Devan S.

Well thought I would follow this up. Went over last night arrived right at dark. Fished several spots from right below the dam down to Parkers. 400cfs looks perfect. I would say 90% or better of the wadable water is still available. There is a noticeable current everywhere although not strong. Lots of fish rising and activity right at dark to an hour past. I fished until about 11pm with one bite. Threw jerk baits in the restricted section....nada. Went down to parkers and drifted minnows, nada. Went to the rip rap right at the cable below the dam and drifted minnows, nada.

FB says one unit was offline this week for maintenance. I really want to check it out....400CFS could be really interesting. Should cause decent current all the way through but still provide a ton of wading opportunity. Normally BV is all or nothing.

Water vapor in the air is cooled by the temperature of the water to the point it condenses.

I didn't go through Roaring River until later in the day.....like 3pm but it looked normal. The interesting thing at the tailwaters is that is was almost all fly fisherman today. Over Christmas on a nice 60 degree Saturday there was a bunch of vehicles at Parkers but it was 95% bait guys.

Headed out early this AM with the water scheduled to be off. Crossed over at Cane brake and fished a little over half way down to the bluffs. Threw jerk bait and hooked probably 10 rainbows although all but 2 had the early barbless release. After that I thought I would go down and hit up the 3 TU accesses to check some new water, each spot had 2 or 3 cars in it so I ended up all the way down at parkers. Fished the deep holes downstream and ended up with another rainbow. When I was coming out I counted 28 vehicles and one boat between Parkers and Bertrand boat ramp. Many cars had 2-3 people getting out and suiting up. I expect those kinds of numbers on 60+ degree days on holiday weekends but there was ALOT of people out in 34 degree weather, in the small town of Busch, on the worst tailwater in the chain. Maybe its not just the hype around Taney.

Thanks, she's for sure a keeper. Out fishes me any time I take her. Good/Bad news is after kid 1 in 2018....I stopped getting my butt kicked so often.

Maybe 20 total in 5 hours fishing. A 50lb 25lber and a bunch between 5 and 15lbs.

Very similar to how we cat fished with a guide on the Mo river. Would check the ends of wing dikes. He would drop a GPS when he spotted a fish on side scan. Pull up on the dike. Measure GPS and direction and cast. Then use line counter reels to approximate distance. He said if no bite in 15 minutes we'd move because he was 95% sure he was on them.

Boat is charged up here and ready to roll out this weekend. I was finding them sporadically way up the white looking for trout. No big push yet but wont be too long. I'll give it a couple weekends up the white and then flip flop and head towards Kings.

Can a guy be declared the unofficial winner if he brings in a walleye weighing 2X the big bass weight?

I guess I don't see as many otter signs as everyone else. Lots of beaver sign but I suppose without inspecting closer maybe I don't really know the difference. I've always wanted to trap one. Maybe I otter come to where you all fish?

you probably dont know off the top of your head but has any quit on the premise that they refuse?

Mink are farmed for the fur. So my assumption would be: Kill them, harvest the fur early, cut your losses, and hope you don't loose all your stock. Through my reading it appears it is highly deadly to them and they quickly and easily pass it to humans. https://www.who.int/csr/don/06-november-2020-mink-associated-sars-cov2-denmark/en/ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/12/minks-pandemic/617476/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/here-s-why-denmark-culled-17-million-minks-now-plans-n1249610

FWIW there have been massive outbreaks among animals. Look up mink farms several across the US/world have had outbreaks. You know what they do for treatment? Kill the ones that have it.

This is the absolute wrong argument to make. For 99.9% of things around us we DONT know at any given time(food, drink, medicine, paint in your home, ect) We assume we know what's in we buy from the store but DO YOU REALLY? How many times have you seen on the news about bugs, fingernails, ect showing up in food products. Those are at a MACRO level imagine chemicals and/or micro levels. The argument to be made should be: "Those responsible in the design, manufacture, and testing cannot be held liable for the results should they be negative down the road." I will likely fall into the last group to be offered vaccine due to age and general health levels. It is highly likely at that time I will get the vaccine although the mRNA aspect does have me slightly concerned. Hopefully by that time I can select my option and choose a more traditional vaccine option.

I put out some Suet today....love watching the birds up close.

I try to combine rod/reel efforts into multiple categories so this may not be as appealing to you. I use Pflueger Presidents(25 size) with browning air stream rods. This rod effectively does triple duty for me. I realize this isn't micro but I want the bigger spool for ease of line coming off and distance. -Trout jigs-light mono -Crappie jigs with braid -drop shot crawlers for gills

Not at all. I think you have just about dialed in the big fish and you want to protect what you have learned. No harm or foul in that at all. It is a small fishery so the opportunity is there that it could be overrun. I've tried down there a dozen times and I'm just not willing to commit completely. I know one day though I will run into a big one just on pure luck. I do think your jealous that Bill says its getting good and your not here to fishing it though.🤣

I didn't think Bill was very much more specific than Travis has been with his reports and pictures from back at the end of November. Heck a quick cruise though the lower Taney forum and a guy could have a good starting point. Still doesn't guarantee your gonna find em on any given Sunday.

I didn't think it was that big of a secret that lower Taney had bigguns?

I'm jealous of the sleeveless bulls shirt and fanny pack.

Just a follow up on this. I sent the COE an email last week asking what all they needed to get me a pass. Had a voicemail on my phone from them. Called back this morning and the lady in the office just took my CC information over the phone and they will mail out my pass today. Easy Peasy.

If its the "wild stream bred" genetics that make them better fighters and pretty fish then wouldn't the same premise apply to all the wild stream bred fish in the state? Every <12" fish I caught from all the other blue ribbon streams flipped and flopped just like RR or Taney <12" fish. Go to the Current, 11pt, and Little Piney. All streams with White Ribbon sections(and a trout park) right next to the Blue Ribbon sections. Fish the line between and tell me if you can tell the difference in genetics between a "wild stream bred" fish and a stocker that's been there 6+months. I'm not calling for multiple tens of thousands of fish monthly like the white but surely a one time stocking can help without making all the fish in the stream a bunch lazy non-fighting, inbred mutts?

So what stream side genetic testing kits are you all using on these fish? Why are these trout any "better" than any other that's been in the public waters of our state 6+ months. Every bit of this non-sense is in ya'lls head purely because MDC has made a big deal of the blue ribbon streams. If you poach river bass to extinction, you beg for stocking to replace. Somehow though with "Stream bred" rainbows and a million year flood and we cant alter the genetics on a one time basis? If MDC was to go in the middle of the night deep into winter and stock 25,000 fish along the river. I bet NOT a single person would be the wiser.

They've been running water all day. Figure I would go down and nose around before the wet stuff moved in. Really was more or less scouting where to go and how to fish during the high water. Found I can carefully fish downstream at parkers. River is obviously wider running 3800 cfs but I can really sling the bigger jerkbaits and get out there. Had one good follow and this little feller.