Phil Lilley

Woke up early this am... earlier than I wanted to. You know - getting up to go in the middle of the night (3:30 am) and could not go back to sleep. So I started my trip to BS Dam alittle early. Good thing. On the road before 5 am. Making good time with jon boat in tow. Hadn't had this particular trailer on the highway in quite some time. I felt great about it - the trailer lights all worked! Three miles north of Harrison WalMart, I felt the tire go. It didn't start together very long. Had to ride it to a lit corner road and pulled in. The trailer had a spare but wasn't sure if the Dodge Truck jack lug wrench would fit the lugs. It did. The jack worked perfectly too. Thought, man this is only going to cost me 30 minutes. Then I saw the the fender was completely bend under, after I put the tire on. Took it back off and tried to bend it back. It's not a cheap, flimsy trailer fender but I got it back close. I got ahold of my sister Lisa who was just about to leave her house in Harrison for work (the resort) and she met me at WalMart with some channel locks. I bent the fender and gave the tire plenty of room. It lasted a total of 4 miles. It blew- I pulled into Shoney's. I took it off and headed to WalMart. The tire store opened at 7 am. I was their first customer but they didn't carry any 13 inch tires. Headed to Tire World - they open at 8 am. So I sat. Bought 2 new tires, back to Shoney's and a tow truck was taking my boat away. Man! Back on the road... I almost turned back home but thought, what the heck... I'm going fishing!! The tow truck thing... just kidding. Got to the dam at 10 am. Jeremy said the ramp below the dam on the State Park side was clear but I could see driving over the dam it was snow covered. I drove to the State Park Dock and put in at the ramp there. The water was up to the top of the ramp - lots of water. Headed up - all the way to the dam. Started with white 1/8th oz jig on one rod and a 1/8th oz sculpin/ginger on the other. Crimped down the barbs as best I could but still was pulling fibers out of my sweatshirt. Could not get it all. If I was checked... well I wasn't thankfully. The only way I could have been legal is if I had taken a file. Mental note: Take a file next time. I haven't fished the White out of a boat that much. Jerry Dudley taught me to fish the Golf Course side at the line- the backwater there. I started there and caught a half dozen rainbows there- no real size but they were really hitting. Drifted out of there and kept catching rainbows. Good first drift... but it ended up being the best one. Did catch the largest trout of the day on that drift - a 18-19 inch brown. Was going to take a pic but he was hard to handle with one hand the the hook fell out before I got the pic... darn barbless hooks!! I worked both side and the middle. White seemed to be the best color but I did well on the sculpin/ginger too. Had fun on the big shallow shoal just above the lower line (trophy area) on the Park side throwing the white jig and standing high on the deck of the boat and watching the jig disappear in the fish's mouth. Didn't have to feel the bite- disappear -- set the hook. They dropped the water most of the time I was fishing up there. All in all they dropped in a good 5-6 feet. Very gradually. Pulled out at 1:30 pm. Headed to Norfork Dam. Thought for sure they'd be running water and the ramp would be clear. No on both counts. No generation and the ramp had snow on it although I probably could have gotten the boat in. No waders and I didn't want to fly fish. Headed to Rim Shoals. I knew about the time I got there the water would start to drop out, like it did at the dam. I was right. I fished the same color jigs and caught alot of rainbows and 2 small browns. Nothing big. First pic was the largest rainbow - about 16 inches - but I took the pics because of the colors of these rainbows- very beautiful. Met Gary Flippin. He was baling boats out. I've never met him although I've been by his place a couple of times. Nice visit. I fished both sides of the river from the upper trophy line to the top of the shoal. The inside bank produced trout but not like the outside (dock side). So now I'm running on fumes. I'm going to bed and tomorrow I'm fishing Taney for at least an hour or two and see if I can catch bigger rainbows than I did on the White. I honestly thought I'd see more big browns, being opening day. May be next time.

