Phil Lilley

Years ago we were fishing Sinko's on the west side of the lake across from Lakeshore - for bass - and catching a few. Caught a 22 inch brown... it ate the worm so deep it bled out- nothing we could have done. It happens. It's so far down there for me and I have to pick and choose my times out. Then there's the FOG! Mid day trips usually don't produce unless it's cloudy, windy or both.

Thanks for that! I would like to go down and fish that water Roark down but wouldn't have a clue where to start.

We've had a pretty wild summer! Flood gates, warm, fast water and lots of great fishing -- IF you can get out in a boat and drift. That's the only problem with a tailwater fishery... you're at the mercy of generation and rain runoff. Our generators are fixed. All four units are online and the Corp is making good use of them. All 4 units will run until Table Rock's level drops to around 917 feet which right now they have about a one and three-quarters to go. But I think we'll see a backing off of the flow here in the next day or two, before it hits that magic mark. Water temperature is a chilly 45 degrees and the clarity is very good, almost too good. But with this much water running, clarity isn't a problem. If they slow it down or stop the water, then you might think about going to 2-pound line, especially if the trout get fussy on you. Night crawlers is king! We went through more than a hundred dozen worms in 5 days this past week. Out trout are liking them, drifting them on the bottom from our place (Lilleys' Landing) downstream to the bridges. Stay in the middle of the lake!!!! You will not get snagged as much if you do. If you're throwing jigs, throw 1/8th ounce and work the INSIDE banks where the water is slower. You can work the bluff or outside banks but it's tougher fishing. Throw in the slack pockets and let the jig drop deep as you can. I've been throwing dark colors while trying white and ginger and not having much luck. Sculpin by itself or a mix of sculpin and ginger or peach is working. Brown or orange head. Since back from my trip to visit my son and his wife in Boston, I've fished the bank across from the mouth of Fall Creek a couple of times and had great success! Here's a video, hopefully showing where and how I approach this stretch. I did boat to the dam with a long-time resort guest, Brian Workman from the KC area, and he hooked and landing a real nice rainbow on a sculpin/orange jig. We worked on down to Fall Creek and caught a few but didn't do as well as we've been doing. Then we hit the bank across from Fall Creek and that's where we starting catching fish consistently. Note: The top pictures were supplied by Captain Steve Dickey, one of our fishing guides.

Way too warm in the creeks for trout...

They may be backing off generation on Taney by then so may be wading below the dam.

Bull Creek near F Highway (Bull Creek Village). Walk in. Roark Creek up by the Hollister treatment plant (Google Earth).

It's a game of streaks... they're on a long one. It doesn't seem like the teams they play have good days... Come out flat. They're playing good and having fun -- feeding off each other -- even the news one who come up to replace the injured. I wonder if the difference is the clubhouse... the positive atmosphere, working together as a team. Doesn't seem to have any primadonnas on the team. Even as big as Pujols was when he was there, he was a leader, positive role model. I think Matheny has a lot to do with it too. That and the veterans.

If we don't get a measurable amount of rain, they'll be cutting back by then.

Welcome!

Come on guys ... just posted about not using bad language on this forum. Keep it clean.

Yes evening bite is much better than daytime bite but still not as good as early morning. I've done well in the evenings - that's about the only time I go out. But now that the gates are closed and water temperature back to being 45, the fog will play into traveling the lake later in the day - mornings too for that matter. Daytime bite is very tough, especially on bright sunny days.

Just make it a blue gill tournament!!

May try that some time.

I have several packages on my desk. Thanks

I love every one of ya... and that's why I can't let this go any further. Face to face is the way to share faith, philosophy, not on forums. Not on Facebook. It's too impersonal. If you have something you want to share, post it on a blog and post a link. It's not that some good will come from this... it's that I believe more harm will and I don't want that. Pursue personal conversations if you feel led... Thanks

