Phil Lilley

Anyone know about Bass Lake in California? A friend is fishing there this week.

(To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Shin Fukae’s masterful contributions to the art of Midwest finesse fishing, we are publishing a draft of the story that was originally published in “In-Fisherman” magazine. This draft contains more words than the published one. We made a few spelling and grammatical corrections to our original draft. But other than those minor changes, this is our original description of how and where Fukae fished 10 years ago, and since then, his insights and methods have helped us become better finesse anglers.) http://www.in-fisherman.com/bass/a-midwest-finesse-tribute-to-shin-fukae/

Man what a day to be fishing. And Taneycomo wasn't as crowded as the past month of Saturdays! Our first CAM Benefit tournament was a success with 12 anglers competing for 7 prizes. White was Right! The trophy area was on fire today for most anglers. White jigs and white shad flies. Duane Doty talked his fam to head over and compete, really with each other, in today's contest and he ended up winning it all with 43 trout measuring 527.5 inches. That's an average of 12.27 inches. JD Dudley and his son Drew drove up from Fayetteville to spend a day on the water together and JD took 2nd place with 28 trout measuring 387.5 inches. Average - 13.84 inches. His last fish was a fat 20-inch rainbow he said would have weighed well over 4 pounds. It was the unofficial biggest fish caught. Tom Johnson and Chuck Puckett are locals. Tom works out at SDC but doesn't have to report to work will May this year so he's got plenty of time for fishing... right? This was the first time either Chuck or Tom wetted a line in over a year but it didn't show. Tom took 3rd place with 23 trout measuring 313.5 inches. Average - 13.63 inches. To round off the top 4, Jen Doty, Duane's sister, fished with Duane and I guess some of DD's expertise rubbed off. She boated 21 trout measuring 271.5 inches, just barely beating out her brother, Dave, by... wait... by 69 inches? She killed him! Her fish averaged 12.93 inches. DD won $150 for first, JD won $125 for second and TJ won $100 for third. Bass Pro gift cards were given. Chuck Puckett won $100 for having the most 14 inch trout. David Doty won $100 for having the most 11 inch trout and Bryan Cole won $100 for having a 19.5 inch trout. Measurements were selected randomly before 4 pm to determine the winners.

Get the Find MO Fish app and find the planted brush piles.

Send me a PM with you name and address and I'll mail you some. If you have friends who would post them on stuff, tell me how many you want.

Thanks, guys!!!

Good first post...

Oh I'll make him climb the tree!

We have an eagle's nest up on Taney- thought about putting a camera up there in the fall when they're not around. But that's as far as I've gotten...

Gptta say, had trouble shooting this video this morning. I'm ditching my Garmin Virbs for GoPros. These Garmin camera lock up all the time and you don't know it because the red light keep blinking like there's nothing wrong. I've bought 2 generations and they both do the same thing. Even though my son in law works for Garmin... I have to advise -- don't buy these camera!

Come join us this Saturday, March 26, for a day of fishing for a good cause. CAM Benefit Trout Tournament. $25 per person. Prizes for top 3 finishers PLUS 3- $100 cash prizes for the most trout caught at 3 different lengths (to be announced after the contest is over). For example, the most 13.5 inch trout caught will win $100. Come and enjoy fishing, good food and fellowship and help a good cause!

You're talking about Bull Creek? There's an access at highway 160 that's easy to put in at. One at Bull Creek Township behind the gas station on highway F. Then there's Rockaway.

That's what one of our guides said today after a day fishing up below the dam. And he's guided here for a number of years! Guide Phil Stone. His text says they caught 40-50 rainbows this size. Guide Steve Dickey from yesterday.

Over the gates, not through the turbines. But Babler told me they've seen dead/dying shad on TR. Gates are now shut.

Bill Babler has been the prime moderator for this forum since the beginning, now in our 11th year. And I've given him authority to do just about everything he wants to as far as governing what's posted and what's not. We differ at times but we always work it out. I would have to say that we should not create an environment here such that the poster, especially new members, needs to check the check list before posting opinions and/or images before posting. But use common sense. History tells us DON'T post pics of you cleaning bass or bass on a stringer... not on this forum. Mr. Babler and 99% of the members here will blow a gasket. Agree or disagree, that's the way it is. Yes, you have the right to do so but I would suggest discretion. You also have the right to speak your mind as to catch/release but, again, I would suggest discretion. Just because you have the right to say it doesn't mean you have to. And then there's Bill's statement about taking pics of fish in their natural setting. I have to respectfully disagree, at least of the assumption he's referring to the pictures of fish taken on a boat ramp. If this is the new standard, then all the fish pics taken at tournament weigh-in's are not worthy of OAF. Stringer - I wouldn't suggest it. Taken in driveway at home - better preface it by stating you're taking them back to the lake as soon as you show the wife (especially a smallie or pregnant spot). This all started with an assumption -- which could have been avoided if a question was asked instead of an assumed statement. "Were they released?" The answer would have been "yes" and the world would have kept spinning without being jolted off its axis. (I jest). And lastly, THANKS FOR JOINING AND POSTING THIS WONDERFUL REPORT AND GREAT PICTURES!!! Hope we see more very soon!!

I heard that question... when are they going to shut the gates? Table Rock crested last night at 8 p.m. 916.73 feet. It has dropped to 916.52 feet. I honestly don't know if the Corps will run the water at this rate till TR is down to 915 feet... I wouldn't think so. With the only flow into the lake coming from the James Arm - and a little from Beaver - I'd think TR would start to drop faster as the hours tick on. May be - MAY BE - by Saturday the Corps will slow the flow by shutting the gates. But I think they would slow the flow down to 1-2 units until it does get down to power pool - 915. PA - rain is in the forecast for next week.

I do sympathize with the angler who picks a day or three to come and fish Taney and gets 5 gates as a greeting. If there's a boat involved, it wouldn't be so bad... but then to get a rush of millions of morsel of meat to flood the fishery filling the bellies of fish so that they won't even look at another helping--that's another strike against you. Today is one of those days you'd hear, "You should have been here yesterday." The first run of shad was awesome fishing. After that, not so much. Then to be here 1-4 days after the gates are shut--back to awesome. And that awesomeness should continue for quite some time.

It would be wonderful if the Corps would open the gates one day every two weeks, January through June, just to give our trout a dose of threadfins! That would be sweet!!

Early this morning, it was hot catching from the dam to Fall Creek - and down. But as the flow of shad picked up, the catching slowed to a crawl. Paul (my bro in law and dock hand) said that at one time the water was "white" behind the dock with floating threadfins. There's floating shad as far down as Rockaway, it's been reported.

It's plenty deep all the way to the dam. No issues at all. Up 8 feet so you can't hit bottom if you wanted to... I know some people get freaked out when they open gates but I think it's the best time to fish because of the shad. Those 3 guys fishing up there yesterday afternoon/evening were giddy catching all those big trout. If I didn't have so much to do here at the resort, I'd be up there all day. I have to quit creating so much work and have a relaxing spring season... just once!!

Boated to the dam late this evening. Made one drift to Lookout. We caught 9 rainbows. White 3/32 oz jig. Lots of shad in the water.

You got that right. Going this evening. We'll see what's interested.

Springfield got 5.5 inches of rain in one hour a couple of days ago and we're getting all that run off (James River). Table Rock is jumping up so that's why they need to release.