Phil Lilley

That's crazy!

Offering another package to the Naknek. Brian Ellis bought it last year and had a blast. Best week is July 13 for sockeye, kings and rainbows. Great deal esp if you use a buddy deal on an airline. Flights are expensive!

Makes sense.... it probably wouldn't have been the record for long. Release it and let it become another record for someone. Man I wish we could have a few in Taney...

There's definitely been some natural reproduction in the past few years. I'm sure due to ideal conditions in the spring from the creeks.

Couple of pretty rainbows today.

They shut the water off mid day yesterday. Shut down the bite too. Today they should be used to it. yes it's off again today. A new pattern starts.

By Blake Wilson Winter trout fishing reigns at its finest in the month of February here on Lake Taneycomo. February has seen tremendous hangouts of trout bite the net for those select anglers willing to brave the potentially brutal conditions of winter. However, no bravery was needed for this February as early spring temperatures greeted us. Most days averaged in the 50's and 60's as a delightful bonus to the healthy, well-oxygenated trout that cooperated. With oxygen levels well over 10 parts per million and continuous running water for most of the month, most days were filled with more time catching and a lot less just fishing. With the temperature averages, it's a slight mystery as to why the water stayed running day and night. I suspect that operators at the dam were unable to turn off one of the generators due to some type of mechanical issue since when generation was slowed, it was always to 40 megawatts, which is about one generator. I suppose it could have been a power demand or purchase we may never know. Regardless, the flows were a welcomed bonus for our trout fishing. If fly fishing is your method of choice, these days filled with 40- to 60-megawatt flows have been optimal for scuds and egg patterns under a strike indicator. Size 14 and 16 scuds paired with each other, accompanied by a UV2 orange egg, have worked great. A size AB split shot one foot above the first fly seemed to perform well. The generation also provided the opportunity to suspend midges and smaller style marabou jigs for a great bite. If spin cast is more your style, marabou jigs and jerk baits have been working great. When the flow was closer to the two- to three-units range, the signature series jerk baits in the 110+1 style pulled some impressive browns out of the depths, such as the brown caught by Brandon Butler with Captain Duane Doty during the Conservation Federation writer's conference in mid February. However, in my personal experience for the month, the marabou jig takes the crown for being the most effective tool for most of each day of fishing. Don't count out the jig for a big fish every once in a while. Tyler Swartz, federation director, caught this tank on one of our jigs fishing with Captain Robbie Dodson during the same event. In the 40-megawatt flow, our 1/25th-ounce Lilley's Jig seemed to be the most victorious. Using two-pound line or three-pound braid with a leader you can successfully work this smaller jig. Pair it with a light or ultra light action rod in the 6'6" to 7' model for best performance. Keep the jig as close to the bottom as you can. Always remember that in these water conditions this size jig will sink about one foot per second, so in 10 feet of water you will wait 9-10 seconds before starting your retrieve. The jig bite was still great with up to 100 megawatts, but we just had to increase to a 1/16th- or a 3/32nd-ounce jig. To sit back amid the beautiful Ozarks scenery, listen to the screech of our eagles, and let your bait do the work for you -- is a challenging bliss to beat. So if bait fishing is your niche, from the dock or on the water. Night crawlers, powerbait and the famous pink power worm have dominated the month of February. Drifting the pink worm threaded on to a size 8 baitholder hook on one of our drift rigs has been especially useful this last week. The night crawler is almost impossible to beat whether on the dock or drifting downstream in a boat. The power eggs and dough style baits in yellow or orange are the working best. February truly is one of our favorite times of year on this fantastic fishery. Between high oxygen, more water flows and cooler water temperatures, it ranks as one of the best months for trout fishing. If a few action-packed days of trout fishing is your cup of tea, grab some extra layers of clothes and come join us in March!

Sorry about the confusion. Our office pulled one over on me and scheduled a tournament on a weekend I didn't know about. This date is solid.

Sorry about all the changes. We’ve had to move our tournaments around. This is a firm date. Plan on it.

Leonard has been battling stomach cancer for 5 years. He was in Cox here in Branson Sunday. I went to see him about 8 pm. 15 minutes after I left, I got a text that said he had passed. Got another text an hour later saying he had not. I guess in the meantime, a relative jumped the gun and posted on FB that he had died. Can you imagine reading your own memorials on FB... he actually has been giving a gift not many people receive, not to mention a reprieve from death. He is still terminal and on hospice care.

Let's do February 7-8 weekend. All things considered, that would be a better date.

Maybe February 8 weekend?

Sorry about all the changes. We’ve had to move our tournaments around. This is a firm date. Plan on it.

Mitch just proved my point.

Neither. Monotone. Matter of fact.

Glenn, you need to start your own forum.

It’s not the content, it’s the fact that’s it’s political. No politics. It ALWAYS goes sideways.

Yeah It's pretty crazy. A couple of years ago we pushed 90 boats. We were worried it was getting out of hand but it's dropped in number. It may drop some more... we had some pretty load partiers that may not be invited back.

Good article though. I think Brandon will be here next week for our writer's conference.

"I've sent stocker trout to the skillet..." I haven't killed a trout I've caught in may be 3 years. At least to eat. But may be over 41 years? I still doubt it. But that's ok

Well aren’t you l lucky. We’ll give you the discount too

We have a very light schedule next weekend so I wanted to offer a 50% discount on rooms, boats and stalls. 2-night minimum on the room please. Rooms - we have all sizes. And the weather is supposed to be decent. Discount applies starting 2/4 through 2/14. Come and enjoy some great trout fishing.

I think Marty should demonstrate flint knapping at our next gathering. I'm going to block off unit 22 for this weekend next year... this really should be an annual event.

Man, if you would have seen the spread these guys put on today at lunch, all you guys would want to be here! We had a crowd today! I didn't count but may be 16 people. All first class human beings and everyone got along! If was actually just like a family reunion - lots of love in the room! I can't begin to name and thank everyone for bringing all the great food. Les Wilson's Smoked chili was awesome and so was DJ's wife's cheesecake. Cody's shrimp something... I can't pronounce much less spell. Curtis's duck poppers. Rick's brats/sausage. There was cake, and cake, and more cake. Sauerkraut, not sure who brought that. JD brought everyone a big jar of his honey and Marty brought some too... and some homemade BarBQue sauce. I know I'm leaving out someone... Fishing? What fishing? Of yeah - fried crappie and a walleye - the walleye caught below the a couple of nights ago. The rain put a squash on the fishing this morning for everyone EXCEPT ONE PERSON - SANDY OSBORN!! She said she had outlet 2 all to herself! I'll let her give her report. This afternoon, I did one cast wading above the boat ramp at the dam and caught 3 on a black jig. Slow. I heard some others were at Trophy Run and it was slow there too.

Old man..... I won't give away your age.