Phil Lilley

Forecast is for mid to upper 90's. I think they will start early to mid afternoon and generation hard till 10-11 pm. That's my guess.

There's plenty of gravel.. and bedrock underneath.

http://ozarkanglers.com/taneycomo/weithman.php

I'm reading a book by a friend of mine, Joe Norvell. He lives just south of here in Arkansas and helps with a ministry to young men in trouble. It's a basic book about faith in Christ. I found in the first chapter a section that talks about 'position in life' and how we identify with position as part of the basis of who we are, of think we are. What caught my eye and lead me to think of some of the posts lately is the mention of what Jesus said about seeking the "high place". Here He was at a Pharasee's house observing how different people were being treated. Luke 14:7-11 - 7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Don't boast of your 'credintials' and name-drop. Those reading will only think of you as pompous and will not give you the credit you may deserve as really knowing something about what your posting. The best thing is to have others testify of your accomplishments with honestly and admiration. But if you don't have people around that will do that, then you really have lived wrongly.

$5.50 per day if you don't want to buy the annual.

I remember the last time we heard regs were going to change on the white... someone threw a ranger wrench in the works and it didn't happen.

Is that from the dam to ?? What about lure/bait restrictions?

Got a cool down today... of sorts. Cloudy and alittle rain but the humidity is high so it still feels hot. I got out this morning for an hour- 10 am I boated up 200 yards short of Lookout Island and started fishing a #12 red stimulator (dry fly) along the bluff bank. It's that time of year when our rainbows (and a few browns) start looking up. Water was slick, no wind, and very few boats. No activity as I boated up- I always look regardless of the time of year when I'm boating up past the bluff. I look for any surface activity, giving me a hint of what I should tie on first. But this time I was GOING to fish a dry. As I started, I had a few rainbows start feeding along the bank but 10+ feet from the edge. That's ok- that's where I threw. I caught 2 small rainbows right off the bat. Then a nice one- 15 inches. I love when a fish takes a surface fly- nothing like it. Moving down the bank real slow, I threw either to rising or to places that looked fishy. I'd leave the fly on the surface for 20-30-40 seconds which is a long time if you think about it. Caught 2 more medium sized rainbows and then they quit. Ran into Babler and he said he had the same thing happen- was catching fish and then they stopped abrupted. I did what I wanted to do and it was time to do some "real" work. The hot spot still has been down by Cooper Creek. Bill said they've found schools of nice 12-14 inch stockers down there for the last week- some schools are fresher than others (stupider). Most are taking a spoon but some are taking a jig under a float better. Buster is using a jig head with a power bait egg under a float 5 feet deep and doing excellent. That the way you can use power bait on your fly rod!! Jig and float with a pinch of paste! Best fishing was been mid morning to 2-3 pm. Early fishing just isn't that good unless you're fishing off our dock in which the early bite is best using night crawlers and power baits. Generation is coming on anywhere from 11 to 3 pm, depending on heat. Babler drifted a #12 tan scud under a float 10-12 feet deep on the flats from Andy's down and did real well Monday and Tuesday. But it had to be deep- twice as deep as the water depth. Used alittle split shot above the fly 24 inches too. He did say he saw 3-4 BIG rainbows on the shallow side of the lake below Andy's yesterday during generation. They were real spooky. He said they were 10 pounds-plus. Beautiful fish with lots of red on their sides. Linc has been fly fishing a bit below the dam. He's been doing real well using a #18 black zebra midge under a stimulator as an indicator. He was a report up and I'll tell him to add to this one with more info. I'm leaving for Alaska Sunday night, flying out Monday early. Will be on the river by 5 pm Monday their time (3 hours early). Wish I had room for everyone... I feel guilty going when so many never get the chance to go and this is my second trip. All Bill and I are having to come up with is our airfare- we are technically "guiding", helping out Jim Johnson with his clients while his brother, Tom, is delayed because of an accident his wife had. He is a seasoned Alaskan guide and will be up in a couple of weeks to spell us. Dano has agreed to watch the kids while I'm going, although I hope to check and report from a library computer in King Salmon during our stay. Be Blessed!

