Phil Lilley

Flashy lures in this off-colored water... and bright power baits- both have worked well today. Our guides caught alot of trout today on jig/float using either micro jigs or 1/125 oz marabou jigs. Olive, sculpin, brown or black.

You need a trout stamp if you're keeping trout on the lake. But if you're fishing on Taneycomo and staying below the highway 65 bridge and NOT keeping trout, you are NOT required to purchase a stamp.

Per Bill Babler- He's in from the first half of his guide trip this am... they've caught over 60 trout on jig/float using a olive micro jig. Water is good color above Fall Creek. Lots of rainbows being caught off the dock on white or orange power eggs. People throwing or trolling cleos are catching trout also very well. Don't let the colored water fool you.

I see it allot... guys pull their boats from home- pull to the ramp and start the motor before it's in the water. It's more of a habit than essential. Your water pump is made of hard rubber- a sprocket tightly fitted in a case. If it's fairly old, it becomes brittle, esp if it's been in the dry air of winter. When you start the engine dry, the sprocket turns and more-times-than-not, it cracks or breaks. Now you have no water running thru the motor. Mike Adams, a guy who used to work for me, would see someone starting their motor and say, "Yea... we have a water pump for that." He changed out a few in his time with us.

KY3- BRANSON, Mo. -- The National Weather Service confirmed two F-0 tornadoes touched down in Taney County on Saturday night. The storms caused limited damage and knocked out power for parts of Branson. The Shepherd of the Hills Expressway was closed for most of the day Sunday because of downed power lines. The Branson Tower hotel suffered serious damage. Sixty rooms suffered water damage. Vinyl siding was torn off by strong winds and hail. Witnesses say they were caught off guard by the quick development of the storm. Surveyors from the National Weather Service said the first tornado tracked from near Table Rock State Park to Gretna Road in Branson. A second track stretched from Forsyth to Taneyville. That storm damaged trees and powerlines. Surveyors measured the track of the tornado 130 yards wide with a path 300 yards long. The NWA also reported an F-0 tornado touched down in Douglas County, approximately 11 miles south of Mountain Grove. A trailer was picked up and flipped. The tornado was 75 yards wide with a path length of 200 yards. An F-0 tornado was also recorded in Phelps County in the Elk Prairie and Winkler areas. The tornado was 35 yards wide with a path of 50 yards. F-0 is the lowest designation for a tornado, which typically can be rated F-0 to F-5. In rare instances, a tornado could have a higher designation than F-5. Springfield NewsLeader http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...ING01/303130001 Dozens injured in Ozarks tornado outbreak; Homes reported destroyed across region Large hail and tornadoes reported touching down in Springfield, throughout Ozarks. News-Leader staff and wire reports A string of violent storms sent Ozarkers and others across the state scrambling for shelter from high wind, large hail and tornadoes a second night in a row. At least one person was believed dead and 22 were injured in the Springfield region overnight, the National Weather Service reported this morning. Marionville, Billings and Nixa were among cities that appeared most damaged by the storm, said meteorologist Megan Terry. . Severe storms headed northeast across the Christian County panhandle overnight, Christian County Emergency Management Director Phil Amtower said. Portions of Clever, Billings and Nixa were affected by the storms, he said. He estimated 30 homes were destroyed in the Clever area, 30 homes in north Nixa and six to 10 homes in Billings. Three people were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries related to the storm, he said. Red Cross personnel are in north Nixa this morning assisting individuals, Amtower said. Christian County officials will start a damage assessment this morning, he said. The weather service received several reports of tornadoes overnight and will conduct surveys today to determine how many may have touched down, she said. The damage assessment is also occurring today in Lawrence County. Law enforcement reported serious damage in the rural Marionville area. A dispatcher said there was one unconfirmed fatality in the county, but was uncertain whether it was storm-related. John Campbell, an emergency management officer with the state Emergency Management