Phil Lilley

Boated to the dam. Still running 3-4 units at about 6 feet high (707). Water was murky which is good sign. It starts getting silty when the lake starts to mix (Table Rock). Made 2 drifts to KOA. Threw 1/8th oz jigs and varied the colors. First white. Caught 4 rainbows all above outlet #3. Broke it off and tied on a brown jig. Caught 4 more rainbows and one brown. Boated back up and tied on a olive/sculpin mix jig. Caught 6 rainbows and 1 brown on last drift. All between 11 and 14 inches. Fought hard which is good sign. Took these pics for you to enjoy. Where the water was this morning- very high. Osprey near dam. Chuck Gries with a client. He was hooking fish on every cast. Me and dad working- see I do work!

Oh no- not 39. Surface temp has to start to drop below 48 or so, then the colder water will start to fall below the warmer water and then it will flip. It does take much.

Got an email from James at the hatchery this morning. DO level coming into hatchery is 2.0 ppm, temp 48. He said water is a bit warmer than normal and typically it's 1 ppm coming in. That's good... it may turn within the next couple of weeks with the colder temps forecasted. Need cold and wind- that's best to cool surface temps on Table Rock.

Table Rock is 911.7- up 3 feet. Nice!

Generation- I don't think they'll run much. They may early and late- when it's the coldest and need power. Actually, it looks like it dropping now. Line's busy to the dam recording. My luck it's off already. Called- 4 units at 707.0- good level. Table Rock is up to 911.7- that's 3 feet up from this rain and I'm sure it will go higher!

17 inches - wow! We just got may be 2 inches of snow if that much. Lots of sleet/ice though. Rain- not sure but it was great. Need more.

It's really warming up this morning. I cleared our road this morning and it's already melting like crazy. So I bet the roads will be fine by mid day today here, if not already. They are running a ton of water this morning on Taney. They haven't run water like this in months so the lake is pretty merky at our place. But it's cleaning it out so that's good. I'm going to get out and boat to the dam and drift some eggs and bounce some jigs- should be good!

I thought they wanted all the crappie caught kept on Fork? I thought that's what Buster Loving told me, regardless of size you had to keep all crappie. May be there was a limit. He talked like there were so many in Fork that they were considered a nuisance- by the bass fishermen I bet! I wish they were a nuisance in a lake alittle closer to Branson!!!

score?

Boyd- there won't be many fishing this Saturday. Most of our guests have already canceled for the weekend and this is a slow weekend to boot. I attended a bible college in Oak Cliff (south Dallas) but had a part time job at the Hilton downtown (not there anymore). I bused tables at the Beef Baron. Dallas got hit with a huge ice storm on a Friday. Rick (my best buddy who worked with me) and I weren't going in- no way. But our boss said he'd send a cab... the hotel was full and they weren't going out to eat- they were packed. So we headed out in my 69 Impala with slick tires. The roads weren't too bad going in... no problem for us anyhow. But on the way home (at 1 am) they were desserted... like the A-Bomb had gone off and no one was alive. Except for one car- a caddie- a nice caddie with white walls and fancy lights. Yes it was a black guy all dressed up and literally no where to go. We stopped, he got out and promptly fell on his butt. He had platform shoes on- very slick. We helped him back into his car and told him we'd get him started. I pulled up behind him- our bumpers didn't meet and my grill got crunched. I pushed him and got him started. We passed him up and the last thing we saw was him doing circles down hwy 45. Those were the days.

It snows in Texas... I lived in Dallas 1976-78 and they got tons of snow and ice... well not tons but enough to make an impression on me. I have several great stories about ice and Dallas Freeways... they definately don't know how to drive on ice!!

No- on all counts.

There are buildings in one direction from the house. And the road. I'm sure the animals are used to human activity but I seriously doubt if they are fed... against all logic- especially the lion. It all does seem surreal- all those animals around a compound together. I registered on their forum but haven't been validated (there's that word again).

Don't believe me??? These guys are quick - http://youtube.com/watch?v=K5C8wwsbrF0

Just saw a male lion walk in front of the camera. Been hearing his carry on for 20 minutes now. I play the sound most of the time- really sounds cool (I have surround sound on the computer). Marsha saw a hyeana yesterday.

They say 4-8 here but you never know. It's still raining and sleeting here. But radar shows alot of whites and blues to the northwest.

I got a black lab as a pup back about 1988- fantastic dog, both in the field, at the resort- wherever she went. January 1990, we went over to Bull Shoals and fished below the dam for browns. With me were Jim & Phyliss Johnson from Baldwin, MI. I took Bo... what a mistake. It was rainey all day. No generation. The lake level was up just a bit. There were browns all over the place and we were hooking them readily. But Bo kept it interesting. I could keep her out of the water- until one of us would hook a fish. Then she thought she needed to retreive it. She'd blow through the run and chase even brown to deep water. It was frustrating at the time but I chuckle everytime I think about that day.

I was alittle stir crazy... after salting all the stairs and walk ways to the dock (can you believe we still have people coming in tonight and tomorrow), I put my waders on and headed to the dam. Roads weren't too bad but still drivers were going slow... oh yea, tourist go slow regardless of the road conditions. 3 guys fishing and all were at outlet #2. I found out why real quick. The lake level was about 18 inches high from the runoff and the only current was coming out of the outlet. I threw a black #12 wooly bugger for a while- had a few short bites and one small rainbow to hand. Worked my way up to the current at the tail of the floom and tied on a scud and started the outlet drift. Actually I had trouble getting the depth/weight/bug combo right and I was running out of daylight. I ended up catching 4 more rainbows between 12 and 14 inches and called it an evening. The roads by now were covered with sleet and ice. Not slick though... too many tourist on the road though! Had to dodge on or two but got home without incident. Lake in front of the resort is stained and high. By morning it should be back down and clearer but it's going to take either generation or a couple of days for the water to clear up. Should be decent fishing though this weekend... if you dare get out on the roads.

I did- 4 pm I was at outlet #2 fishing.

http://ozarkhunters.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7

Yea- and you have fishing forums to jabber on...

Could have made it more exciting for us and attached a pics of your bloody finger... you know- like a CSI episode. Crappie 50 feet deep- everyone's always wondered where those fish go in the winter!! Thanks!

Rich - did you catch walleye? Trout?

I'd say general obedience training... minding your commands. That and time, maturity. It's hard to calm a pup when they get excited!

I didn't know the Current has stripers?!? Glad you killed it... it would eat all the trout! :) :)