Walnut Creek Question

Started by jamesavp, November 29, 2008, 07:54:02 PM

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jamesavp

I may be stationed down in Omaha and was wondering what walnut creek is like?  What is the avg depth and are there tons of pleasure boaters?  Are the wind conditions good? In ND the wind is nasty and even little lakes can get dangerous.
Is there any lilly pads, hydrilla, cattails, stumps etc?  What is good all around bait to use in WC?  I like using crankbaits. How is the fishing pressure in WC. I fish with Hinton up here in the frozen tundra.  The fishing up here is pretty good the only problem is distance.   ~cf

James
Fish hard or get off my boat!

UltimateBass#4

J-
Trust me, if you actually get orders down there I will give you as much info as I can on WC as well as many other lakes in the area.  WC is a no-wake lake, so all you get are other anglers.  That one has reeds, rock, hydrilla and trees.  The cover there (on most of the area lakes) is completely different than up here...they ALL have structure that is easy to see and fish, it's just hard to decide what is really the best to be fishing.  Within the greater Omaha area there are about 10 or so lakes (within 30 minutes) and the Mo river (not in your boat).  Carter lake and Lake Manawa are the pleasure boat lakes.  The rest are no-wake for the most part.  There are quite a few lakes that are really good in less distance than Nelson and really quite a bit better.  Let me know, I will give you what I know.

I do know a couple of Tent Pegs that are pretty smart on them too...they might even help you out on some of them.
B

complac3ncy

#2
Hey James, nice to meet you. I have only been in Omaha for 2 years, which isn't very long compared to alot of the other old farts around here but I have become quite familiar with WC.

QuoteI may be stationed down in Omaha and was wondering what walnut creek is like? 
It's a pretty nice lake, all things considered. Takes probably 10-15 minutes to get to from the base. Good boat ramp. Can get very crowded. Alot of shore fisherman. Big enough to keep you occupied for a few hours at least though.

Quote
What is the avg depth and are there tons of pleasure boaters? 
No wake, no pleasure boaters. Not quite sure what the average depth but it goes as deep as 25-30ft in some spots.

QuoteAre the wind conditions good?
"usually" no, this is Nebraska, gotta learn how to fish in the wind or you won't be fishing very long, although there are days when it is very calm, and usually those days the fishing is calm too.

QuoteIs there any lilly pads, hydrilla, cattails, stumps etc?
Mostly milfoil type stuff, coontail, and grass. Some reeds. There are plenty of trees and rock. A good creek channel, quite a few dropoffs/ledges if your good with your electronics, and plenty of underwater debris to hang a bait or three on. There is a dam as well.

QuoteWhat is good all around bait to use in WC?  I like using crankbaits.
You're in good shape if you like to use crankbaits. That is a pretty good cranking lake, find a color you like, most of them will work. I've had good luck with pretty much everything in my tackle box there.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions, it's the least I can do since alot of folks from UB gave me lots of info when I first came here.  ~cf

UltimateBass#4

It ain't windy in Nebraska...if you're comming from North Dakota, I will tell you that for sure.  I used to complain about the wind down there...it's just a light breeze compared to here.  Ask the tent peg (aka Jason), he was at Minot before and knows the deal for sure!  I was there for almost 9 years before coming here and really enjoyed all the water close by.

Bassthumb

But the wind doesn't affect you unless you are taller than 5'...
Retired USAF MSgt (1W071A)            2008 Triton Tr-196
Plattsmouth, NE                  Mercury Optimax 200
B.A.S.S   NE B.A.S.S. Federation   FoMNTT participant (never again)                   Omaha-River City Bass Club

coldfront

you can always get a good 'view' on Google Earth, or my favorite, Terraserver...

Fishing is good.  Best 'frog' lake in the area...

but keep in mind, 'lakes' here are in the 100-300 acre size.  A friend of mine at work (who is from ND) continually asks 'where are the lakes'?  I tell him...and he says 'no, those are ponds'...

But there are plenty of fish...and some real good ones in our 'ponds'...available to the astute angler...

jamesavp

Are there any bass clubs that fish those smaller lakes?  What bass clubs do you guys suggest?  I like fishing in smaller clubs and sometimes in some open tournaments.  I am already a B.A.S.S member all I have to do is join Nebraska Federation.  The DoD tournament sounds like fun.  Thanks for the info on WC.  I looked it up on Google earth and realized it is smaller than I am used to but thats ok b/c I have a small bass boat  :).  I own a Skeeter SS90 with a 90HP yamaha.  I can see there are tons of trees and thats ok with me.  A lot of the clubs in the area seem to fish in neighboring states.     
Fish hard or get off my boat!

