For Us KC Area Guys - Fishing Reports

[Shawk63]

5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

 

Well done! I agree with Eggroll and the summary at the end. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post your videos. Much appreciated.

[kylek]

I am unable to watch the video at work.  how much did she weigh?  Looks like a good one for sure.

[Bluebasser86]

9 minutes ago, kylek said:

I am unable to watch the video at work.  how much did she weigh?  Looks like a good one for sure.

6.56, it's not the fish in the thumbnail if that's what you're talking about, that one is only around 3. There's a picture of here on this thread page 187.

 

[doughboy1979]

On 2/23/2019 at 11:49 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

 

Nicely done buddy!! I can't wait to get out this year for fishing.  With both kids in basketball, scouts, and whatnot; I've had no time this winter to get out.  Hopefully before the end of this month I'll get out.

 

Also, saw your youtube video the other day and your career change.  Good luck and I'll be calling you for your services in about a month from now!!!

 

[Bluebasser86]

10 minutes ago, doughboy1979 said:

Also, saw your youtube video the other day and your career change.  Good luck and I'll be calling you for your services in about a month from now!!!

 

That was Brian. He runs Kansas Angling Experience guide service who I guide for, but I still have my full time job also along with the bait making too.

[KansasBassin]

Finesse News Network Latest Email....more about LMBD at Melvern and its decline as a LMB fishery. Just thought I would share.....

 

We reported on the Finesse News Network several times in 2018 that the largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fishing in northeastern Kansas was very trying at most of our reservoirs.

 

 Below is the 2019 spring report about Wolf Creek Lake from the Woodson District Fisheries of the Kansas State Dept. of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism. This report substantiates what Midwest finesse anglers endured at most of northeastern Kansas reservoirs in 2018.

 

The biologist at Melvern Lake reported on Feb. 1 that the largemouth bass at Melvern Lake, Kansas, have been waylaid with the largemouth bass virus. The largemouth bass fishing at Melvern has been sorry for decades. In our eyes, the largemouth bass were not worth pursuing, and when we caught one, it was while we were pursuing its bountiful population of smallmouth bass. It was not mentioned in this Feb. 1 report that the smallmouth bass fishing was horrendous at Melven in 2018.  In fact, it was worse than the smallmouth bass fishing at Wolf Creek. 

 

We should note that before 2017 and 2018, ranging back into the late 1990s, the smallmouth bass fishing at Melvern Lake and Wolf Creek was very fruitful. And at times, it was spectacular. Melvern, by the way,  lies about 20 miles north of Wolf Creek.

 

It is interesting to note that Brent Frazee of Parkville, Missouri, who is a Finesse News Network member and contributor, has reported throughout 2016, 2017, and 2018 that the largemouth bass fishing at a community reservoir in northwest Missouri has become for some unknown reason quite trying. He is baffled by what has transpired to this reservoir that used to provide Midwest finesse anglers with bountiful catches of largemouth bass.

 

It looks as if this sorry-fishing phenomenon is becoming a rather wide-spreading piscatorial plague this part of the world.

 

Here is the report about Wolf Creek:

 

“Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent that last few years at Wolf Creek, however, the recent exit creel survey may be indicating a population decline. According to data compiled from the exit creel survey, there has been a significant decline in smallmouth bass numbers from the previous years. In 2018, there were only 5,661 smallmouth bass caught and released compared to 2017 when just over 33,000 smallmouth bass were caught and released. There was a reduction of 5,414 hours of angling effort last year which no doubt contributed to some of the lower catch rates. But consider this, in 2015 there was approximately the same amount of angling effort spent as was in 2018 and there were 18,262 smallmouth bass caught and released. With that in mind, we should have seen more fish in 2018. Our spring electrofishing sample (conducted May 2018), did result in a lower catch rate of smallmouth bass than the previous year, but we saw similar percentages of fish in each size class as compared to previous years. From that sample, there was not a glaring problem with the population. What has caused such a drastic decline? Right now, I don’t have a good answer. We could blame it on the abnormally hot spring and early summer and just move on. However, I don’t feel like I would be doing my job if I did not investigate a little further. There is a good chance this is just a natural population decline, but there is also a chance this decline could be driven by a virus or disease. With that said, I plan to conduct some disease testing this Spring during our electrofishing survey, and hopefully we can rule some things out and figure out what is going on.”

[Russ E]

43 minutes ago, KansasBassin said:

Finesse News Network Latest Email....more about LMBD at Melvern and its decline as a LMB fishery. Just thought I would share.....

 

We reported on the Finesse News Network several times in 2018 that the largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fishing in northeastern Kansas was very trying at most of our reservoirs.

