Hello From the Kansas Side

[eatmorfish]

Looking over all the recent posts from MO it looks as if I was looking at the NE Kansas reservoir reports, very similar results and numbers.
Like the shad, our fish over here are very scattered mostly in 10-15 FOW, a little deeper some days. Since mid Oct, on some days 2 of us
will get 4-8 keeps (>10"), other days 10-15, with only a couple of days (out of a dozen trips) 25-27 keeps.

Our water temps right now are mostly in the upper 50's.
We are seeing signs of hope though as just in the last couple of days the large shad balls are starting to show up.

Tight lines to all!

[LSL Angler]

Is it a lake with docks or it is one with trees and brush piles? What is the water clarity so we know which lake to compare it to?

[eatmorfish]

Actually I was referring to a composite of several NE Kansas Reservoirs we frequent; Perry near Topeka, Clinton near Lawrence, Pomona SE of Carbondale and Melvern near Osage City.

All these lakes have at least one marina --- of course with many boat slips. Boat slip fishing is allowed at most locations in the fall and winter with a paid daily fee. Slip-tenants do not have to pay to fish. They have loaded-up all marina docks with habitat. many of the marinas have a heated dock if you are so inclined to tolerate that. (Think-- Blazing Saddles--- chewing tobacco after eating beans around a campfire )

All of the lakes have many manmade brushpiles and we are starting to use more PVC habitat structure comprised of hdpe or pvc tubing and piping. A Habitat Builder permit is required to build habitat although this requirement is overlooked by many. Melvern and Clinton tend to be the best two of the group when it comes to winter-time crappie schooling on channel breaks.

Water clarity is best at Melvern, which last I checked was about 24-30" (1/4" oz bright orange leadhead), 2nd place goes to Clinton --- about 10-15" followed by Pomona---about 6-10" and taking up the rear is Perry ----about 4-8".

All have excellent shad populations, all have zebra mussels.

All have large catfish that hang out in brushpiles which I have experience firsthand in recent months at three of the four lakes. (landed a 55-60# flat on a jig @ Perry using 8# Power Pro on a Bass Pro Micro Lite UL)

Wishing you a bountiful crappie harvest!

[vic n]

If I ever figure out how to catch Missouri fish, I might try my luck in another state...but I used to know a guy who lived in Lawrence for a few years, then moved to Le Compton and he said he put out a ton of brushpiles in Clinton. I like that your conservation guys allow you to build and install habitat, my home lake doesn't allow anyone except conservation people to install habitat, and then it can only be natural (trees, rocks, etc).

[eatmorfish]

If his last name begins with "M" from Lecompton then I'm guessing we met him on Saturday at Clinton in his camo alum rig (not in his Lund).

In their "infinite wisdom" the Corps of Engineers decided they needed to clear the majority of the wood from the lakes when they built the reservoirs. From the stand- point of boaters it was a popular move but from the view of fisherpersons and fish populations that was a big mistake. Admittedly, over time much of the wood they left in the lakes has broken, rotted and fallen off to the bottom of the lakes, so it is of great merit to "rebuild" structure that 1) provides a "home" for algae, which draws shad, which draws fish, not to mention provides a safe haven for new spawned sport fish and 2) still allows boaters access to their entertainment without being a detriment to their activities.

[vic n]

No, I think this guy is no longer doing much fishing. The same was done at Smithville.....main area of the lake completely cleared of standing timber with large areas upstream and shallower left uncut for fish/fishermen. The conservation dept is trying to improve the cleared areas with brush, but they won't allow anyone to install habitat. The areas that were left with standing timber have degraded to the point where most trees are just posts. At least they are attempting to improve habitat and they allow volunteers to help out some. The bad news is that they make all the coordinates public, so the number of volunteers has gone down dramatically.....why work all day if the results are going to be posted for free?

[eatmorfish]

Since it's tax dollars involved when Kansas W&P installs trees they publicize the coordinates as well.

The PVC habitat is working well. It never degrades, plus, it withstands the weight of zebra mussels much better than small tree limbs. We have "lost" some of our long-time fav piles that have compressed downward due to mussel loading.

I believe M-Made habitat can be overdone. In the old days at Perry, the fish would gather and stack in huge numbers on the river channels making it like fishing in a barrel----nothing to get hung up on.
But my oh my has that changed. Take Perry for instance where some areas have piles 10 feet apart for 150 yard stretches. It tends to spread out the fish population so that some days a guy has to hop onto many, many piles to get numbers. Additionally, this time of year when the fish are scattered horizontally we stroll (very slow troll @ .20 MPH) which in the overly "pile-littered areas" we spend more time tying on jigs than we do fishing. Walleye and catfish drifters, along with white bass "casters" do not consider habitat builders as their buddies

[dester223]

You should just fish both sides of the stateline i find i like something about almost every lake and it keeps you from falling into a repetative pattern and try new things.

[eatmorfish]

I will admit it is nice to get a change of scenery. It seems as if almost all similar lakes with regard to depth, structure etc in eastern Kansas have very, very similar fishing conditions/patterns. So, it would be interesting to experience what would be likely much different patterns over on your side of the line. The cost of doing so is going up at least in Kansas...............25-30% increase in licenses beginning 1/1/16. As long as fishing is involved I'm OK with it as long as I could
but if it was taxes they were increasing ---

Commission Approves Proposed Hunting and Fishing License Fees / 10-29-15 / Weekly News / News / KDWPT Info / KDWPT - KDWPT