Today I went down to a favorite little municipal lake to try for some crappie & stocker trout. The weather was miserable with the wind blowing so hard casting was a horrid affair. The good news is a crappie pattern is still holding together and a few perch decided to move close enough to shore that I could catch them.
I’m hoping to stay on the fish until ice makes fly fishing impossible.
Nice to see another fellow hawkeye here 
I’m about 45mins N of you locale.
there hasn’t been much action around here lately. There a group of ponds down the road from me but not much going one. Once that winds picks up I’m pretty much done for.
Mike
Fish are still biting here as well.
I tried for stocker trout here in the central part of the state on Tuesday afternoon…Got there late and missed the post-stocking “frenzy”. Only got looks and follows on flies. Switched to spinning gear and caught 2 rainbows.
Sunday afternoon I fly-fished for about an hour. I used a #10 Clouser, tied with white craft fur with some red krystal flash on the back. This worked well, and I landed 15 bluegills and 3 hybrid sunfish. Water temps are gonna plummet this week. In fact, there is ice on my back porch right now!
mickalo the Siouxland Fly Fishing club is holding a meeting this Saturday. Why don’t you drop by if you can. Our web site is at http://www.siouxlandflyfishing.com/index.htm
FishnDave a small clouser has been my top producer for crappies for a while now. But the colors I’ve been using are white craft fur for the bottom but blue hair of unknown pedigree for the top. The perch came on float & fly rig with a hare’s ear fished as a dropper behind a larger clouser. The perch took the hare’s ear.
As for the stocker rainbows I’ve only caught one on a charturse & white micro jig fished below a strike indicator. Me and a couple of fly fishing buddies plan on giving it another try on Sunday.
Hey that’s great. I didn’t even know there was a fly fishing club in our area. I will most definitely check out the web site. Up in my neck of the woods I think I’ve seen maybe 6 fly fisherman in the past 2 yrs I’ve been fly fishing here. Nice to know that there is a club in the area now. Can’t make this Saturday but will plan on getting down there maybe for the next meet.
Thanks
Mike
Was up in Iowa the 15th & 16th. There’s some good lookin’ places that I saw (Manchester & Swiss Valley) but it was cold & I wasn’t feeling well so I only fished 'em a little. If the fish in those places are indicitav of how wary the stockers are, a fisher has their work cut out for them. I plan to be back.
Shortcaster wrote:
If the fish in those places are indicitav of how wary the stockers are, a fisher has their work cut out for them. I plan to be back.
You’ve got that right. I went back to the lake today to see if I could catch some of those stockers and they are being as difficult as ever. They seem to be keying in on some sort of forage that I’m not throwing at them. For that matter spin fishermen weren’t doing any better.
But at least I could still catch some crappies; I seem to have them nailed, at least for now.
I tried flies yesterday wading in the Big Slough creek in Sedgwick county park. No luck at all and the water was very cold. That may be the last time to wade this year. My grandgirl and I went to Boeing lake today and tried powerbait or crawlers both were working last Sunday. Still nothing, though we saw others catch some. Next time tiny golden shiners. We have the wind thing here too. I guess it comes with living in the plains.:lol:
greenlantern, I have been down there 4 times and caught 2 fish. S-L-O-W. when it gets cold, we’ll get em.
On the rare days we can coax the sun out from behind the clouds, I’m still doing fairly well on bluegills on small dries and soft hackles fished as slow as you can make yourself go. Haven’t picked up any bass in a few weeks though and haven’t had a chance to go after the area’s stocker trout ponds yet, either.
I took one more stab at the bass yesterday. Just grabbed the 6 wt. “truck rod” that rides with me as long as there’s open water. Made a number of casts with a Pigboat. Had three hits and caught one small bass. Switched to a Bunny Leech variation with dumbell eyes and caught 10 more in a couple hours. Nothing big - but felt good anyway. 
Wind switched to the north but it’s supposed to be decent for the next couple days. I know a place that has a few biiiiig bass. 
Hidehunter
Good going. I haven’t caught a bass in over a month. I think I know where some are, I’ve seen bait fishermen catch them, but I haven’t found anything they want to eat. I haven’t tried the pig boat or bunny leech yet but they are definitely on the list of things to try now.
Don’t count on it. I caught one all last year, on Year’s Day no less. Then nothing. I usually get a few at Boeing though so it’s all good.
Thought I’d tie up a couple more weighted leeches. I was out of magnum zonkers so I cut one out of a piece of craft fur. Doesn’t quite have the action of the real fur but really looks good in the water - and it’s tough. Only got to fish about 45 minutes today. Had one bite and it was a fat, little football - about three pounds. Calling for the 50s tomorrow but the wind is supposed to blow. I’d like to tag at least one more good fish before ice up.
If anyone can…YOU can! I’ve seen the bass you’ve caught…AMAZING!!
Bass & crappie still haven’t called it quits here. A member of the fly fishing club went to a local pond & caught three bass and one crappie just the other day.
I’m afraid that the ice will be forming pretty soon though. I’m hoping for at least one or two more outings before that happens.