Phil Lilley

Looks like you fit right in here. Table Rock is the most popular topic here - there's lots to share and lots to learn.

I grew up fishing with my grandfather on Texhoma. Trolling for sand bass and running trot lines. Thanks for signing up. Looking forward to your posts.

Glad you found us. Lots of anglers here fish the Finley so you'll find many friends.

Thanks for the report, JD. Got any pics of the big brown? I'm going to have to get you or your dad to take me down there someday. Sounds like my kind of fishing! I'll bring my jigs.

194 views and only 20 votes.

<p><img src="http://ozarkanglers.com/ice/stammer.jpg" width="530" height="200"></p> <p>Trout fishing on Lake Taneycomo should be a &quot;blast&quot; for the Fourth of July weekend. We've seen the Missouri Department of Conservation's stocking boat go by twice in the last couple of days, dumping rainbows out along the way. But even besides the freshly stocked trout, this last week's &quot;catching&quot; been good. Actually it's been good for the past couple of months.</p> <p>Generation patterns have been consistent in the last few days. The U.S. Corps of Army Engineers dumped a lot of water out of Beaver Lake last week, which brough tup the level of Table Rock and, thus, we saw more generation during the day and night. But it seems the corps has now brought the upper lakes to the targeted levels, and that means our pattern settles back to no generation at night and most of the day until late in afternoon and into the evening.</p> <p>To simplify: Two units are usually online at 3 p.m. and back off at 8 p.m. -- a pattern I hope will continue.</p> <p>As I've mentioned in my past report, our water is pretty clear for this time of year. Using light line is a must if you want to successfully catch our trout -- no larger than four-pound line and no funny colors like yellow or fluorescent green. Clear or moss green line work the best. Small weights with small hooks are the golden rule. If you're using night crawlers, use a #6 short-shanked bronze hook; if you're using Power Bait or eggs use a #8 hook. The best colors of Power Bait have been white, pink or orange -- and now yellow late this morning.</p> <p>With good catches comes the temptation of keeping more than the legal limit, which is four trout per day per trout permit, and eight in your possession (stored in your freezer or refrigerator.) We have two agents that do their job very well. A trip to Forsyth (our county seat) will cost you about $140, plus time from your vacation -- and embarrassment. We also have about a dozen fishing guides on the lake every day who all have cell phones and will report any violations they see. So stay within the law. Catching too many fish only robs the next person who happens along to fish your spot after you leave. Where the greed really adversely affects catching is off docks. One violator can litterally clean out an area of trout.</p> <p>When rainbows are freshly stocked, they tend to stay schooled up and close to the surface. They readily take shiny, flashy things that swim by like Cleos, rooster tails, Thomas and Crocodile spoons. They also will take small jigs fished under a float about four- to six- feet deep. Try trolling a jig -- it works! The nice thing about a jig is that it won't twist the line like a spoon or spinner. Use jigs in the colors white, brown, black, olive, pink or sculpin. Use 1/50 or lighter if fishing under a float and one-eighth ounce if trolling.</p> <p>I'm going to address one other problem area we are seeing on our lake lately -- common courtesy. Taneyomo is relatively a small, skinny lake and navigation is tricky. If you're in a bass or large deep boat, watch your wake. Literally look behind you and see what your wake is doing to other boats as you pass. If people are being thrown around, falling off their seats or even being thrown into the lake, you're probably throwing a big wake. Going slow doesn't mean you're boating safely. Some boats actually throw huge wakes when going slow. Idle speed is when your control level is placed in forward with no other propulsion. When boats are bunched up and you have to go through them, idle speed is the only save speed. Even if you pass 100 feet from another boat, your wake will hit them at the same level as if you were passing them at 10 feet. The law says you are responsible for what your wake does, regardless of your best intentions. Best to be aware of how your boat preforms when move through the water and be nice to other boaters.</p> <p>When anchoring, find a spot off the channel. It's best not to anchor against the bank because a wake could pushed you up on the rocks. It's better to anchor out off the channel and throw your line into the channel. Now, if you anchor too close and your lines block the channel, don't be surprised when someone runs over your lines. I find you'll catch fish way off the channel and your fishing day will be less stressful if you anchor as far away from the channel as possible.</p> <p>If you see someone catching fish, don't run up by him and drop an anchor where he's fishing. If you're not catching fish, it's generally not the spot that's wrong but rather how you're fishing. It is extremely rude to crowd someone who's successfully reeling the fish in. You'll do much better if you ask that person about his technique, especially if he's a guide. Guides on this lake are amazingly generous with their advice as well as in sharing a lure or fly with someone.</p> <p>Above Fall Creek, or in the trophy area, fishing has been excellent. Best bet is using micro jigs under an indicator four- to five-feet deep with two-pound line. Best colors have been tan and olive. There are two sizes of micro jigs -- 1/125th- and 1/256th-ounce. The smaller size has been the best. We have an abundant supply of scuds, which replicate the bugs that live in the gravel bottoms. Trout love them --they are their prime food supply. So we use a #14 or #16 gray scud under an indicator and fish it on the bottom, again using light tippet.</p>