What started out as a yucky day, ended a real nice, sunny winter day here on Taney. And the fishing was great. Nice rainbows weighed in. Eleven teams, the smallest number by far in the history of trout tournaments, at least out of our place. Water ran all day - about 3 units. Talking to some of the guy who fish today, this contest was fished in a very unique way. There were trout caught from Fall Creek all the way to Powersite and all points inbetween. I know people who caught - and weighed in - rainbows caught at Powersite and just below Fall Creek, caught around the Landing, Kanakuk's Camp off Lakeshore Dr., down close to Bee Creek, Bull Creek, Cedar Point and further down. Heard of one nice rainbow caught close to Short Creek but the rest of the nicer rainbows were all caught down lake, from the Landing down. Most were caught on jigs but some were caught throwing or trolling rogues and casting spoons. Lots of dark males weighed in. If someone caught one, there were usually more in that school and they caught more than one. Big trout was a 1.94 rainbow caught by one of the Hawkins brothers... sorry I didn't get which one it was. I'll find out and post his first name. Had another rainbow at 1.92 - pretty close! First place - Byron Wheeler/Josh Wheeler - 9.38 Second - Shawn Pingleton/Vince Elfrink - 9.26 Third - Jason Lutz/Mike Fitzhenry - 9.12 Forth - Wil Long/Chad Estes - 8.94 8.72, 8.70, 8.64, 8.20, 6.68, 6.60 were the other weights. Big rainbows - 1.94, 1.90. 1.80, 1.48, 1.40, 1.34, 1.24 ... these were "big fish" from each bag. These are some of the best bags we've seen in years, but again, they're finding these trout in completely different areas than in past years. It spreads the field, so to speak. Good fishing!! Great fellowship!!!!! Great bunch of guys, we're honored.

Break it off!!!! BREAK IT OFF!!!!!!!

A bear would have been the bomb... right behind the angler.

No video... just audio.

Some have asked about recording these programs. I can post podcast (audio) of each but not video. Video would cost me, to start, $55 per month, hosting fees.

http://ozarkanglers.com/podcast/babler3-5-09.mp3

Or - found this online http://www.online-image-editor.com

Email it to me and I'll send it back smaller. lilley@ lilleyslanding.com

BRANSON, Mo. -- Every once in awhile, something comes up from the depths of Missouri's waterways that drops the jaws of experts and novices alike. Such a fish surfaced at Lake Taneycomo on Sept. 10, 1997. Mike Adams knew the brown trout was unique as soon as he saw its 3.5-foot carcass floating about 70 feet from the bank just upstream from Lilley's Landing Resort and Marina. The fish had been dead at least 24 hours before Adams, the dock manager at Lilley's Landing, fetched the fish out of the water. Signs showed it may have been in poor health before that. "This was a very old trout, and it's possible that its condition was going downhill even before it died," said Mike Kruse, a fisheries research biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Even in its "downhill" condition, the measurements of the fish provided to the Department by resort owner Phil Lilley showed this behemoth brownie was a one-of-a-kind fish " perhaps the only of its kind in the world. The carcass weighed 37.1 pounds, which would have shattered the current brown trout state record of 24.95 pounds. Its girth was an impressive 27 inches. But the most intriguing aspect of the fish was its length. The fish measured 41.75 inches, which easily surpassed the 40.25-inch length of the current world-record brown trout. Since this fish was longer, Kruse said there's a chance, in its healthier days, it also could have weighed more than the 40.25-pound brown trout recognized as the all-tackle world record by the International Game Fish Association. The dead trout's girth was close enough to the world-record girth of 28 1/8 inches to fuel speculation even further. Since the fish was found dead, it won't show up in any record books. No trophies. No certificates. From an angling statistical perspective, it's just a dead fish. It's much more than that to the Department's fisheries biologists, though. This giant provides encouragement to those who manage Taneycomo's trout . . . and anticipation to those who fish for them. "This fish shows that the lake has the capacity to produce world-record trout. I think that's important in regards to our efforts to restore the big fish-aspect to that fishery," said Chris Vitello, MDC southwest regional fisheries supervisor. Putting the size back in the lake's trout population has been one of the requests Taneycomo anglers have made to the Department of Conservation in recent years. It was one of the reasons for the regulation changes that went into effect on a portion of the lake March 1. Obviously, the big fish shows that brown trout are doing well at Taneycomo. However, Vitello said the fish's large size is a good sign for rainbows as well."We won't be finding 40-pound rainbows, but this shows that the conditions are there for growing big trout "both rainbows and browns," he said. Even before this month's giant surfaced, Kruse and Vitello suspected that big trout were lurking in Taneycomo. "Arkansas has been the producer of some of the biggest brown trout in the world, and Taneycomo is part of the same system," Kruse said. "Biologically, Taneycomo has better conditions for growing large trout than Arkansas. The impoundment has more deep-water refuge that can hide big fish. Also, a trout doesn't have to use as much energy in Lake Taneycomo. There are more low-velocity areas where a fish can lay around and get fat." Lilley agreed. "I think the lake has gotten a bad rap the past few years in terms of food base and growth of fish," he said. "I think the brown trout have shown, just from what we've seen, that the growth rate is there. You just have to give the trout a chance to grow. That's what this new regulation will show. And I think the rainbows will grow as fast as the browns." Although Adams was impressed by the big brown he pulled out of Taneycomo on Sept. 10, he wasn't surprised. He's fished the lake for 26 years, and he knew the big fish were there."I have fished up and down the lake and I've seen shadows and I've seen fish," he said. "We always had a feeling that these types of fish were here." -Francis Skalicky- Missouri Department of Conservation News

