mchunter

Maxima 2 lb. ultra green. I have used it for years. Used to use their 3 lb. but it seems hard to find nowadays. As someone else said, Springfield Bass Pro has Maxima in store and Cabela's also carries it. Tried many others over the years, but always came back to Maxima. Had trouble with the other brand mentioned on here breaking at the knot, but maybe it was just the knot I use. Kind of like anything else, try several and use the one you end up being able to put your faith in the most! There are a lot of good lines out there nowadays.

Yes sir, I noticed that too. We were down over Labor Day and during the day I was fishing from our boat below Lilley's Landing. One night I decided to go up to the dam and wade fish below outlet 3 where it widens out. I had night fished there earlier this year and done well. This time there was water over most of the gravel bar with the same generation I had fished before when there was not. Anyway, for safety's sake I went and fished up nearer the cable towards dam. I don't like fishing a place in the dark that I am not familiar with!

Yes sir, you guys have an awesome fishery! I wish we had something like that in Oklahoma. We have the Lower Illinois River close to our home, but it doesn't compare at all! I always enjoy every trip we get to take. Thanks!

Didn't do any good at all on the grasshoppers. Spent the day Saturday figuring out what and how to use other things. Caught "LOTS" of fish Sunday on Berkeley eggs. I spent the day Sunday releasing fish for my wife and daughter! My daughter eventually tired of it Sunday evening, so I threw her pole for a few casts and caught this 24" 6 pound lunker, which I released also. Sunday night I went up to the dam around 10pm to midnight and caught 21 nice fish on marabou jigs. We went back Monday for a couple of hours and caught a whole lot more fish before heading home. Had a great trip and it worked out well keeping our boat in your slip, Phil. Thanks.

Thanks guys!

Thanks Phil, I believe we will give it a try. It won't take my daughter and I long to catch a whole LOT of them before we come over!

Hi guys, it's been a while since I have posted, but I have a question for you. My family and I are coming over from OK this weekend and will be bringing our boat (keeping it in one of your slips btw Phil, thanks). My wife and daughter (10) are not much into fishing, but I would sure like to get them on some trout. I know everyone talks about Gulp bait and worms, but do the trout like grasshoppers? I am overrun on my farm this year with them and just figured we could make some use of some cheap bait. If you think they would work, what would probably be the best way to fish them? Thanks.

Don't know if there is anyone on here who hunts this area, but I am trying to find something out. I have lived in Tahlequah for over 20 years now and used to hunt Camp Gruber quite a bit. I have never hunted the Area #5 and am wanting to try it out. I talked with the National Guard gentleman and he said the access was through Area #3. The only access I can see through Area #3 to Area #5 is on the north end where it borders the Cherokee GMA, but it looks like you would have to drive into the GMA and then into the #5. Area #5 is only open during muzzleloader and rifle and then a few days later on, so I don't think the GMA would be open during the muzzleloader and rifle seasons. Anyone have any info on this? Thanks.

I always try to watch behind me when I am fishing. I honestly feel though, that the people walking behind fishermen should be the ones paying the most attention. Who is the one concentrating on fishing and who is the one walking around watching where they are going? I have mindlessly walked closer than I should have behind fishermen before, but I always try to remember, respect and give them the distance it requires for them to fish. We as fishermen still need to try and be aware of what is happening behind us though, because we can't expect children to know what is going on and where they should be. They are just out having fun!

Minn Kota Edge trolling motor, 45 lbs. thrust, foot control, 12 volt. I purchased a 2012 Tracker Pro Team TXW this past weekend and this trolling motor was on it. I replaced it this week with a I-Pilot motor. I put this motor in the water Saturday on Taneycomo for about 10 minutes after picking up the boat in Springfield that morning. It works excellent and this is the only time it has been used, so it is brand new! Sells for around $380. Asking $300 OBO. 918-457-0071

Congratulations! Beautiful fish!

As JCWolfe said, "Every time you hear a horn sound it indicates a gate change." I don't know a lot about it, but I have noticed that this is true. I have noticed the water level rise only 6" - 1' when the horn has blown multiple times and I have seen it fall the same with multiple horn blows. I take it this is when they only open or close the gates a little. Other times I have seen the water come up with multiple horn blasts where you would drown! I take it this is when they are generating. I have gotten to where I don't pay a lot of attention to their generation schedule when I am down there. The main thing is to always keep a watchful eye on the water when the horn sounds. It doesn't take long to start noticing a change of some sort (depending where you are on the river).

Man! If I lived closer I would be there! Good luck to you guys.

