Jenny @ The Station

Since I am running behind this week, I am going to keep this real short. GO FISHING! Everything is biting. Water is running. Lots of Hybrids, some huge! Cats good but not a lot over 15 lb. Crappie continue real good. Mushrooms are up...(between you and me, that's why I'm running behind. But lets keep that a secret.)

The weather looks to be gorgeous this weekend. We are looking forward to seeing many more folks come out of hibernation and wet a line. The crappie have been real good this week. Lots of fish caught and everyone bragging about the size of them. (Some of them I even believe). I've not heard much in the way of walleye except a few small ones reported, but I have a feeling many of the walleye fishermen traded over to crappie this week as they seemed to be the thing to fish for. Cats continue to bite fair to good. Rumors of a few of size, but these stories sound a little "fishy" to me. Whites and hybrids good this week. Spoons seem to be doing best on them, a few tales on the XL glow Slabhunters. As snagging season is winding down, we are seeing the usual end of season rush. Lots of "Bills" being weighed in and 50 lbs is about the smallest we've seen, so BIG fish. With the warm nights upon us, the mushrooms should be popping, so if your fishing skills aren't warmed up yet, you might just take a walk in the woods.

Again this week we have seen a lot of water running at The Tailrace, and quite a few of fish caught of each species. Walleye fishermen continue to bring in fish after fish 4-10 lb. range, several reported still with eggs. They have come upriver for the spawn and stayed for the oxygen and bountiful food supply that comes with the high volume of running water. Crappie have settled out of the current for the most part, in the old channel. Again both minnows and jigs working, and good size to the fish. A fair amount of whites and hybrids coming in now, some of them on spoons. Also the blue cats have really picked up. Lots in the 5-12 lb range and a few reported 20-30. The big spoonbill have now arrived upstream in large numbers. One group of guys caught 10 spoonbill on their trip, all over 40 lbs. The fronts moving through defintely effect the catch, making it hit and miss but overall good fishing right now.

I'd have you give us a call at The Station for the complete low-down. Please just try to avoid calling on the weekend so we have more time to address your questions. Truman is easily one of the top fishing lakes in the US. We'd be happy to help you get started.

As of this morning Truman is up around 717 which is 11 feet above normal pool and rising. I'm not going to say the fishing up top will not be good. Some know how to fish that high water and do quite well, but you have to put some time. Definitely easier to start at The Tailrace right now. Last night a friend brought me a limit of really nice crappie mostly 11-13 inch and just thick across the back. That has been the story this year, lots of size to them. Probably because the pressure during the spawn last year was minimal and the available food plentiful, due to flooding. The evenings we have seen some incredible walleye coming in. Easily one of the most productive years I've seen. Some fish in the early morning hours and through the day, but huge numbers caught off the rocks in the evening. Crappie also doing well. Some days outstanding, like last night for example. Many reports of limits caught in less than an hour of these large fish. Most days are at least "good" on crappie now, and a few scattered in of "great" like yesterday. Whites and hybrids are also picking up. Soon I'd look for them to be "outstanding" as evenings the last 2 Aprils have brought a hybrid almost every cast with an XL glow Slabhunter. Now that's fun fishing! Catfish also picking up this week with some 20's and 30's reported. Good fishing all the way around, and a nice weekend predicted weather wise also. Definitely worth getting up off the couch now. I'd still bring the rain gear though. Stop in and we'll help you get started out there.

Looks like gates and generators this evening. Things are really stirring at the Tailrace. Got a few nice days forcasted also. Good time to play "hooky" from work!

Each day seems to get a little better here at The Tailrace. Lots of fish reported today. Crappie biting good on Slab Hunters and now on minnows. Walleye good bite early morning and real good evenings, a few reported through the day. Lots of reports of 4-10 lb. fish. They should be peaking here soon. Now the whites and an occasional hybrid being brought in. And just in today, good on the catfish, though nothing reported real big, they definitely turned on. Should be interesting to see how the weekend pans out with weather changes likely to come Sunday. Enjoy your weekend!

