Phil Lilley

No.

Thanks for the report!!

Speaking of... the creel guys said they've been tearing up the trout above the dam on Taney at Powersite- off the bank- catching some big rainbows. They couldn't believe it. Didn't have a good explanation why all of a sudden it got so good. But it is I guess.

It's there... It's at the bottom of the Ozark Waters. Can't figure out how to renumber the forums with this new format. Hybrids? Sounds interesting.

So do you think a forum for James A. Reed Conservation Area would be useful on the forum?

Brian - click the button labeled "Watch this Topic" at the top right of this page.

My hunting trip got moved ahead a couple of weeks so I'll be around the first- this Friday. Can I do anything? Bring anything?

I usually do well in cold weather but this year my body hasn't adjusted. I'm not blaming it on old age... yet. The cold and wind is why I haven't gotten out much lately, that and family in town for the holidays and they won't fish in this weather. Been eating and playing cards - fun times. The wind finally laid down a bit this evening so I decided to get out. Grabbed my fly rod and a spin rod and headed up lake. As I passed Riverlake, I decided I wasn't going up very far - I was already cold. I stopped at the Riverpointe Ramp and picked up my fly rod, rigged with a pink micro jig and float and started drifting it in the middle of the lake about 7 feet deep. They were running one unit but barely. The stump on Short Creek gravel bar was a foot out of the water. It's a marker for us... if it's showing, we don't dare try to boat to the dam - just not enough water running to do so without taking a big risk of hitting something. After a couple hundred yards - nothing. Tied on a olive micro - nothing. Shortened up on the depth and move to shallower water - nothing. Good chop on the water, cloud cover, good conditions usually but I wasn't throwing the right thing I guess. As I drifted closer to Short Creek, I decided to anchor on the upper end of the bar, about where the stump is, and strip something. Perfect current and I like the shallow depth of the water on the gravel bar. There's usually a bunch of rainbows on this bar in the evening. They aren't targeted by many anglers, especially the ones drifting by using bait. It's too shallow, at least with the water they're running today, to throw lures over unless you throw something light and move it fast. I dropped the anchor above the stump about 10 yards, letting 20 feet of rope out. It held for about 15 minutes, then the wind picked up and I drifted onto the bar itself. I started with a olive PMS beaded, casting it to the south or shallow side and got chasers on the first throw. The next 6 casts I had multiple swirls at the fly but they just wouldn't commit, grabbing the tail instead. Seemed like big trout too- very aggressive strikes. Finally got a takers but he snapped my only PMS off. Tied on a #8 black wooly bugger, unweighted, and commenced catching rainbow after rainbow, on the shallow side, on the deep side, behind the boat. Didn't matter. They liked it, and didn't mess around chasing or biting short. My anchor drug a bit and my motor was stuck on the bottom- that's how shallow it was on the bar. The boat ended up sitting sideways in the current but it was so slow it didn't hurt anything. The wind kept picking up and then dying. Every time it blew, the fish bit better, harder. I ended up catch and releasing a dozen rainbows from 10 to 14 inches. Lots of fun. There haven't been many people fishing the past week. It's been pretty good for the most part but I don't have any concrete reports to go by at this time. I know they are catching rainbows off the dock on Gulp Eggs and night crawlers.

I don't know about other places but here on Taney they have creel checkers, what we call them, that work the whole lake on foot and from a boat. They come in the shop all the time for coffee and to warm up. Not sure but I think they've been at it this time for about 12-18 months but this stint is up Jan 31st. They ask fishermen a number of questions.

Tough question. Usually they don't swallow the hook when drifting but it varies with amount of water running and chance. I doubt if there's much of a difference.

7 inches of rain is not good wherever you're at... sure sorry to hear it. Thanks for the report, Mike.

Striped Bass

Wow... I'd think they'd be primarily striper bait but what do I know

phillilley but I don't use it much. Can't do everything.

My guess MDC is trying to appease both groups. The opening date is well after most if not all the spawning is over.

By "link" I think you're asking for a separate forum for James A Reed Conservation Area, right? Here's the only thing I found on google - http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=5501 If there's enough interest of those on the forum who may fish these lakes, sure. But I don't want to put up a ton of forums (like there's not a ton now) and not get any activity on them. I do go through and check forums occasionally and remove forums that aren't being use. Haven't done that in a while though. So we'll see how many respond to your topic. I'd love to add it if there's interest. Thanks for suggesting.

Small rainbows in the winter... they stock Taney with a ton of rainbows from Neosho - Federal Hatchery - and they always stock the small "silver bullets" you're seeing. They may stock a bunch down at Ozark Beach and I'm sure they come over the dam to Bull Shoals. As far as larger trout on Bull, I'm sure they survive in cooler water in the depths of Bull- they do on Table Rock. Not well enough to be found in abundance but they do and you'll find them anywhere on the lake. I've told this story before but will again- Rex Grady was fishing with his grandson years ago and found a bunch of schooling fish on the surface. He had his grandson throw into the mix and he hooked a white bass. Then he casted again and hooked another fish- this one was much bigger. Rex was busy with a tangle, he said, and didn't see the fish come in. His grandson said it wasn't a bass but something else. He looked- it was a 8-9 pound brown. They ended up catching several more browns surfacing on shad just like the other fish. True story. It was in late fall when the water was cooler. I've caught trout in Swan and Beaver as well as in the lake at K Dock. It's a fluke but it happens.

I've been reporting guys catching whites, walleye, striper and yellow perch for a week or more now on the flats in 33-39 feet of water jigging spoons. I fished the flat in sight on Lead Hill Marina a couple of weeks ago and did real well. Most times, these guys are limiting on whites (25 in Ark) every time out.

The same used to be said about white bass... I haven't eaten Yellow Perch but I've heard they are very good.

Yea they used to on the lower end but the stripers kept eating them. Used to be they took trips in pontoons at night and fished close to the dam face deep for big rainbows, I remember. I don't think they stock them anymore.

Thanks for posting. MSU boys are tearing up the hardwood this year... 10-0. Have a blessed Christmas!

I guess you could say both trout and stripers are being stocked in BS. Arkansas is stocking stripers and trout are coming over the dam from Taney. I'm sure the stripers are keying in on both shad and rainbows. I'd be very tempted to troll a Castaic rainbow bait down there. Vince Elfrink caught a 1-12 oz yellow perch there last spring and broke the state record. There are quite a few of them in the lake now. You're right about water and the run this winter. We may see a fantastic walleye run if it all goes right!

Actually they've been catching stripers at Powersite and in the Lead Hill area for a week now. Also, Taxidermist (John) says they've been catching them further down lake on Bull Shoals. None below the dam on the White and none in Taneycomo. I don't think it's the "purists" who are saying "no" (not sure who's asking). It wouldn't make much sense for MDC to stock stripers and rainbows in the same waters. It sure would hurt the tourism biz and completely change any management plans MDC has for Taney. I'm going to try to get down there soon to see if it's true- about Powersite. I know for sure on the Lead Hill report cause I've talked to the source personally.

Glad you did- howdy!

I went with a guide 3 years ago but I don't know his name. We fly fished the inland waters, mangroves, and caught baby tarpon. I'd think June would be much better fishing. I'll try to find his name in my records but don't hold your breath... I don't keep good records.