Working the Ditches

   As Crappie anglers, we constantly find ourselves at the mercy of Mother Nature, and for the most part we are able to handle what she throws at us. We are able to purchase gear that helps us deal with the rain, heat, snow or cold. Wind on the other hand, that's a bit different. Yes, we have clothing that keeps it off of us, but it does nothing for keeping the Lakes from getting kicked up, and let's face it, fishing in whitecaps while trying to work jigs over brushpiles is just a pain in the rear end, not to mention dangerous.  
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    One way to get around this problem is by staying off of the Lakes altogether, and fishing the feeder creeks and rivers.  They offer plenty of fishing opportunities, with good numbers of Bass, Crappie, and Catfish, as well as being a great place to get out of the wind.  The numerous laydowns offer plenty of places to drop a jig and pull Slab sized Crappie out of the tree tops. The dirty, nutrient rich water that runs through them always provide you with healthy fish to spend your day chasing. For the most part, they average ten feet in depth and will usually have well defined drops along the banks that fall off sharply.

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   Although some of these creeks are not very wide, they hold some solid fish and the trees that line the sides make it the perfect place to hide from the strong winds Kansas is known for.

  This fish was pulled out of a fallen tree laying across Dragoon Creek. Dipping the treetops with a White & Chartreuse solid body tube from Top Secret Jigs was the ticket. This is an average fish for the area and in the shallow waters of Dragoon Creek they offer quite a fight.