Phil Lilley

I'm going to nip this in the bud. This thread was created for comments regarding habitat work on Taneycomo that IS going to happen, regardless of your opinions on whether it should or shouldn't happen, whether you like MDC or not. IF you want to start ANOTHER thread to discuss native vs non native species AGAIN or just want to reopen one of the many threads already started . go ahead. But any more comments in this direction will be deleted, not because I don't agree with them but because it is off subject.

I suggested a small spillway years ago but I suggested it be above #2. They said the Corp would be against anything that would raise the level of Taney and cause any "back head pressure" (not sure if that's the right term) which raising the level there would. It's putting pressure on the turbines on the backside so they have to push alittle harder to release water which I understand that concept. I rise in the level of Taney below #4 or may be rocking chair might be ok. But the water above it would be alittle deeper and will not have much current at all. We'd lose some of the moving water below rebar - maybe. Would gain alot of moving water below the spillway and move alot of anglers down there which is what MDC wants to do. Building a spillway would probably have to be a separate project though. It would take alot more funds and time to plan than they're think about on this time around. Not sure.

Hey email me the pics and I'll post them another way. lilley @lilleyslanding.com

Well... I did a backup last night - that was 42 gigs. Jim said it almost filled the server so now I'm downloading the b/u file and will delete it when I'm done. Doesn't help our internet was down for most of the afternoon... That's probably the reason it won't let you upload your images. Jim said it may shut the site down unless I get the b/u file off soon. Nothing is easy.

Nice work.

Had to put the other one up too. Pretty hilarious.

http://ozarkanglers.com/index.php?option=c...9&Itemid=74

You're right... just like new trees lodged in the channel down here closer to our place. It's all part of being careful on any lake and especially rivers. Things change, whether it's man made or naturally created. These "boulders" don't have to be huge. I'm just not sure. This is new to me. But I think we can do this with boaters in mind... with no guarantees though. Great comments though!!!

I never did go down to where the rebar is now so I don't know what it looked like. Rick- did the channel just continue down straight or did it bend to the south alittle?

Back about 1975, I fished here in the fall. This what I remember. Blue was the channel and it was deep. I remember I found a place to wade across and it was where the arrow is but I barely could get thru without water coming over my chest waders. Tippy-toe. The Green spots were guys stood shoulder-to-shoulder fishing trout roe. They'd hook a big fish, yell and start heading downstream to rebar where 80% of the time they'd get broke off. They'd come back to their place in line with no fish. So the gravel in this area is deep. The channel has the potential to be deep again, just have to figure how.

I'm sure they will look at this area too. I don't know this area as well so I can't speak to it. The bottom from rocking chair down to the ramp, from the north side to the middle, the bottom is either bedrock or large rocks, not much gravel. But I think on the south side there is gravel so may be there's an opportunity there. But from the ramp down there is deep water so no need for rocks/structure there.

They already have a contractor in mind but I'd think they'd have to bid it out (?). But it would be by trac I'd think. There was some question as to how they would get their equipment to the water. The only way was thru the opening just below outlet #1 and really still is. They might have to tear that area up and repair it.

What would happen to large boulders if placed on the south side of the lake - across from outlet #2 - on gravel. That gravel is probably fairly deep (don't know). Would it move downstream or settle down in the gravel, sink? Why the huge boulder above rebar? Or is that a joke Brett did have some good ideas last night... I know some don't like him on the forum but like it or not, he's a player in this project and I welcome his ideas. But this thread isn't about ethics or about guiding so let's keep on track... please.

Only got out for an hour this evening. Water was off all afternoon, sunny, breezy - perfect conditions I'd say. Not many people out today. Will be a few out tomorrow though but more Friday and Saturday. Boated to the Narrows and fly fished with a black #14 Zebra under an indicator 3 feet and did ok. All were dinks except the last rainbow (pic). All fought hard. Water temp is really warm. Gage says 60-61. DO must be pretty decent cause the fish are fighting so hard. I wonder if it's the same below the dam... Tomorrow - no water to speak of. Bet they won't run much all weekend.

Here's my idea - off the top of my head. Now this is without walking thru and really looking at the deal so don't hold me to this being final or correct. Red - attempt to deepen the flat area towards the middle or south side of the lake with placed boulders or piles of boulders. IF we can secure logs or cedar binds, then use wood in addition to rocks. Blue - attempt to deepen at least a side half thru rebar on into the bend. Try to deepen the hole at the end of rebar so that big fish will hold there again. Green - Try to establish a hole at Big Hole again. Create pockets in the flat area. Yellow - shore up this bank. Not marked - shoudl shore up the bank just below outlet #1 also but would have to make sure any riprap placed would not create another problem above or below the improvement. Also would have to consider access to the water.