Agency in Jefferson City, said at least five people statewide were killed. "There have been a number of injuries and deaths reported with the storm," he said. He did not have a feel for how many counties statewide were affected. "It's one the larger disasters we've seen in terms of how scattered it is around the state. From Saturday night through today we've had wave after wave of storms hit," Campbell said. Among the dead: A woman was killed Sunday night when a tornado hit her mobile home near Sedalia. Late Saturday night, a married couple was killed when a twister hurled their pickup truck beneath a propane tank as they drove along a rural stretch of U.S. 61 in Perry County, about 80 miles south of St. Louis. Storms thundered through the Springfield region beginning after dark. One of the first confirmed tornadoes of the evening was spotted in Neosho about 9:45. From then through early morning, emergency and law officials struggled to cope with dozens of reports from multiple places of damage including power failures, hail and wind damage and destroyed buildings. Stokely Farm, which endured massive damage from the May 4, 2003, tornado, was again slammed Sunday night. An undetermined number of horses at the Christian County farm were killed, and the stable — which was only recently rebuilt — was destroyed again. "It's just terrible," said Pat Klos, mother of Stokely Farm owner David Stokely. "It is just like it was (in '03) all over again. "This is the worst (series of storms) I've seen since 2003," Joye McElwee, Greene County Emergency Management director, said Sunday. Debbie Amtower, spokeswoman for Christian County Emergency Management, said officials last night did not have a clear picture of damage yet, but had reports of damage at Christian County AA and U.S. 160, north and west of Clever and areas along Christian County ZZ. Terry said there were "so many (tornadoes)." "It's hard to keep track. Everything is very preliminary right now," Terry said. Injuries were reported at the intersection of 151 and 800 in Cedar County, she said. A home was destroyed along Lawrence County ZZ north of Marionville. A tornado touched down in Republic, and a home was destroyed near P highway, Terry said. Another tornado hit Christian County about 10:56 p.m. The Hickory County Sheriff's Department reported it had rescue workers in the Carson's Corners and Pittsburg areas, but it did not have an assessment of damage when last contacted last night. Homes were destroyed in Pittsburgh in Hickory County around 10:25 p.m., Terry said. Ping-pong size hail was pounding homes at Prairie View Heights on the northeast edge of Battlefield. Power was out at Fair Grove and across the area. Traffic lights were out in Springfield. There were reported injuries in El Dorado Springs, Terry said. "I have no idea what the injuries were," Terry said. "No idea on the ratings right now — we have to do a damage survey." Officials in Cedar and Hickory counties were not available for comment. At least two tornadoes were confirmed Saturday in the Ozarks. Andy Foster, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Sunday that two short-track F-0 tornadoes were confirmed from Table Rock State Park to Merriam Woods, and from Forsyth to Taneyville. Most of the damage reported was confined to downed trees and power lines. "We did have a tree on a house in Branson that was the most significant damage," Foster said. He did not know of any injuries caused by the Saturday tornadoes. Doug Cramer, National Weather Service meteorologist, said most of the reported damage in the area was caused by hail. There were reports of damage caused by golf ball-size hail driven by winds in excess of 70 miles an hour, Cramer said. "There were several people who experienced large hail that was driven into the siding of their homes," Cramer said. "Whenever you get hail that large and it's driven by strong winds, it makes it even more destructive, and that's what was tearing up the homes." In northwest Arkansas, a tornado touched down Sunday in Bentonville, doing heavy damage to several homes, authorities said. No injuries had been reported as midnight approached. A tornado reportedly also touched down at Centerton, about four miles to the west. The storm system struck shortly after 10 p.m. Winds also inflicted damage on hangars at the Bentonville airport, according to broadcast reports.

Bruce- You've already shared a couple of extraordinary things with us... the pic of the cicada is cool and the video is priceless. Mega cuddos to the creator. Godly message... good way to start the day! Welcome!

