Phil Lilley

Go to or call the hatchery. 417-334-4865, dial 0 for the operator. Ask for John, Brian or James. I called them yesterday after a guest just came from outlet 2- he told me there were 2 anglers using bait from the bank below the outlet. I talked to John- he went down and talked to the guys (they were using scuds, spin gear). John called me back inside 20 minutes and reported back to me. I call Quinton first. If I don't get him, I call the hatchery. The hatchery personell have responded everytime I've called. They can't write a ticket but they can, as an offical, tell them what the rules are and that they can have an agent there in ?? minutes... it's done the trick every time for me. Best to get as much info as possible- description of person(s) and if you can identify a vehicle, lisc # and make/model. Make sure they're doing something illegal... snagging in the outlet- the agent has to 100% sure that's his intentions cause it's hard to prove in court otherwise. But I understand what you're saying about that- I hate it too.

Vince and I used to stop below Truman and catch a limit of crappie every year on the way back from deer hunting in north Missouri. We'd hunt alittle in the morning, throw our gear in the truck and high-tail-it to Warsaw. Every year we were never let down (by the crappie, the deer are a different story). We have close to 2 limits by dark and be on our way home... slabs and tenderlion! The Bait Station is the only place to go for tackle and advise. They have always been helpful on every trip. I've invited them to be apart of the forum... let's hope they will take up the offer.

Brad is married and living in Oklahoma. He's helping his parents--they are up in age and need his help. He's doing well. Brad's still ting flies for us.

Some of the guides here use big, semi-v aluminum, camo boats- there's alot of boat manufacturers making them now. Lots of room, will go shallow enough to get most places on Taney and can put a jet on one and not have to worry about most gravel bars. They'd do fine on a big lake too. http://www.landauboats.com/ http://www.wareagleboats.com/ http://www.seaarkboats.com/

Sculpin recipe- Hook: #6-8 streamer hook, heavy stock Lead eyes: medium plain 7/32 oz Material: zonker rabbit, saddle hackle Thread: Wright's clear or smoke mono (Wal Mart or Lilleys) Cement: Sally Hansen’s Liquid Hard as Nails How to tie: Take zonker strip and make sure hair lies down (toward tyer’s off-hand). Trim off hair to leave only skin. Hold about a half-inch strip and stab hook in the middle. Place hook in the vise and pull the zonker back. Start thread, making sure zonker strip is not passing over curve of hook. Wrap down toward the back of the hook then back to the front to lock it in. Take black marker and run down back of zonker strip. Run thread back to top of eye. Take pinch of dubbing, just something to anchor eyes in with. Apply to the hook as shown. The eyes should not be too close to the eye of the hook. Use crisscross pattern to wrap. Post it in back then come to the front and post it in front. Apply Sally Hansen’s cement on top of the eyes and work it in. Be careful because it’s a little runny. Wrap dubbing around and over the eyes. Apply dubbing till the head is full and tight. Anchor on with crisscross pattern, pulling extra dubbing out. Now your head is dubbed in. Run thread back down to end. Next take a strip of bunny,tie it in and while angling it downwards to your off-hand, palmer it up the hook. Keep pulling the bunny fur back as you wrap it on. Pull it tight before you cut it off. Lay on grizzley hackle and wrap towards yourself, pulling it tight. Turn hook upside down in vise and wrap five or six times. Then return to upright and wrap again. Whip behind the eyes and clip it off before cementing head but right side up and upside down. Here's a live sculpin, taken out in the lake close to outlet #1.

It'd be cool to identify the strains of rainbow in Taney- I've pulled a few pics of rainbows caught. they are taken at different times of year so colors will vary.

It's a tough job- finding fish for you- but we'll sure do my best.

Hey Russ- did you notice I added your home waters to the forum??

"I Fish; Therefore I Am" by Patrick McManus at Amazon.Com

When I got there, I saw 8-9 spread out down to Big Hole. When I left I saw only a couple. The water is dark, stained. It's very hard to see fish. They are dark to match the water and bottom... the males are very dark. There were a few beds above #2 in the shallows with rainbows on them. I saw one big brown above #2. I could have fished a crackleback or soft hackle the whole time and done well but wanted to experiment. Using the jig was alot of fun. I used white because I could see the jig.... see it disappear into the fish's mouth. Other dark colors, I would have had to go on just feel.

