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TROUT! KANSAS STYLE ■by^brent frazee OUTDOOR WRITER
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On a cold March morning, Tom Saragnsa enjoyed a taste of the Rockies in the most
unlikely of settings—the heart of heavily urbani/,ed Kansas City. He was fishing for rainbow trout at Wyandotte County Lake, a 400-acre body of water not far from big-city traffic, rows of
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houses aiid concrete.
"This is the first day of spring for me," SaragLisa said, thoLigh the official change of seasons was still 16 days away. "Being out here for opening day of trout season is tradition for a lot of us.T was so excited about this that I
couldn't sleep last night." Saragusa wasn't alone. When he arrived in tlie pre-dawn darkness and pulled into line waiting
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for the park to open, 20 cars were already aliead of him.
Once staff opened the park, anglers iiished to their favorite spots to get their lines in. By 6;20 a.m., Saragusa reeled in his first trout of the season, and life was good. Welcome to trout fishing, Kansas style.
You won't find mountains, mshing streams, or
secluded high-country lakes - the usual hallmarks
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of trout fishing - here in the Sunflower State. But government entities make sure that Kansans have
● At Wyandotte, one of the oldest trout programs in Kansas, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County stocks rainbows several times each winter and early sprin or
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● Also in tire Kansas City area, Shawnee Mission and Kill Creek lakes are stocked by the Johnson
County Park and Recreation District and have developed a tradition of their own.
opportLinities to fisli for trout each year through ■ ● Lake Shawnee near Topeka has been stocked aggressive stocking programs. with trout since 1979. Today, it receives 7,000 K
● The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks stocks about 30 small bodies of water across the
state, traditionally in late fall and early winter
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pounds twice a year through Wildlife and Parks'
Community Fisheries Assistance Program (CFAP). It usually is stocked in February and October.
when water temperatures are cool enough to
● Other Kansas metro areas such as Wichita and
sustain irout.
Salina have trout fishing opportunities close to
30 i Wildlife & Parks
population centers.
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Wildlife & Parks \ 31
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Even the kids get in on the fun when the trout season opens at Wyandotte County Lake. i
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Parks
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"People don't think of Kansas when they think about trout fishing," said Jeff Conley, KDWP Fisheries program specialist. "We don't have a natural-reproducing trout population. It's all stocked fish brought in during a time of the year when we have cooler water temperatures that the trout can
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tolerate.
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"But for several months a year, we have good trout fishing. And our fisheries have a loyal following." So who is the average Kansas trout angler? Forget that stereotype of an angler in waders, using an expensive fly rod to whip tiny offerings to wild trout. Trout fishing, Kansas style, is more of a blue-collar sport. You're more likely to see rods resting in holders,
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Based largely off of on-site
with lines baited wi^ Power Bait streaming into the
water; It's more like catfishing than the traditional
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trout fishing that most people picture. But spinners, spoons, jigs and night crawlers work great, too. One reason rainbow trout may be such a popular species in Kansas, especially in late winter, is because many of us get cabin fever! It's not uncommon to see young and old-timers get together with friends they haven't seen since the last trout opener and celebrate the start of another fishing
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March. The Unified Government stocks up to 17,000 pounds of rainbows some years in several late winter and spring stockings. Note: A Wyandotte
at
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early 2023, KDWP's Fisheries Division staff will implement the following for Kansas' 2023-2024 trout season:
not to compromise fish health in
warmer
water
often
experienced in November). Each trout fishing water will be stocked during the most fished months of the trout season (as to season-wide opposed stockings at indiscriminate
times). The season will conclude at the
"We've been out here when it's snowing, or
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anglers
begin, on December 1 (as opposed to November 1, so as
again.