Bassthumb

Almost every local club fishes out of state because the Nebraska LMB official keeper size is 21". (there are some lakes with smaller limits, but generally, the state limit is 21").  You could fish an entire season instate, and never catch a keeper.  Iowa, MO, and SD are all 15" limit states.  Some clubs that do fish in state do paper tournaments with a 14 or 15" limit...the fish is measured, witnessed, recorded, and released.  they most likely use the golden rule of length to weight conversion and rank-order finishes based on the "paper" size of the fish.

Please keep in mind that the 21" limit only applies to legal law-abiding residents...if you are transitory or do not have a SSN, those laws do not apply to you and you can keep whatever you catch.

You should also know that the NE federation also fishes out of state. The state Tournemant takes place as far as Grand lake in OK...

Since you are a googler, here are some places within 3 hours:

Larger Venues:

Brushy Creek (3:15 from Bellevue, but worth the trip), IA
Anita, IA
Prairie Rose, IA
Synder's Bend, IA
Brown's, IA
Three Mile,IA
Twelve mile, IA
Icaria, IA
Viking, IA
West Osceola, IA
Little River (barely under 3 hours), IA
Desoto Bend, IA
Green Valley, IA
Bilby Ranch, Mo
Mozingo, Mo
Smithville, MO
Sabetha, KS
Willow Creek, NE

Smaller Venues:
Mile Hill, IA
Hacklebarney, IA
Pony Creek, IA and KS
Brickyard, MO
Zorinsky, NE
Buchard, NE
Prairie View, NE
Fremont Lakes, NE




Retired USAF MSgt (1W071A)            2008 Triton Tr-196
Plattsmouth, NE                  Mercury Optimax 200
B.A.S.S   NE B.A.S.S. Federation   FoMNTT participant (never again)                   Omaha-River City Bass Club

coldfront

Quote from: jamesavp on December 04, 2008, 01:26:14 PM
Are there any bass clubs that fish those smaller lakes?  What bass clubs do you guys suggest?  I like fishing in smaller clubs and sometimes in some open tournaments.  I am already a B.A.S.S member all I have to do is join Nebraska Federation.  The DoD tournament sounds like fun.  Thanks for the info on WC.  I looked it up on Google earth and realized it is smaller than I am used to but thats ok b/c I have a small bass boat  :).  I own a Skeeter SS90 with a 90HP yamaha.  I can see there are tons of trees and thats ok with me.  A lot of the clubs in the area seem to fish in neighboring states.     

Lots of bass clubs...some fish smaller, more local waters...some like to travel farther (less now due to gas prices) ... some very good waters to be had within 2-3 hours of Omaha...

also, don't let the length limit issues get you down...some of the more enlightened clubs conduct paper tournaments.  only those knuckledraggers like bassthumb have to drag a fish up the bank to the scales... ;D

and once you realize that you can fish paper tournies, every water is open...

Bassthumb

Oh but how wrong you are...I never said I wouldnt fish a paper T...  I hear that the base Intramurals may go that route next year just because.  I actually do not belong to a club at all, yet.  I am looking though.  I fish ths FoM, and dablle some with Wood's, Hawgz, and opens, but not in a club.

Knuckledragger... 
Retired USAF MSgt (1W071A)            2008 Triton Tr-196
Plattsmouth, NE                  Mercury Optimax 200
B.A.S.S   NE B.A.S.S. Federation   FoMNTT participant (never again)                   Omaha-River City Bass Club

coldfront

Quote from: Bassthumb on December 04, 2008, 05:47:07 PMKnuckledragger... 

was kind of over the top... ;D  thanks for not mentioning that I fish from the seated position... :embarassed:


UltimateBass#4

Quote from: Bassthumb on December 04, 2008, 07:26:23 AM
But the wind doesn't affect you unless you are taller than 5'...
I was wondering how long it would take for you to wake up...how long is hibernation these days?  How's the twinkies treating you? ~b~ ~roflmao  Now all we need is the tent pegs and it'll be like old times...oh, almost forgot my little fat buddy...

Who is coldfront?  Don't recall...is he part of the old group?

The Bassmeister

#12
Here is the link to the Nebraska website.  You can check out clubs, lakes and anything else you have questions about.  Very user friendly.


http://www.nebraskabass.com/
Ranger 519VX 200 Optimax

Cross her eyes!

UltimateBass#4

That's a pretty cool site too, I like the way the map is set up.  I have fished the majority of those lakes too, which is cool.  Thanks for the info.

jamesavp

21 inches :shocking:
I can't believe that.  That means that the B.A.S.S can't have an event there unless they get some kind of special permit or something.

I don't mind paper tournys but it is nice to bring one or two to the weigh in.

In ND there is no culling and a 3 fish limit.  Our tournaments are kind of funny that way.  In one tourny I had to throw back a 4lber and ended up 2nd by ounces. :'(

Its all in good fun though.  