There will be no dredging. That is clear via MDC. But placing rocks at the right place will make holes, even a channel if it's done right. Placing rocks to the place below outlet 3 may stop the erosion or it may speed it up. Not sure. But I know what you're talking about. We are going to walk the area in a week or so and see what looks best. They do have a hydrologist on staff which will help immensely.

Was not released.

After lengthy periods of generation on Taneycomo, flood gates opening twice, rising water temperatures in the tailwater, a lake drawdown exposing gravel bars that haven't seen the light of day in many months and frustrated anglers tired of the endless flow of water, I can now report that the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever. Table Rock is down to 915 feet which is 2 feet below winter power pool, and this is giving the managers at Southwest Power Administration a break from having to run water from Table Rock due to flood control. They can now think about power demand and use lake water primarily for generating power instead of having to dump water due to heavy rains. For those who like periods of no generation on Taneycomo, that is wonderful news. For the first time in a long time, today's generation schedule says that water will run for only a few hours this morning and then should be off for the rest of the day. Empire Electric ordered a lake drawdown last week to repair the wood structure that forms the top 4 feet of the dam spillway. Empire, which owns and operates Powersite Dam, the dam at the lower end of Taneycomo, coordinates with the US Corp of Engineers, which operates Table Rock Dam, to draw down Taneycomo over a period of 24 to 30 hours so that imvertibrates in the extreme upper lake have a change to migrate with the water so that they aren't left high and dry, so to speak. So it was easy to see these little bugs congregated along the water's edge, swimming about. It was also easy to see the trout taking advantage of this migration, their backs sometimes sticking out of the shallow water, having a field day on the easy meal. After the lake is down to Empire's desired levels, the COE kicks on enough water from Table Rock Dam to water the upper lake, covering the bars back up with water so that these imvertibrates aren't exposed to too much air, sunlight and drying. The thought is that even the exposed, dried gravel holds bugs underneath the surface and these bugs can survive as long as they aren't exposed too long in mild, cloudy weather. When the draw down occurs in more extreme weather such as hot or cold temps, the power-that-be try not to leave the bars exposed as long, running water sooner in the process. A few days ago while the water was down, four feet below Taney's normal depth, I boated upstream past Fall Creek to take a peek at what the lake looks like after months of constant generation. I didn't see any changes in the channel or gravel bars. We've seen some huge midge hatches this past week. I videoed what I thought was the biggest hatch I'd ever seen here on Taney. The water was running about 2 units and I was in my boat up below the dam, below the MDC boat ramp. There were several types and sizes of midges swarming the water and the trout were reacting to the hatch. Along the north, mud bank, there was an large surface area of water being worked by rainbows... it looked like a hatchery outlet and floating food pellets were being washed through. They must have been taking the pupa, the midge stage that attaches itself to the underside of the film before emerging because their mouths were barely breaking the surface as they slurped their food. I fooled a couple of rainbows in this pod before moving on. Never did figure how to catch them really. The bugs must have been tiny... I couldn't match it with what I had in my fly box. Now that we're going to see some down water, fishing techniques will change. Instead of drifting, we'll be anchoring or working areas with our trolling motors. Below Fall Creek, we'll be back to air injected night crawlers fished in the channel or just off the channel on the flats. Four-pound line is plenty small enough -- our water is still stained a bit, not near clear enough to consider using 2-pound line. Power Bait also should work well, either eggs, nuggets or paste. Scott Sandusky would tell you to give rainbow nuggets a try... that's the bait he caught his new Missouri state record brown trout on last week. Seems like there's plenty of rainbows all through the upper lake right now. Last week, trout were being caught pretty well down by Scotty's and the Landing as well as the Cooper Creek area, up closer to Short Creek and Fall Creek. Anglers were trolling spoons and rooster tails and doing very good. Trolling is good if it gets windy during the day. Try the jig and float when the water is off -- fish a small micro or marabou jig as big as 1/50th oz under a float about 4 to 5 feet deep in white, pink, olive, sculpin/orange head, black/yellow or brown colors. Above Fall Creek, we'll be back to jig and float using the spinning gear or fly rod. Small marabou jigs in brown, sculpin, olive and black under a float 4-5 feet deep using 2 lb line (my preference) or using micro jigs in tan, olive or sculpin. Zebra midges #14 or #16 in red. olive or black under a tiny indicator and working feeding, midging trout on the surface, especially early and late in the day. Since it appears there is a good scud population, and we have been catching alot of rainbows drifting scuds the last few months, I'd fish a #12 to #16 scud, gray, tan, brown or olive, under an indicator and fish it so that the fly lays on the bottom. I'm starting to use a weighed scud, something my friend Rolan Duffield has been using for years. He ties his scuds mainly on a 3769 hook, slight body brushed out so that the fibers are sticking out all over the place. Swim the bug back, constantly moving the indicator is one technique I think that's not used much. If you watch my video of the scuds I found the other day, you'll see they swim around alot. Trout key in on swimming scuds, I'm sure. I'm starting to see alot of these (pic), male rainbows. Seems like most rainbows here spawn in the winter and it's most evident when we start seeing these dark rainbows showing up. I've caught several here in the last week or so. They are good fighters, solid bodies and fun to catch. Trout tournament anglers like to weigh these rainbows in because they are heavier than other trout their size. Wading below the dam, well, anglers are giddy with excitement. They've been waiting for down water for a long time. Now I would think with the low water you'll find trout feeding on the edges, like I mentioned earlier in my report. Don't miss the oportunity to cast to these fish cause in most cases they are competing for those bugs with each other and will be aggressive, taking a bigger fly than you'd think. I would set a palsa float, something very light and small so that the landing of the rig won't spook these fish out of the shallows, and set the fly only 4-6 inches deep. Try different sizes -- I'd start with a scud as large as a #12 -- and cast it up on the dry gravel bank, if allowed, and drag it back into the water where the fish are. Wait for the float to more as if something is carrying it off. It's easy to snag these rainbows if you're not careful. Scout the waters out up below the dam. If there's a chop on the surface, I'd try a crackleback or soft hackle or go under the water and try a woolly bugger or pine squirrel. Of course, scuds and san juans, staples for our tailwater, should be fished at outlet #1 and #2, between the two, rebar and below and down through rocking chair. Zebra midges under an indicator 6 to 20 inches in slower water and especially where there's midging rainbows. Night fishing will, of course, be back in style with this down water. Woolly buggers, leaches, pine squirrels, PMS, swimming scuds all will probably will be hot when fishing at night.

