KANSAS FLATHEAD CATFISH HANDFISHING SEASON JUNE 15-AUG. 31

June 14, 2012
Kansas and Arkansas rivers, portions of federal reservoirs open
PRATT — If you’re an outdoor adventurer looking for the thrill of your life, get ready for the Kansas flathead catfish handfishing season, which opens June 15. This exciting sport not only provides thrills, but bountiful, delicious table fare awaits those hearty souls willing to take up the challenge. Reaching under logs and other structure in dark, cool water for the muscled body of a 40-pound catfish is not for the faint of heart.

The season runs June 15-Aug. 31, and handfishers may catch flathead catfish using nothing but their hands and wits — no snorkel or scuba gear, hooks, or manmade devices may be used. Although such anglers may be few, the season offers a special challenge at a time when summer heat has slowed many other types of fishing.

In addition to a limited season, there are restrictions during the handfishing season. Only flathead catfish may be taken, and legal handfishing hours are sunrise to sunset. A special $27.50 permit is required in addition to a regular fishing license. A stringer may be used but not until the fish are caught by hand and are at or above the surface of the water. No man-made object that attracts fish — such as a barrel, box, bathtub, or any other object — may be used. The season is only open in the following waters:

• the entire length of the Arkansas River;
• all federal reservoirs from beyond 150 yards of the dam to the upstream end of the federal property; and
• the Kansas River from its origin downstream to its confluence with the Missouri River.

Everyone who purchases a handfishing permit will be given a questionnaire they must complete and submit no later than 30 days after the close of the handfishing season. Handfishing permits may be purchased online or at select locations around the state. To find vendors or purchase permits online, go online to ksoutdoors.com/License-Permits.

Related articles

• Weekly Fishing Report, 6/14/2012

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KANSAS NONRESIDENT LEFTOVER DEER PERMITS ON SALE NOW

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PRATT — The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has completed the nonresident deer permit drawing for the 2012 seasons, and for those applicants who were unsuccessful, there’s good news: more than 4,000 permits are left over in other units after the initial drawing. These permits will be sold online at ksoutdoors.com on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 12:01 a.m. June 18. Click License/Permits on the home page.

Those hunters whose favorite unit does not have leftover permits may purchase a permit for an adjacent unit, if it has leftover permits, then select their favorite unit as the adjacent unit where they may also hunt. The following table shows the number of permits originally allocated in units with leftover permits, as well as the number of permits left over after the nonresident drawing.

MANAGEMENT UNIT	2012 NONRESIDENT DEER PERMIT TYPE	PERMITS AUTHORIZED	# of Leftover Permits	Date Leftover Permits Sold Out
UNIT 6	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	538	247
UNIT 8	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	2150	423
UNIT 9	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	1033	251
UNIT 10	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	1318	575
UNIT 11	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	3226	793
UNIT 12	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	2076	600
UNIT 13	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	621	421
UNIT 14	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	1856	718
UNIT 15	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	1405	186
UNIT 16	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	2213	261
UNIT 18	WHITETAIL EITHER SEX	304	58

Nonresident hunters who were successful in the drawing should expect their permits in the mail about the second week in June. Those who were unsuccessful — more than 600 applicants — will be notified about the same time. Applicants can check the number of deer permits by unit that are still available online at the KDWPT website, ksoutdoors.com, under “Hunting/Applications-and-Fees/Deer/Quotas-and-Draw-Stats.” Department staff will update this site frequently.

Applicants can check the status of individual applications at https://www1.ks.wildlifelicense.com/results_lookup.php.

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LATE MAY AND JUNE PULL WALLEYE INTO SHALLOWS

May 31, 2012
Shallow points, flats, and underwater roadways lure anglers to big fish
PRATT — Many anglers pursue walleye in late March and early April, when breeding fish move onto the rip-rap of lake dams to spawn. But the best time to catch walleye is in May and June, when water temperatures warm and walleye move into shallows to feed. At this time, walleye fishing heats up over shallow points, flats, and underwater roadbeds, where walleye feeding is most intense.
While a boat gives an angler more access to lake structure, walleye can also be caught by wading anglers. Look for fish in water 3 to 15 feet deep, along shallow points and submerged roadbeds.
These post-spawn walleye are often aggressive and can be caught trolling with crankbaits or drifting a jig and night crawler combination. Jig size varies depending on the amount of wind and water depth, but usually a - or -ounce jighead works well. Popular lure colors include chartreuse, red, orange, pink, and white.
According to the Kansas Fishing Forecast, the best walleye fishing reservoirs this year are Webster, Kirwin, Glen Elder, Milford, and Cedar Bluff. And anglers shouldn't overlook smaller community lakes. The best smaller lakes rated are Pratt County Lake, Banner Creek Lake near Holton, Lower Barber State Fishing Lake, Herington City Lake, and Jeffery Energy Center Make-Up Lake.
Much credit for successful walleye fishing in Kansas can be attributed to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) aggressive walleye stocking program. This year, KDWPT fisheries biologists harvested approximately 100 million walleye eggs and stocked almost 54 million fry. In addition, length limits allow walleye to grow to reproductive age, and in some reservoirs, prime habitat produces excellent walleye populations year after year.
Because of their size and reputation as great table fare, walleye are among the most popular sportfish in Kansas. Take advantage of this great angling resource. Conditions for walleye fishing can change daily, so visit the KDWPT Fishing Reports for the latest information.

