Deep Creek Microfishing

[Johnsfolly]

The fishing trips in Kansas continue. I am really focused on trying to catch a new darter. Looking at maps Deep Creek below Manhattan KS looks promising. We tried a bridge access that actually had a deep pool and nice riffles below the pool. The water was very clear and I saw lots of fish when looking from the bridge. Got my gear and Livie came along. She was fishing a Trout magnet minijig head with a piece of redworm below a small float. I had on a #26 Tanago hook with a single split shot above the hook and a tiny piece of worm.

There were lots of micros in the riffles and shallow pools. Livie hooked up first and she landed a green sunfish then another.

Then she caught a longear sunfish as well.

So she had probably 5 to 6 fish before I landed my first micro. I was thinking that this might have been a sand shiner which is common in KS streams. With a dark stripe and a dark spot on the tail. I caught another small one and then a larger minnow. All with the same markings. Looking at my guides I determined that these abundant minnow were bluntnose minnows.

While I was working on those micros, Livie began catching minnows as well with catches of common shiners and creek chubs.

I was getting closer to the deeper water that Livie was catching fish after fish when she called "Madtom! Madtom!" as a large madtom came swimming somewhat erratically downstream towards me. I put my bait in front of this fish several times and it avoided the bait each time. I watched where it went. I got Livie in position to get a bait under the large rock where it swam. She pulled out another longear and a green sunfish, but no madtom. We saw either the same fish three different times or three different fish that all swam erratically and as if it was injured. Livie eventually caught it by hand.

Looked to be a stonecat, but neither of us caught it on our hooks. I saw and even smaller madtom that Livie also caught by hand. It was a slender madtom, which we both have caught previously.

I did see a single minnow amongst the many minnows but it had orange dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins. It stood out from all the others. I even think that I had it on my bait, but I could not land it. After looking at the guides, this fish may actually have been a Topeka shiner a very rare species. I never got another chance at that fish. After catching quite a few more commons shiners and sunfish it was time to move to our last fishing spot in KS. Back to where it all began for Livie to try for some green fish and a few that would give her a big tug on the line !