While winter weather conditions can be quite
licensed
with
stocked, and the season will
"I remember one opener when we started fishing in the dark," Jennings said. "We threw our lines out there cuid didn't even get a bite for a while. Once it got light, we found out why. Part of the lake still had ice and our baits were sitting right on top of it." Saragusa had heard the story before, but he sHll laughed. "We'll see a lot of the same guys every year," Saragusa said. "You become friends and you look forward to seeing them once trout season opens
unpredictable in Kansas, one thing is certain: There are usually plenty of trout roaming the chilly water once Wyandotte's season opens the first Saturday of
conducted
Trout fishing waters will be
Such was the case in March when Saragusa, 80, sat with Norm Jennings, 70, at the same place where they always fish at Wyandotte. It didn't take long for tlie fish stories to start filling the cold March air.
Not a lot holds us back," he added.
interviews
waterbodies across the state in
season.
there's ice on the roads or when there's a cold rain.
TROUT CHANGES
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end of March (as opposed to April 15), as only three percent of respondents indicated they fish for trout most in April. KDWP will stock less often but
with higher densities of trout an indicated preference of anglers surveyed.
County fishing permit and a Kansas fishing license are required.
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CHEYENNE
RAWLINS
DECATUR
NORTON
REPUBLIC PHILLIPS
SMITH
2
SHERMAN
1
JEWELL
3
CLOUD
THOMAS
SHERIDAN
GRAHAM
OSBORNE
ROOKS
ELLIS
MITCHELL
RUSSELL OTTAWA
LOGAN LINCOLN
WALLACE
TREGO
GOVE
10
7
9
NESS
LANE
BARTON
GREELEY
ELLSWORTH
WICHITA SCOTT
8
RUSH
PAWNEE
RICE
FINNEY
KEARNY
16
MCPHERSON
17
I? 18
HAMILTON
21
HODGEMAN
HASKELL
RENO
EDWARDS
20*
FORD
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i SEDGWICK
PRATT KIOWA
SEWARD
2 €
GRAY
GRANT
MORTON
HARVl
STAFFORD
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SALINE
KINGMAN
CURK
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HARPER
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MEADE COMANCHE ' r.
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SUMNER
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FISHING SMALL LAKES Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks makes sure that Kansas residents are never far
away from trout fishing opportunities. The state stocks rainbows at 33 waterbodies across the state. That includes western Kansas,
where fishing opportunities historically have been limited.
"In one of our surveys, anglers indicated that they wanted a place to fi.sh within 30 minutes of
trout. A complete list is available at ksoutdoors.com / Fishing / Special-Fishing-Progra ms-for-You / Trou t-Fishing-Program.
It's part of the KDWP program that has been going on since the mid-1990s. u
We concentrate on smaller bodies of water
where we can manage stocking rates and generally produce high catch rates/' Conley said. Sounds like a winning combination to me.
A state fishing license in addition to a state trout
With our CFAP
permit ($14.50) are required at most of the
program (in which the state stocks trout in many community lakes), we are able to do that." Small lakes in state parks, wildlife areas, other parks and even Fort Riley army base receive
stocked waters. The season opens Dec. 1 and runs
their home," Conley said,
34 I Wildlife
Parks
through March 31. On your mark, get set, drop a line!
4-W.
