Phil Lilley

Gents.... I had plans to crash your party Friday but my grandbaby isn't cooperating... he doesn't want to come out and play. My daughter's due date was Monday so I have to stay close so we can run down to Rogers when we get the call. NFOW is on my short list this spring.

I've been told the walleye are stacked up in the creek but it's catch and release after dark above the bridge.

I can see it!

That's some pretty warm water... they might be at the bank fairly quick now.

I've been told water is perfect and lots of whites.

Heard they caught them early this am off the Powersite side, gravel bar while the water was running on gray jigs. Most limited. Also they caught them- heading up from the bridge (76), gravel bar on the right before the channel swings back to the right. Catching drifting minnows, swimming minnows but best of stick baits.

Had a friend there today till about 4. They were catching pretty good and getting better as they left.

Is there rip rap up around the corner and into the field? Or just there next to the road?

Yes! They were being caught up above the whistles last evening, mostly by fly rodders. From a reliable source!

Fall Creek Resort is spending a fortune at our local rock quarry. They are in the process of rocking the bank from below their dock to the Narrows. Not saying it's a bad thing... in light of the high water we've had and the damage they've sustained, they should. But they are adding 30 feet to their real estate, and illuminating that much of lake. This area at Fall Creek is narrow already. The water screams through there when running full tilt and with this addition, it will just a little faster. What is it... when you make adjustments to a stream, it will have an affect on the structure below it? We will see. The Corp is not supposed to let people do this. I did call the local Corp guy but got no answer. I know when we've done construction, we were told not to push dirt or rock into the lake. Then I saw this yesterday. They are rocking the creek itself. Again, they are smart to do it BUT on the opposite bank of this rock is a high dirt bank. They are narrowing the creek mouth and will push water to the dirt side. Unless they plan to rock both sides (and that will be a trick), they may have trouble when we get a gully washer.

Kinda has a turn down eye.

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/07/4167251/white-bass-carry-spring-fever.html

I changed it for ya...

