For Us KC Area Guys - Fishing Reports

[KCFinesse]

Went out to Gardner this evening. I didn't find any numbers but did run into a tub of a 19" fish on an isolated weed patch. Found lots of bigger shad at the mouths of coves/pockets and rolled a good size channel cat on a chatterbait.

Only ended up with a couple this evening, plastics and isolated weeds were the ticket tonight. WT 77-79.

[DodgeRamWax]

Man I wish I had time to fish as much as you guys but with a full time job and a infant baby it's hard. I guess I'll just be a LURKER as some would say. Maybe some day i'll be as cool and you guys! 

[conorsixtakc]

55 minutes ago, DodgeRamWax said:

Man I wish I had time to fish as much as you guys but with a full time job and a infant baby it's hard.

Amen, congrats!

[Bluebasser86]

5 hours ago, DodgeRamWax said:

Man I wish I had time to fish as much as you guys but with a full time job and a infant baby it's hard. I guess I'll just be a LURKER as some would say. Maybe some day i'll be as cool and you guys! 

Oh Travis, I have a full time job, a toddler, and another on the way. You got to make time and get your priorities strait man!

[DodgeRamWax]

36 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Oh Travis, I have a full time job, a toddler, and another on the way. You got to make time and get your priorities strait man!

My wife is meaner than yours! haha

[Bluebasser86]

4 hours ago, DodgeRamWax said:

My wife is meaner than yours! haha

I'm not sure that's possible but I'm sorry if that's true. 

[KCFinesse]

Fished Melvern today, I knew where the day was going after losing a real solid fish on a WP early. Ended up with four over 15 with the biggest being 18". Caught lots of shorts and burned a bunch of trolling motor battery. Successful baits for me were ploppers, swing impacts, and Neds. I was really hoping for the predicted rain/cloud to set things off but it just didn't seem to materialize.

Water clarity was good in general but some coves were blown out badly.

-Jared

[Ondrejka]

On 9/23/2016 at 8:37 AM, DodgeRamWax said:

Man I wish I had time to fish as much as you guys but with a full time job and a infant baby it's hard. I guess I'll just be a LURKER as some would say. Maybe some day i'll be as cool and you guys! 

Your sarcasm is showing. We all have full time jobs. I even basically have a second. Sorry you took such offense to the lurker comment, not sure why as you've been around BR probably longer than I have...but it's true. 

[Bluebasser86]

People lurking and internet scouts are part of the deal, but I'm sure there's lots of folks out there that are trying to learn by following along who feel they're too inexperienced to try to contribute. The lurker comments aren't going to help make anyone want to join and contribute to the thread. This has been one of the most active threads on the forum because of the guys on here being willing to share information and help each other out, I'd like to see it keep pointed that direction. We were all new here once and were maybe even lurkers ourselves at one point before we signed on. I'm guessing part of the reason everyone made that step was because it seemed like a pretty decent group of guys here who you could speak to freely without being insulted or belittled (at least until you got to know everyone of course). I've been burnt by spot thieves, just like anyone will if you catch fish consistently and post pictures with them, but that's no reason to assume that everyone here just following along is for those reasons. Lets just try to keep it friendly or stick to the old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". I know it's hard sometimes, I have to work at it at least a few times every night to just let it go, sometimes even after I've typed up a good smart A comment to someone.

Anyway, off my soapbox and to what everyone is here for, the fishing reports/pictures!

I picked up one of the new Jackall Gantias at Mondo Wednesday and ran by Osawatomie City Lake on the way home, took me one whole cast to get blasted along some water willows. Not a big fish by any means, but sure gets the confidence up. It's a great looking bait that moves very lifelike and nearly suspends it sinks so slow. Fishes very easy too.

Thursday I went to Wilson SFL and met @Shaunmoore1 to chase some spots. The fish were about jumping in the boat most of the day. I had a ton of rods out but all I really needed was a jig. Jig color didn't seem to matter as long as the trailer was blue. A popper was wearing them out in the morning, pretty much every cast for awhile, both spots and largemouth. There was one other boat there and I think he went pretty much straight back into the pond because that was about the only place we didn't do so hot. The water was also a few degrees warmer up there (79 instead of 76), which is a pretty severe difference in a small lake like that. I did get the biggest of the day up there though, which was also my only frog bite of the day.

Caught several flipping the willows. I'm sure a wacky rig would have just been stupid easy but I didn't want to waste that many sticks. I threw a Ned for awhile at the end just for the heck of it and caught my biggest spot of the day at 16.5". Wasn't as big as I was hoping for, but still a heck of a spot. Also caught one of the blue/channel hybrids they stock in that lake, really pretty fish.

Thursday night was the last weeknight tournament of the year at Miola. It was pretty brutal but I started out by catching a 1.5 and 2.4 on a frog in the first 50 yards and another 1 something in the next 15 minutes. Turned out we could have gone and sat in the truck and skipped the mosquitoes and still be okay. We had a limit by the time we finished fishing halfway through the dock cove before we had a long dry spell with only a couple shorts. I culled a few ounces on the dam with a popper before we made a pit stop at the dock for bug spray. After dark I missed a couple solid bites on code blue before catching another 2.4 while Coty was busy with another couple ounce cull himself. It was a grind no doubt but a nice way to end the season.

Friday I went to Linn Valley with the intention to start for bass and finish catching bluegills on my fly rod. I had a shot at a 4lb class largemouth that I was trying to sight fish in a pocket along the weedlines but she someone short struck my Flat Dawg and I missed her and she disappeared. I found a school with a bunch of shad corralled in the back of a cove and caught several out of there. Saw some huge channel cats under a dock but they wanted nothing to do with anything, even livebait. Once the sun got up high, I started sight casting to big bluegills near docks and wearing them out. At one point I cast at some gills and as they converged on the fly a brown rocket shot off the bottom and engulfed the little fly. It was a much longer fight than I expected, but it finally came to hand, my first fly rod smallmouth.

