SuperFluke

No problems for me. My order was shipped free to my door in 3-4 business days.

^^ Nice report and pics. Clayton, are these your bladed jigs? http://mondotackle.com/item/P009000450001509.html

Any of you guys have any experience towing with a midsize SUV? In particular, I'm looking at downsizing to a V6 AWD Toyota Highlander. It's rated for 5,000 lbs, so it would seem that it has plenty of capacity to pull my 17' aluminum triton. I was hoping somebody might have some experience towing with a Highlander or something similar that they'd be willing to share. Can you stop? What kind of mileage do you get, etc?

Go ahead and put me down for this Saturday. It's completely dependent on whether or not my wife gives birth this week or not, but I'm hoping to make it. I also hope to make it down there on Friday for a little pre-fishing since it's Good Friday and I have the day off.

I thought most did. My Merc XR6 did, and my current Merc 60hp four-stroke does as well. I get about 14V on my voltimeter when running the big motor, so I know that it's charging. I also hook all three of my batteries up to a charging system whenever it is sitting at home or in storage.

Maybe you and sizzle should go out together. The two of you would probably catch the crap out of 'em!

Yeah, good luck. I've caught a few smallmouth on the dam and rock jettys with a ned rig, but they wouldn't help you in a tournament. My best largemouth at Clinton came off a squarebill in rock creek, but that was probably two years ago! I've heard the lake is really low, so be careful running around out there in the creeks.

Great shots. Looks like you're getting the 'bird dialed in. Those look like crappie next to the bridge.

I was out at Hillsdale today and got skunked! We were mainly crappie fishing, but still...

Nope. Couldn't catch one on a point. Honestly, the fish I caught have been in quiet, slick water pockets that were out of the wind. That one was in an area where the man-made rip-rap met the bank opposite the marina. Yes. Let's not make that mistake again. It's well worth the extra thirty min. -- Well, I decided late last night to head back to Melvern today to catch some more pigs! Met up with @Hi_Salenity and @Sizzlefry, which was cool. Thanks for hanging out with me today. I actually probably would have had more 3+ size fish today had I not lost 3 solid fish this morning. Started out right next to the state park ramp and had one follower and one hit and miss, which would kind of be the story of the day. Went to the marina area and caught another 3.3lb smallmouth in the exact same spot where I had caught a 3.2 yesterday. Had probably my best fish of the day on in the marina area soon after, but it made a beeline for the docks and stripped a bunch of drag and then pulled off . Went the rest of the way back the marina cove and had several strikes and follows but no bass boated. Hooked two more for sure good ones on the dam and they both jumped off. I was casting parallel to the bank in 6-10' of water near the southeast corner. Did eventually land 3 more smallmouth on the northern side of the dam and one nice largemouth on the quiet side of a main lake point. Ended up with 5 smallmouth, 1 largemouth, 1 white and 1 walleye. No photographer today, so here's my biggest of the day - a 3.6lb largemouth that choked my jerkbait near a main lake point. Here's the strike king jerkbait that I've thrown the last two days. Go pick some up at Academy for $7 before the Melvern get together. It's the 200 series one. I honestly wished I had had some different colors today because the sun was out and they weren't getting this one as well today.

Ok, I'm about 95% sure I've figured out which F.I.S.H lake this is. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, and I will probably never fish it.

Melvern was pretty good to me today. I got bit on two of my first three casts, and was really thinking it was going to be a good day. Between my buddy and I we ended up with 10 SM, 4 LM, 12 whites, and 3 drum. We spent about seven hours on the water, so we worked really hard for the bites that we got. My fish came on a strike king 200 series jerkbait, except for the drum which were really eating the ned rig. I had three fish over three pounds, and several pushing 2.5 lbs. I think every fish I caught was bigger than any bass I caught yesterday at La Cygne. I lost one more 3+ pound smallmouth towards the end of the day that threw my jerkbait as I tried to lip it. My first 3+ of the day on the jerkbait. This one went 3.3 lbs but looked bigger. My biggest of the day was a 3.9lb largemouth and was 18" long. Last big one of the day went around 3.7lbs.

