Mid-creek musings as I consider the following: if golf courses post "No Fishing" signs on their water hazards, should fishing lakes post "No Golfing" signs on their banks?
• An eye for a walleye, eh?
• I'm just saying, I've seen a few golfers smacking balls into Lake Perry from time to time.
• I must admit I didn't see the newly posted, little white signs at Western Hills Golf Course until I was halfway around the pond.
• In my defense, several of them had been bent in half and couldn't be read anyways, either by Kansas' gale-force wind gusts or by a frustrated golfer whose 9-iron needed to be taught a lesson. I'm not sure which.
• Still, I knew when I finally saw that sign that I was in the wrong and left.
• Doesn't mean I was happy about it. But no one said I had to be. It's their call.
• I understand not wanting the public to flood your golf course in search of fishing spots — believe me, I know how bad it can get when word gets out about a good fishing spot — but that being said, I've only seen at most three people at that particular pond at one time, including myself.
• And before I get a bunch of angry emails about private property and golf etiquette and all the things to that effect, let me clarify: I was invited to fish there by a fellow angler years ago, one who had fished there for years prior to that, and I asked an employee as soon as I got there if it was OK to fish. At that time, he said, "No problem."
• So I was fairly certain when I got there that I wasn't breaking any rules by fishing this pond.
• Never had any issues with golfers, either. They mostly just chuckled and asked me how they're biting.
• One guy even pointed to my fishing rod and asked, "What kind of golf club is that?"
• If you haven't guessed by now, this isn't a column to be taken super seriously. It's mainly just for laughs.
• If you want some practicality out of it, however, it seems to me like a good compromise would be allowing GreatLIFE members to fish it as long as they follow certain rules: no littering, no interfering with golfers' ability to play through, catch and release fishing, fish at your own risk...
• And don't kid yourself, there is absolutely some risk of getting bonked in the head with the way some of these golfers swing.
• Myself included, if I ever take a crack at it.
• Sort of like standing near me when I'm casting. Especially if you look like a tree.
• I would think that allowing members to fish would incentivize more people to get GreatLIFE memberships, and I'd even be willing to pay a few bucks extra on my current membership just to be able to fish a nice, quiet, somewhat-secluded pond like that.
• GreatLIFE Topeka is a great asset for the city, though, and I don't want it to seem as though I am hating on them. I enjoy their swimming facilities immensely and appreciate the money they've put into upgrading some of the older facilities in town, such as the YMCA and YWCA in downtown and recently the old North Topeka Golf Center, which is getting its own sort of Topgolf-style makeover soon, according to the latest reports from our very own India Yarborough.
• And I'm sure the same can be said for its other properties across Kansas.
• Things could definitely be worse for me. I could've been in the car this weekend with Topeka angler Thomas Heinen and Kansas BASS Nation youth fishing director Travis Burch, who were about halfway to a Bassmaster Open fishing tournament in Alabama before they found out it had been canceled.
• Not the way you'd want to find out about it, I'm sure.
• Plus, I had already caught and released a pretty decent bass before I saw that anglers were no longer welcome at the golf course, so my day was made.
• Speaking of which, I am already growing quite fond of Mule Fishing's new Donkey Tail swimbaits as a Ned Rig trailer. It's a pretty versatile little bait, as you can fish it finesse, slow roll it, jerk it like an injured bait fish or even use it on a drop shot.
• Mule Fishing owner Ethan Dhuyvetter, a former Kansas State bass fishing team member, is one of a growing number of Kansans getting involved in the lure-making game right now. It's exciting to see such a rise in local baitmakers. Although, technically Dhuyvetter is now a Michigander after he moved north following graduation.
• Despite being an expatriate of Kansas, the Manhattan native is still one of the nicest guys I've talked to.
• Other notable lure companies with Kansas ties that are rising up in 2021 including the newly reopened Top Secret Jig Co., Swing 'Em In Bait Co., Bammes Jig Company, ProTuff Baits, Fearless Jigs, Crappie Stopper Jigs and Flies, C&C Custom Baits and Temptation Tackle, just to name a few.
• Another group of K-State bass anglers performed well last week, with the Wildcat team of Zach Vielhauer, of Shawnee, and Michael Mueting placing sixth out of 118 boats March 26 at the MLF College Central qualifier on Table Rock Lake in Missouri to advance to the national championship.
• K-State teammates Justin Janzing, of Wichita, and Austin Wiley, of Manhattan, finished just behind Mueting and Vielhauer in seventh.
• Another Kansan, Overland Park's Brock Bila, took fourth with his Drury teammate Jack Rankin, as well.
• Congrats to them all!
• In hunting news, after a barrage of setbacks last year that prevented it from being able to host an event in 2020, the Saline County Uplanders chapter of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever was finally able to host its youth pheasant hunt last Sunday.
• According to organizer Ed Viar, the event drew in 40 youths, with 100 pheasants available. Each youth was allowed to shoot at two birds. The young hunters also were able to enjoy some blue rock shooting at the event, as well.
• Great to see some young outdoors enthusiasts get out in the field and learn the sport with mentors there to help them and show them how to be an ethical hunter.
• The youths also got a jump start on the spring turkey season this week, with the Kansas youth/disabled season kicking off Thursday and continuing through April 13.
• For the parents, an adult archery-only season begins Monday, April 5, so you've got an opportunity to bag a bird with your young one still before the madness of spring turkey season really gets underway. Those with crossbows also can participate during that season.
• The regular season will get underway April 14 and continue through May 31.
• I look forward to seeing some photos of your big toms this spring. Send them to me at jrouse@cjonline.com with your name(s) and city of residence, as well as anything interesting you can tell me about your hunt, and you may just see yourself in the newspaper one of these Sundays.
• One last note: If you do any fishing at Shawnee State Fishing Lake this weekend, avoid taking N.W. 94th Street to get back to Interstate 70. It was so muddy it like trying to drive through a tar pit.
• Somebody really ought to pave that thing. I think I saw a wooly mammoth skull in the ditch.
The Link LonkApril 02, 2021 at 09:00PM
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Mid-creek musings: Getting off course in search of fish - Leavenworth Times
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