I think I made 2 more cast before it happened again, this time even bigger.

If I was smart I probably should have changed to a larger fly and actually targeted them, but I've never claimed to be smart. Right towards the end I made a cast under a tree that was dropping some kind of nuts or berries. Lots of bluegills under it but man when my fly touched the water a grass carp that was easily 50+ shot of the bottom and narrowly missed my fly. I'd probably still be fighting that thing if it had connected. I'd like to try it sometime, but maybe start with something a little smaller than one that size.

 

[kickerfish1]

Congrats on the fairy wand brown bass Blue! That would be a first for me as well.

[ljd1971]

Had one of my better numbers days in the rain at Lake Shawnee this morning. Didn't start out that way as I couldn't buy a bite on topwater or any moving bait for that matter. They were also a little deeper than they've been recently, probably 6-8 feet. Once I figured it out, the Ned, tube, and a jig caught most fish. I did catch a few flipping a beaver in the water willows after the rain slowed. Unfortunately, none of the big smallies showed up for me. Plenty of big drum, though.

[RangerDanger]

On 9/25/2016 at 1:26 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

I picked up one of the new Jackall Gantias at Mondo Wednesday and ran by Osawatomie City Lake on the way home, took me one whole cast to get blasted along some water willows. Not a big fish by any means, but sure gets the confidence up. It's a great looking bait that moves very lifelike and nearly suspends it sinks so slow. Fishes very easy too.

I feel Gantia in my future. Been looking at it, and you all know how much I like Jackall products.

[Bluebasser86]

1 minute ago, RangerDanger said:

I feel Gantia in my future. Been looking at it, and you all know how much I like Jackall products.

I caught several with it at Wilson also. Still nothing over 3 pounds, but it's bound to happen. No doubt it's going to be a good WC swimmer and I'm sure the smallies at the 'Vern will like it too. I'm really hoping it looks like a big La Cygne gizzard shad this winter though. 

[gardnerjigman]

On Friday, September 23, 2016 at 3:04 PM, DodgeRamWax said:

My wife is meaner than yours! haha

Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!! Negative ghost ryder!

On Friday, September 23, 2016 at 7:34 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm not sure that's possible but I'm sorry if that's true. 

Lol, got a pretty good kick outta that. 

[Rouge Minnow]

Another "lurker" here. Quick question: does anyone know where you can buy the permit to fish Johnson County lakes/ponds like Heritage? I want to take my son there (2.5 years old) and TRY to get him started fishing by catching some bluegills or sunfish off the dock right there. He's a little young, but I'm hoping if I work with him that by next spring he'll be catching a few on his own.  Thanks in advance. 

[Bluebasser86]

2 minutes ago, Rouge Minnow said:

Another "lurker" here. Quick question: does anyone know where you can buy the permit to fish Johnson County lakes/ponds like Heritage? I want to take my son there (2.5 years old) and TRY to get him started fishing by catching some bluegills or sunfish off the dock right there. He's a little young, but I'm hoping if I work with him that by next spring he'll be catching a few on his own.  Thanks in advance. 

Most Wal-Marts in Joco sell them, you can buy then at Kill Creek Park and Shawnee Mission park as well. There's lots of public ponds in Joco with lots of bluegills that you don't need a permit for though.

[Rouge Minnow]

Just now, Bluebasser86 said:

Most Wal-Marts in Joco sell them, you can buy then at Kill Creek Park and Shawnee Mission park as well. There's lots of public ponds in Joco with lots of bluegills that you don't need a permit for though.

Thanks. I'll see what other ponds are also close to me. Heritage is just close to my house. In case it doesn't go well or he decides he'd rather fall in than fish (much more likely) I'd be close to home to neutralize that situation. 

[Bluebasser86]

3 hours ago, Rouge Minnow said:

Thanks. I'll see what other ponds are also close to me. Heritage is just close to my house. In case it doesn't go well or he decides he'd rather fall in than fish (much more likely) I'd be close to home to neutralize that situation. 

Check the walk in fishing atlas. There'sa few down south that would be options for you that you don't need the permit for.

[Bassboy98]

Has anyone fished the Vern lately?

[Bluebasser86]

2 minutes ago, Bassboy98 said:

Has anyone fished the Vern lately?

Yes, it's awful. Lake is 3' high and dingy. Tons of dinks if that's your thing though. Might be able to get some largemouth flipping bushes though. 

[Bassboy98]

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Yes, it's awful. Lake is 3' high and dingy. Tons of dinks if that's your thing though. Might be able to get some largemouth flipping bushes though. 

Will the lake be back to normal in two weeks?

[Bluebasser86]

1 minute ago, Bassboy98 said:

Will the lake be back to normal in two weeks?

Doubt it unless they release a ton of water and it has time to stabilize by then. Most likely it will be high but falling water levels which makes that lake fish about as tough as it can.

As of this morning it's still 2.27' above normal pool, which is still higher than where it fishes best at.

[Bassboy98]

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Doubt it unless they release a ton of water and it has time to stabilize by then. Most likely it will be high but falling water levels which makes that lake fish about as tough as it can.

Great..

[Ondrejka]

8 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Yes, it's awful. Lake is 3' high and dingy. Tons of dinks if that's your thing though. Might be able to get some largemouth flipping bushes though. 

Yup. Terrible. Literally.

6 minutes ago, Bassboy98 said:

Will the lake be back to normal in two weeks?

Highly doubtful.

[Bluebasser86]

We had 2 boats with 4 guys on the water Thursday and didn't have a fish even close to 18" and they were very scattered. Not a bite further than 1/4 is the way down the lake.