Need Some Help -- Nice Lake

[wily]

after wanting to go to big hill for a couple years...finally bit the bullet and took the boys (7 and 5) on saturday.

we had a good time. the lake is nice...the facilities are great. saw lots of wildlife. water was 72 degrees.

but we didn't catch very many fish...

we put in at timer hill. we took the boat lane towards the dam, and about half way we moved into the timber on the right. we tried minnows in the brush about 16 foot deep, about 12 foot deep and again in about 8 foot of water. we just kept moving shallower thinking we'd run into them eventually, but never did.

we had zero luck on crappie, and only a couple of dink bass.

after that...we got out of the brush. luckily i might add. there is a ton of brush. we tried a main lake point...only caught one decent bass on a football jig.

i'd really like to call the lake home...it seems off the beaten path. the ride out is super-peaceful. we ate dinner at a drive-in in altamont (good food by the way). we didn't get home til almost 10...but for the effort we put in we'd have like to catch a few more fish.

we never went above timber hill ramp...maybe we should have, but we kind of ran out of time.

if anyone could steer me in a direction or offer some tips i would appreciate it.

thanks

[Bird Watcher]

I have never had much luck there either...but it's been years since I have fished it. It is a beautiful lake. Now Bone Creek on the other hand...I'll just say this. It's farther than Grand, Stockton, and Table Rock for me, but it's worth the drive.

[wily]

speaking of bone creek -- we stopped by there one time on the way to kc. it looks nice, but didn't like all the gravel but oh well.

i think we'll try it next -- we moved to the west side of town, so i've been trying new places in kansas this summer. we can spit and practically be in ks.

any tips for me and the boys at bone creek? i saw they had some flooded timber. we saw one boat fishing along the dam, and another that looked like it had been up the creek to the right quite a ways when we were there before.

we don't really care what we catch...just fish for fun.

thanks

[Bird Watcher]

There is so much timber in that lake...I always tell myself to look for the primary structure first...creek channels, points, etc., then fish the timber. I always target the very biggest trees in the forest for crappie. They seem to like the big, ( I mean BIG, you'll see what I mean) trees. There is a slot on bass on that lake so there are plenty of fun catching 15-20" fish. I've done well on spinnerbaits and senkos in there. I'm sure you could probably catch them on about any of the popular baits for the time of year. The thing I would suggest for your boys though is the catfish over by the automatic feeder. KDWP runs that feeder for catfish and it turns on in the evening. There are huge catfish that come up around it when it goes off. I talked to a PSU student that saw the Kansas State Record channel surveyed and released there this spring, so there are BIG catfish in there. There are also walleye, but your guess is as good as mine on them.

Good luck and be careful. There are a lot of trees..there are some boat paths, but if I am not in them I just idle.