Moon Lake - Fort Riley KS - Xmas holiday trip

[Johnsfolly]

We were back in Missouri to spend Xmas with our kids. We had Xmas at my daughter's place in Warrensburg. Then on Thurs took my son and his family (including our 1st grandchild) back to Fort Riley KS. I have not caught a fish in Kansas even though I have spent a couple of springs hunting turkeys in Kansas. Just never fished the state. I took advantage of this trip to get a KS fish. Moon Lake is 10 min from my sons house and they stock it with rainbow trout. I figured that a cold water fish may be my best bet for a first KS fish. I looked over the dam area of the lake and it looked promising. However, I really wanted to check out what looked to be a spring creek coming into the lake.

The water was clear and had some spots with  2 to 3 ft depths. I saw a few trout in the stream including a palomino that was hanging below the overhead tree cover in the above photo. I was fishing a 7 ft UL Airstream rod with #2 PLine. I put on a #14 hook two small split shot and baited with Gulp "corn". When I got in position, the trout spooked. I waited for about 10 min for it to calm down before I made a cast. The trout charged the bait, but I pulled the hook. Another wait then another cast. Again the fish hit the bait and I was able to set the hook and land my first KS fish as well as my first palomino/golden rainbow trout !

I caught a couple of regular rainbows in the hole just below the spot where I took that first photo. I turned and tried downstream and found another deep stretch of water.

I ended up catching a couple more rainbows. They were all 9 to 11 inches in length. They fought well for stockers.

Ended the day with 6 trout before heading back to put in some grandpa time .

 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Good stuff.  Glad you got a chance to get out.  Pretty fish.  

[45acp]

My youngest son is stationed at Ft. Riley.  Every time we visit and cross that bridge over the Kaw I think to myself "I really need to bring the boat next time..."

[DeweyS]

Do you fish often? I have not been on a fishing trip for so long, and I want to go finally. When you try to make money and provide for the family, you become a really busy person, and you basically have no time for spending some time in nature.  Sometimes I plan to get on one of the business class flights 40 % and go anywhere. I would like to go to Alaska one day because I like nature and the people. And next destination would be Canada, again, northern parts. I like northern countries, and I bear cold much better than heat. It can be something that I have been looking for my entire life.