For Us KC Area Guys - Fishing Reports

[Chris S]

You my boy Blue!!! Good work as always!!!

Quick question: Anyone ever fish Lewis and Clarke or Bean Lakes up that way? I was out wondering around Sunday and passed those on 45, which by the way is freshly paved all the way to 435!!

[AllDay]

Yes indeed, great work Blue, blazing that trail again! I'm up to bat tonight on the MO side so I'll try to follow suite on the catches!

[Bluebasser86]

You my boy Blue!!! Good work as always!!!

Quick question: Anyone ever fish Lewis and Clarke or Bean Lakes up that way? I was out wondering around Sunday and passed those on 45, which by the way is freshly paved all the way to 435!!

I noticed them on the map as I was looking for a plan B in case Belcher Branch didn't pan out the other day. After doing some research they appear to be oxbow lakes that are pretty shallow. Lewis and Clark looked like it had promise from what I could see on Google Maps but everything I could find only talked about catching catfish, carp, and crappie. I probably should have at least drove by it and took a look at it in person while I was up there. I know it has quite a few docks and looked like it had quite a bit of weeds in it.

[joefish]

Planning on going to Miami County Fishing lake Monday. Never been there before, I know several of you have fished there recently, anybody want to give me some suggestions as to where and what?

Planning to go early morning, anybody off work and want to go along? If you don't mind fishing with an old retired guy! Send me a Personal message with phone number and I'll call you.

[Hi Salenity]

Stay home!

[joefish]

Stay home!

Why is that? I thought Miami was a pretty good bass lake?

[Bluebasser86]

Why is that? I thought Miami was a pretty good bass lake?

It is, in the spring and fall, especially April-early June. Right now it seems if you go you'll be working really hard for 10, maybe 20 fish if you really figure them out, and they'll probably all be smaller than average sized fish for that lake. I know lots of guys that have been down there the last month, myself included. Nobody has caught more than 16 fish in an outing and with the exception of the 4.73 pounder I caught last trip down there not a single one would have been an 18" keeper.

If it were me I'd be headed to one of the Pleasanton city lakes, maybe both, or Bourban State Lake. I'd go with you but my work schedule changed so now I'm working Mondays.

[Ku Xiong]

My buddy and I went down to Miami a couple Fridays ago from 4:30pm until them skeetos ran us off. We only managed 12. Most of the ones we caught were skinny and smaller than the usual spring bass out there. It was very tough. Tons of shad on that body of water. They seem to be more interested in the real thing. Lots of surface activity, but not very much catching. Good luck if you go!!

[joefish]

OK, sounds like it is not worth the 50 mile ride to Miami at this time. Might just head over to Perry, if I can't fine LMB I can probably find some whites to play. Or Wyco has been fairly decent all summer. One thing for certain. . . . . . I am going Fishing !

[Bluebasser86]

Friend of mine just gave me a recent report from Perry:

We had a pretty good trip to Perry 10 days ago. 43 lm and 4 sm. We had 2 4.5 lb lm and 1 sm @ 17.5 inches. Also had 30 white bass. We fsihed for 3.5 hours on a hot windy day.

Sounds like Perry could be a pretty good time right now

[AllDay]

Hazel Creek:

First off Blue, you foretold of using 15 lbs line for cranking and spinner baits; 20-25 lbs line for pitching. Boy you weren't kidding: some lessons are learned the hard way - I had 6-8 lbs line for all styles (finesse, cranking, spinner). Combine this fact with the submerged timbers in the coves, I was outgunned. The story unfolds as follows:

Here is the diagram labeled areas A-E for my weekend trip:

http://s1073.photobucket.com/albums/w392/dweroha/Hazel%20Creek%20August%202012/?action=view&current=126ab0f6.jpg

Friday night I started after dusk at Area A where there's riprap and culverts. By nightfall, I used the Culprit Fat Max 7" ribbon tail worm (black) and there were several hits 1'-2' off the bank, boated 4 bass, 2 pictured here, between 13"-17":

http://s1073.photobucket.com/albums/w392/dweroha/Hazel%20Creek%20August%202012/?action=view&current=8a6e3bfa.jpg

Making the turn to Area B, there are submerged timbers and water lilies, in this area, several more bites took and I landed another 17" LM:

http://s1073.photobucket.com/albums/w392/dweroha/Hazel%20Creek%20August%202012/?action=view&current=c4097f1f.jpg.

