New to the area - Perry Lake / Spillway question

I'm fairly new to the area and have been driving down to this lake the last couple weekends trying to find some crappie. I haven't had much luck on the crappie but have been wearing out channel cats.

I haven't made my way to the dam/spillway yet, but that was always a great spot to crappie fish back home (Mississippi - Arkabutla/Sardis area). How is the fishing down there? I use to catfish the spillways quite a bit as well back home. Crappie were always in them during the spring.

Also, does kansas allow snagging? I know there is a paddlefish snagging license here, but is there a "snagging" season for other fish? Catfish/crappie/carp/buffalo/etc.

Thanks all

On your snagging question
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/ask-t...an-carp-legal/

See a few crappie caught out of the spillways around here, but I have never seen it be a true "hotspot"

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Originally Posted by zummy

On your snagging question
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/ask-t...an-carp-legal/

See a few crappie caught out of the spillways around here, but I have never seen it be a true "hotspot"

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Thanks for the info!

Welcome to the Kansas board Blah7...I don't think our Kansas crappie can compare to those Sardis monsters I've heard about but we do have quality crappie in almost all our reservoirs....years ago I caught my biggest crappie an 18in. 3# fish in the spillway at Perry so you never know what you'll catch in those spillways! good luck

18in, 3pounds sounds like one of those sardis slabs made her way up! Nice.

I figure i'll try out the damn here soon. Might skip this weekend depending on the weather.

John Redmond Res has excellent crappie fishing when the flow is pretty slow but its no secret. And a pretty good drive

Blah7, are you in a boat? If so there a gazillion brush piles in Perry, and pretty soon the crappie will be hitting the banks just look for similar spawning areas that your are accostomed to fishing down south. It just happens later here. Luck to ya.

Unfortunately not in a boat, missing my trolling though! I'll be hitting the banks soon enough. I know 1 or 2 places at Perry that seem promising.

I've fished the Perry Spillway a bunch. The best is right after they increase the flow. I like it when it's flowing between 200 and 500. http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/nwk/lakepool.txt

On an average day, crappie are best around sunrise. They bite just about everything there but I use minners and jigs. There are a lot of nice cats to be had there. A lot of guys fish for cats downstream where the outlet narrows. Bring your cast net and grap some shad for that. Bring a couple of 5 gallon buckets for personal barriers. You'll get a lot of close friends if you start catching crappie.

There's a bait shop close to the spillway, just off the highway where you turn.

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Originally Posted by SeaArk Slabchaser

I've fished the Perry Spillway a bunch. The best is right after they increase the flow. I like it when it's flowing between 200 and 500. http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/nwk/lakepool.txt

On an average day, crappie are best around sunrise. They bite just about everything there but I use minners and jigs. There are a lot of nice cats to be had there. A lot of guys fish for cats downstream where the outlet narrows. Bring your cast net and grap some shad for that. Bring a couple of 5 gallon buckets for personal barriers. You'll get a lot of close friends if you start catching crappie.

There's a bait shop close to the spillway, just off the highway where you turn.

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Thanks for the info! Really appreciated