Cochran's Cartoons

Tag: Kill Creek Lake

  • Home water

    Jason Lucas wrote it, right there in black and white. Would he lie to a fourteen year old kid?”Cast your popping bug so it lands softly between the lily pads, let it sit for as long as you can stand it, then twitch it a little and hang on to your hat”

    That was 1949 and I was soaking up every bit of bass fishing info I could get from the three major outdoor magazines.

    Forty-five years later I’m still practicing what Jason taught me, staring at my homemade popping bug and twitching it on the calm surface of Kill Creek Lake. This beautiful little body of water near De Soto, KS has become my home water by default. Even though I ‘ve yet to catch a bass over a half pound I love this place. It’s twenty-four miles from my home, small enough to fish comfortably with my fourteen-foot johnboat and electric motor, and… well… it just looks bassy. Lots of standing timber, lush weed beds, everything but lily pads.

    The fact that it’s yet to yeild a bass weighing over a half pound isn’t important. In the twilight after sundown when I’m staring at my homemade popping bug, letting it sit for as long as I can stand it, then twitching it a little, I’m still hanging on to my hat… and waiting. There’s got to be some big bass in a place that looks this good.

    Kill Creek bass_edited-1

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Catfish Cochran strikes again

    Yesterday was the second time I’ve caught a big channel catfish on a fly rod while bass fishing at Kill Creek Lake near DeSoto, KS.

    I knew immediately it wasn’t a big bass. Bass are close-in fighters. They like to slug it out up close and personal with lots of head-shaking top water acrobatics. Old Mister Catfish just heads back home to the bottom thinking, “Dang! I wish I hadn’t bit that  thing!” He also makes long runs like a big trout. This one took me all the way into my backing. Hadn’t seen that since my last trip to the San Juan. Ten minutes later he was flopping in the boat and posing for a picture before being released. I love to eat catfish if somebody else cleans them.

    The fly? Same pattern that fooled the last big cat at Kill Creek only this time white instead of purple: My own creation, the  Conehead Buddybou. For a bass fly it catches lots of catfish.

    The evening would have been complete if Larry Lunker had been with me, but I believe he was there in spirit.

    Catfish_edited-1

  • Catfish on a fly rod

    You never know what you’ll catch on a fly rod when you think you’re bass fishing.

    This catfish hit a purple #2 Conehead Bunnybou at Kill Creek Lake. I haven’t read my “Catfish At A Distance” book so I don’t know what particular species of catfish it was. All I know is that it was over two feet long and didn’t seem too happy with the idea of being caught.

    I didn’t have a net so I lipped it. Right. You think I’m gonna stick my hand in a mouth like that? I unhooked it and turned it loose before it could hurt me.

    Big cat on a fly rod

  • Kill Creek Lake

    Whether you’re a bank fisherman or a boater, 28-acre Kill Creek Lake, between De Soto and Olathe, south of KS highway 10 is a beautiful place to fish. The park opened in 2001 and, assuming the lake was impounded and stocked at that time, it should contain some sizeable bass. I fish it often and have yet to catch any two pounds or larger, but the smaller bass are healthy, scrappy, and fun to catch on a fly rod.

    In addition to a healthy largemouth bass population Kill Creek Lake supposedly contains walleye, smallmouth bass, wipers, channel cat, crappie, bluegill, and green sunfish.

    The east portion of the lake contains standing timber and the rest has quite a bit of sub-surface cover. Look for it with your depth finder. Gasoline motors are not allowed but the lake is small enough to navigate safely with an electric motor.

    There are usually some families or couples bank fishing but I’ve seen few other boats on the water.

    I fished it yesterday from 5:30PM to 9PM and boated six bass. The fly of the day was a  #2 black sparkle grub.

    A Johnson County Parks & Recreation permit is required for anglers 16 to 64. Geezers like me fish for free.

    Big fly-little bass
    Sparkle grub