After Area B, I headed northwest along the bank and wasn't able to land any bites. As I arrived at Area C, this timber-filled cove is where I got my first lesson of the night in tackle preparation. Pitching along the timber, I got thumped using Fax Max 7" june bug color and I my 6 lbs line didn’t have enough to muscle him out of the timber - it got ensnared and the line broke. It would prove to be a sign of things to come. I caught a couple of smaller bass about 13" in this cove

Heading southwest out of Area C and into Area D, my friends it's like in the movies: turning the corner off the bank I was met with the "gauntlet" of submerged timber. Blue you said it best: "The trees up there are nasty…". The timber wasn't just vertical - it was horizontal and diagonal and you'd better pay attention while trolling since numerous branches protrude horizontally just 1'-2' under the water surface! Some of this was due to lower water levels from the summer drought. By this time, I switched to my largest line (just 8 lbs) having learned that lesson from Area C. I played the hand I was dealt and my choices are 6 lbs or 8 lbs line.

8 lbs didn't seem to matter.

Once again, pitching along standing timber with a black & blue fleck Fat Max 7", I got nailed and how could the outcome be different than before: he took it and I couldn’t stop him from getting into another horizontal branch and breaking the line.

Heading into Area E I decided to throw a spinner and unintentionally landed my first crappie of the year:

http://s1073.photobucket.com/albums/w392/dweroha/Hazel%20Creek%20August%202012/?action=view&current=f08e8dbf.jpg

I couple of other bites off the spinner and I decided to get some rest and wait for the sun to rise. The morning bite too was good and that's when I used crank baits. Little did I anticipate the drama that would unfold for crank baits. It's not rocket science here: 6-8 lbs line for this lake is ill-advised. You're not asking for trouble, you're asking for failure. You need to be in the 15+ lbs line range, otherwise you're just bringing a knife to a gunfight.

As the sun rose in Area E, I continued to get multiple hits and land smaller bass. However, the two crank baits shown below were each lost to larger fish - line snapped both times. Where they LM? Muskie? I'll never know. The yellow and black crank photo on the right was moments before I would lose it to a larger fish.

http://s1073.photobucket.com/albums/w392/dweroha/Hazel%20Creek%20August%202012/?action=view&current=3e90d12b.jpg

Throwing cranks casting horizontally about 3'-5' off the bank was a winning strategy - there were some brush piles along the banks that gave strikes. The last crank bait I lost, a shiny silver with brown back stripe "pork chop", would be the 4th one lost and the last I would use for the trip b/c using more would just mean losing more. I lost the "pork chop" trolling along Area E in the middle of the cove. The "pork chop" was a deep diver: 10'-15'. Trolling along at about 3 mph, I had one large snap of the rod and no sooner did I realize a fish was on it, the line broke. Frustrating.

A silver lining for this trip was my first time use of the pumpkin head hook during the late morning hour:

http://s1073.photobucket.com/albums/w392/dweroha/Hazel%20Creek%20August%202012/?action=view&current=de070d93.jpg

I very much liked the way the pumpkin head presents the worm (with its tail diagonally upward about 45-degrees). I casted horizontally about 3'-5' horizontally along the bank of Area E and it yielded small bass 13"-15".

Hazel Creek is definitely a great bass lake and if you can make the drive and fish for at least 2 days, it's worth it. By the way, it is equivalent to driving from Kansas City to Des Moines, IA. I chuckled when I saw the highway sign "Des Moines 108 miles" and on my GPS it showed Hazel Creek 103 miles.

For Labor Day weekend I have family and friends in town. On the docket is Miami lake Saturday evening and camping into the night then on Sunday evening we'll set up camp at Milford lake and Monday day fish all day in the southern part of the lake. I will not be doing the night bite fishing for smallies on Sunday but during the day Monday it will be the sequel to my first outing at Milford from a couple weeks back.