Did not do video on the program... I'll look into it but putting a 90 minute program video on the internet might be too much.

I posted a full schedule on the forum here- http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21048 We have to be out of the building at 9 sharp so we're starting at 7. We will record it and put it on a podcast.

Springfield Nature Center (south side of Springfield off James River Express and Glenstone) All programs to be held in the Auditorium starting at 7 pm Free, no charge. February 16 - Bill Babler, Stick Baits, Table Rock Bill has been a guide on Table Rock Lake for over 20 years. Stick Baits is one of his area of expertise. Some of the largest bass are caught early in the year on stick baits so knowing which ones to use and where and how to use them is very important. March 11 - Brian Wise, Fishing the North Fork of the White River Brian is the lead guide at River of Life Farms, located on the banks of the North Fork of the White. He has proven himself as one of the most knowledgeable anglers on this incredible piece of Ozark Waters. We offers drift boat-style trips and specializes in fly fishing for big rainbows and browns. March 16 - Mike Webb, Knowing Your Electronics Mike has been fishing his native Ozark lakes since childhood. He now shares his decades of experience as a bass-fishing guide and competitive angler with audiences thoughout the country on a wide range of topics. As the instructor/host of the DVD, "Electronics 101," he has established himself as a leading voice on the use of marine electronics. Mike has been a frequent contributor to the Bass Edge television show -- seen on the Outdoor Channel, The World Fishing Network and WildTV in Canada -- as host of the "First Cast" segment, geared at new anglers. He has also been a frequent guest on "The Edge," the official podcast of Bass Edge. April 8 - Al Agnew, Missouri Smallmouth Bass An avid angler and self-professed "river rat", Agnew is widely acknowledged as an authority on rivers, canoeing, fishing, and conservation in his native Ozarks, and is a sought after public speaker across the Midwest on these subjects as well as art. April 20 - TIm Homesley, Roaring River, Crane and Capps Creek Tim owns and operates a very nice fly shop near the entrance of Roaring River State Park. He fishes the park as well as Capps Creek and Crane Creek, his knowledge is second to none on all three of these trout waters. Sponsored by Branson Trout Unlimited and OzarkAnglers Promotional Give-a-Ways are welcomed - contact me. SPREAD THE WORD!!

Oh yea... the most important bit of news everyone is wondering about... WHAT'S FOR SUPPER???!?!! Chili with the trimmings (rice, spaghetti, corn chips, sour cream and of course cheese)

Had some calls about the weekend. Wanted to answer the general ones here on the forum. We won't cancel the tournament regardless of the weather. We have quite a few locals that will fish it plus some people heading down before the weather comes in so we'll have a decent turnout. According to http:// weather.com, the wet stuff isn't supposed to move in here till Thursday evening. Roads should be fine all day tomorrow. We'll do our best to keep the Cooper Creek ramp open and in operation through the snow and ice. It should be clear Saturday morning and evening. I would like to point out for those who will use a ramp during sub-freezing temps... be kind to the next guy -- when you pull your boat or trailer out of the water, pause and let the water drip off the trailer in the lake. Don't pull right out and drag water all the way up the ramp just to freeze and make it tough for the next guy. We'll put bags of ice-melt by the ramp for people to use. Can't speak for any other ramps on the lake.

Not sure... less than we would if it were a decent winter day I'm sure. These forecasts including cold, snow and now ice are killing us! But that's the way it is. I told someone today at lunch, I sure liked Global Warming... while we had it! We'll have to see on the ramps. We do our best to keep them clear. A couple of weeks ago we stacked bags of ice-melt next to the ramp at Cooper for people to use when pulling in and out. We'll do the same this week-weekend.

No. Jeremy Hunt said he's been trying white below the dam and not doing any good which means they're not seeing any shad.