My girls were chickens at Stafford's years ago so I've seen his show many times. Expanding... maybe.

For those who have visited Branson for reasons other than fishing, please help me out with this poll. We would like to know what the most popular attraction is on the Branson strip, shows and restaurants excluded. Thanks!

Nice- most of that was on your GoPro, right? I need to play around with mine more. You were also using a small tripod or gorilla pod if I'm not mistaken. I think that's what it's called. You have an incredible bit of water to play on, Brian.

Brandon Beck from Vicksburg, MS caught this fat rainbow off the dock June 23rd, 2010. It was 21.5 inches long, 17 inch girth, and weighed 6 lbs.

Use #4 for the 1/16th oz and #2 for the 1/8th oz.

Between Bill and I, we're swamped. I've talked to Bill once this week on the phone which is unusual for us but that shows how busy we are. He's guiding almost every day, sometimes two half days. And if you haven't guided in 95 degree, humid weather before, it's very tough on an old man (Bill, not me). After this reunion this weekend, I'll be freed up - maybe I can get Bill on a free and fresh moment and we can do one.

I deleted my post - I had posted a link to the exxon home site and what they said they paid in US taxes but in searching further I found a mirage of articles talking about how they (exxon) moved money around and possibly avoided paying alot of taxes. I say possibly cause I don't think anyone knows for sure but everyone sure has an opinion one way or the other! It's not my fight so I'll stay out of it. Back to working on my high school reunion stuff.

These subjects and arguments are getting old. I'm going to be closing a lot of topics tonight, I think.

No. When the sun went down, all they caught were small gills. I told them to throw them back hooked- they'd catch a big bass or cat. They didn't do it.

Took some friends out last evening for a 90 minute trip. Put in at State Park and went directly to the cove to the north of the Branson Belle. 12-20 foot of water and dropped a piece of worm to the bottom and wham! Blue Gill City! We caught 25 biggun's plus a 15-inch spot and a 5 pound flathead. Broke off another cat. I was told to go to any cove where I've found goggleye's in May and that's what I did. Pea gravel bank, small cove off main lake.

I thought about not posting it but you really can't tell who it is- face is too blurry. I guess you could if you knew him. It's all in fun.

Thanks for the update, Gene. But still... I'm not sure the blue doors will grow enough The dock, though, is amazingly constructed- one of the sturdiest I've seen. The company that owns Fall Creek has spent a ton of money on both bank stabilization projects as well as the dock, that's for sure.

I will next time. Last minute deal. Heard there were whites to be caught on rattle traps off Combs Ferry Point after dark but nothing. Talked to Rasnick - he said I was ok last night. The note was wrong. As long as you buy the $4 tag, you're fine at night.

Put in at Moonshine about 11 pm tonight. Fished for a couple of hours- got a hot tip but it didn't pan out. Bought a "day pass" but got a note saying I needed to buy an annual pass to park on Corp property after 9 pm next time. Not sure I understand the reasoning . . . may be my ranger buddy Jeremy Rasnick will enlighten me tomorrow when I call him. They got my $4 and I placed the tag in the window. I do understand why they call it a "day pass" but to make someone pay for an annual pass to use their ramps at night seems extreme, especially if you're from out of town and/or if you're only using the ramps a couple of times a year (me). One thing I will say . . . the rangers are on the stick. That's a good thing.

