‘The Fish are Very Dumb and They’re Very Hungry’ Why Missouri, Kansas Fishermen Brave the Winter Elements

So, you think it has been unbearably cold lately? Try skimming across the frigid water of an area reservoir in a fishing boat at this time of the year. Then you will know what wind chill is all about.

Take it from Brian Ondrejka, a guide on Clinton Lake near Lawrence, Kansas, who is accustomed to fishing in the type of weather that takes your breath away and brings tears to your eyes.

He grew up in Wisconsin, where lakes are usually frozen over by this time of the year and ice fishing is a winter way of life.

Not so in Kansas or Missouri. Until the recent cold wave set in, diehards such as Ondrejka were bundling up and launching their boats for some of the hottest fishing of the year.

A thin layer of ice at some reservoirs—not enough to support ice fishing—delayed their plans temporarily. But the diehards knew it would not be long before there was open water again. And sure enough, when the ice thawed, they were out braving the elements again.

“I’ve pulled into convenience stores in the middle of winter while I am towing my boat and people will ask me what I’m doing,” said Ondrejka, who runs the Kansas Angling Experience Guide Service. “They think I’m moving it into storage.

“When I tell them I’m going fishing, they look at me like I’m crazy. It’s like they’re thinking, ‘Who would go fishing on a day like this?’ “

The reason is simple: The fish are biting.

Let the fair-weather fishermen stay inside, huddled by the fireplace. The die-hards are going fishing.

“I realize people would be more comfortable fishing in T-shirts and shorts — Margaritaville-type weather,” Ondrejka said. “But if you want to catch crappies, winter is the best time to go.

“The fish are very dumb and they’re very hungry.”

Cold weather, hot fishing

Ignore the wives’ tales about the fish not hitting once cold weather sets in.

“For years, my neighbors put their boats away about the end of October,” said Kris Nelson, who guides on Pomme de Terre and Stockton lakes in southwest Missouri. “They thought the fishing was done.

“But now that they’ve seen the fish we’re catching, they keep fishing.”

Ondrejka and Nelson catch walleyes and big white bass in the cold weather.

But crappies are the star of the show. The fish are better known for the hot fishing they produce when they move to shallow water in the spring to spawn.

Baitfish lead the way

But Nelson and other diehards will tell you the fishing is much more consistent in the winter. Weather fronts in the spring can cause the fishing to run hot and cold. Not so in the winter.

Once the water temperature drops, the fish will move deeper to the edges of the old river channel and they will concentrate in big schools. Find the baitfish, and the crappies usually aren’t far away.

“They’ll either be in brush near the channel or just out chasing shad in deep water in the channel,” said Nelson, who runs the Tandem Fly Outfitters Guide Service. “We’ve marked schools twice the length of our boat. They’re just stacked.

“And they usually want to bite. It’s not uncommon to have 100-fish days (with most of those crappies released).

“They’re feeding up to build their eggs for spring.”

Most anglers will use light-action spinning outfits with braided line to drop small plastic baits to the crappies. They use electronic fish finders to search for big schools of baitfish and even bigger schools of the fish that want to eat them.

The latest sonar units even show a live picture of what is going on under the water. Anglers can watch icons of fish swim up to a jig dangled in front of them and decide whether or not to hit.

But it doesn’t take the latest and greatest innovations to catch fish at this time of the year, Nelson said. A simple fish locater will indicate whether the depths are holding schools of crappies.

When Jordan Leer wants to fish, little holds him back.

Leer, who guides on Truman Lake and Lake of the Ozarks, has shoveled boat ramps and spread salt so he can launch.

“As long as it’s 25 degrees or above and the wind isn’t too bad, we’ll usually go,” said Leer, who runs the Angler’s Edge Guide Service. “In the winter, I try to find a ramp not far from where we will be fishing so I don’t freeze my customers out with a long boat ride.”

Crappies aren’t the only species Leer pursues. Big blue catfish also will bite in the frigid water. They too will concentrate in deeper water near the shad schools.

“The nice thing is that the fishing stays consistent,” Leer said. “You can catch them at a spot one day, and go back to that same area the next day and usually find them within 100 yards.”

A popular winter pastime

At one time, winter fishing was a guarded secret. No longer. There are more than a few diehards out on the water these days.

Vehicles and trailers fill launch ramp parking lots on winter weekends.

On the water, there are days when you can almost mark the path of the old river channel by the string of boats positioned along that underwater structure. On the good days, many of the fishermen in those boats are catching crappies.

Safety is a primary concern. With today’s insulated clothing, it is possible to stay warm on the coldest of days. Coveralls, stocking caps, gloves, and insulated boots complete the look.

Life jackets are a must and water safety officials urge fishermen to not go out alone.

“Even when it’s cold, you kind of forget the weather once the fish start hitting,” Ondrejka said. “It’s a great time to fish.”

Brent Frazee is an award-winning freelance writer from Parkville, Mo. He was outdoors editor of The Kansas City Star for 36 before retiring in 2016. He continues to write for magazines, websites and newspapers.