Phil Lilley

Trout fishing on Lake Taneycomo continues to be fairly good. Since the last rains brought up Table Rock about six inches, operators at the dam have been running two units full at a rate of 6,000 cubic feet per second. They opened one flood gate, starting last Friday and ending yesterday, which added 1,000 c.f.s of water from the top of Table Rock Lake. This was to add oxygen to the flow from Table Rock because dissolved oxygen levels started to drop last week, especially down lake, shown by the gauge station at College of the Ozarks, about five miles below Table Rock. Dam. Table Rock Lake started to turn over almost a month ago when we had a week long period of cold, wet weather. The water coming. into Taneycomo silted up and D.O. levels rose, indicating definite movement in the layers of water in the lake above. But very warm temperatures returned, stopping the "turn" in its tracks and ,causing some D.O. issues at the dam. The liquid oxygen supply was used up, and no more had been ordered since Table Rock was starting to turn. So when more D.O. was needed, operators scrambled and opened flood gates to help with the D.O. situation. All the while, two of its four turbines were taken off line for maintenance so they are limited on what they can do with turbine release. Yesterday (November 30), we saw D.O. level go back and and water temperatures starting to drop. Also, I noticed the small pieces of vegetation flowing from Table Rock decrease big time. All these signs indicate Table Rock's water is starting to straighten out, although it's still mixing. Cold temperatures this week, along with some wind, should go ahead and complete the lake turn over process, and we should be good to go for the winter season. It's been a strange fall season for sure with long transition that started way back in October. I'm not sure how all that has affected the trout bite, though. For the most part, fishing been pretty good with little evidence of slowing the bite down. I think the junk in the water might have been more of a distraction than a hindrance, but we usually see silt more than pieces of weeds and algae. City of Branson residents have been treated to bad smelling and tasting water because of the water quality problems spawned by the stalled turn over, too. (We have our own well here, so not an issues.) But hopefully that is all behind us now. With the present flow -- about 6,000 c.f.s - we have been drifting mostly, dragging bait and flies on the bottom as well as working a jig, spoon or jerk bait. I think we'll see this flow for a few more days, and perhaps by this coming weekend, we'll see a reduction in flow. Table Rock is now dropping about three to four inches per day and should be down to about 916 feet (one foot above seasonal power pool) by Saturday. We could even see some down water next week if rains stay away. We were wishing that the opening of a gate would spark a "white bite," but it seems like it did not. One friend, who fished most of last week, did get into some nice rainbows and browns using white jigs but I tried and couldn't replicate the feat. We are catching a few trout from the cable down to the first island on white jigs; they are quality trout but not the shad bite we were hoping for. I have caught fish in and below the trophy area on darker jigs -- black, sculpin and olive -- throwing mainly 1/16th and 3/32nd-ounce jigs on four-pound line. Most of the fish have either come off the bottom or along the banks. Drifting scuds has really been the best way to catch them in the trophy area. The weeds and algae are much reduced, so you're not cleaning your flies off every hundred yards, but you do have to drop them on the bottom to get bit. In most cases, an 1/8th-ounce bell sinker does the trick. I've also used a couple of #7 split shots to keep the scud down. We're using #12 grey or tan scuds. The gray UV scuds are the best especially if the sun is out. They give off a blueish/purplish color. Pink San Juan Worms are working, too. Use the medium size chenille -- the trout seem to see these bigger flies better than the micro or standard yarn. Egg flies are working okay but have not been the greatest. They actually should be the hot fly a little later in the month when the rainbows start spawning. The rainbow spawn should last through the month of January. With the water quality getting better, we should start carrying minnows again. With the brown trout moving back down in the lake, I would think drifting a minnow from our place down through Cooper Creek should be good for a big brown. I'd also test out the Cooper Creek flats, throwing some jerk baits early and late in the day. They should be down there! Drifting night crawlers on the bottom from Fall Creek down is producing some nice rainbows. We've been drifting the scuds down to Short Creek and landing nice rainbows, too. I've seen a few people trying to anchor in this current and fish below the boat. If you're going to anchor, do it on the inside binds on the lake where the water is slower and less deep. You'll have a much better chance to catch fish AND it is much safer. View full article

This was the video.

If you must know, someone saw one of my videos and was asking what type of scuds we had. So I posted the study here as a placemark so he could read it. Thought it would be good info in anyone wanted to read it in the future. As for why they declined - I believe MDC trout guys have established that the decline was caused by over population of fish in the lake. Since then, MDC has reduced stocking numbers and it seems to us, by the simple evidence of seeing these periods of huge swarms of bugs, that each time they drop stocking numbers, scud populations go up. We have the same golf courses, more development but the scud population seems to be doing pretty good. It's also evident I think by the great growth rate we're seeing now with rainbows in the trophy area.

Here's a study by MDC on our freshwater shrimp population. Lake Taneycomo Invertebrate Sampling.pdf

That's right... Flathead beat Frank!

I guess the DO levels dropped to 4ppm so the Corp is making sure water quality stays ok. Table Rock just won’t quite turn over. But the cold snap next week should do it.

What were you throwing?

Yes. But I’m not sure it helped allot. We moved down the drop off and stayed constantly in 20 foot of water. Paul was watching it and saw fish take his jig but I didn’t and I caught more fish.

Great info - many thanks!

This is the only picture I took. It’s off a pond I say by Monday morning.