Hope to see the results... and pics! Nothing like winter crappie.

Looks like good times are coming this year on Table Rock!!! Nice crappies and whites. I love winter fishing!!!!!

Welcome to the Ozarks!

Even with milder temperatures, generation patterns on Lake Taneycomo remain about the same as they were, compared to the winter blast days a couple weeks ago. It’s pretty much round the clock generation from one to two units, frustrating wade fisherman who have wait for months for the opportunity to fish below the dam without high water levels and current. Table Rock is well below power pool but the lake above, Beaver, is being dropped from it’s high level to power pool. Some speculate that 7 feet of water from Beaver Lake added to Table Rock only equates to a 6-foot raise but regardless, it seems the Corps’s plan is to keep Table Rock’s levels about the same as they are now and move Beaver’s water through the system. Looking at the lake level charts, Beaver is dropping 4 to 5 inches per day which means it will take about 18 days to drop Beaver to power pool, without rains. But there is rain in the forecast. So we’ll talk about boat fishing, although dock fishing off our dock (Lilleys’ Landing), and docks further down, are fishable and fishing has been fairly good. Fishing pressure on the lake this month has been minimal. Not many people braved the cold temperature earlier in the month and since the weather broke, boaters have stayed away from the lake – probably don’t want to get the boat out of storage in fear of another cold spell. Regardless, there seems to be a huge number of rainbows in the lake right now with many of what I’d call lunker size. I talked to some guys that fished yesterday and they did very well using 1/16th oz black jigs, working them off the bottom of the lake down below Branson down the Kanakuk Camp clear down to Bee Creek. These anglers have been fishing here for a number of years and said they’d never caught trout like this, ever. Many of the rainbows they caught were over 16 inches, big and fat and fought like steelhead. Other anglers are heading down lake from the resort and having the same results using Gulp Powerbait eggs in varied colors – white, pink and orange. Above the resort up to Fall Creek, night crawlers and minnows seem to do better that Gulp Eggs. The current varies depending on where you are and how much water is running. When they are running only one unit, the current here at the resort is very slow and even gets slower the further down lake you get. So it’s almost like still fishing and dropping an anchor isn’t out of the question. Bill and I got out yesterday in the boat for a while. We were out while that cold front moved through and temperatures dropped from the high 60’s to low 40’s. The water dropped out from two to one units too – we thought fishing wouldn’t be very good, but it was. We boated up not quite to Lookout and started… Bill using his fly rod, pink micro jig under an indicator 9 feet deep and me using my jig/spin rod and throwing an 1/8th oz sculpin jig, working it off the bottom. They were running 2 units at 706 feet but the level had already started dropping out on our first drift. The top end didn’t produce much, it was only when we got below the tennis courts did the rods start bending, and they bent quite a lot. Both techniques caught rainbows, many were small dinks from 8 to 11 inches. There were a few “eaters” as Bill calls them – right below the 12-inch mark. And there were the Taneycomo Trophy Rainbows we are accustomed to – 16 to 18 inches, beat red sides and gill plates. Bill switched to his spin rod but stayed with his jig and float. He bought a 10-foot, Okuma Steelhead Rod for jig and float fishing and it worked pretty well. I tried it – it was a little heavy and awkward to cast but setting the hook even on a long cast was no problem. All in all, we caught quite a few rainbows in the 2 hours we were out. Hopefully he can get the video to work on his new site at http://whiteriveroutfitters.com Remember, we have our first public trout tournament next weekend, January 30, here at the Landing.

With the weights where they are, I'd think they action would be more to swim rather than jig. I mean with the weight all the way at the head like a normal jig, the head/jig would drop faster than your jig, yours wouldn't tilt down and drop. Not a bad thing.... just pointing out what seems to be the different in action to me. Am I correct? I'm very impressed by your pattern. Congrats on being so original.... and sharing it with us.

JD and Jerry fish both public trout tournaments.

I actually have a plum color and a purple - electric purple with a little blue glitter (my favorite). I have a bag each, 10,000 in each bag, that I haven't opened yet.... hence the "10,000". I think I have pics of each on http://lilleystacklestore.com These are the original swimming minnow made in Florida, not the knockoff carried by Lucky Strike. Not knocking the knock off's... some anglers are picky about getting one or the other.

I learned from Jerry Dudley. He's not a guide - he has a dispatch service for truckers. His son JD is another great fisherman.