Tightline

IBT, there are alot of good fishermen that post on here , and yes some have pretty big egos but to me thats what its all about, trying to get as good as some of the rest of these guys. As far as the fishing reports I dont want a detailed, get down to nitty gritty report. I want to try and figure some of it out for myself. I started Trout fishing again when I started reading about the fun these guys were having and have learned alot about fly fishing too.But I'm still not confident enough to leave my spinning gear at home.I'll get there some day. The DRAMA, you can take or leave it. If someone says something that I don't agree with I will probably respond.If someone is bashing people I know I will respond. I dont know why I do , just a character flaw I guess . Its a Great Forum just the way it is !! TL

scheetz , is that you or your wife holding that big fish in the pic on your posts, hee hee. Bet that fish lived a long time after you run your hand up its gills or did you have it mounted............>? TL

Don't believe I have ever seen the Finley looking so bad. Crossed over Riverdale bridge this week and the water is just barely going over the dam and there is green moss backed up above for 100 yds or more. I have done alot Smallmouth fishing down through the years on Finley and have alot of good memories.It sadens me to see it that way. Of course it may look worse than what it is. I just hope the Smallies are surviving ! Anyone been fishing it lately?

I agree GF ,from what I have observed there are very very few Trout taken home from the Dam area ,but there are hundreds released every week and it seems like the bigger fish are the ones that are stressed the most from the longer fight and usually the ones you see floating dead ! I'd make the same bet. Griffin I did my kids the same as you , and I don't regret it one bit.They are fine sportsmen as adults. scheetz I think some show there manlyness by how they post on here ! But what do I know I'm just a corn licquored hillbilly !

I can say that I don't disagree entirely with ANY of the post on here about this subject. I have fished the trophy area almost every Friday since the end of June,and have seen hundreds of fishermen this summer down there. I saw a boy with 2 little trout on a stringer and the big one I seen caught Fiday taken home. Has anyone witnessed alot of trout being taken home? Even the shufflers I've seen have been turning them back. So really just how big a deal is it if someone keeps them.As for the big Brown caught Friday,I don't know how this man could've done anything different to keep the big fish from going belly up.It had a bad gash in its gill plate from maybe a prop or someone tried to grab it that may have weakened it. At first it looked like he had foul hooked it in the back but when it was netted I could see he had a 2 fly set up and the bottom one was in the mouth.I might have tried a little longer to revive it,but at least he tried. TL

Yes sir I do know 3 that post on here personally and they just have a fit if someone even talks about keeping bass,and I KNOW a couple more just by pictures I have seen of them and have fished right beside them at Beaver Creek and once at Silver creek and I never seen 1 fish turned back. I did say I know SOME that do that, not all,my best fishing buddy is one of the biggest ducks in the puddle,he will not throw back a white bass or crappie till he has a limit but he had a fit when I wanted to keep a couple of the bigger trout we caught at Roaring River last time we were there. Cant and wont mention names but yes I do know it for a fact. Thank you Greg for the help. TL

Its really odd to me that some of the same people who promote C&R of Bass and Trout will go down to Beaver creek,Swan or the Pothole and keep every big female White Bass and Walleye they catch.Every one knows the Whites have been in trouble the last few years on BS so why not release some of those big sows back. I released almost all female Whites last year and yes I also released a 26 inch Walleye that was squirting eggs because I had 3 other good size males to take home. When the fishing is good and your filling your stringer think about next year and the years after! TL PS. Someone tell me how to make space for paragraphs on these posts. Thanks

Yesterday at about 11:00 am close to # 1 outlet a gentleman caught the biggest trout I have ever seen up close. It ran almost up to wire at the dam and then back down twice as far,it probably took 15-20 minutes to get the big male in. Another fisherman and I helped him all we could. He finally got it to the bank, I hate to even speculate how big it was,when fish get over 8-10 lbs and are longer than 24-26 inchs I'm NOT very good at guessing but the 3 of us guessed it was longer than 30in and probably weighed 18-20 lbs. I took pictures for him and the big fish wasn't out of the water more than a minute,and he tried his best to revive the fish but the fight was just to much for it. He decided to take it home rather than just waste it. I am hopeful the man was a OAF member or guest user so we can find out how big it really was and maybe see the pic's I took. I was so excited at the time I couldn't remember later if it was a Brown or a Rainbow! I'm pretty sure it was a Brown. I know now you don't have to fish at night to catch those biguns! If a person wants to keep what he catchs thats his business as long as its legal!!! TL.

WOW !what a fish.My buddy and I seen one 2 fridays ago that we thought would go 15 down by rebar hole.The only thing it would look at was a custom painted Rogue I use to walleye fish with,he made 2 swipes at it then just layed there. Good job Leonard .

A big thanks to Tim at the fly shop for the great jigs you suggested.Fished Sat mourning along with the other ( thousands, seemed like)and caught 20 from the horn to about 9:00 am.Came back after lunch and lost track but did almost as good.Water was up a little , but still clear.Didn't fair so well Sun mourning,had to go to the thread head jig under a float,caught 10 in the fly zone , but they were all good size fish. White and black were the best colors.Left at 10:00 am.........TL

Murdoc,you have a great looking family,those girls will remember days like that all of their life. Good job, and as far as your hair , you will lose it when they start dating.....lol...........TL.

