by Mary Rupert
Residents flocked to Wyandotte County Lake today for the opening day of fishing season.
Many of those at the lake today were accompanied by their children, for a father-son or grandparent-granddaughter experience.
Enjoying the nice 70-degree weather today at the lake were Kou Vang and his family, who try to get to opening day of fishing every year. They had four fishing poles in the ground, waiting for a bite.
The Wyandotte County resident said fishing was not too bad today.
A little farther to the east, near the administration building, were Josh and Jennifer Conder and their family. Jennifer and Josh grew up in Wyandotte County, recently moved to Shawnee, Kansas, and said they enjoy coming to the lake for opening day, birthday parties and events.
Their son, Jordan, enjoyed digging for worms, while their daughter was wary of “sharkies” in the water.
Michael Mallard and Chuck Abbott, who went to Schlagle High School together years ago, try to go to opening day at the lake every year.
The Wyandotte County residents had caught one catfish by early afternoon, and said they were enjoying the nice weather today, although it was “quite windy” earlier.
Fishing was a little slow. Mallard said. Maybe fish bite better when it’s cooler, he added.
Mike Faulkner, to the west of Mallard and Abbott, also said his granddaughter didn’t catch anything yet, but they noticed a lot of fish were being caught from a boat in a nearby cove.
Janelle Bulley, a Kansas City, Kansas, resident, wasn’t fishing but had brought a bag of bread crumbs to feed the Canada geese who were gathering at a shoreline not far from the administration building.
She said she often goes to the lake to feed the geese.
“It’s something I used to do with my daddy when I was younger,” she recalled.
She brings her family with her, too, and sometimes they feed the geese, or occasionally may fish.
Lou Braswell, executive director of the Leavenworth Road Association, got to the lake shortly before the gates opened at 6 a.m. today, and said this is the biggest turnout in several years.
“It was lined up clear out to Leavenworth Road, like it used to be,” she said.
She said a deputy at the gate counted more than 50 cars that came through in the first seven minutes after 6 a.m.
The Leavenworth Road Association held a breakfast at the Davis Hall for the anglers, and it ran out of food by 10 a.m., she added.
She said she was sure the good turnout at the lake and at the breakfast was due to the nice weather today.
Those at the breakfast said fishing was good, she said. Six of them told her they had caught their limits.