No real round #2. The lake this am is brown but not half as bad as I thought it'd be. When we have a downpour like we had last night, we usually have logs and trash floating- we don't. Last night I actually thought I saw a funnel coming down at us from the field... It was a dark column blocking the horizon light I still could see through the rain to the SW. Some guys were still "partying" on the back decks of the condos so I herded them down below the house with the rest of the guest who were already there. Turned out to be nothing I guess. The wind never got that bad... just rain and hail. No vehicle damage that I could see- amazing seeing the size hail that fell.

Round #1 - No damage. Hail the size of ping pong balls. Probably car damage. Not a whole lot of wind. Lots of rain- 2-3 inches. Got lots of shots of lightning 20 minutes before it hit. Round #2 coming.

Oh how I miss Kansas. You can see storms coming- developing right in front of you. Huge wall clouds- darkest blue you'll ever see. Was fishing as a youngster with a friend and watch a storm blow in... didn't want to leave cause we were catching bass like crazy. The line got straight above us and it all started swirling. We dove for a ditch (like that would have helped)... laugh at each other after it passed. Still laughing to this day. You can't see down here in the hills. Not half as much fun. What lake were you on?

If the fish came to you then it would be fishing Welcome to our small part of the world... there's always room for more. Cyprus is surrounded by water... you should have good opportunites to fish.

6 inches so far for Table Rock... needs lots more.

Very cool site, Steve.

It's all yours Michael. Good luck on your event.

You're kidding! That's so funny. How about a big, red, yarn egg fly.

The "fishing hotline"? I've been on Charlie Engram to add more minutes for years to the recording time- 2 minutes isn't enough time to do anything justice... esp this time of year. I have had fun reporting from places I've gone- just for the fun of it. I've reported from a deer blind in north Missouri, from the Russian River in Alaska and from rivers in Michigan and New Mexico.

Bass spawn typically very last of April - mainly in May so you're too early to worry about spawning bass- except for white bass which may be making false runs by then. Bluff ends- where the bluff/cliff banks end and level out to more of a gradual bank. This "transision" is where bass typically travel from deep to shallow water... thus they tend to group up in this area. This is a transision bank in Long Creek. The bluff on the right gives way to a more shallow bank on the left.

http://ozarkanglers.com/fishing_clubs.php http://ozarkanglers.com/fff.php I need more!! Any in Missouri or Arkansas in waters covered by OAF.

I've caught grass carp at the local golf course ponds on a fly- used a big dry fly- humpy or something with some bulk. They feed them pellets there... so may be a dry isn't the way to go in an pond where they're not fed. They are spooky generally but curious. Just try some different flies and see what they are interested in. But have some big-'ol leader/tippet!!

Getting alittle excited Brian? Should have grown up in Kansas- this is very common out there. Rain gage count- 4 inches of rain so far since it started a few days ago. 2 last night. We got small hail off and on most of the night. Lots of lightning. Another funnel developed east of here about 10 pm but never developed. Haven't we been praying for rain? You should be more specific in your prayers! "Rain but no hail and wind."

I may get out... hard to know my schedule from day to day.