BROWN
WASHINGTON MARSHALL
KDWP
DONIPHAN
NEMAHA
Trout Stocking Locations
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RILEY
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1. Sheman Co., Smoky Gardens Lake (2) 2. Colby, Villa High Lake (2)
ATCHISON JEFFERSON
3. Glen Elder SP Pond (1) 4. Tuttle Creek, Willow Lake (1) 5. Holton, Elkhorn Lake (2)
JACKSON
POTTAWATOMIE CLAY
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6. Atchison City Lake #1 (2) 7. Scott SFL, Barrel Springs Pond (2)
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GEARY
8. Great Bend, Vets Park (2)
SHAWNEE
9. Kanopolis Seep Stream (1)
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WABAUNSEE DICKINSON
10. Salina, Lakewood (2)
DOUGUS JOHNSON
OSAGE
11
MIAMI MORRIS
LYON
FRANKLIN
33
2a
25*
MARION
LINN
11. Herington, Father Padilla Pond (2) 12. Fort Riley, Moon Lake (2) 13. Fort Riley, Cameron Springs (2) 14. Lake Shawnee (2)
15. Clinton SP, Lake Henry (1) 16. Syracuse, Sam's Pond (2) 17. Sandsage Bison Range & WA (1) 18. Finney Co., Wildwood Park Pond (2) 19. Dodge City, Lake Charles (1)
ANDERSON COFFEY
22. Sedgwick Co. Park (1) 23. El Dorado SP, Walnut River (1) 24. Eisenhower SP, SP Pond (1)
GREENWOOD
23 WOODSON
ALLEN
26« BOURBON
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25. Garnett, Crystal Lake (1) 26. Fort Scott, Gunn Park E Lake (1) 27. Cimarron Grassland Pits (2) 28. Meade SFL (2)
29. Coffeyville, Lake LeClere (1) 30. Cherryvale, Tanko Lake (2)
BUTLER
WILSON
NEOSHO CRAWFORD
COWLEY
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20. Pratt Centennial Pond (1) ● 21. Hutchinson, Dillon Nature Center (2)
CHASE
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ELK LABETTE
30 MONTGOMERY
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31. Mind Land WA #30 (1) 32. Wichita, OJ Watson Park Pond (1)
33. Emporia Kings Lake (1) *● ..a. i.*
Type 1 (1) or Type 2 (2) waters
CHEROKEE
.CHAUTAUQUA
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Norm Jennings (left) and Tom Saragusa had trout on the stringer just an hour into the 2023 season at
Wyandotte County Lake in Kansas City, Kan.
Wildlife
Parks \ 35
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KDWP Revamps Trout Season Following Angler Suggestions The time for trout fishing in Kansas is drawing nearer, and this year KDWP is making angler-inspired updates to the nearly 30-year-old program to improve angler satisfaction and program efficiency while managing around increasing commodity costs. Based largely off of on-site interviews conducted with licensed anglers at 25 waterbodies across the state in early 2023, KDWP's Fisheries Division staff will implement the following for Kansas’ 2023-2024 trout season:
● Trout fishing waters will be stocked, and the season will begin, on December 1 (as opposed to November 1, so as not to compromise fish health in warmer water often experienced in November) ● Each trout fishing water will be stocked during the most fished months of the trout season (as opposed to season-wide stockings at indiscriminate times) ● The season will conclude at the end of March (as opposed to April 15), as only three percent of respondents indicated they fish for trout most in April
● KDWP will stock less often but with higher densities of trout - an indicated preference of anglers surveyed In total, KDWP plans to stock 30 waterbodies this fall with approximately 62,000 pounds of rainbow trout, providing anglers with ample wintertime fishing opportunities, while simultaneously not competing with other time-honored hunting and fishing traditions. “The trout program is something we’ve been happy to
6 I Wildlife & Parks
support in Kansas since 1994,” said Jeff Conley, KDWP Fisheries program specialist. “However, over the years, we’ve made very few changes. This new format gives us the ability to continue the program during its most popular months, at higher stocking densities, while managing increasing costs for the fish, so the feedback received will definitely make us all more efficient.”
While most fish stocked will be rainbow trout, Kansas
anglers can occasionally catch a palomino or golden rainbow trout. Not to be confused with golden trout, golden rainbow trout have a genetic variation that many fish growers selectively breed to create a novelty fish for anglers to pursue.
“All fish stocked will be a catchable size, but a few lunkers
will also be added to give anglers extra opportunity to catch a trophy,” added Conley. “We can't wait to see who catches tliem.” Anglers 16 and older who wish-to fish for trout must possess a $14.50 Trout Permit and fishing license, unless exempt. Kansas youth 15 and younger must possess a Youth Trout Permit, which can be purchased for just $7 (NOTE: Youth age 15 and younger are not required to have a fishing license). All anglers with a trout permit may keep up to five trout per day, unless posted otherwise. To purchase a trout permit, visit GoOutdoorsKansas.com, download the GoOutdoorsKS mobile app, or visit a license vendor nearest you. For more information on trout fishing in Kansas, visit ksoutdoors.com/Fishing then click “Special Fishing Programs for You.”