gary2400

Never fished Crane before so after a night of fishing below TR dam I drove over. Went to upper wire road and waded down close to the next bridge. Rainy, cool, cloudy, wow what a day. Managed to only catch 1 but can proudly say I've caught one. Mosquitos were as thick as clouds and about carried me away, sacraficed my share of flies to the limbs, and kept a sharp lookout for those man eating snakes... but had a wonderful time. After observing the sorroundings and habitat, I know now what to tie to improve my luck. Got several strikes on a crackleback, small black popper, but none on a san quan worm. If you don't like having to move extremely quiet and slow, and don't like being dinner and being buzzed by every flying creature in the woods, don't try it. I will do it again, that is fishing like it was meant to be.

That's why I fish at night....night vision goggles, glow in the dark line, and infrared flies make it more of a challange to back up and shuffle. Also, if you dip your flies in radioactive material the fish will glow after you catch them so you can spot them again. Seriously though,,,that scene is exactly why I enjoy the night fishing better.

I was there Wed night and didn't have your number with me Leonard or would have called. I got there just before dark, 2 units and caught several up by the cable. 1 unit by 9pm, 0 units at 10pm. I didn't do as well as I thought it was going to be but everything I caught were 20" range and fat and full of fight. Worked the flats and then down to #2 by midnight. Lots of lightning moving in around midnight so I packed it up. If they would have been biting better I would have stuck it out. Maybe 9 fish in all...caught most on black with purple flash hibernator, tried white during the lightning with little effect. The trusty PMS and pine squirrel only did fair. Best fish was right at dark with tailwater at 706.5

Wish I'd known you were there too Leonard, I was thirsty for some coffee. I went to Lilley's and got a couple of your black and purple hibernators. Wow, you have a lot of different patterns there now! I've managed to crudely copy some of them but still like to pick some of your newer ones up once in a while. My dad sent a client your way if he hasn't called you yet. A dentist from over by Wichita.

Thursday Night--got to the water around 8:30 and stayed until around 1:30am. I was the only duck in the water at the end. Fished above #1 the whole time, 1 unit running, caught around a dozen on hibernators. Largest fish was 18" and all were fat and agressive. While packing gear at the pavillion a guy walked up to me out of the dark with duffel bag and 2 spinning rods. Said he was bass fishing on other side of dam and did good. I noticed there wasn't any line on his rods...strange. Wanted me to give him a ride to Branson but he didn't even know the name of the town, just "there's a little town over there with a lot of motels". Normally I would have but not at 1:30am. First one of these I've met below the dam and all I'm saying is be careful when you're the only one around. Friday night--Still one unit, got to water at dark and it was real slow. Fished above #1 again and it started raining around 10:30 and the bite was on. Love that rain... It stopped raining around midnight and it got real slow again. Sat night--- 4 units, wow. Caught 4 and left at 10:30. I did manage to fish a few spots where you could cast to swift water and let it drift back to slow water. That was the only way I caught fish. The bite was light every night and at times I had to just let the fly lay there at the bottom of the drift for what seemed an eternity before they would take it. It's dangerous to be wading anywhere with 4 units, don't do it as a first timer.

Got to the water at 8:45pm. The water was scheduled to be off at 9 and I was the only one in the parking lot (I figure everybody else knows something that I don't when that happens). They were running 2 units, the tailwater was around 706 and it didn't shut down as advertised. Fished above #1 and threw just about everything with only 2 hook-ups and none to the net. One other person walked in below #1 and then a boat came up the channel and anchored at the cable. I didn't see the boat catch anything and I left just before midnight. I still have a lot to learn and I'm not too ashamed to say I got skunked. It's easy to report a great night but I have these kinds of nights from time to time. On a bright note: I visisted Ark River Anglers while visiting family in Wichita last weekend and if you live in the area you need to frequent this shop. The store and people were great! gary

Got to the water just after 9pm and found 2 units running with tailwater at 705.5. I was hoping they would shut off the water but they didn't. Fished above and below #1 with cone head olive pine squirrel and cone head black and purple hibernator that I got from Leonard. Caught 7 bows with largest being 18". Left at midnight when they didn't shut the water off. I was the only duck on the water the whole time.

I keep up with the tailwater level more than units generating. I have found by calling the real time generation phone number a lot that the same tailwater level can be found with 1-2 units or 2-3 units, etc. After fishing at all different levels I've found my favorite spots no matter what the level so I just call and plan my spots according to tailwater. I always thought 1 unit was up to 60 flow? 230 capacity divided by 4 units = about 60 ea.? I have called and found they are running more units at less capacity and I have read on here that it is to put more oxygen in the water.

Friday night the 2 were fly fishing. Saturday night 2 were spin casting and they were getting something out of a plastic bag that looked like those soft plastic shad but I could be totally wrong. They were checking their "lure" a lot. I couldn't tell for sure, the 'sun' was in my eyes and it was 9:00 pm.