Wayne , it wasn't the birds falt at all never has been,I just could not get going Friday ,tried everything . Two little boys about the age of 8- 10 were down there at #3 outlet catching them every other cast , while the rest of us watched, that kinda brings a guy back to earth,if you know what I mean !

As long as 1 fish swims somewhere, dont think i'll be taking up golf! I do think most of the time I can outfish the Herons, except for this last friday, the big birds probably kicked my butt!! TL

This is the email I recieved from the MDC about the Heron problem. Mr. -------- Great Blue Herons are a Federally protected species,that requires a depredation permit to lethally remove these birds. The local population around Lake Taneycomo is increasing and I have noticed a rookery located by the fish hatchery. They are a beautiful bird and they are as you noticed very good at catching fish.Ihave estimated that the Great Blue Heron population can remove around 30,000 fishfrom the hatchery every year. With all of our fish concentrated in one location,including outlet #1, THESE BIRDS CAN HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT. I do not believe that they can have a major impact on the "wild" fish population in Lake Taneycomo,so harassing the birds on the lake would be a waste of time. I suggest that you just enjoy your fishing on Lake Taneycomo and actually watch in amazement how good these birds can fish and accept them as part of the food chain in the wild. James Civiello Hatchery Manager MDC Shepard of the Hills Hatchery EMAIL: James.Civiello@mdc.mo.gov There you have it guys,not a heck of alot we can do except keep complaining. TL

Come on guys! 15 out of 1100 members thats not good.We have some muscle here lets put it to use!The non members who read the forum can do this too!

Its time to stick together and take 5 minutes to send an email against the dredging.I would hope that we would do this for any of our lakes and streams.Out of staters need to weigh in on this also,they will notice, the tourism thing is a BIG factor.Why do they need gravel any more?There are enough quarrys in the area that man made gravel is cheap.Also put your name and address on the emails.

Crappie, I too was born at skaggs 3-11-1957 ,spent my early childhood living on the Forsyth side of the Pothole. MTM ,I have been told by other people that those gulls will eat large fish also.I guess we need the Conservation to open a Gull and Heron season ,Gonefishin can bake em up and tell us how they taste!!

Crappie,it was funny ,you come up with some pretty good ones,makes me think you must be a born and bred Ozarker like me.I think this Heron was the great grandaddy also! TL.

Crappie, don't know if your trying to say I exaggerated or not? But I have caught and measured enough walleye to know that this fish the heron ate was pushing 18" easy ! I would mot have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.I never have thought those birds had any effect on our fishing, but I have CHANGED my mind.I am starting to change my mind about alot of things on upper Taney, it had been 20 years since I had fished up there until this summer. TL

Was close to outlet 1 this mourning at 6:00, caught and released 8 trout by 8:00 (had a 20 minute rain delay)one of them being a beautiful colored up brown that was almost 18 inchs. I was feeling pretty good about my catch when I heard a big splash behind me , looked back to see a Great Blue Heron had grabbed him a rainbow so big he couldn't lift it out of the water,he dragged that trout up on the bank and stabbed it a few times with his beak to kill it,(I thought theres no way that bird can eat that big of a trout) ,he grabbed the trout by head tiped it up and swallowed it like we would a spoon full of soft icecream.I was amazed.Anyway I ended up with 10 trout and left at 10:00 am.But the Heron won big fish award!

Was at the dam this mourning at 6 o cliock.My son and I were throwing jigs and I decided to move below him about 75 yds,after some time had went by,I looked back toward my son and 3 fly fishermen had moved right in front of him,and instead casting they were holding the line in their hands fishing right at their feet and shuffeling.That has to be the darndest thing i've ever seen,drag a 8 1/2 or 9 ft rod down there just so you can fish at your feet!Anyway they moved away before i got up there and its a good thing because there would have been a confrontation.Too much area and too many fish to crowd in on someone.We caught 9 trout and left at 8:30,shuffelers had 2 when they left!

I always have had trouble with the cam,I never get more than just a few seconds feed before it freezes,Its on my end ,but just dont know what to do about it. TL.

Guess I just cant read,and I am just holding up for alot good people who happen to like to gamble,really I could care less if they get gambling or not.I didnt want the landing to come in but i guess it did create alot of decent paying jobs. Fishing is kinda like gambling,it can be addictive,you can spend alot of money doing it,and you can come up with nothing.....................

I did speculate on the wages,its been sveral years since I have talked to anyone that works at SDC,SO I do take that part back since i dont know for sure.Speculation and subtle hints can be judgemental.My mother and father inlaws are both retired and they love to go gambling,and they are the best,do anything for you,God fearing people I know,and i dont think they ought to be put in the same catagory as drunks,whores,losers or anti family!

Water was runing,throwing the jig and letting it drift with current,2lb test line no drag had to back reel with the bigger fish in that current,it was probably about 3:30 to 4:00 o clock,and yes he released the brown so fast I barely got to see it.