"time to time" would be a ten year permit. The only replenishment would be from Short and Cooper Creeks, which if you looked closely at either "creek" there are runoff only and there's not much gravel in them. It's all been washed out already. So whatever gravel they take out, it's gone. What will replenish will be silt. I'm not arguing your point about lakes-- I tend to agree. But this is alittle different. My point would be it is irreversible. Any question about it hurting the lake? Error on the side of precaution.

No- wish I could. I've been twice- lots of fun. Gonna be out-of-pocket.

Guys- Mike Biggs is over minimum flow. Lee Schoonover is the person you need to email for the dredging. My mistake. Resend your emails to Lee. Sorry. Mike will be confused! lee.a.schoonover@usace.army.mil

MDC calls it, "Put & Take" or in the case of trophy areas, "Put, Grow & Take".

Don't just post here on this forum where your words don't mean much... Send Lee Schoonover your opinion - lee.a.schoonover@usace.army.mil (not Mike Biggs) It will count!

Sorry- I made an error. It's not empire, it's Table Rock Asphalt. I delete that part of the post. Too many issues- getting them mixed up.

Still hearing people are catching walleyes- good walleyes- on creek chubs and stick baits during generation at night from the powersite side of the lake (bank fishing). Anyone know of this personally? Tight-lipped, huh!?

I hope I'm not banned for saying this, but Carp from clean water taste much like Trout, I.E. somewhat tasteless. laugh.gif Not banned... I do take that as a challenge. I like challenges! I'll send you a personal invite next time we fix trout, Wayne.

yes it is.

This is bigger that I thought. I still have requests out for documentation but have rec'ved more calls from fisheries/MDC saying MDC might "roll over" on this one. Fisheries is definately against the move above the bridges and site a study that's 10 years old stating this part of the lake is crucial for the gammarus population on Taney. The political powers at MDC say the study is out dated and dredging may not hurt the fishery. So throw out all I said about what MDC may say about this permit. They may ok the move which would, according to fisheries, devestate the gammarus population and hurt our trout fishery.

Downtown- only place. Brian Shaffer has been going down to just above Bass Pro to the old gravel bar and doing pretty well off the bar. Lots of trout gathering esp if they are running alot of water in the evening. You can boat/fly fish and do well below Fall Creek.

FYI... they are still catching whites at Moonshine. 8 weeks now. But don't tell the guides I told you!

Interesting factors- #1 This has been kept quiet. Haven't seen it in the papers. Notice went out in May and the public notice sent by without any comments. #2 As far as I know, the city of Branson has not commented. Don't know if they even know. #3 TRA dredged upper Taneycomo back in the glory days (60's & 70's and well into the 80's). Did it hurt the fishery then? #4 Just how many "bugs" live in this part of the lake? Midges- yes. Scuds - haven't seen many. I understand they don't do well in water over 6 feet deep. BUT back in the 60's they could be found THICK down in the Branson area. I have a friend who worked at the Sammy Lane Dock and he said they used to cling to the foam floatation. They used to jump and knock them off and the trout would go into a feeding frenzy. He used to catch 5 pound rainbows all day off the dock. That was mid to late 60's. On the surface, it sounds like a bad idea. I'm still waitng on a reply from MDC on their offical position and why.

Table Rock Asphalt Co has applied for a renewal permit to take gravel from Taneycomo... expanding their territory up past highway 65 bridge to above Lilleys. We are about mile 523.6- they want to go up to mile 524.1. Here's the link to the permit site. http://www.swl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/00156-11.htm I just heard about it. If it was in the papers, it was missed. Talk to Lee Schoonover and he said any comments are still helpful in their decision, even though the comment period has ended. He said TRA and MDC are meeting right now and hashing out their differences. He also said that the Corp is the deciding agency and if MDC feels taking gravel in this area of the lake hurts the fishery, they wouldn't allow dredging. He also said TRA may pull their request if MDC provides this evidence. I honestly don't know enough facts about it to say one way or the other. I will dig alittle deeper and see what I can find out. More later...

