D.T.

Was using 4lb with a 2lb tippet. Not a big brown set up!

Spent the week at Lilleys. Fished 3 days this week from a boat. One day was a pontoon mainly relaxing on the water. Fished Monday in the trophy area after the water kicked on. Used mainly brown or olive jigs with orange head. Picked up several fish each drift from the cable to the end of trophy run. Most of the fish came between the cable and the boat ramp. Did hook a very nice brown that i had on for close to 5 min. Couldn't get him off the bottom at first. Finally moved him and got with in 10 feet of the boat a couple times just enough to see color but i couldnt make out size very well. It finally went under the boat and that was it. Just an FYI there is a log that you cant see when they are running 3 to 4 units above lookout island and below trophy run. We didnt see it until we drifted up on it about mid boat. Water was strong enough to keep us pinned against it. The motor wouldnt back us off of it. Finaly was able to spin the boat around with the trolling motor and slid off of it. Was a scarey few moments. Came out ok with no one in the water and no boat damage. We spent several hours up top in the trophy area and picked up about 30 fish. Went down to the mouth of turkey creek and below the fish house. These are usually our go to spots in high water. Only picked up a couple at the creek and none below the fish house all week. Wendesday was a pontoon day but picked up a couple fish here and there on sculpin and ginger with brown heads. Friday all day on the water. Hit it about 6:00 am. Fished pink power worms for about 3 hours and picked up close to 40. After 9:00 they were done. Fished around a few spots with jigs and didnt pick up anything. Once the water came on we hit the upper end again between the cable and the ramp. At least a fish a drift through there and some times 2 or 3. Not quite as hot as Monday. Fished mainly sculpin ginger with orange head. Orange heads seemed to be the biggest hit this week. Finished the last couple hours of the day (5:30-7:30) just drifting from Cooper Creek to the first bridge. Picked up about 10, all good sized. Not a bad week. I have had a few days better but a whole lot worse. Great way to spend a vacation.

We were on the lower end yesterday above Rockway somewhere tied to a tree on the bluff eating lunch. We had about 2 feet of water under us before it dropped away. A small, probably 8" rainbow was jumping out of the water multiple times coming toward the boat then it hit one of the pontoons. A couple minutes later it was swimming sideways with several fish of the same size hitting it. Then out of nowhere a largemouth, probably only 2lbs swam up and swallowed half of it head first with the rest hanging out of its mouth. Not sure he was going to get the whole thing down but it swam off with the prize. First seeing something like that for anyone on the boat.

Duane on one cast said they are dropping it tomorrow to remove the cars. He said it will possibly be the lowest most people have seen. They will run just enough to keep the gravel bars wet. It was down today but he said it will be more tomorrow. We went up to fall creek today and it is a big hazard just under the water. Seen someone trees just under the surface in the middle down from fall creek. One is marked the rest arent.

Wow, water off this morning, wish I was there. Haven't wade fished the upper end in about 3 years because of generation when I'm there. We will be there next week, hope to get a little wading in but not holding my breath! Anyone out there show some pics if things have changed.

You could use bismuth (lead free) which I understand is much lighter or less dense than lead. Several places on line to order or pick some lead free sinkers etc from Walmart to try out. I read that the melting point is higher but not sure by how much. The results should be that a bismuth jig the same physical size as a lead jig would fall slower.

I can get to the projected Gen chart by clicking on the link however, there should be several graphs when you open that topic that show current and historical lake levels, generation, oxygen etc. If others can see it it must be something on my end.

I don't see the charts in the generation chart area. Is it my device or is something wrong with the site? I see this happening every once in a while.

Jattrout, I work for a utility too, I sent you a PM

Table Rock is almost 1.5' below power pool with cool temps and still running water. As power companies continue to move away from coal etc. and look to more "green" energy sources do you see this pattern of generation continuing?

I agree the changes. We had a boat out 3 days last year and killed them every day in lot more areas than what we found this year. I also agree that it seems like they are in schools which I hadnt thought of until reading this post. Although our single day total wasn't the best we have had (close) it was probably the best we have had at each individual spot. It was fish after fish in those areas that were hot.

