Lilley's Taneycomo report, November 17

[Phil Lilley]

There has not been much change in regards to generation patterns lately.  The dam has been running a little water each day, but it's anyone's guess what time that water will run.  The lake level has reached up to 705 feet, one unit, once or maybe twice a day, in the morning and/or in the evening and running for less than an hour each time.  We call this "fish water."

From now until January is the slowest time of year as far as fishing pressure with the exception of the holidays -- the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Our guides are either off hunting or home catching up on "honey-do's," but either way, we don't have their usual wealth of information on fishing tips.

Guide Steve Dickey has been fishing the Berkley pink Powerworm in the Short Creek area, the bend above Lilleys' Landing and down on the Cooper Creek flat.

This is the time of year that our trout are looking for midges and small insects on the surface, falling with the leaves from the trees.  I've mentioned this before in a report -- that there's usually a line of leaves and "stuff" on the surface on the lake, piled up by wind and boat traffic.  That's where you'll find trout congregated, midging the surface of the lake taking bugs.  And that's where we target trout using flies and jigs under a float.

They'll eat small flies such as zebra midges and thread midges under a float 12 to 36 inches under a small float, either using a fly rod or a spinning rod.  I'd use two-pound line because the flies are so small.  They'll also take small micro jigs under a float, set about 24 to 48 inches down.

Zebra midges are working in red or black, P&P or rusty in sizes #14 to #18.  For thread midges in shallow water (12-inches deep along the edges) use the colors red, green and brown in sizes #18 to #22.  Two-pound line (6x) is okay, but for the smaller thread midges you may have to go to 7x tippet.

Dark jigs continue to be the go-to favorites, either fishing them under a float or throwing them straight.  Black, black/olive, sculpin, brown, olive have been best.

The Berkley's pink Powerworm is doing okay early, but it's been hit and miss with it.  Duane Doty mentioned on One Cast the other day that on a guide trip they had to "go find" a school of rainbows, catching them on the pink worm.  He found them on the flats from about a fourth mile below Fall Creek down to the private boat ramp.

As far as the hot color for Powerbait, it's lately been yellow or chartreuse.

 

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[Travis Swift]

coming tomorrow for 9 days, gonna split my time between trout in upper and bass in the lower.  Can I get a boat to look out at these water levels?  I know i'll have to idle in the usual places though. 

[Ozarks Chillbilly]

Thanks for the update. Hopefully we can land a few this weekend through the tough conditions.

[Phil Lilley]

3 hours ago, Travis Swift said:

coming tomorrow for 9 days, gonna split my time between trout in upper and bass in the lower.  Can I get a boat to look out at these water levels?  I know i'll have to idle in the usual places though. 

Yes - just have to watch it through the Narrows.

[Travis Swift]

1 hour ago, Phil Lilley said:

Yes - just have to watch it through the Narrows.

thanks for the info Phil I will sure do just that.  might stop by for a shake and howdy when I'm up that way.

[crazy4fishin]

I was able to get on the lake for a few hours today...pink worm was the hot time for me....but I forgot my trout stuff and when I broke it off I started thrown the DNed with a watermelon Zinkers and while the bite slowed when I did catch one they were bigger!

awesome day for sure

C4F

[Phil Lilley]

On 11/23/2017 at 6:58 PM, crazy4fishin said:

I was able to get on the lake for a few hours today...pink worm was the hot time for me....but I forgot my trout stuff and when I broke it off I started thrown the DNed with a watermelon Zinkers and while the bite slowed when I did catch one they were bigger!

awesome day for sure

C4F

I heard you were down...