Vince and I drove to the dam and fished a bit this afternoon. He fished a #18 gray scud mostly and caught a fair number of rainbows above outlet #2. I played around with several flies- a #16 brown crackleback drew lots of attention and a few hookups. Best strip was downstream at about 45 degrees and short, fast strips, pausing every 4 strips. I took my ultra lite spin cast rig with 2 lb test with me- tied on a variety of colors and sizes of jigs and did best on a 1/32nd oz white jig. I'd throw it across stream and work it- hoping it off the bottom. The trout would swarm it but wouldn't really pick it up... but a few did. I caught a couple nice rainbows, working my way down to #2. About 4 they blow a horn and the water started to rise. I slipped down below #2 and threw the jig as the water got faster and faster. I caught a couple more rainbows and then a very nice brown about 18 inches. I played alittle in the outlet before heading home. I tried to run the jig down the floom of the outlet without the jig getting to the bottom. I could see rainbows taking the jig but I wasn't fast enough to set the hook before they let it go. It was interesting. Guests caught alot of trout off our dock today. I saw one guy throwing a small jig and doing very well... but mostly they were using power bait.

Looks like they're drilling a new well and installing lines- sewer and water.

Priceless... having an agent within eye-sight when someone blows you off for trying to help. That's the best story I've heard in a long time... thanks!

Elmer Boswell Memorial is our oldest going tournament- 23 years? I'd have to look. If you have 10 guys, you could have your own contest. If you need someone to officiate and weigh in your fish, let us know - we can do that.

I used to go crawdad'in many years ago in a couple of coves on TR at night- took the kids and flashlights and caught a tons of big ones. We would throw out fish guts earlier in the day and would have lots of them swarming the piles that night. We'd either gig them or just pick them up by hand. I know there's a few people who set traps for them off docks- State Park is a great place to set traps if you can get permission. Is there a bad place to find them on TR? I don't think so. May be larger rocks close to the bank would be better than pea gravel. The only problem with setting traps is that they get taken if found by fishermen or other trap setters. Don't know the law on it- you may have to put your name on the traps and not leave them out for more than 24 hours without checking them- like a trot line. I'll ask.

Shad die because of cold weather/water on lakes- it's a natural occurance. But it depends on how cold the water gets. Some winters it doesn't get cold enough to kill many shad- some winters alot of shad die. I've heard the temp has to drop below 42? but I'm not sure. For shad to flow thru the turbines at Table Rock Dam into Taneycomo, they have to drift near the intake at 130 feet deep. There have been winters where there's dead or dying shad all over the lake's surface but nothing comes thru the turbines because they aren't getting deep enough. Why? I have no idea. One thing that helps is alot of heavy generation, creating a current in the lake pulling water down to 130 feet. This winter we have had cold enough weather to have a shad kill but hardly any generation and no hard generation- so far. Rain would help- and more cold weather. So to answer your question- it could happen anytime (but doubtful) and I've seen shad come thru the turbines as late as April.

Brian Shaffer can write a book on Crane but he's too shy to post...

Oh man... when do we go???!!! What flies do you use? Do you have pics? Jeremy and I are working on some recipes/pics of how-to. I'd love to have some instructions before springtime on how to tie flies that would work for stripers.

Maybe 2 day- Ponca to Pruitt and camping at Kyles Landing.

Would Hickory Creek be worth a separate forum? There's alot of these small creeks around but I don't want to add every one of them... was thinking about adding the Elk River- it's a great smallmouth stream and floated alot.

I don't look for them to generate much at all- it's getting warm later in the week and the lakes are low. If they do, it will be alittle in the morning- but I doubt if they do at all.

Greg- green zebras are a new color for me... you're the third person who has mentioned them and done well on green midges. I'll have to try them. Droopy Dog- A good distance to start a jig is 4-5 feet. If there's alot of surface activity, you may go shallower at first. If they're running water, I like to go deep, close to the bottom but seldom do I like to bounce it on the bottom (under a float). Throwing a jig is another thing. You can throw it anytime- water on or off. It just depends what mood you're in I guess. That's how it is with me. If they are running 1/2 to full generation, I will throw a jig instead of using a float simply cause that's what I like to do and I feel I can catch more trout that way. Others would disagree- that's why it's a matter of preference. You could spend alot of time on the subject of jigs... theya re really the best lure you can ever learn to use.

Steve- post away here!! If it's a benefit to our members, I welcome it.

There are tons of coons and mink here. I'd love to catch a mink--will have to reply on Bill's help on that one... or anyone else you wants to teach a green-trapper like me. We really do have alot of "fur" here, as Bill would say. I think I may take my boys out next week and set another trap or two.

Sorry- I meant to post as "Lilley"... I forget who I am sometimes.