Fishing Report For Perry Lake, KS

Current Fishing Report: Fair To Good

White crappie are being caught using new technologies, reducing the amount of time it takes to locate schools. Forward-facing sonar is allowing anglers, fishing from a boat, to locate schools and focus fishing time on areas with good numbers of crappie. Anglers fishing from the bank still have to search via test casting, until a school is located. Then, they are catching crappie as anglers have for many decades, long before the new electronics were available.

SUMMER. Water temperatures are currently in the 70's, and crappie fishing has been good. Now that the spawn is over, and the hot Summer sun is warming the shallows, crappie have retreated to depths of around 20 feet, or embedded in the shade of shallower vegetation. Plenty of crappie from 8 to 15 inches are being caught, with a legal minimum of 10". This is a good time to focus around brush piles, or lay-downs, in deeper water. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep timber, around concrete pilings, above rocky structures and around creek channel edges.

FALL. Baitfish, which will be moving into shallow flats, coves and bays, will draw crappie into these areas, where they are feeding heavily in preparation for the cold Winter. Small spoons, along with minnows and crappie jigs, are good options during this feeding marathon.

WINTER. Once the shallows start cooling rapidly, crappie will migrate to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. At this time they are typically caught using a very slow presentation, in 25 to 35 feet of water. Even though they are typically not on the bottom, they are relating to some cover, or structure change, directly below them.

SPRING. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 8 to 12 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 2 to 4 feet of water. Docks, brush, wood and vegetation are where most anglers are catching good numbers using small crappie jigs or live minnows. After the spawn, crappie move outside the spawning area and hold on the closest cover. Once they move off the beds, anglers are reporting good success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is a popular choice.

Current Fishing Report: Fair To Good

Although forward-facing sonar and other high-tech fish finders were designed for bass fishing, many catfish anglers, who fish from a boat, are now using them to locate channel catfish. With this they are now catching more catfish, by focusing on productive water. The catch rate has increased considerably, and anglers are picking their targets to catch the bigger cats. New baits, line and rigging methods have also improved success for bank fishing enthusiasts. Savvy anglers, who study catfish life cycle and patterns, are still managing to catch nice fish, with or without these new tools.

SUMMER. In Summer, slow-moving water, at the river end of the lake draws catfish to feed, in mid depths. Now they are scattering all over the lake, locating cover in slightly cooler water. Reports show the most successful anglers are using nightcrawlers, cut bait or shrimp. The causeways, and other rocky areas, are a good place to start. Fishing from late in the day until midnight is producing some of the best results, as this is their prime feeding time.

FALL. Fall is one of the best times of year for catching channel catfish. They migrate away from current to moderately deeper holes in the main channel of the lake. They remain in these areas and feed aggressively in preparation for Winter.

WINTER. In Winter, the channel cats gather in deep holes and go virtually dormant, especially if water cools into the 40's. They hole up in pockets from 30 to 35 feet deep and await warmer water. Slow presentations, especially cut bait, can still entice strikes.

SPRING. In Spring, when water temperatures rise into the high 40's, channel catfish start their migration up river, often feeding in tailwaters. They hold here, and feed aggressively, around relatively shallow cover until water warms into the mid 70's, at which time they begin the spawn process. Anglers are using slip sinkers, 3-way rigs, or Carolina rigs to keep the bait close to the bottom. There are good numbers of 2 to 4 pound channel catfish being caught, with a good number over 10 pounds showing up.

Current Fishing Report: Good

The use of new technology is helping anglers catch more white bass. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is currently one of the the best way to locate schools of fish, especially when they hang out in deep water. Once located using these sophisticated fish finders, white bass are being caught by trolling, casting or jigging,

SUMMER. Summer finds white bass congregating in the main lake area, following and feeding on baitfish. They are being caught on spinnerbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, spoons and small crankbaits, and spinners - depending on the depth of the baitfish.

FALL. Once the shallows are cooled from chilly Fall temperatures, large schools of white bass, along with baitfish, have moved first into shallow bays and coves, then deeper where they relate to most any structure that includes steep drops into deeper water.

WINTER. Winter for white bass is a continuation of Fall patterns, except slightly deeper - 20 to 50 feet deep. They are being caught on the same lures, but a slower retrieve works best.

SPRING. White bass start their spawn run once the water temperature reaches the mid 50's, where they migrate to the river, inflowing creeks, or along windy points where they stay for several weeks. Early Spring is a prime time to fill the livewells with some fat white bass. Spinnerbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, small crankbaits, small jerkbaits, and most any lure that resembles baitfish, will catch these feeding whites. As the water temperatures continues warming, they move out of spawning areas, into slightly deeper water. Look for them following schools baitfish in 15 to 25 feet deep. Also, watch for feeding frenzies when they chase schools of bait to the surface, and the fishing can be spectacular.