Bluebird skies and abundant sun helped heat the waters of Lake Shawnee to 59 degrees Saturday, a warm welcome to the approximately 7,000 pounds of rainbow trout stocked by Crystal Lake Fisheries, of Ava, Mo.
A crowd of about 50 onlookers gathered on the boat docks at the east boat ramp as the trucks unloaded some of the day’s cargo — other spots around the lake were stocked earlier in the day, but the bigger fish were saved for the noontime public stocking.
The biggest of the trout were unloaded by net so the crowd could see, with some weighing as much as 6 or 7 pounds, to the delight of the onlookers. Afterward, the remaining trout were funneled into the water through a long, plastic tube and the fish stayed mostly in the shallows while adapting to their new home, occasionally splashing and thrilling the younger onlookers. A couple trout were even nipping at each other’s tails.
The lake will now be closed to fishing until 6 a.m. Nov. 3 to allow the fish time to disperse, giving trout anglers ample time to get their gear ready and purchase a trout license.
Trout tips
There are several ways to target trout, but it helps to have the right line. Trout have terrific eyes, making a light line a necessity. Four- to 10-pound test fluorocarbon or Leland’s Lures Trout S.O.S. Line work well for a leader line, and I typically use 10-pound braided line for the main line as it has high sensitivity and low stretch. My personal preference is Sufix 832 Advanced Superline in high-vis yellow for the main line as it helps me see the line and know if something is running with my lure.
There are a variety of lures and baits specially made to target trout, depending on how you want to fish for them.
Mepps spinners, Vibric Rooster Tails and Little Cleos are great for anglers who prefer to actively fish, as trout will eagerly chase them down while running in the shallows. Yakima’s Mag Lip lures also work well either retrieved or trolled, and they’ll readily chase a curly-tailed grub on a crappie jig, as well.
Chartreuse is a great all-around color for these baits, as it catches a lot of light that makes it stand out on cloudy days and absolutely shine on sunny days. Other colors that work well include brown, white, orange, pink and black.
Berkley PowerBait Floating Mouse Tails work well when fished suspended under a float or just off the bottom on a drop shot, as do Berkley’s PowerBait trout dough or nibbles, salmon eggs, minnows, wax worms and pieces of corn. Freshly stocked trout will typically stay close to shore and run in shallow water, so keep that in mind when setting the depth of your bait.
Fly fishing is a popular option for trout, but not everyone owns a fly rod or knows how to use one. Another option is to tie a dry fly onto your line on your regular rod and reel and use a bobber as weight to cast the line out. Give it about 18-24 inches of space from the bobber to the fly and slowly reel the jig and bobber back toward you. This works similarly to fly casting and can catch top-feeding trout fairly well.
Fishing guide Clyde Holscher said in an interview last year that he also likes to use Ned Rigs to go “bass fishing for trout” and will sometimes cut the Z-Man TRD stickbaits in half to make it more bite-sized for the trout. He also uses Pro-Cure scent on the plastic to help draw in fish.
"If you"re bank fishing, be very patient," Holscher said in that article, "because they"ll come through, and if whoever"s to the left or the right of you 40 yards catches a fish, get ready. They"re coming through any minute. Until those fish are harvested or weeded out a little bit, that"s just the way it is."
Local angler “Catfish” Cody Hatridge says he likes fishing PowerBait either off the bottom or under a bobber, adding that he uses Rooster Tails a lot, as well. He says there are many reasons he likes to trout fish.
“The way they look, the fun I used to have when I was a kid going out there with my dad and neighbor kid friends, the kinda challenge of using really light line, finding out what colors of bait they want to eat,” Hatridge said. “The fight they put up.”
For those who’ve never caught a trout before, they may be surprised at just how slippery they are to hold onto. Trout are covered in a protective slime coating that helps prevent them from getting sick. Anglers are often told to wet their hands before handling a trout to keep the membrane from coming off if they are going to catch and release fish.
Anglers will need to purchase a trout license for $14.50 through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism or at sporting goods stores. Licenses can be purchased online through the KDWPT’s website, http://www.ksoutdoors.com, and can be set to be automatically renewed. Licenses now last 365 days from their purchase instead of ending with the calendar year, meaning anglers will only need to purchase one permit this trout season. The daily creel limit is five trout per day with a possession limit of 15.
Trout Unlimited
For those looking to get involved with the conservation side of trout fishing and network with other anglers, the MOKAN chapter of Trout Unlimited is among the best options in northeast Kansas.
The club meets on a fairly regular basis in northeast Kansas and occasionally northwest Missouri. Some of their club events include fly tying nights, skills competitions, cleanup projects and group fishing trips for trout, carp and other species of fish.
Chris Selle, who was recently elected the chapter"s president, said that the group is "looking seriously to join with other conservation groups to improve outdoor recreation around the region."
"I would say it’s an opportunity for like-minded individuals to get together and help provide access to the outdoors in a region without cold-water fisheries," Selle said. "Our focus is to both support the great TU cause of supporting cold-water habitat, as well as introduce newcomers to fly fishing and conservation."
Selle also enjoys the social aspects and unity the chapter provides to anglers, as well as providing support to future outdoors enthusiasts.
"Personally, I love the outdoors, and feel strongly in the need to preserve for future generations," Selle said. "One of the things that make America great is our access to public lands, and we must protect that. Also I enjoy speaking with and learning from others that support and enjoy the outdoors."
For more information on Trout Unlimited or to talk to Selle about conservation projects, email him at cselle925@gmail.com or check out the club at https://www.facebook.com/MoKanTrout/.
Heated dock to open Nov. 1
For those wanting to go trout fishing but not wanting to endure the cold weather, there’s some good news.
Lake Shawnee’s heated dock will reopen Nov. 1 and remain open through March 31. Anglers will be able to fish inside the dock from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day except for Christmas and New Year’s Day, when the dock is closed, and when the lake is closed to fishing because of trout stockings.
Meat processing plant to undergo upgrades
Farview Farms Meat Company, 6325 N.W. Topeka Boulevard, is beginning construction soon on a new retail area and remodeling its processing area.
Hunters who bring in deer or other wild game to be processed may notice the front entrance is blocked at times, but the business will stay open as usual, according to a post from the company.
For more information or to place an order, call (785) 246-1154.
Waterfowl season opens
The northeast Kansas waterfowl season opened this weekend.
The two-day statewide first segment of the light goose and Canada goose season began Saturday and ends Sunday, while the statewide white-fronted goose and Low Plains Late Zone duck season"s first segments began Saturday and will run through Dec. 30.
To submit photos and reports on your waterfowl hunting trips, send an email to jrouse@cjonline.com.
Source: https://www.cjonline.com/sports/20181027/josh-rouse-techniques-abound-for-catching-trout-in-kansas-waters
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