After this post I'll send you guys a link that ranks Perry as the #1 lake in KS for bass!!! Well, it's implied #1 b/c Perry is the first KS lake that shows up in the Top 100 bass lakes in the US. I'd like to understand some details of where to fish at Perry for LMB. If I have sufficient information, I may just change the plan to fish Perry on Saturday night instead of Miami!!

[AllDay]

Definitely want your guys' opinion about this ranking:

http://www.bassmaster.com/news/100-best-bass-lakes

Perry lake is #60 on the Top 100! If you guys have tips or suggestion on where in Perry to hit up, I'm all ears!

[Chris S]

Meat wagon report..sorry was running low had to re stock!!

[Hi Salenity]

Friend of mine just gave me a recent report from Perry:

We had a pretty good trip to Perry 10 days ago. 43 lm and 4 sm. We had 2 4.5 lb lm and 1 sm @ 17.5 inches. Also had 30 white bass. We fsihed for 3.5 hours on a hot windy day.

Sounds like Perry could be a pretty good time right now

Going to be one H**L of a big bike rally their this weekend. I've NEVER seen so many naked pepole as I've seen at Perry Makes Sturgis look like a daycare! Also lot's of 1% bikers...

[joefish]

We had a pretty good trip to Perry 10 days ago. 43 lm and 4 sm. We had 2 4.5 lb lm and 1 sm @ 17.5 inches. Also had 30 white bass. We fsihed for 3.5 hours on a hot windy day.

Sounds like Perry could be a pretty good time right now

Guess I should have gone to Perry.

Going to be one H**L of a big bike rally their this weekend. I've NEVER seen so many naked pepole as I've seen at Perry Makes Sturgis look like a daycare! Also lot's of 1% bikers...

Maybe for more than one reason.

Chose Wyco for the outing today, Was a tough bite, managed to boat a few LMB, nothing of any size.

[Bluebasser86]

Definitely want your guys' opinion about this ranking:

http://www.bassmaste...best-bass-lakes

Perry lake is #60 on the Top 100! If you guys have tips or suggestion on where in Perry to hit up, I'm all ears!

For the most part that list is terrible. Once you get towards the upper end of it then it starts to make sense but Perry shouldn't even be on that list. It's a good lake for this area but when it's put up against lakes like Clinton, Hillsdale, Pomona, Tuttle Creek, and most other bigger bodies of water in Kansas it doesn't take much to look good. I do enjoy fishing Perry because it fishes to my strengths, shallow water power fishing. The marina at the south end and the area around Rock Creek Marina in the west arm are good areas to look. Right around the farthest north state park ramp is usually good. The one row of docks to the north of Rock Creek Marina is a must fish spot. The rip rap in Slough creek is also very good. I usually stick to dark colored plastics, a Zoom Baby Brush Hog being my favorite, usually in blackberry or blueberry color. A pit boss is another good bait and those fish really seem to have a taste for a pumpkin colored hula grub, t-rigged or on a jighead. I've also done well on spinnerbaits, traps, squarebills, and buzzbaits at different times but the soft plastics are the most consistent producer.

Going to be one H**L of a big bike rally their this weekend. I've NEVER seen so many naked pepole as I've seen at Perry Makes Sturgis look like a daycare! Also lot's of 1% bikers...

I'll have to pass that info on. Chris was going to go fishing out there this weekend, might not be the best idea doesn't sound like.

[AllDay]

For the most part that list is terrible. Once you get towards the upper end of it then it starts to make sense but Perry shouldn't even be on that list. It's a good lake for this area but when it's put up against lakes like Clinton, Hillsdale, Pomona, Tuttle Creek, and most other bigger bodies of water in Kansas it doesn't take much to look good. I do enjoy fishing Perry because it fishes to my strengths, shallow water power fishing. The marina at the south end and the area around Rock Creek Marina in the west arm are good areas to look. Right around the farthest north state park ramp is usually good. The one row of docks to the north of Rock Creek Marina is a must fish spot. The rip rap in Slough creek is also very good. I usually stick to dark colored plastics, a Zoom Baby Brush Hog being my favorite, usually in blackberry or blueberry color. A pit boss is another good bait and those fish really seem to have a taste for a pumpkin colored hula grub, t-rigged or on a jighead. I've also done well on spinnerbaits, traps, squarebills, and buzzbaits at different times but the soft plastics are the most consistent producer.

