I'm looking forward to making some new fishing buddies and learning some new tricks.

Thanks,

[Bluebasser86]

Blue,

I gather you work nights and I'd definitely go if I could, however, I work days and the only times I can fish mornings or evenings/nights are on weekends. In fact, I have yet to fish mornings at Wyco b/c I always fish nights - speaking of which I went last night and tried out for the first time my video camera sunglasses. I boated a largemouth in the hour I spent over the waters. I'll try to post it today or so if I can get a moment to upload to YouTube! I have a Pelican Predator two-man bass boat and she gets her done (55 lbs thrust Traxxis trolling motor and 2.5 HP Mercury outboard motor). This Saturday early morning I'm very much considering going to Hazel Creek b/c your pics of what you landed at Hazel just got me fired up! Are you working Fri night/Sat morning?

Yes, I work midnight shift from midnight-8am Thursday night at midnight-Tuesday morning at 8am. Makes finding people to go with me difficult but it's so nice at the same time because there's far fewer people on the water during the week.

Hi all,

I just read some of the posts on this string and find it refreshing to finally find a forum that is active with people that are willing to share information.

I'm new to the board, and have just gotten back into fishing after a nearly 25 year hiatus. I'm 39 and started to miss the days I had on the lake with my dad. I typically fish the Lake of the Ozarks, but this fall and winter I'll likely fish lakes more local to the Overland Park area.

I just bought a boat (Tracker Targa) and I'm looking forward to making some new fishing buddies and learning some new tricks.

Thanks,

Welcome to the forum! This is a great forum and this particular thread is one of the best area specific threads I've ever read. There's a great group of guys on here that are more than willing to share what we've found to be working and where. I think most of us are just about as excited to see someone else on this thread catch a good fish as we are when we get a good one ourselves.

[Jim Fish the Zarks]

This might be more appropriate for a private message, but I figured I'd post it here and if I'm off base, just whip me with a wet noodle, and then I'll start to figure out the community etiquiet (sp?)

Allday - is that a channel cat in your picture? That looks like a catch of a lifetime channel! Congrats!