 

 Below is the 2019 spring report about Wolf Creek Lake from the Woodson District Fisheries of the Kansas State Dept. of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism. This report substantiates what Midwest finesse anglers endured at most of northeastern Kansas reservoirs in 2018.

 

The biologist at Melvern Lake reported on Feb. 1 that the largemouth bass at Melvern Lake, Kansas, have been waylaid with the largemouth bass virus. The largemouth bass fishing at Melvern has been sorry for decades. In our eyes, the largemouth bass were not worth pursuing, and when we caught one, it was while we were pursuing its bountiful population of smallmouth bass. It was not mentioned in this Feb. 1 report that the smallmouth bass fishing was horrendous at Melven in 2018.  In fact, it was worse than the smallmouth bass fishing at Wolf Creek. 

 

We should note that before 2017 and 2018, ranging back into the late 1990s, the smallmouth bass fishing at Melvern Lake and Wolf Creek was very fruitful. And at times, it was spectacular. Melvern, by the way,  lies about 20 miles north of Wolf Creek.

 

It is interesting to note that Brent Frazee of Parkville, Missouri, who is a Finesse News Network member and contributor, has reported throughout 2016, 2017, and 2018 that the largemouth bass fishing at a community reservoir in northwest Missouri has become for some unknown reason quite trying. He is baffled by what has transpired to this reservoir that used to provide Midwest finesse anglers with bountiful catches of largemouth bass.

 

It looks as if this sorry-fishing phenomenon is becoming a rather wide-spreading piscatorial plague this part of the world.

 

Here is the report about Wolf Creek:

 

“Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent that last few years at Wolf Creek, however, the recent exit creel survey may be indicating a population decline. According to data compiled from the exit creel survey, there has been a significant decline in smallmouth bass numbers from the previous years. In 2018, there were only 5,661 smallmouth bass caught and released compared to 2017 when just over 33,000 smallmouth bass were caught and released. There was a reduction of 5,414 hours of angling effort last year which no doubt contributed to some of the lower catch rates. But consider this, in 2015 there was approximately the same amount of angling effort spent as was in 2018 and there were 18,262 smallmouth bass caught and released. With that in mind, we should have seen more fish in 2018. Our spring electrofishing sample (conducted May 2018), did result in a lower catch rate of smallmouth bass than the previous year, but we saw similar percentages of fish in each size class as compared to previous years. From that sample, there was not a glaring problem with the population. What has caused such a drastic decline? Right now, I don’t have a good answer. We could blame it on the abnormally hot spring and early summer and just move on. However, I don’t feel like I would be doing my job if I did not investigate a little further. There is a good chance this is just a natural population decline, but there is also a chance this decline could be driven by a virus or disease. With that said, I plan to conduct some disease testing this Spring during our electrofishing survey, and hopefully we can rule some things out and figure out what is going on.”

hopefully it was just a strange year.

According the kwdpt bass forecast for 2019. the populations of both bass species seem to be improving at Perry and Clinton. So hopefully there is some good news ahead.

https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Fishing-Forecast

[KansasBassin]

Where do you think he is talking about here...you dont think Mozingo do you? 

 

largemouth bass fishing at a community reservoir in northwest Missouri has become for some unknown reason quite trying. He is baffled by what has transpired to this reservoir that used to provide Midwest finesse anglers with bountiful catches of largemouth bass.

[Bluebasser86]

I wouldn't get too concerned. A lot of the lakes he swears are dying are still loaded with fish. LMBV doesn't wipe a lake out either, it only effects the larger fish and eventually the fish build up an immunity to it. It took about 10 years at Gardner lake but the fishing has really come back strong there.

[Russ E]

21 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I wouldn't get too concerned. A lot of the lakes he swears are dying are still loaded with fish. LMBV doesn't wipe a lake out either, it only effects the larger fish and eventually the fish build up an immunity to it. It took about 10 years at Gardner lake but the fishing has really come back strong there.

He told me last year, La Cygne was dying. Then he said wyco was also hurting, because they could not catch 50 fish a day. I respect what he contributes to the sport, but sometimes he may not be 100% correct on his views.

[Bluebasser86]

43 minutes ago, Russ E said:

He told me last year, La Cygne was dying. Then he said wyco was also hurting, because they could not catch 50 fish a day. I respect what he contributes to the sport, but sometimes he may not be 100% correct on his views.

La Cygne has been as good as it's been in years for both numbers and size the last couple years imo. Wyco, by most accounts, is as good as it's been in a long time too, it's just different fishing than it use to be.