I'll have to pass that info on. Chris was going to go fishing out there this weekend, might not be the best idea doesn't sound like.

Do you think this Labor Day weekend it'll be filled with campers, fishers, and everything in between? Of course I plan to fish the evening/dusk/dawn and not the days so it's never busy in the middle of the night.

[Bluebasser86]

Do you think this Labor Day weekend it'll be filled with campers, fishers, and everything in between? Of course I plan to fish the evening/dusk/dawn and not the days so it's never busy in the middle of the night.

Yes, it will be packed with lots of people acting crazy and lots of them that should never be allowed to operate a boat. Don't be so sure about nobody being out at night out there either. I've seen ski boats running full speed in the dark with no lights on out there. It's usually like a miniature version of Lake of the Ozarks out there, only it's much small so the chaos is more concentrated. Despite all that I've done very well out there during Memorial and Labor day weekends both. Last time I was out there for Labor Day my wife and I caught hundreds of big white bass, literally until we got bored with catching 1-2 pound white bass. They had thousands of shad pushed into the marina by the dam and were just on a constant attack for 2 days straight, it was pretty crazy.

[AllDay]

Yes, it will be packed with lots of people acting crazy and lots of them that should never be allowed to operate a boat. Don't be so sure about nobody being out at night out there either. I've seen ski boats running full speed in the dark with no lights on out there. It's usually like a miniature version of Lake of the Ozarks out there, only it's much small so the chaos is more concentrated. Despite all that I've done very well out there during Memorial and Labor day weekends both. Last time I was out there for Labor Day my wife and I caught hundreds of big white bass, literally until we got bored with catching 1-2 pound white bass. They had thousands of shad pushed into the marina by the dam and were just on a constant attack for 2 days straight, it was pretty crazy.

I laughed with your "...lots of them that should never be allowed to operate a boat". Actually that sort of thing would tick me off if the wrecklessness begins to impede on my fishing. It's been 15+ years since I've gone for white bass. I've caught them on 'swimming' crappie jigs and live minnows on bobbers. I dont know if they would bite on crankbaits like the ones I used at Hazel or on finesse plastics.

[joefish]

I dont know if they would bite on crankbaits like the ones I used at Hazel or on finesse plastics.

They will hit cranks, top water, jigs, just about anything you can throw into the school that is churning the water.

[Chris S]

I'll have to pass that info on. Chris was going to go fishing out there this weekend, might not be the best idea doesn't sound like.

Screw fishing i am going to see naked chicks!!!

[Jim Fish the Zarks]

In the past I have concentrated on fishing for blue catfish, so I'm a bit lost on where bass will go this fall.

I was out looking for bait for catfishing and I found some shad on points, and other schools moving back into coves. I am assuming the bass will just following the shad.

So the question is where should I be looking this fall? And what is the trigger for the movement? Water Temp? Sunlight?

[hooah212002]

So the question is where should I be looking this fall? And what is the trigger for the movement? Water Temp? Sunlight?

You are correct on all accounts. A lot of people say the fall bite is nearly as good as the spring bite because they are fattening themselves up for winter. They will also be coming up shallow to follow the baitfish, then go back deep for the winter. As far as what the trigger is, presumably it is water temp. Although, sun light and day length may also play a role.

[skunked_again]

Friend of mine just gave me a recent report from Perry:

We had a pretty good trip to Perry 10 days ago. 43 lm and 4 sm. We had 2 4.5 lb lm and 1 sm @ 17.5 inches. Also had 30 white bass. We fsihed for 3.5 hours on a hot windy day.

Sounds like Perry could be a pretty good time right now

Perry is on fire right now if you dont mind the wind.

[Bluebasser86]

Perry is on fire right now if you dont mind the wind.

Skunked! It's been quite awhile since I've seen you on the board, always liked you're straightforward reports and comments.

I'm going to Olathe in the morning. My buddy backed out last minute so if anyone wants to go I'll have an empty back of the boat. Planning on getting out there at first light and fishing until about 1 because I have a doctors appointment.