Intraday update from melvern. Water temps around 46-48. Two smallmouth, one largemouth. Few junk fish. All on jerkbait. Biggest fish was 2.5

Maybe next year! I'm not sure I'll be back to la cygne this year for a number of reasons (not just the recent poor trips).

56-66

Cold day at la cygne with @joefish. Caught some on a jerkbait and some on a ned rig. Best was maybe a pound and a half on a jerkbait near the outlet area. Caught three drum and a quite a few whites mixed in as well. La Cygne is a mystery to me. Maybe all the bass were down south. We sure as heck couldn't find them anywhere up north.

I would second Mize and Lenexa as good bank fishing lakes. Only one I would add is Regency Park. I had pretty good luck out there a few years back from the bank.

Wind was too much for a Melvern trip, so I ended up back at Gardner for a few hours this afternoon. Bite was weird, but ended up with 11 fish (all dinks except for one). Caught a couple on a jerkbait early, and then caught a bunch of dinks (and one crappie) on a double crappie tube. Ended up catching the best of the day (maybe 1.5 lbs) back on the trap in an area that I had already fished twice and caught dinks out of both times before (once with jerkbait and once with tube). Wish I would have stuck with the trap because it seemed that's what the better fish were looking for. Maybe just needed to wait until a new wave had moved up to feed Got one picture today of the road bed out at Gardner. Looks like a great summer spot. Crappie were nearby on the point in about 15' of water. Too windy to stay on them though.

That's not good. Heading there tomorrow. What kinds of areas do I need to avoid?

Well boys, today marks the first day of my "fishcation". I've got the next week off, and I'm treating it as sort of a fishing holiday before the baby comes. I've got pretty much the whole week booked, and I forsee more than one trip to Melvern. (Sizzle or Joefish - want to go somewhere on Tuesday?). More reports coming as the week goes on. Today I had the morning free, so I hit Gardner again and dragged my brother along. Day started frosty/cold and a little windy, but I'm really starting to like this lake. We caught 10 total fish with several nice fish over two pounds. Rattletrap bite is starting to get going...all came on the trap except for one on a jig in a little pocket with some chunk rock. Fish are off the bank in 3-7' of water. You'll find them wherever the green nasty stuff is starting to bloom as long as there is deep water nearby. Rip it through the moss or reel slowly over the top. Bite is much better right now up north than down south... Probably my biggest of the day (2.5lbs on strike king red eye shad...sexy shad color): Overachiever of the day: If you're into crappie, they are getting ready to go. I found them stacked up like crazy in 8-15' on a point and in the channel nearby. Wish I had taken a screenshot from the Lowrance to show you guys. I'll remember next time. It was crazy..they were stacked solid from about 2' deep to just off the bottom. Won't be long until they're on the bank.

I've had pretty good success from time to time on a tube as well along rocky areas. Last year at Melvern, I caught my biggest largemouth on a swimbait and my biggest smallmouth on a squarebill. Of course, you can't beat the ned for numbers.

Officially finished school today (thus the display name change), so i had to sneak the boat out this afternoon to celebrate despite the cold and the fact that it snowed this morning. Three hours at Lake Olathe. Got three bites and landed two of them. Both 1.5 ish lb largemouth on jerkbait (pointer in ghost minnow). Could not get bit on anything else. One was way back in a cove on a secondary point, the other was just off the bank on the north end. Water temps 46-49.

Have fun, guys! Hope to see some good reports afterwards.

Yeah, 52 down south where it was like two feet deep. Spent a bunch of time down there but couldn't get a bite. All bites came towards the northern end near deep water.

Got the boat out and headed to Gardner for my first trip out there. Caught a couple on a chrome blue rattletrap including one that went 2.5lbs. Then spent some time exploring. Rattletrap bite died off after sun got covered by clouds. Fun day. Water temps 46-52