 

The thing that doesn't make sense about LMBV supposedly killing SMB at those lakes, is the LMB has been as good, if not better, at Melvern and Wolf, this past year than it has been in the past, so why is it not hurting them? I had some great trips to Melvern last year but a Ned rig rarely played on those days. They were eating aggressive, "power fishing techniques", and ignoring finesse stuff. Maybe the unwillingness to fish something else is the issue the MWF guys are having? 

[Russ E]

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

La Cygne has been as good as it's been in years for both numbers and size the last couple years imo. Wyco, by most accounts, is as good as it's been in a long time too, it's just different fishing than it use to be.

 

The thing that doesn't make sense about LMBV supposedly killing SMB at those lakes, is the LMB has been as good, if not better, at Melvern and Wolf, this past year than it has been in the past, so why is it not hurting them? I had some great trips to Melvern last year but a Ned rig rarely played on those days. They were eating aggressive, "power fishing techniques", and ignoring finesse stuff. Maybe the unwillingness to fish something else is the issue the MWF guys are having? 

I agree. the banks at Wyco get pounded by the MWF guys. last year was good to me there. I caught quite a few quality fish. Most of them were offshore and less than 10 of them were on the ned rig.

I very seldom use the ned rig at La Cygne. Usually isn't even one rigged on the deck.

Olathe was a different story, most of the quality fish I caught there were on the ned rig.

 

[Bluebasser86]

38 minutes ago, Russ E said:

I agree. the banks at Wyco get pounded by the MWF guys. last year was good to me there. I caught quite a few quality fish. Most of them were offshore and less than 10 of them were on the ned rig.

I very seldom use the ned rig at La Cygne. Usually isn't even one rigged on the deck.

Olathe was a different story, most of the quality fish I caught there were on the ned rig.

 

The ironic thing about that is Olathe is one that he's always said is a poor lake for MWF fishing. I've never really used it out there but now that it's closer for me to go to La Cygne than it is to go to Olathe, I never go to Olathe. 

[joefish]

what is MWF Fîshing?

[Russ E]

4 minutes ago, joefish said:

what is MWF Fîshing?

midwest finesse. aka the ned rig.

[Bluebasser86]

Caught about a dozen in less than an hour in the cold rain today from the bank. Most were small, one was big enough to eat the rest of them. Float-n-fly and a small Yo-Zuri jerkbait did all the damage.

[pauldconyers]

Who's going out today? What presentation do you imagine is the winner in conditions like this?

[Bluebasser86]

41 minutes ago, pauldconyers said:

Who's going out today? What presentation do you imagine is the winner in conditions like this?

Jerkbaits were working yesterday, water was 40.5-41.5*. Most everywhere is dirty and high after all the rain. The biggest trick is finding clearer water. La Cygne looks terrible and the rain had the opposite effect on it, the water cooled off about 6* and looks like the Missouri river on the north end.

[pauldconyers]

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Jerkbaits were working yesterday, water was 40.5-41.5*. Most everywhere is dirty and high after all the rain. The biggest trick is finding clearer water. La Cygne looks terrible and the rain had the opposite effect on it, the water cooled off about 6* and looks like the Missouri river on the north end.

Today I'll be on the bank and I was thinking to try to find a clear spot of water and try a fluke or a spinner bait primarily. Only time will tell I guess.

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, pauldconyers said:

Today I'll be on the bank and I was thinking to try to find a clear spot of water and try a fluke or a spinner bait primarily. Only time will tell I guess.

I caught one around 4 and several small ones from the bank last week on a jerkbait and a float-n-fly from a little city lake.

[Bluebasser86]

2 trips in a row from the bank of the little city lake.

The dinks were hungry too.

[pauldconyers]

37 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

2 trips in a row from the bank of the little city lake.

The dinks were hungry too.

Nice! I hit the same kind of place Saturday. Walked the bank and threw a spinnerbait for about 2. 5 hours with nothing. Threw a red lipless for a bit and while I did only get 1 bite it was a little over 2 lbs so it wasn't all bad.

[Bluebasser86]

16 bass and my first bluegill of the year on the same jerkbait, this time at Osawatomie City Lake this morning. They were super dinks though, I doubt I caught one bigger than 10" and one was probably barely over 4". 

[Bluebasser86]

Found water up to 53* when I got off the water Friday. Largemouth, smallmouth, trout, drum, and a carp all on jerkbaits, ned, jig, crank, or a spoon. The carp actually ate my jerkbait, took off with it on the pause and really made me think I had a monster smallmouth for a minute.

[Bluebasser86]

The plant is down for maintenance at La Cygne right now I believe. I've seen very little coming out of the stack the last couple days on my way home in the morning, even with the cold weather. I'm sure they can still be caught, but if they just shut it down it might take a few days to adjust.