I found this buried in my archives. I did hold a couple of 'One-Fly' contests in the fall and followed Option B somewhat. I can't find the exact rules I used- must have deleted it. Option B follows the Jackson Hole One Fly rules http://www.jhonefly.com/ One fly contest, Lake Taneycomo Tailwater See bottom of page for a different format. Date- ??????? Hours- 8 am - 4 pm Entry - $10-$25 per angler. Awards- Plaques for 1st thru 5th place plus traveling trophy for first, split cash pot. Pre-contest meeting, rules and questions - 7 am Partner drawing and coin flip - 7:15 am Dispurse - 7:30 am Start fishing (sound of horn) - 8:00 am First session ends and second session begins (sound of horn) - 11:55 am End of contest (sound of horn) 4 pm. Awards and fellowship - 4:30 - dark. Individual contest. No guides will be allowed to compete. No one can help any competitors during the hours of the contest. Wading only, no commuting to other areas of the lake by any kind of vehichle, foot only. Anglers will score points for each trout landed and measured. Total points deturmon a winner. Equipment Contestants will furnish their own fly fishing equipment. A contestant may have at his disposal one extra fly rod, reel and line. Floating line only; no sink tip or monofilament (amnesia). Only catch-n-release bagged nets will be allowed- no mono-filament nets allowed. They do too much damage to trout. Flies Any conventional fly pattern (dry, wet, nymph, streamer, etc.) may be used as long as it is no larger than size #8 and is 3X or shorter in length. No lead-headed jigs or molded head jigs, Clouser Minnows, or flies with dumbell lead eyes are allowed. All flies must be approved by the judge 30 minutes before the contest starts. Repairs to the fly can only be done by adhesives, no wrapping or tying allowed. If a fly is broken off the tippet but is retrieved, it can be retied. Broken hooks can be resharpened. Single flies only, no fly indicators allowed. Fishing Procedure Anglers will draw for "partners", 2-man teams who will fish together the entire contest. This drawing will be held at the 7 am meeting. These 2 anglers must stay close enough together so as to measure and judge each other for the entire contest. In the morning, we will give contestants to get to their spots after the meeting. Fishing begins at the sound of the air horn (8 am). Another horn will sound at the end of the first session (11:55 am). It will end at the sound of the air horn at exactly 4 p.m.. Session - the angler who wins a coin flip between the 2-man team will have control where the team will fish during the first session. No exceptions to this rule unless both are in total agreement (if they want to trade sessions). The other angler will have control of the afternoon session. Breaks- if someone has to leave the river for any reason, the angler left must go fish next to another team and let one of those contestants judge/measure their catch until the team member returns. Daily scoring ends for any contestant when his official fly becomes irretrievably lost. That person must stay with his partner, and can continue to fish, but his catch will not score in the contest. If both partners lose their official flies, they should come to the pavilion immediately and turn in their scores. Again, they can return to fishing if they desire. Off Limits The hatchery outlets are off limits to fishing. Anglers cannot place their fly within 50 feet of the outflow of water from any of the 5 outlets (see map). Sakes with red flags will mark 50 feet from each outlet, placed on the bank. Contestant's partners will keep each other honest. Scoring Each trout is worth one (2) points, no matter what the size. Each contestant is allowed 8 bonus scores (8 trout) for the entire day. Once a trout is caught, measured and recorded as a bonus trout, that score cannot be changed. Once 8 bonus scores are recorded, no more trout can be recorded as bonus trout. Bonus trout scores are as follows: Less than 12" - 2 points 12" - 2 points + 10 points 13" - 2 points + 20 points 14" - 2 points + 30 points 15" - 2 points + 40 points 16" - 2 points + 60 points 17" - 2 points + 80 points 18" - 2 points + 100 points 19" - 2 points + 125 points 20" - 2 points + 150 points 21" - 2 points + 175 points 22" - 2 points + 200 points Add 50 points per inch for trout over 22 inches, up to 29 inches Other bonus points if total number of trout landed is between: 30 - 39 Add 100 bonus points per inch 40 - 49 Add 1,000,000 bonus points per inch 50 + Add 10,000,000 bonus points per inch 25 points will be awarded to an angler who still has his official fly at the end of the contest. A penalty will be assessed for any fish killed. Each of these fish will be measured and the scored value of that trout will be subtracted from the angler's score. That trout will not be counted against the daily limit of eight bonus trout. Measuring a trout- make the greatest effort at measure all trout without bring it out of the water or handling it. Do not let the trout lay out on gravel at any time. Use a catch-n-release bagged net and measure the