Table Rock Lake has crept up to almost power pool which likely means we will start to see an increase in generation very soon. Rains are forecast for next week which will push the lakes in our chain up past power pool. That doesn't mean big generation, but it will mean some. We've had very little flow for months, so that will be a big change. It's inevitable. Because of this uncertainty, my fishing report will have to cover more possible options than normal. I can tell you what's been working lately, but these patterns might not work when and if dam operators start running water. Here goes . . . With no generation, below Fall Creek, we've been fishing Berkley's Powerbait or Gulp Eggs on the bottom or on a jig head under a float. We have used straight line on the bottom (four-pound line is fine), a drift rig or just a #8 short shank hook and a split shot up the line 18 inches. We put on green or clear monofilament line. You can use fluorocarbon; a good line is Vanish two-pound. Otherwise, Trilene XL four-pound green works great. Colors: orange/white or yellow/white are working the best. In the paste, yellow is good. If you're putting the eggs on a jig head, use a 1/32nd-ounce head with a #10 hook and slide one or two eggs on the hook. Set the float three- to five-feet deep. Our guides actually use Super Glue to keep the eggs in place. An added benefit is you use less bait per fish using glue. This is working really well in the Monkey Island area. The Missouri Department of Conservation just released between 20 and 30,000 rainbows in the downtown area this week. Because we have a lot of freshly stocked rainbows in the lake, throwing a Cleo or Rooster Tail might be good to do, too. New rainbows like to chase shiny things in the water. The jig-and-float technique should also work. I would fish between Fall Creek and Trout Hollow, targeting the shallow side of the lake, opposite the bluff, from the River Pointe boat ramp to Short Creek. This water is a lot deeper than you think and holds fish. The best jig colors to try are brown, sculpin-ginger, brown-orange, all with an orange head, black or olive. Sizes- 1/32nd-ounce to 1/125th- ounce. Set the float four- six- feet deep. I ventured out to fish with some kids this week. We fished night crawlers on the bottom just up from the mouth of Short Creek, staying on the shallow side of the lake. The kids caught better rainbows than we've been seeing in the trophy area, a nice brown trout and a big sucker -- which was the biggest thrill to them. We injected air into the worms for quicker strikes. Again, four-pound line is fine using worms. Above Fall Creek I also tried my luck a few times this week. I took some boys up there one morning and introduced them to jig-and-float fishing. They caught on fairly well, boating quite a few rainbows, although most of the strikes went unanswered. I added some 6x fluorocarbon tippet to my four-pound line on my spin cast outfits, a small float and 1/125th-ounce jigs, then set the floats at 36 inches and fished the Narrows most of the time. There was a good chop on the water and the fish were hungry! The best jig was by far a brown with an orange head, although ginger was good, too. On Thursday, I was blessed to fish with a long-time friend, Rolan Duffield. We tried Bull Shoals for white bass in the morning, then came back to Taney for some afternoon trout. We fished mainly jigs under a float using the fly rods and fished from Lookout to the Narrows. Yes, we caught lots of trout. The best color by far was a ginger in 1/100th-ounce size. Last evening, they were running a half unit of water. I boated up past Lookout Island to the top of Trophy Run and started throwing a straight jig with no float. I tried a white first, catching one nice brown, and then a sculpin which yielded nothing. Next I tied a ginger 1/8th-ounce jig on -- and they liked it!! I was looking for a nicer rainbow but didn't find anything larger than 13 inches. As I drifted on down to the Narrows, I caught rainbows consistently on either the ginger or sculpin/ginger jig. Past the Narrows I didn't do as well. This morning, I took a couple of friends out for K.A.A. (Kids Across America). We started well above the Narrows throwing a zebra midge, #16 rusty 30 inches under a palsa and working the deeper water. The bite was light, but they caught about 35 rainbows for the morning. After the wind picked up, the trout really bit well. We used 7x fluorocarbon tippet when the water was dead still and 6x when it grew choppy. I also tied on a #14 crackleback, and they caught several on the flat there at the Narrows. The fish were midging really well. If and when the dam operators start running water, drifting Gulp eggs or night crawlers down from Fall Creek should be very good. I'd think our trout will like the running water since they find more food moving in the water and more opportunities for feeding. Above Fall Creek, I'd drift an egg fly on the bottom and also try a larger size scud, like a #12. We use a jig-and-float and drift a full micro pink with a chrome head fivv- to seven-feet below an indicator. Of course, I'll be throwing an 1/8th-ounce jig and working the bottom of the lake off the bluff banks when the water starts moving. If you can get all the way to the dam below the cable, you'll find the biggest trout in the lake right now. Jig fishing will be great!

http://www.ozarkanglers.com/bull-shoals/maps/ Johnson Hole Map Not sure where Quisenberry is but Johnson Hole is between Barker and Beaver Creek (map). Buster gave me a stick bait the other day- one of the ones he's been catching them on. It's a Ricky Clunn Classic's RC. I bought several at Bass Pro - Pro Blue, Herring Bone and French Pearl. They're suspending baits. Babler said they replace the eyes and hooks on these baits- put better hardware on them.

http://www.lilleyslanding.com/availability/avail_0613.htm We actually do have some bigger units open in June. #23 is the unit Wayne is referring to and it's open the first 6 days. #25 is a 4 bedroom, larger than you might need unless you bring more kin (split the cost!). #26 is a big house and is way too big... very nice though if you have a big group. #19, #20 or #9 - they would work although it would be a little tight for 7 people. We get cancellations all the time so if you don't see what you need, call the office and they'll put you on a waiting list. Thanks for asking.

Glad you got into them!

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/04/4162215/big-bass-makes-waves-at-table.html

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/04/4162215/big-bass-makes-waves-at-table.html

That would be up close to the dam... dam is mile 23. Might have been in a drift boat? Water not running, not many boats out.