Powersite will but with the higher level in BS, their effeintcy will decrease. The more water in BS decreases head pressure. Table Rock? Don't know for sure. But only when Ark Fish & Game stepped up and became a partner- a paying partner- this became a reality. I guess no one in Missouri was willing. Beaver? I guess that was Ark F&G decision.

These are some I found when I was restoring my lost files the other day. They aren't big enough for desk top background though.

Note- I sent in an email to Mike Biggs last Friday in hopes to get some clarification on some of my notes... there are holes and I apologize. I hope to get an answer from Mike soon and will relay any more info. In attendance (more or less) - Mike Biggs, CORP Planning, Environmental and Regulatory Division Chuck Pennell, Taney Co Presiding Commissioner (called for the meeting) Ron Herschend, Taney Co Commissioner, West Danny Strahan, Taney Co Commissioner, East Maynard Wallace, former Mo Rep running for senate Mark Oliver, Assistant Fisheries Chief, Ar. State Fish & Game Total of 38 in attendance. Biggs started the meeting going over the $800,000+ study that congress authorized in 2001 on the affects of a minimum flow below Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams. Increasing the minimum flow below Bull Shoals, they would have to add 5 feet to the "flood pool" or level over present power pool of 654, increasing it to 659. Any impact on roads, ramps, beaches, docks within this 5 feet would be remedied and paid for by the Arkansas Fish & Game. Any impact above the 659 level would be given consideration for "aid". Empire Electric would be paid a one-time buy out of $9m. They will suffer loss at the Powersite Plant because of the rise in power pool level. The $9m buy out means Empire can't pass this loss onto its customers. Southwest Power Administration will be given a "credit" of whatever it’s estimated they will lose because of minimum flow. SPA maintains the dams- and credit will offset part of this maintenance, and the same as Empire, this credit is given so that SPA can't pass on this loss to the consumer. A year ago, MF was a dead issue. Then two sponsors or partners stepped up to the plate and committed to pick up some of the "expense" of MF- that's what changed the outcome. Arkansas Fish & Game agreed to pay for the impact of both lakes and congress agreed to pay power providers for their loss. Time table- No money has been allocated to continue the project in '07. But in 2008, it is possible that this will be picked back up by congress. It was stated that MF would be implemented by 2010. Economic Impact - $130,000 to the bad -- $3.5m to the good annually. This encompasses a 2 hour radius of the tailwaters, including all of Bull Shoals and Norfork Lake Regions. I'm not going to get into the comments of the meeting. Most comments by residents were short sighted and self seeking, especially by some politicians. Some basically called the study bogus and the Corp liars... not much you can say to that. Some honestly didn't believe the figures. I was amazed that they focused on the $130k loss instead of the $3.5m increase. The flood issue was a hot subject though. Their logic, and it is understandable, was that if you add 5 feet to the power pool that the lake would flood more often. The study findings show that there's a 1.8% high chance that the lake would flood at 675 with the new power pool level. That means the frequency of flooding isn't affected, only the duration. In this case, a road that's flooded at 675 will be under water 2-4 more days, for example. The positive impact is going to be on the fishing- both above and below the dams. More water in the conservation pool will help spawning periods. It's too bad MDC wasn't there to address this. I made this point at the end of the meeting- said I was amazed no one had brought it up since most in the room fished. Links - http://www.swl.usace.army.mil/planning/wrminflow.html http://www.swl.usace.army.mil/planning/dra...dy_may_2006.pdf 75 day comment period ends August 18, 2006 Send comments to Mike Biggs at mike.l.biggs@usace.army.mil