trout in the net when possible. A measuring stick will be provided to help measure each trout. The partner in control will carry the stick and the other angler will carry the score tablet and record the scores. Official procedure for measuring-- Pinch the tail and close the mouth. Swing the tail if necessary. Round up the length of any trout measured to the next digit. Example: if a trout measure 14.1 inch, round up to 15 inches and record. Dinner served that evening - $10 per person. Alternative Format B, shortened, simplified version. One fly contest, Lake Taneycomo Tailwater Date- ??????? Hours- 8 am - noon Entry - $10-$25 per angler. Awards- Plaques for 1st thru 5th place plus traveling trophy for first, split cash pot. Pre-contest meeting, rules and questions - 7 am Partner drawing and coin flip - 7:15 am Dispurse - 7:30 am Start fishing (sound of horn) - 8:00 am End fishing at noon. Individual contest Same Equipment Same Flies Same Fishing Procedure Anglers will draw for "partners", 2-man teams who will fish together the entire contest. This drawing will be held at the 7 am meeting. These 2 anglers must stay close enough together so as to measure and judge each other for the entire contest. In the morning, we will give contestants to get to their spots after the meeting. Fishing begins at the sound of the air horn (8 am). Another horn will sound at the end. Session - the angler who wins a coin flip between the 2-man team will have control where the team will fish during the first session. No exceptions to this rule unless both are in total agreement (if they want to trade sessions). The other angler will have control of the afternoon session. Breaks- if someone has to leave the river for any reason, the angler left must go fish next to another team and let one of those contestants judge/measure their catch until the team member returns. Daily scoring ends for any contestant when his official fly becomes irretrievably lost. That person must stay with his partner, and can continue to fish, but his catch will not score in the contest. If both partners lose their official flies, they should come to the pavilion immediately and turn in their scores. Again, they can return to fishing if they desire. Off Limits Same Scoring Each contestant will be allowed to count 4 trout to score during this time. Once the four trout are scored, the contest is over for that angler. Patners measure, judge and record the length of each others trout. Scoring is as follows: Less than 11" - 2 points 12" - 10 points 13" - 20 points 14" - 30 points 15" - 40 points 16" - 60 points 17" - 80 points 18" - 105 points 19" - 130 points 20" - 160 points 21" - 195 points 22" - 235 points 23" - 280 points 24" - 330 points 25" - 385 points 26" - 445 points 27" - 520 points 28" - 590 points Add 100 points to each inch after 28". 25 points will be awarded to an angler who still has his official fly at the end of the contest. A penalty will be assessed for any fish killed. Each of these fish will be measured and the scored value of that trout will be subtracted from the angler's score. That trout will not be counted against the daily limit of eight bonus trout. Measuring a trout- make the greatest effort at measure all trout without bring it out of the water or handling it. Do not let the trout lay out on gravel at any time. Use a catch-n-release bagged net and measure the trout in the net when possible. A measuring stick will be provided to help measure each trout. The partner in control will carry the stick and the other angler will carry the score tablet and record the scores. Official procedure for measuring-- Pinch the tail and close the mouth. Swing the tail if necessary. Round up the length of any trout measured to the next digit. Example: if a trout measure 14.1 inch, round up to 15 inches and record. Dinner - same.

I wouldn't think so esp with the warm weather and rain we are supposed to have this week. Keep an eye on reports this week.

Water Level--903.25--rising slowly Water Temperature--55 degrees Water Condition--Clear but should start to have some color after Thursday's rains. Crappie---This has been a very good winter for crappie fishing all over Table Rock. The size of crappie has improved greatly over the previous few years. Crappie are being caught suspended in the tree lines south of the dock. Fish a jig or a live minnow 6 to 12 feet deep in 20 to 25 feet of water. Black bass are hitting crank baits on secondary points in the creeks. Look for chunk rock points to be most productive. Not much word on white bass yet, but they should start soon. http://www.cricketcreek.com/ - Mark & Linda are the owners of Cricket Creek Marina... give them a call or email and thank them for the fishing reports (and mention OAF).

Would be a wonderful day today to get out... weekends are weekdays for us. Come on Monday!!

They've been saying the walleye bite is only good at night... at least on Table Rock. Is that the same as Stockton or do they do well during the day? On Bull Shoals they use "slicks" or creek chubs. Are they used there also? Thanks for the reports!