Brian, I was just using an ultralight spinning rod and reel with 2lb line. The jigs were just some solid olive marabous and black marabou jigs in 1/16 and 1/32 ounce weights. I just changed back and forth depending upon how deep the fish seemed to be. I was just reeling very very slow and barely bouncing the end of the rod just enough to give the jig some action. It can be kind of tough catching them this way, because it is all by feel. A person really needs a very sensitive rod and smooth reel. You miss a lot of fish due to the light bites. Many times you only feel your line snug up, but then others slam it, especially browns it seems. Laker67, now that I have fished up there at night the past couple of trips, that is the only way I want to do it. It is awesome! Hope to see you there sometime also.

I mainly fish the long hole area above the kiddie pool before it curves to the dam. There is some good fishing below the next rock falls past the island if you will go on down to where it breaks open into the wide deeper water. I have started fishing this area lately and it is pretty good, too. Good luck.

My family and I just returned yesterday from our trip to Branson. We got to stay up there several days this time (July 3 - July 9). I didn't fish any during the day, but was able to fish 4 nights out of the trip. Had a blast and caught a lot of fish! My best night was Sunday night with 40 fish from 11:00pm to 3:00am. I would have stayed longer, but my wife wouldn't have been too happy about that! They kicked the water on somewhere around 12:30am and I was afraid my night was ruined, but I ended up catching more with the water on than off. I only spinfished this trip with marabou jigs (black and olive was what I did best on). Speaking of which, I had a rather comical thing happen the first night I was down there (July 3). I was fishing just above outlet one near the cable and there were two gentlemen fishing between me and outlet one. One of them was doing pretty good and I heard his buddy ask him what he was using. He told him " you know what I'm using". His buddy then went over and consulted with him very quietly. I guess he was afraid I would overhear what he considered a "secret lure". I guess his "secret lure" played out quick though, because it wasn't long after that, that they moved on down the river. It was all fine with me though, because I was catching my share of fish also, but I just found it comical. I couldn't tell you the number of times over the years that I have given lures away to people when I was catching fish and they were having a hard time of it. I've just always figured there are enough fish out there for all of us! I guess some don't see it that way, though. Caught a lot of nice fish this time also. The best was 3 lbs., but caught a lot of 2-2.5 lbrs. One night when I was bringing a fish in, I actually had a 4-5 lbr. swim straight up to me and run straight into my leg for some reason. Several of the fish caught this time were browns. Had a great trip and hope to do it again soon. Good luck to all.

Got to go down Saturday from daylight to about 11:00 am with a buddy of mine who had never been before. I ended up catching 10 trout spinfishing with marabou jigs. He caught a couple doing the same. Nothing of any real size. There doesn't seem to be very many fish in there compared to a couple months ago. Makes me wonder just how much they really stock it during the summer? All in all had a good time though! Seen what had to be a really nice striper boil a couple times early in the morning.

Nice fish! I bet that kayaking is a fun way to do it. I've never fished that way before.

Hope noone thinks I was trying to hijack this post. I might should have presented my question in the drift fishing topic. Didn't think about it until it was too late after I had responded to the other one along with my questions. Sorry.

Sounds like you did good! Congratulations on those 7lbers! I hope to get down there this Saturday for some trout. Then next week, I'm off to Upper Taneycomo for some more trout fishing. Good luck.

Glad to hear it! My family and I are coming up the Tuesday night prior to the 4th thru the following Monday. I hope to get in several nights of fishing along with several days too. Was up Memorial day weekend and had a blast on my first times to night fish. Were you fly fishing or spin fishing? Also have a question for you guys. My wife and girls don't care much for fishing, but I would sure like to get them out at least one day. Thinking about renting a boat to do some drifting maybe. Would this be the best way to get them on fish? I have never fished Taney from a boat before, so it would be new for me there. Would it matter much whether there was generation or not? Was thinking of seeing if Lilley had one of his cheaper boats available. Thanks.

Man, you guys are sure making me jealous! I would sure like to go tomorrow too, but the job rules tomorrow. Oh well, it's overtime. Maybe next Saturday.

I spoke with a worker in the fly fishing dept. at Bass Pro a few weeks ago and he was telling me about catching some really nice stripers (12 lb) somewhere down around the area you are going FlyfishingOK. He was using a fly rod and big streamers right around daylight. I'm pretty much a trout fisherman and like to use a spinning rod, but do fly fish some. I go over to Beaver Lake to striper fish once in awhile. I have resorted lately to only using a guide, because I haven't been able to figure those stripers over there out on my own. The stripers I have caught on the Lower Illinois were just by chance while trout fishing. Good luck.

Just curious, does anyone know approximately how many trout they normally stock at a time in each area? I always turn all my fish loose too. Let them go, so they can grow!

I went down last Friday morning about 4:30am to try it before daylight. Only fished for an hour or so, because the rain ran me out and then had to be at work at 8:00. I caught one trout, had a few more on, two striper (2.5 lb and a smaller one), and one sandbass. Fishing was really slow for the trout. That was the first time I had tried it down there before daylight, though. Good luck this weekend!