Saw them Early Friday on the lake. They pulled 2 kyakers over and tied up to their boat. They drifted down with them and had them detained (for lack of a better word) for probably 15-20 minute's at least. It didn't look friendly but it was hard to tell. Fog was heavy and the kyakers were on the bluff side less than 15 foot off the bank when the patrol stopped them. My guess it was the light issue as Big K mentioned. We had 2 yaks with us and I'm glad the boys were never stopped. I always tell them to stay close to shore but we don't have any lights. Sounds like we need to invest in a couple of the battery operated models.

Sorry about the triple post. I was a little impatient on the submit button I guess. Not sure how to delete the duplicates.

Fishing was slow through most of the week with just 3 to 5 fish a day for our group. Had a boat out Monday and fished all the hot spots we normally do with not much success which is not typical. Then fished off the dock through Thursday at Lilleys. Fished mainly jigs and Trout Magnets. Jigs in white, pink or pink and white. The Magnets in light pink and pink. These were the only colors that produced those days. We are typically catch and release but at the end of the week the boys usually want to take a days limit home. Luckily for them today our last day here produced. Took a boat again today and was on the water at 7:30. Started below fall creek marnIna with a variety of marabou colors. The first fish came on a purple with purple head. Tried this color because I do well with some purple flies in the trophy area wading when it's early, overcast or foggy. I thought I was on to something since it came on the second cast. Fished it for another 10 to 15 min or so with no more hits. Switched to a peach and sculpin with an orange head and one of the boys tied on a burnt orange and brown with a brown head and one with an orange head. Started catching on these immediately. Drifted down to a slow shallow area aross from Trout Hollow. This is a long stretch of water that is still, slow or even has an up stream flow to it. Lots of downed timber through this area but there were a lot of fish in there. We had many strikes, follows and catches in this area. Spent several hours drifting this multiple times. Some of the strikes were short so we pinched off some of the marabou which helped increase the hook up. When this area slowed we headed down to the mouth of Turkey creek. If you haven't fished this area there is a nice seam where the current from the creek and the lake meet. There is often a color difference between the two waters. We had fish on constantly when casting into the creek and jigging out into the lake. There were a couple on the bank fishing what appeared to be some type of gold spoons doing good as well. We hit this area several times drifting down to the bridge and were hooked up constantly. Moved down to below White River Fish House and we're constantly hooked up there as well. We fish this from the restaurant almost down to the fountains. The thing we learned today is to let the jig sink to the bottom and when we thought we were on the bottom let it sink another 1 or 2 seconds. When I said something to my son in-law about it he said oh yea, I read about that in a article Phil had written. I have read all of those articles before and didn't remember that piece. When your only fishing down here once a year it probably would be smart to read his stuff again as a refresher! Typically the fish came in that last little drop. In fact cought several with the jig hanging straight down beside the boat and barely jiged it a few inches and the fish would bump it and then bam fish on. The keys for us today were 2lb to 4lb line with 4 to 6 foot of 2lb fluorocarbon leader/tippet (this is our typical set up). Short lifts when jigging so to keep it toward the bottom. Let the jig hit the bottom or as close to the bottom as possible. I always keep the jig close to the bottom but overexaggerated it today and it really payed off. All jigs were darker colors of ginger olive, peach sculpin, brown orange and sculpin ginger each with ether brown, orange or green heads. Not much difference between colors all were catching fish. Most of the fish came before 5:00 pm with a big slow down after 5:00. Lost count of fish caught, not the best single day we have had but would put it in the top 3. Lost several jigs but caught lots of fish. Dave

There are 2 islands created during heavier generation down from the boat ramp. One starts just a couple hundred yards down from the ramp on the same side. It goes quite a ways down. Then at the end and across on the other side is another one. It's below the look out area. I have also set in the slack water from a boat and done well on that side. The only problem is the current is strong between the two and you may drift down pretty far before you get across. The island closest to the ramp has quite a long stretch on the back side when the water comes up. It's good fishing on the back side but there are a lot of trees in the water on the upper end of it and it appears the current is strong as it starts on the back side but slows down by the time it comes out the other end. I had the best luck at the lower end on the back side out of the current casting into the current using midges on the fly rod and jigs on the spin rod. Remember this area has a slot limit and typically catch and release because most of the fish are in that slot 12-20". Still a lot of fun catching 14-16" trout!