Last Sunday 11/15, I headed to Arcadia, MO to hunt with long time friend, Paul Crews. He has a nice, small spread and a "hunting cabin" in the woods. I only wanted to kill a doe. I'd take 2 if given the chance. But I didn't want to kill a buck. It was Paul's land and he was hunting a big buck. I don't care about horns. Sunday evening, Paul had me sit on the ground inside a wooded area. Saw nothing. Monday morning, we hunted the opposite corner of the woods because the wind had shifted. I sat on the ground again looking slightly down a dip -- very brushy conditions which I'm personally uncomfortable with. I like open fields but Paul said they were holding tight to the woods. I had 2 does run by me at about 30 yards... way too quick for a shot. Then another - in and out of sight. Then 2 more does came in on my left, about 50 yards, but laid down in a thick cedar grove. They'd get up and mill around but lay back down -- no shots. Too much brush. It was getting to be about the time to meet Paul -- 9:30 am. He had already shot a doe and had it back at the truck. So I pulled out my grunt call and gave it a couple of quiet blows. Nothing. A few more, louder. Nope. Then one last blow as hard as I could. Didn't sound much like a grunt. But nothing was moving them. I was sitting there thinking about what to do next when I caught some motion to my front left. A buck came out of a thicket and was headed right at me. 70 yards - I got my gun up and had a front-on shot but I could only see 3 points -- big points -- on each side. I could not see brow tines because of the brush. He came on, looking around for the buck he had heard, stomping his front hooves. I'd look down my scope, then over the top, trying to identify him as a legal buck. He came within 30 yards, turned slightly right and showed me his side. You couldn't ask for a better shot. But was it legal? Did I want to take it? It was a big bodied deer for sure. I decided to pass. He turned away a little -- that's when I saw his tines. It was a nice 9 point. He saw me move and he bolted on, blowing at least 8 times as he went. FAST FORWARD to this past Sunday, 11/22. Back up to deer camp for another try. I went back to the same corner -- where all the action was, but this time I sat in a ladder stand. I was up about 15 feet. There was a bar extended from my right to left to keep me on the stand and it was a nice gun rest. About 7:30 am, someone just to the west of us shot 4 times. It was obvious he was shooting at something running and chances are he didn't hit it. Ten minutes later, I heard a crash and saw a big buck enter the brush from the west. I could see plenty of points on this one so no question I could shoot it. He paused long enough at 70 yards for me to get the gun around and on him, but it was a straight on shot which I didn't want to take. He trotted from there right at me, not stopping till he was directly below me. I could spit on him!! He stopped, looked to the ladder, then his head and eyes followed the ladder up right to me!!! What's the deal! His tongue was hanging out so he'd been running -- probably the same deer that had been shot at. He started at me for I bet 4-5 seconds. My gun of course was still pointing from where he came, above the bar! I couldn't move. And I thought for sure he was going to blow and go... but he didn't. His tail flickered, he dropped his head and turned and trotted off to my front right. This was my only chance. yes I'd kill it because it was by far the biggest deer I'd ever seen in the woods... body and rack. He was majestic and I know Paul would be proud to see it down. I had to lean back as far as I could to get the gun barrel below the bar... and as the point of the gun passed the metal bar, it ticked it ever so slightly. And yes, he heard it and yes he bolted - like he'd been shot at. I really don't feel cheated at all. I loved the experiences equally and wouldn't trade them for any successful hunt anywhere. We left the next morning for some crappie fishing. We are very blessed!

A little of both... but I did not get a deer last week so... I'll have to start a new topic and share my big buck stories.

Sorry - a bass have to be 8 pounds before we give a catch and release award out... may be next time

I've never owned one. But I'm in the market. Any suggestions? Favorites? Thanks

I attended the crappie show here in Branson a couple of weeks ago - there I saw some really nice, adjustable screen mounts for mainly the livescope setup. Problem is I didn't write any of the manufacture company names down. I'm wanting an adjustable mount for the bow screen setup. Any suggestions?

Patience. We really wanted to see what it was more than landing it. But Paul got its head in his crappie net 😀 and I helped get it in the boat.

Across 40 to 65. Pretty simple. The north route is ok too. About the same time.

We fished the Spring River side yesterday from noon till dark. Found them on the drop off mostly in 19 feet of water on the bottom. Kept 10 keeper crappie from 12-16 inches, couple of white bass. They flat head was 44 inches, snagged in the tail. That was fun. And what is this?

Trying Gimp. Having a hard time creating a file I can use. Can't "save as" to any file that's excepted online (FB YT)

It appears Table Rock has turned over enough that the water at 130 feet deep has DO adequate enough to not need the injection of liquid oxygen. The tanks are empty so all we’re getting it put TR water. Last night they bumped generation to 100 mw. That means they’ve lifted restrictions. DO levels were between 4-5, and rising a bit. Good sign. I know TR hasn’t turned over completely. It’s going to take more cold windy weather. The DO should continue to inch up in the coming weeks. This is very early for TR turnover. Someone pointed out that the USGS College of the Ozarks monitoring station was reading 1 ppm DO. I asked Shane Bush about it and he thought the gage is off. No way DO could be dropping AFTER coming from the dam and traveling 5 miles down lake.

I've used PS for 10+ years but only use 2% of it's tools. I can't see paying $20/month for it when I don't use most of it. I bought a new computer for video editing and need to add the image editing product. That's why I'm looking. I'll look into these other products - thanks.

I'm looking for an application for editing images. I need to edit in layers as well as simple lighting and tint adjustments. I'm not necessarily looking for free... just something other than Photoshop. Any suggestions?

I'll be there Thursday night.