Taneycomo's generation pattern has held consistent this past week which is nice for anglers who are heading to the lake and are counting on fishing a certain way, ie. boating, wading, fly fishing or bait fishing. It helps to know what to buy and pack for the trip. Catching continues to be very, very good for most regardless how you fish. There has been no generation in the mornings with one to two turbines kicking on in the afternoon about 3 pm and continuing till about dark. Water temperatures vary from 43 to 50, depending on where you are on the lake. The trophy area has been by far the most productive area on the lake but it's been hit pretty hard by anglers, especially fishing guides who have been very busy with trips. Our water is very clear right now so dropping to 2-pound test in a must, especially when using small flies and jigs. Spin fishing- tie on 36 inches of 2-pound tippet using a triple surgeon's knot (make a loop with both lines laid over each other and pass the tippet and main line through the loop three times, pull tight). Guides fishing from boats above Fall Creek are using several jigs and flies to catch rainbows: Turner's micro 1/265th oz olive or tan jigs, #16 red, black or rust zebra midges or gray #14 scuds are by far the best. Fish these under a float--depths depend on the water you're fishing. Jigs and zebras need to be fished off the bottom but the scuds need to be fishing on the bottom, twitched or moved to make them look like they're swimming off the bottom. Move around if you're not getting bit. Rainbows are schooling together up there and there's areas where there's no fish. Below the dam, you'll find slow moving and fast water. Fast water, you can get away with using heavier tippet (5 or 6x) but the slower areas you may have to use 7x and smaller flies. Scuds are the best because that's the main food they're seeing. If it's sunny, use a scud with a little flash or glimmer in the dubbing. If it's cloudy and rainy, use an olive or brown scud. Need to drag a scud on the bottom, either using a weighted fly or split shots to get it down. San Juan worms work great, especially after a shower. In the riffles, strip a soft hackle, Crackleback or small woolly. Our trout are starting to look up a bit . . . when the water is dropping out in the evenings (generation is slowing down), use a Big Ugly or Chernobyl Ant - something big and something our trout haven't seen before. Night fly fishing is very good, stripping big streamers like black and purple Hibenators and big leeches and woolly buggers. Below Fall Creek, air injected night crawlers are still catching the larger rainbows while Gulp eggs are catching alot of good rainbows. Again, if you want to catch more fish, use smaller line. Four-pound is fine and you will catch trout but, for a challenge and to catch more fish, try tying on alittle 2-pound tippet. Jig-and-float technique is working well in the deeper water too. For micro jigs, use 2-pound line. For marabou 1/125-ounce to 1/50-ounce you can get away with 4-pound line. Set your floats at 5 to 6 feet deep. Move the float every 10 seconds to give the jig action and watch for the slightest movement. Rainbows usually just come up and mouth the jigs, taste it. You'll need to be quick on the set. Good colors are olive, tan, black, black/yellow, sculpin with an orange head. In the evenings when the water is running, try an 1/8th oz marabou jig and work the bluff banks from Fall Creek down. Using white this week, I've hooked some nice rainbows and browns up to 22-inches long and seen one brown about 34 inches come up and chase a small rainbow. I guess you could have a big rainbow colored Rapala in the boat ready to throw is you find yourself in that situation! It's rare but it does happen.

I would think they are throughout the lake.

We were using spin cast. Add 12 inches of #2 Vanish to our #4 Trilene. Slip on a carrot float. Tie on a #14 or #16 grey scud - actually a tan scud worked best early but we had only one tan scud- Coy had it and was catching 4 to the boy's one trout. Then the sun rose over the bluff and the grey did better. We were fishing such shallow water (24-30 inches) that no need for a split but you could use one to get it down. Set the float about 4 feet but shallowed it up when we were fishing in less than 30 inches. The trout were bunched up is areas. You had to keep moving if you weren't getting bit. Last week, the trout were hiding in the shadows of the bluff but today they were out in the sun- on the flats.

<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object> This is why our rainbows are so big. Constant running water for, what, 3 years now have been good to our bugs. You see sow bugs floating (can't swim) and scuds swimming. This was taken in about 12 inches of water at the Narrows. Could not believe the number of rainbow schooling on the drop at the Narrows today. And they were taking our gray #14 scuds like candy. Coy lost a pig - 20+ over 5 pounds - at the boat. I boated this nice rainbow at the Narrows. Rainbow head under water- just playing.