Now that the rain is over and we see the downstream stages cresting and falling the following forecast is being made. Looking out to the first week of July: Beaver will hold near 1129' with release rates of firm power (90% flood storage in use). As the inflow recedes below firm power daily volumes, the firm power releases will start the pool on a slow fall. Table Rock crested just under 923 feet and is starting to fall (39% flood storage in use). The total release is 10,000 CFS from the turbines and 11,600 from the spillway for a total of approximately 21,600 CFS. This will continue until the lake falls back to 920' which will happen about the 28th or 29th of this month. The release will be reduced to approximately 15,000 CFS at that point and will continue until either the lake falls to about 917' or the remaining flood control storage is equal to that which remains in Bull Shoals Lake. The flood control storage pool in Table Rock at a pool of 919' roughly equals the remaining storage in Bull Shoals at 687'. Bull Shoals is at 681.5' this morning (55% flood storage in use) and will continue a rise of .7 to .8 feet per day as the Table Rock release holds at 21,600 CFS. When the Table Rock release falls back to 15,000 CFS, the rate of rise at Bull Shoals should be about .4 to .5 feet per day. The big factor that can either make or break the Bull Shoals forecast is the recession time for the Newport stage. Newport is at 15.5 feet this morning (12 feet is the regulation stage) and is starting to fall. The sooner the tributary inflow recedes, the sooner we can increase the Bull Shoals releases. As best I can tell, we will start a minor increase in daily releases before the end of the week. But, we will not be up to the Table Rock contributions before we have to start balancing the storage remaining. I believe we will see a balancing act about 2 July of 919' Table Rock and 688' Bull Shoals. At that point, the Table Rock releases will be trimmed to match the rate of recapture of flood control storage at Bull Shoals. 4 July pool forecast: Beaver 1128.5' Table Rock 919' Bull Shoals 688' Norfork 565' Greers Ferry 470'

Pics taken recently below Norfork Dam.

Was out last evening trying a couple of things. Didn't get out earlier enough to all I wanted to. Here's a video showing what I did. Featured is how I rig when drifting flies, namely scuds. Fishing was slow. The guides reported is was slow in the morning too. On Sunday, 7 pm.. the 2 turbines that were down were repaired and brought online. BUT they're only showing 156 megawatts and 9942 cfs of water through the turbines. That's 3 units worth of water. Four units would be 220 megawatts. Steve Dicky said he was up at the dam at that time - they dropped the water about 18 inches, then blew 3 horns and the water came back up- but it came back up higher. The Corp shows the level was about 713.0 feet and now it is 713.8 feet. It's been interesting seeing how the trout react to the flows - now compared to the flow a couple of weeks ago. They don't seem to like this flow as much as before- not as many scuds and definitely not as many midges. Last high water series, the midges were thicker than thick, especially in the evenings. Not as much now. The drift/scud/bite isn't as good, especially from Fall Creek down lake. We're catching fish but not like before. Normally we see a ton of threadfin shad come over the top and the trout are biting white but not as aggressive as they should be. I'm only talking about the last couple of days, and we have seen the trout do into a funk and not bite for whatever reason. One thing is for sure - the big fish are still out there and we have all summer to figure them out. The early morning bite has by far been the best. From 6 - 8:30 a.m., the guides reported catch 5-6 fish on every drift from the cable down to Trophy Run, the same drifting from Lookout past the Narrows. But they're switching flies pretty often: eggs fly, scud, San juan worm, small stick bait, white wooly bugger. When they slow down on one, it's time to switch. There are some fish in the Branson Landing area and they can be caught drifting Gulp Eggs and worms. Get it to the bottom! Use a 3/8 ounce bell weight or bigger. Seek out a calm stretch--if it's windy where you're drifting and you're getting blown up and down and sideways, move to an area where the wind isn't blowing. There's an area below Branson about 3 miles called the Gold Mine. From there down to the mouth of Bull Creek has been good too. The state has been stocking rainbows down lake lately.

It's just to people who are directly involved in this situation - press, businesses, city and county government.

A revised Table Rock Lake Crest prediction: 925.0 on Monday, June 22. Releases from Table Rock dam will not change and remain at 20K cfs

It's with great sadness that I report that Jim Breidenstein, aka Sac River Jim here on OAF, died in a car accident last night. He was 54 years old. Jim was one of the most unselfish members on this forum and that reflected his life. He was always trying to keep everyone informed when the best fishing was on Stockton, and how to catch 'em. I knew him best from his visits with his mom before she passed. He brought her down to Branson as a treat, and stayed with us here at the resort. Jim loved Jesus. That's the reason for his unselfish kindness, he would say. And although his life ended in such a horrific accident, dead is nothing but a step in to the presence of God. It hurts us here but I assure you, Jim isn't feeling any pain. He's experiencing joy unspeakable.

TR is supposed to crest Saturday afternoon at 923 feet.

Babler does it... but I've tried it several times and I can't catch a fish on it. Tried it yesterday