Fish hard or get off my boat!

UltimateBass#4

Nebraska has some crazy thought that is they limit it to one 21" fish it will make a better fishery...I don't understand the theory behind the management plan, I always thought a slot was better, with only one fish above a certain size...

UltimateBass#4

The slot seems to work well at Mozingo...are they still asking anglers to take all the bass under 12"?

jamesavp

I was looking around on the Nebraska game and fish site and I saw a proposed plan to change length limits, min to 15 inches.  Was this just one of those proposals that gets cancelled later?

Fish hard or get off my boat!

coldfront

Quote from: jamesavp on December 04, 2008, 10:04:37 PM
I was looking around on the Nebraska game and fish site and I saw a proposed plan to change length limits, min to 15 inches.  Was this just one of those proposals that gets cancelled later?



sure as heck hope so...check around the local NE waters...all the 'better' bass waters are small.  No large lakes...tons of pressure...plenty of folks wanting to take home fish for the fryer...

Lots more bass would take the final pickup ride home with folks if they drop the length limit to 15 across the board.

I do like/prefer to let the NGPC folks who's job it is to manage water based on scientific study and public opinion to find the 'middle ground'...I've had the pleasure to fish from Florida to California and Texas to South Dakota for bass...while the opportunities for 10 pounders are exceedingly rare here...our fisheries are pretty darned good.

In fact, the only times I find lakes that are consistently better are those that have been recently rennovated and are going through their 'honeymoon' period...

If you get down here...give it a chance...I think you'll love it.

Best big bass waters? 
Burchard (180 acres of weeds)
Zorinsky (260 acres with some big girls that are like needles in a haystack)


Another challenge?  Freakin' walleye guys.  Meat heads who drag worms/minnows and take every legal or close to legal sized fish for cleaning they catch.  Doesn't matter if it's a 15 inch walleye, a 15 inch channel or a 15 inch bass...it's all about the 'fish fry'... ^-^ and this puts a hurtin' on a bass population...they fish deeper structure and run across more than their share of 5 pounders as a result... ;)

Bassthumb

yes Wee-Man, Mozingo still has the sign up to harvst fish under 12".  And if I told you once, I've told you a hundred times I do not eat twinkies...

OBTW, the tent pegs is singular.  Rod does not work there anymore.  Jason is the HMFIC.  Intramurals is down to 3-4 people in 2-3 boats...

Like I said in my earlier post, if you do not have a SSN, you can harvest any size fish you want in NE...I see it every time I go out.  I get stopped, searched, and questioned while the indignent populace  just keep loading their bucket...

Never met Coldfront...Don't think he is  or was part of the Offutt group... I think he fishes out of one of those metal boats with blind material on it (from a chair, no less).

Who is your Fat little buddy...?  DM?
Retired USAF MSgt (1W071A)            2008 Triton Tr-196
Plattsmouth, NE                  Mercury Optimax 200
B.A.S.S   NE B.A.S.S. Federation   FoMNTT participant (never again)                   Omaha-River City Bass Club

complac3ncy

I've been overall pleased with Nebraska fishing in general. I'm comfortable with catching decent numbers of 2-5lb fish. While I miss the hook-straightening 10-12lber's back home, I enjoy the resevoirs for what they are, lots of diffrent types of structure pretty close together, which isn't the case in FL...alot more pitching baits into cover instead of fishing structure. Biggest thing for me to overcome was learning the primary forage and adjusting my style accordingly. I'll argue that craw isn't the main forage in FL.

In many cases, especially in the spring, I see many tournament sacks come in up here that win that are much larger than tournaments down south. The diffrence is the "kicker" fish.

Figures it is now way too cold to fish for LMB's comfortably and the price of gas is less than half of what I paid to truck all around NE/IA/MO this summer...i'm sure all of us would have saved alot of money!  ~rant

coldfront

Quote from: Bassthumb on December 05, 2008, 08:58:50 AM
... I think he fishes out of one of those metal boats with blind material on it (from a chair, no less)...

:shocking:   lo

no, not a 'baser'...just a basser. 

UltimateBass#4

Yep, DM is the little fat buddy...I am not really a fat buddy anymore...lost too much weight to qualify now days...

Javelin 409

Hey Tracker03, i heard Santa needs more elves, now should be your busy season!!!!

James...if you take any advice from Trackerboy, i am sure it will be a couple bags of senkos and his advice is done...minus the throw it out, like a cigarette and drink a beer... that could be lil Hoot too, either way it involves a stenko.

UltimateBass#4

Listen to you family boat boy...the Stenko is a great bait...but I know your chatterbait is better!  Be careful, I might just have to come down there and stuff a candy cane in your chimmeny...