Arkansas River, Zink Dam

[stuart]

Michael

If you wouldn't mind what types of flies and lines were you using. I was down there in November with no luck but I think we were down river a little farther. Thanks

Stuart

[Micheal Kyle]

Michael

If you wouldn't mind what types of flies and lines were you using. I was down there in November with no luck but I think we were down river a little farther. Thanks

Stuart

We were using clouser's just about any color would work, we did however have our best luck on blue/white and chartruse/white #4-#1. We really had to pay attention to the way we were fishing the clousers, we were having to rip them through the water as fast as you could strip them back. I tried some slowers speeds but the fish would not respond to them. I had the Rio Clouser wieght foward floating fly line we tried some intermediate and sink tips but the water is to shallow and it just was not meant to be. Rio Clouser fly line is made to cast those real big nasty flies made of buck tail. Hope that helps you out. Michael

[stuart]

We were using clouser's just about any color would work, we did however have our best luck on blue/white and chartruse/white #4-#1. We really had to pay attention to the way we were fishing the clousers, we were having to rip them through the water as fast as you could strip them back. I tried some slowers speeds but the fish would not respond to them. I had the Rio Clouser wieght foward floating fly line we tried some intermediate and sink tips but the water is to shallow and it just was not meant to be. Rio Clouser fly line is made to cast those real big nasty flies made of buck tail. Hope that helps you out. Michael

Michael

Were you fishing flowing water with a down and across drift? Or were you fishing slower water and just stripping it back through the holes? Did you let it sink or start stripping as soon as it hit the water? Did you try any topwater poppers? Sorry about all the questions but we are planning another trip later this month or the first of March and trying to get as much information as possible.

I do have the rio line and it is great for those big flies. If you ever want to fish for wipers in Kansas let me know we have a couple of good places with large wipers. They are a little harder to catch and you don't get the numbers that you caught in Tulsa but some of them are big 12# +.

Thanks for the information

Stuart

[Micheal Kyle]

That would be a blast to fish for those wipers. I would love to fish for them again, however it might be a while before I get to because my wifes and I second child will come on Feb, 23 I suspect that after 2-3- weeks after that date I will get to fish again.

I was fan casting and just watching where the fish were. It did not matter where the fly went through if the fish were there they hit the fly. Sometimes they would hit right when it hit the water and sometimes I would catch them 20 feet from me. We did not try any topwater, however if the fish are chasing shad and busting the top that is a blast. One thing to remember is that we had a strong I mean a strong south wind. Like the old timers say "wind from the south hook'em in the mouth". Hope that will help you guy's out .

Keep me posted about the wipers. And if possible could you keep me posted on Lake Lacynge, I have not been able to fish over there for 2-3 years. I used to just hammer the fish during the winter by the warm water discharge that was a blast beacuse my dad and I were the only two that ever fly fished over there that I could tell.

Tight Lines

Michael

Were you fishing flowing water with a down and across drift? Or were you fishing slower water and just stripping it back through the holes? Did you let it sink or start stripping as soon as it hit the water? Did you try any topwater poppers? Sorry about all the questions but we are planning another trip later this month or the first of March and trying to get as much information as possible.

I do have the rio line and it is great for those big flies. If you ever want to fish for wipers in Kansas let me know we have a couple of good places with large wipers. They are a little harder to catch and you don't get the numbers that you caught in Tulsa but some of them are big 12# +.

Thanks for the information

Stuart

[Bill Butts]

If you ever want to fish for wipers in Kansas let me know we have a couple of good places with large wipers. They are a little harder to catch and you don't get the numbers that you caught in Tulsa but some of them are big 12# +.

Stuart

Stuart,

Could you post some info on fishing for Hybrids (wipers, as you call them) in Kansas?

If you would, please make the post in the "Where do you fish......" in the Striper Family category.