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KANSAS STATE PARKS MOBILE APP AVAILABLE

Image via CrunchBase

ree Kansas State Parks Pocket Ranger® is ideal phone app for enjoying Kansas outdoors
PRATT — Just in time for summer travel season, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has launched the Kansas State Parks Pocket Ranger® app — a free, interactive mobile guide to Kansas state parks. The Kansas State Parks Pocket Ranger® app is designed to provide information and technology to guide and enhance the state park experience and to provide added safety and enjoyment for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts at all of Kansas’ 26 state parks.
The Pocket Ranger® app offers interactive GPS and mapping technology for tracking trails, marking waypoints, and locating landmarks in state parks. Users are also able to locate friends within parks using the Friend Finder feature. The Alert feature supplies GPS coordinates to designated contacts in case of an emergency. Guests can also cache (store) park maps in advance, so they can still navigate if they lose mobile reception. The GeoChallenge feature offers the novice explorer or more adventurous geocacher various geoquest activities and games throughout the year to guide them on their quests.
In addition to its state-of-the-art GPS technology, the Kansas State Parks Pocket Ranger® app has other tools that make exploring state parks a breeze. Visitors can decide which park to visit using a comprehensive list of activities or search for a park within a particular region. A Calendar of Events helps visitors find upcoming events for each park. Park rules and regulations are a click away, which is especially helpful to anglers and sportsmen. Users can even reserve a campsite or cabin using the Pocket Ranger® to navigate to KDWPT’s new online cabin and campsite reservation site.
The free Kansas State Parks Pocket Ranger® app is available on the KDWPT home page at ksoutdoors.com, on iTunes, in the iPhone Apps Store, and online at PocketRanger.com and will soon be available for Android phones. Blackberry and feature phone users can use the mobile website version of the Kansas State Parks Pocket Ranger®.
The Pocket Ranger Mobile Tour Guide tutorial is available at www.youtube.com/user/PocketRangerApp. For more about Pocket Ranger®, go online to www.pocketranger.com.

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SUMMER IN FULL SWING WITH JUNE STATE PARK EVENTS

May 31, 2012
Special events, free park entrance days to be held at many parks
PRATT — During the weekend of June 2-3, anglers of all ages may fish without a fishing license statewide. Ordinarily, nonresidents 16 or older and residents age 16 through 64 must have a fishing license to fish in Kansas, but on Free Fishing Days, everyone gets to fish for free. Many Kansas state parks offer free admission and special events during Free Fishing Days and the excitement continues throughout the month. Special events, some in conjunction with Free Park Entrance Days, are designed to entertain park users who want to explore the history or geology of an individual park, as well as those who just want an excuse to celebrate something “more” than camping, swimming, boating, hiking, and all the other pleasures offered by Kansas state parks.
June events are diverse and may include anything from fishing tournaments and outdoor concerts to mountain bike and equestrian events. Many involve outdoor education. For more information on state park events, phone individual parks or click the "Events Calendar" on the "State Parks" page of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) website, ksoutdoors.com.
Park goers are urged to phone the park they intend to visit before traveling. Telephone numbers of all state parks also may be found online on the KDWPT website. Click "State Parks" at the top of the page, then "Locations" in the left-hand column.
Events for June:

• June 2 — Free Park Entrance Day at Prairie Dog State Park;
• June 2 — National Trails Day at Fall River State Park;
• June 2 — Free Park Entrance Day at Glen Elder State Park;
• June 2 — 5K run/walk at Pomona State Park;
• June 2 — Kids fishing derby at Pomona State Park;
• June 2 — 8th Annual Youth Fishing Tournament at Glen Elder State Park;
• June 2 — Kid's fishing clinic at Milford State Park;
• June 2-4 — OK Kids Day at Prairie Dog State Park;
• June 2 — Trails workday at Clinton State Park;
• June 2 — Hays Recreation Center 15K and 5K trail runs at Wilson State Park;
• June 3 — Kids fishing derby at Lovewell State Park;
• June 8 — Western Extralite Company Fishing Tournament at Wilson State Park;
• June 8-10 — Hell Creek Hoedown Bluegrass Festival at Wilson State Park;
• June 9-10 — Rocky Mountain Team Series Fishing Tournament at Wilson State park;
• June 9 — Lori and Randy Knippa Benefit Horse Trail Ride at Hillsdale State Park;
• June 10 — Kansas 70.3 Ironman Triathlon at Clinton State Park;
• June 16 — Kansas Buddy Bass Fishing Tournament, OK Kids Day at Wilson State Park;
• June 17 — Kansas Walleye Association Fishing Tournament at Wilson State Park;
• June 23-24 — Country Stampede Music Festival at Tuttle Creek State Park;
• June 23-24 — Western Nebraska Bass Fishing Tournament at Wilson State Park;
• June 23 — Twin Rivers Bass Club Fishing Tournament at Pomona State Park;
• June 23-24 — Governor’s Cup Walleye Fishing Tournament at Glen Elder State Park;
• June 23 — National Truck Owners Car Show and barbecue at Hillsdale State Park;
• June 24 — Twin Rivers Bass Club of Emporia Bass Tournament at Eisenhower State Park;
• June 24 — Heartland Coursing whippet racing event at Clinton State Park;
• June 30 — Bass Federation of Kansas State High School Fishing Championship at Wilson State Park;
• June 30-July 1 — Miami County Bass Club fishing tournament at Wilson State Park; and
• June 30 — Friends of Fancy Creek Range Kids Day at Tuttle Creek State Park’s Fancy Creek Range.

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LOVEWELL STATE PARK TO HOLD KIDS FISHING DERBY

 (Photo credit: clermontparks)

Event coincides with Free Fishing Days
WEBBER — Free Fishing Days is set for Saturday and Sunday, June 2-3. Fishing licenses are not required to fish any Kansas waters for these two days, including Lovewell Reservoir, near Webber and Lovewell State Park. However, vehicle and camping permits are still required.
In conjunction with Free Fishing Days, Lovewell State Park’s Kids Fishing Derby is set for Sunday, June 3. Park and wildlife area staff and area businesses sponsor this annual event. Each year, participants have the opportunity to win the $200 Don Cart Memorial Savings Bond. The family of Don Cart, former Concordia resident and avid Lovewell area outdoorsman who passed away several years ago, has donated this bond.
Registration for the fishing derby is from 8 a.m. to noon at the state park office, with early registration prizes awarded to the first 50 kids who register. The weigh-in is set for 3 p.m. at the marina parking lot. Anglers will be divided into two age brackets: 7 and younger and 8 through 15 years old. Prizes will be awarded for the most pounds of fish and biggest fish in each age bracket, plus all participants present at the weigh-in are eligible for prizes drawn at random.
Area businesses and individuals have donated more than $1,000 in prizes and gift certificates for the event. For more information, phone Lovewell State Park at 785-753-4971 or email lovewellsp@ksoutdoors.com.

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KDHE Modifies Public Health Advisory for Arkansas River

Downtown Wichita, Kansas, skyline at night from The Keeper of the Plains at the Arkansas River (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Friday work will permanently plug leak at Wichita’s wastewater treatment plant
TOPEKA, Kan.—The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has modified the public health advisory first issued on May 25 for the Arkansas River. Water samples collected by KDHE and the city of Wichita indicate that bacteria concentrations above the 47th Street bridge are safe for recreation. Therefore, KDHE is modifying the current health advisory to include the portion of the Arkansas River from the 47th Street bridge to the state line.

Last week, elevated levels of bacteria were recorded during routine stream sampling by KDHE’s ambient water quality monitoring program. The city then discovered a leak at an intermediate pump station at the wastewater treatment plant. Work crews constructed a temporary fix for the leaking valve, and it has been partially successful. Therefore, the city is implementing a permanent solution that is scheduled to be completed on June 1.

KDHE advises individuals to have no contact with the Arkansas River from the 47th Street bridge in central Wichita to the Oklahoma state line. Residents are also advised to keep their pets and livestock from making contact with the water.

State and local officials will continue working to assess the situation and are committed to minimizing the impact downstream. The affected portion of the Arkansas River is south, or downstream, of Wichita's Riverfest activities, which begin June 1.

KDHE will continue to follow up with water testing to determine when this advisory can be lifted.