Last Dance in Kansas - July 2020

[Johnsfolly]

So I has been more than a week since I have been back in Maryland. Been a bachelor all this time, but with work, handling the garden, chickens, laundry, and feeding myself I have not put efforts in larger posts. I wanted to talk about the last fishing trip in Kansas with my daughter Livie. We ended up where I had started this fishing trip back at the plunge pool. After see the bass in the pool on the last trip and the drum that I caught, Livie wanted to fish for bass to start the day. I rigged up an extra wide worm hook and a fluke in baby bass color. I gave her a quick primer on how to fish the bait. On the first cast she got bit but pulled the hook on the hook set. I told her to let them swim with a bit more. Next cast and she caught her first bass of the trip.

She caught two more on the fluke then let dad take over. Not having too much chance when fishing micros, I gave this 13 inch largemouth a little long arm deal !

We switched out the fluke for a texas rigged green pumpkin Berkley worm. Livie caught two more and dad caught another as well as a big green sunfish.

My goal was to try for some darters and a possible madtom or two. While I was doing that Livie wanted to go for an orangespotted sunfish. The pool was blocked by a small rock dam and foamy on the surface. We opened up the dam and the foam quickly went down stream giving Livie a clear view of any orangespotted sunfish. She spotted one near where I caught mine on the last trip. As I was telling her to be careful to not catch one of the many other sunfish, she was landing the orangespotted sunfish on her first cast .

After showing up dad, she had fun with the other sunfish like this longear sunfish.

I was frustrated at the darters that would hit the bait once and then spooked off. I only saw five or so darters in the creek. Just couldn't get it done. I also had a madtom spook that wanted nothing to do with the bait. I did find a madtom to play and landed what I had hoped to be a new species. It was a cool catch but was a slender madtom that I have caught before.

Done with the micros, we headed down to the pool that I had caught my drum on the last trip. We could see several big carp as well as a drum or two as we snuck to the pool.

we tied on an olive/black marabou 1/16 oz jig and tipped it with a little redworm. Livie was having a tough time getting her cast into the sweet spot in the pool. So I showed her where to cast and how to retrieve the bait. As it was coming in a big drum inhaled the bait and I handed her the rod to fight the drum. She did a great job and landed this big drum from a small pool.

She got that fish released and fished from the bottom of the pool. With more comfort that she would not tangle in brush above her she made some casts into the pool. I went back to get the other rod and she hooked up and was fighting a nice carp as I got back to her.

Not long after she released this fish, a thunderstorm came in quickly and we got back to the vehicle before the deluge was upon us. We had a great time fishing Kansas and hope to get back that way again while my son is stationed out that way.

 

[FishnDave]

Nicely done!  That’s a bunch of good-looking fish!  And a happy girl!