Amery, there was a post recently about services that would pick you up and shuttle you back to your put in spot. It sounds like not many options. A couple of things to consider. Put in and float to a couple of points, leave your device and call a cab to take you back to your vehicle. There are several resorts close to the water where you could pull out. There is a community boat ramp above trout hollow that lets the public use for a very small fee. No one watching here so your float would be on its own while your gone. Trout Hollow, Lilleys Landing and Scotty's trout dock all have places to dock at and may with permission let you leave your float while you go get your vehicle. The other option is when water is running 2 units or more there is an island created just down from the public boat ramp by the dam. There is a lot of slack still water created around this area where you can float in and cast out to the edge of the current. I did this from a boat last week and did well. You would be floating in grass, weeds and small brush in some of the spots but its not bad. You could then row back up to the ramp and take out. We stay at Lilleys every summer and bring a kyak. My kids take it out even with 4 units running and row against the current. They either row up and drift back or drift down and row back. My daughters do this but always upstream and drift back when tired. My son has drifted (several times) to the landing with 4 units and rowed back. That is 3 to 4 miles. Now he is a big 17 year old and has lots of energy but it can be done. He said it's a work out but if he stays close to the bank its easier. Just a couple of thoughts for you.

I was wondering what it looked like in low or water off conditions. With highwater you could tell something was there but didn't know how bad. That is a boat wrecker for sure for those who may not know better and get to close.

We have been out on the water 2 days this week. Monday was slow off and on most of the day then about 2 hours before dark we did very well. Was out today from about 1:00 to dark and caught fish steady all afternoon. More than 40 today between 3 of us most were released. We also caught 2 in the last 2 days that were 22"-24". Both released to be caught again. Most were caught on black 1/8 oz jigs. Caught them at current breaks, seams and in still or calmer water. The best area was from the start of the boat docks below Fall creak to the bend just above Lilleys. The key was to get the jig down as deep as possible without getting snagged up. Lost 6-8 jigs but getting them deep was what kept us catching.

We were out on a boat all day Monday and fished from top (boat ramp) to bottom (power site) and saw one spot where there were people wading. This was along Pointe Royale and there were several guys fishing. I use to fish this area several years ago when they were runing water and did very well. There is always security at the entrance to Pointe Royal. I would tell them that I wanted to fish and was let in. Then after a couple of years was never let in again after several attempts. I either looked to risky or they quit letting non members in. If you have access or know someone this is a good area. I have also fished along the boat ramp by the dam using midges and usually do well for about the first hour then its over. Not sure why except maybe fished out those that are biting and holding in that area. There is no wading but its an area that you can fly fish from the bank. You need to use enough weight to get the midge down quick in this area because of the speed of the current.

Is the lake level at 0 generation lower now with the new dam installed on the lower end? When I called the generation line it was 701.8. I thought the previous normal level was 702.1. But the pre 2008 level was some where around 701.7 I thought. Is this a noticeable difference anywhere on the lake? how does the lake look around the boulders after a month of generation. Has it made a difference in fishing/catching?

Thanks guys I wasnt sure. Since they have have happened within a months time of each other (turn over and shad kill) I guess I just thought for some reason they were related. Dave

Does Table Rock turning over cause a shad kill on the big lake and consequently dumping them into Taney? If so why? Why not other species of fish on Table Rock? I thought in the past that it was said that these two occurences were linked together. Sorry I know I asked this earlier but I did not see a reply. Thanks, Dave

In the past I believe there was discussion of shad kill when the lake turns over. Am I getting things confused, if not then why does the turn over cause a shad kill? Why not other fish? and obviously a large population of shad survive so how is that possible? This may have been addressed in the past but I don't remember reading about it. Thanks guys in advance for the biology lesson. Dave

I agree with Wayne. I would however call ahead for reservations. At times it will fill up on weekends. Dave

Snagged, we are at lilleys this week too. Send me a private message and maybe we can figure something out with all this water running.