I've been doing quite a lot of research on the many many Kansas lakes that have them and it appears one of the very best lakes in KS for large Hybrids is Webster.

Do you or any of your buddies have any experience with that lake?

Any one out there have experience on Webster in north central KS?

Thanks in advance for posting some KS info.

[Danoinark]

Michael

Were you using 7/8 wtg rods? Or does it take a little more backbone for those bigguns?

Dano

[stuart]

Stuart,

Could you post some info on fishing for Hybrids (wipers, as you call them) in Kansas?

If you would, please make the post in the "Where do you fish......" in the Striper Family category.

I've been doing quite a lot of research on the many many Kansas lakes that have them and it appears one of the very best lakes in KS for large Hybrids is Webster.

Do you or any of your buddies have any experience with that lake?

Any one out there have experience on Webster in north central KS?

Thanks in advance for posting some KS info.

Bill

Here is a link to some lakes in Kansas with good wiper fishing, based on the fish and games statistics.

http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/fishing/f..._forecast/wiper

I have not fished Webster but I hear it is good. Webster is about a 5 hour drive from my house, however I have good fishing closer so I have not made that trip. We also have good striper fishing in Wilson Lake as well.

The spillway below Perry produced a new state record 22# fish this last summer so that may be a place to try as well.

I mainly fish Marion Resevoir which has good numbers of good size fish.

Hope this helps.

Stuart

[Bill Butts]

stuart,

thanks very much for the link you provided.

it should be very beneficial to those seeking info on opps to catch Hybrids in the state of KS.

your state has done a very commendable job of providing statewide opportunities for catching these great fish, and does a pretty good job with providing information via their website for each of the lakes and reservoirs.

you may notice i've posted the link in the "where....." topic of the Striper Family category, too.

your contribution to the Forum is appreciated.

[Micheal Kyle]

Well here is the fishing report for Zink on Wednesday Feb 15. Sorry it took so long but when I got back the flood gates opened at the shop. This is the last time that I will get to go untill the new baby is about 1 month old so I hope that everyone will have good luck and catch a big one. I hope that when I get back down there it will be time for the big boys.

We got down there at 10:30 the water level was at 1682 and was falling and continued to fall untill 1:00 pm it a had reached 1117. We then noticed that the water was sarting to rise and at 2:00 pm the water was back up to 3363 and peaked at 4:00 pm at 6497. Very unfishable and unsafe to wade.

When we got there I started down below ad I was picking up a few fish and so was Jason, we fished where the sand bars were shallow and created a natrual channel. We would catch a couple of fish and have to move around to another area. We had 21 fish between us and 5 of them were whites and the rest were small stripers. The largest striper that I caught was 17". With the water up it is very important to fish were that natural channels are formed and that will create a seam of slack water to moving water. I was fishing those seams. If you are down there and the water is on you can stand up on the top bank and see where the channels are created, it will look just like a saltwater flat.

My advise to everyone that goes down there when the water is on is to pay attention to the light up on zink dam, it will start flashing when the water is rising. It did not take long for the water to come up and get deadly. I consider myself a very good wader and I'm in good shape. With that said this is what I did when the water was rising. I took off towards the berm and crossed and proceded up to the dam where the big rocks were because they were out of the water. I wanted to see what the situation looked like up there with that much water. This was at 2:00 pm with 3663 water level, I saw and its rough when I crossed down at the boat ramp it could have been tough for someone out of shape do not do it. Jason and I then proceded to walk down the side walk and when we got down to where the berm is in front of the PSO the waves coming down through there were class 3 -4 rapids very swift and very fast. Then from there we went back to the car, the water down by I-44 was not as swift but it gets deep, or thats what it looks like.

All in all I would consider the trip a good one we saw how the water was with it on and we were able to catch fish. Good luck and I hope that everyone will catch a big one.

[jay bird]

Did you have to increase the weight of the flies you where using with the increased water flow? (IE small to mini-eyes to med. eyes)