The COE continues to run the one gate for oxygenation, and most afternoons some generator flow to stir things up at The Tailrace. This has crappie biting real well. And some nice size to the fish being caught. Seems the Slabhunters have been doing a little better than minnows, but both are catching fish right now. Whites have been surfacing periodically and occasionally a group of hybrids showing up. Just tonight some action reported again on topwater. Catfish continue to bite well but I've only heard of a few real big ones since the high water flow. So far it looks to be pretty nice camping weather this weekend. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday

They have slowed the water down this week and the crappie have picked up real well. Some nice fish too, lots in the 14 inch range. Hybrids and whites have been hitting in the mornings and evenings, and occasionally in the heat of the day. Top water has been bringing in some big fish! We saw one tip the scales at just over 12 lb. Catfish have dropped off some but considering it has been outstanding, that means it is still quite good. With the water still running we have continued to see the occasional 30-40 pounder as well as lots of 1-15 lb. cats. Truman has really picked up this week on crappie, whites and hybrids as well. So if you can stand a little heat, you'll most likely come up with a full stringer at the Lake this weekend.

A mild July thus far and lots of water running from both the gates and generators, has fishing at The Tailrace excellent. Lots of fish coming in! Crappie very good on the old channel side and in the eddies. Walleye biting well, also in eddies and just out of the current. Whites and hybrids showing up periodically, but when they are up, they are really hammering them. And last but certainly not least, cats. I don't recall ever seeing so many big cats caught in such a short time in recent years. If you have the chance, get out there! You don't want to just hear about this later.

Due to last weeks downpours, Truman is rising a couple of feet a day and the Corp of Eng. has been blasting the water out of the gates for a few days now. Just enough time for the fish to get used to the change and really start biting. Lots of hybrids coming in now, mostly on spoons and sassy shad. Whites hitting also, at times every cast coming up with one or the other. Cats have begun to bite. Lots of fish 3-10 lb and now the bigger ones kicking in on the action as well. Crappie I've recieved only a few reports on but those have been good. The water looks to be running hard like this for a while now as so much water continues to push Truman up and up. Needless to say... it is a great time to grab a rod and get to The Tailrace. Happy 4th to all and a big thanks out to all the service men and women, past and present, to whom we owe our independence.

A soggy week in the Ozarks again has the fishing stirred up. Crappie have been biting, particularly well in the evening and early morning hours. Slab Hunters have come back this week as the preferred bait. The big cats continue to roll in as they come off the nest. Still lots of reports of 30's, 40's and 50's as well as lots of 4-10. Baits include almost anything from nightcrawlers and drum to shad. Some whites and an occasional hybrid caught this week. They are busy chasing the many schools of shad fry. The Corp is running the one gate a crack for oxygenation, running the generators quite a bit during the day and pretty consistently each evening. Between the fresh rainwater and the water flow, the fish have been biting well at The Tailrace this week. Fireworks display is scheduled for Saturday and rainout day is Sunday the 1st. We at The Station wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday.

The big cats have been really coming off the nest hungry this week. Lots of fish over 30 lb., so far in the last few days a 65 pounder topping out our scales. Water is now being shut down some at night but this hasn't hurt things a bit, actually, it seems to have helped. Crappie have also bit well this week. Many reporting limiting quickly and back off the water by 9am. Seems that jigs and minnows are alternating as the hot bait. Whites and hybrids also showing up again here and there. One hybrid tipped the scales at 11 lb. The heat of summer is predicted to get started this week with temps in the 90's for several days. However, with fishing still being quite good, it should be well worth the effort to get out there. Now that spring is officially behind us, this fishing reporter is going to try to get on the water a little bit more rather than just living vicariously through others. Thus I am going to try reports every other week, barring drastic changes in fishing status. Feel free to send us a fishing report now and again as well. And thank you all for your patronage.

Report this week is much the same as last. Cats continue to bite well. Crappie also good but you'll catch lots of small ones between catching keepers. Not much reported on whites and hybrids as of this time. But still lots of water running so I'm sure at least a few coming in.