One thing I forgot to mention. MDC guys talked about using big rocks so that they won't be washed away. I pointed out that there are relatively small rocks on the north side of the lake above outlet #2 that have been in the same place for years and years. These small, 12-20 inch rocks, some placed, don't move and do attract fish. These are some of the examples we can look at when deciding where to put rocks and other structures to improve habitat. One other question MDC had - what shape of rocks? I'll add: what kind of rocks?

OK Now's your chance. Here's a map. Mark it up with spots where you'd put what and tell why. Be as specific as possible. I am not against placing "wood" pieces either... just have to make sure they don't move. Wood attracts more insects, bugs. It will hold more green life - also attracting bugs. But they have to be in areas where they won't wash and/or secured in place. Have at it, armchair fisheries biologists/hydrologists!

MDC asks a few of us to attend a idea session at the hatchery tonight to get some feedback and ideas on adding habitat below the dam. There were about 15 of us and a few from MDC - Shane Bush and Mike Allen from fisheries, Clint Hale from the hatchery and Andy Austin from Springfield. Quentin Fronterhouse from enforcement was also there. Basically, MDC has money from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and Bass Pro to add fish habitat in Table Rock and it's watershed as well as Taneycomo. The are in the third year of five of the project. In a nutshell, they are open to all ideas at this point, as long as the Corp doesn't object and it doesn't cause any problems with access to the river or problems with boating. They have looked at the projects below Bull Shoals and Beaver Dams. They noticed that the wood structures below BS Dam didn't stay there very long after they were put there - washed away. Rocks didn't though. They have held up below Beaver Dam also. MDC wants to create fish holding areas as well as havens for fish food. There is also a good possibility of placing rock structures to redirect water flow to create deeper pools and runs where only shallow, flat areas are presently. It was agreed, there will be no dredging. Taking rock out only complicates other areas. An initial sturdy has already been drafted and the final study could be done by the first of the year. Brett Rader offered some ideas about placing rocks above outlet #2. Bill Babler had some comments about boating in the area and shared concerns about boats hitting newly placed rocks. But MDC said they probably would not place large boulders in the channel. Kent Campbell expressed concern about using sharp edged rocks that would damage drift boats. Also placing some rocks in eddy waters along the banks above the boat ramp would force drift boats to have to row out in the faster water to get above the rocks. Kent Turner asked about the present scud population in which Bush said he thought it was in very good shape from the constant flow of water for the last 18 months. He referenced my scud video. He also asked about trout growth in the lake in which Hale guessed he thought trout were growing about a half-inch per month. He indicated the warmer water helps trout growth but the high temps last fall plus the low DO hurt the overall population. Shane also said there is a study in progress for a liquid oxygen diffuser system for Table Rock Dam to improve the DO levels in the late summer and fall months.

Man... nice buck!

Still using flip... it makes the process easy and fast which I'm all about that!! I have to sit at this monitor way too much as it is. Working on 2010 rates sheet today.

Biggest scud- probably an eight. But most are 12 and smaller. Could you see the tiny bugs flying around? I didn't see them with my naked eye but did in the video. And the tiny scuds too. Thanks for the compliment on the report. I feel pretty funny talking into the camera... I'm not the best orator. And I don't know where to point the camera either.