A few weeks ago, I wrote about the trials and tribulations of wiper anglers in these parts last year. It was noted wipers were exceedingly persnickety feeders, making them difficult to find and catch.
However, David Haen of Topeka wasn't afflicted by last year's wiper woes. In fact, he caught one that weighed 15.4 pounds and scads of six- to nine-pounders as well.
Haen's wiper baptism occurred in 1986 at Beaver Lake in Arkansas when he became enamored with their handsome pinstriped hue and electrifying nature. During the past 14 years, Haen has developed a profound appreciation of this inscrutable and pugnacious species, calling it the most challenging and rewarding quarry in Kansas.
Nowadays, Haen still makes periodic forays to Beaver Lake, but he spends most of his days pursuing wipers at Milford Lake, Pomona Lake and Lake Shawnee.
Haen fishes about four times a week, mainly at Lake Shawnee where he has deciphered many of the wiper's mannerisms.
Shawnee contains a substantial population of wipers. It is also a small body of water, and Haen can survey most of Shawnee's nooks with a sonar device in just a few hours.
Haen spends untold hours each year slowly and patiently puttering around the lake in his boat and interpreting the signals on his Lowrance X-70 graph and vintage Eagle Mach 1 Computer Graph.
With the aid of his sonars, he had gotten to know Shawnee's typography and denizens so intimately he thinks of the lake as his aquarium and research laboratory.
From his many hours of exploring and fishing Lake Shawnee, Haen has learned how to catch Kansas wipers year-round.
His favorite months for pursuing wipers are November through February. During these cold-water months, there are fewer anglers and recreational boaters to interfere with Haen's wiper pursuits. What's more, the wipers are relatively easy to catch.
March and October are his least favorite months because the wipers become extraordinarily elusive and sullen. Haen suspects the wipers are sulking with their bellies flush to the lake's bottom, making it impossible for his sonar device to pinpoint them.
But during November through February, Haen often finds wipers in eight to 16 feet of water in pursuit of their favorite prey gizzard shad and small crappie. The bulk of these fish are suspended, often swimming more than 15 feet off the lake's bottom.
Most wiper anglers in northeast Kansas spend their days bouncing a spoon or jig on the bottom, plying humps and points. Haen catches wipers on the bottom, too. From all of his hours afloat at Lake Shawnee, he has discovered how to catch wipers when they are suspended.
How does he do it? By using his sonars to find large and tight congregations of suspended shad and crappie. Then he uses his electric-trolling motor to keep his boat hovering over the shad and crappie. As he hovers, he constantly examines his X-70 sonar, looking for foraging wipers.
Upon spotting a wiper, he uses spinning tackle with 10-pound line to drop a 3/8-ounce jighead and three-inch white grub several inches above the suspended crappie or shad and foraging wiper.
On his best winter outings usually sunny and calm days Haen hooks and releases 15 or so wipers.
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