The full moon overhead kills me, that's all I can say. They must have stocked the lake during the week because 99% of the fish were about 12". I tried every color, size, and even experimented and only managed a dozen bows on Friday and less than that on Sat. Got to the water both nights right after dark and fished from above #1 to just below #2, and then since there were so many headlamps down toward the big hole on Friday, we went to KOA and did a little better there. The water was off on Friday night and I did fair with the PMS. I don't care who originated it but I know it works and thanks to Leonard for showing it to me. Brother-in-law caught a 20" bow below #2 on a cone headed black hibernator. The red leach seemed to be their color of choice though. Sat night they had 1 unit running and blew the horn for 2 but the water only came up about 6" to around 704.6. Most everybody fishing was congregated around #1. I am not one to criticize anybody but both nights there were a couple of guys with a bright lantern that just about made me want to go up and get my sunglasses. They set it on one the big rocks right out in the water above #1 Friday and then right on the shore below #1 on Sat. Maybe I'm just ignorant but gee whizzzz. I could already read the newspaper in the moon but with this I didn't even need my headlight to tie my knots. Maybe it's just a technique that I haven't been privy to yet. I've done it fishing for cats, bass, etc but not there. Best luck I had with the water running was a #4 weighted pine squirrel with a #8 beaded red leach trailing about 12", caught them on the red leach. gary

love the site!

Yes Brian I have those and tried those before and after this one and usually have great luck with them. I was just fooling around tying one night and decided to tie a few #4's for fast water or really dark nights and just tinkered with the split shot. I'm sure a jig head would have probably worked just as good. It takes a lot of pine squirrel material to cover a #4 and palmer it up the hook!

Got to the water around 7:30pm and went above #1. Water was high (709) but dropped to 707 something at 8pm (still high but manageable). I only got a couple of hits on a variety of patterns. The water was cloudy and the moon was rising so I thought I'd try something larger so they could see it better. Tied on a #4 olive pine squirrel with a 1/8 oz split shot that I had clamped to the hook and wrapped in the pattern. Caught 4 bows in a row with the largest being 16". As the moon kept coming up they quit bitting. I went back to smaller stuff with little luck. Left about midnight and I was the only truck in both lots. The fish didn't fight hard and were slow to bite but it was good to be back in the water again. gary

I catch an hour or two nap in the truck when the bite slows down or I just want a break. I am very pleased that the police patrol the area. Never had a problem except for wondering (I really do know why) why there are people parked there without fishing gear. I've even had them get out as I was gearing up and ask how the fishing was...as if they were fishing too...ha. It's easy to see who is there for fishing and who is not. I figure I've been down there enough that the police probably know the truck by now. I like to park up by #1 but if I want a few zzzzz's I move down to #2. Too dark up there...the squid and beaver might attack!

I may do it all wrong but I only fish Taney at night and tie 10# mono straight to my fly line as my leader, no tippet. I have caught several in the 5-7 lb class and even with 3 units running have never fought one over about 2 minutes. I use a #7 rod with water running and a #5 without. My 71 yr old dad uses an old #8 rod that is a Western Auto, owned by his dad and ties 14# mono straight to the fly line and does just as good or better than me. If fighting with heavy line is bad, I need to change. I use a Bass Pro rig that was $85 for the whole set-up. The fish don't care what kind rod you're holding, but I'd still like to have one of those nice TFOs or Sages or ....... you get the idea. Pic of rainbow is my dad on Sat night, the brown was Monday night right after the lightning passed at midnight. Both were right down from outlet #1 gary

That must have been you Phil that spoke to me as I walked out from the point around 11:30. I should have asked who it was. I started at the cable and worked my way down. I caught 2 smallies up by the cable and just a handful of bows using blood red leach, olive, and black pine squirrel. Caught 1 brown down at the point maybe 14". Sorry I almost walked right in on you but seen you in time so as not to disturb the water too much. gary

Michael, I was just up from you wondering who that was and what in the world you were playing on that boom box... It was a good night fishing as I caught around 20 myself from the rebar down to where you were. Were there 3 of you in that boat? I seen several fish being hauled in by you guys. No browns for me and nothing over 16" but still had fun. gary

The emergency phone is a good idea and I'm sure it's written into their emergency plan. At the very least the 911 operator should be able to reach them. The first notion somebody would have is to call 911. Surely they can write that into their emergency plan as it is reviewed and revised. It is events like these that should cause agencys to revise their plan. gary

Here is a good story on the issue. Looks like TR and Beaver aren't on tap any time soon. http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_241221332.html gary

Yes that was me Leonard ....about the PMS ...thanks for sharing, I am still the ever learning apprentice to you Obi-Wan Kanobi

Oh I still love that PMS..... The PMS and pine squirrel are still my two favorite and I am eternally grateful to Leonard for showing/giving me both. For some reason I struggle with both of those in bright moonlight though (Leonard could probably explain that). I am also grateful to everybody on here that writes and shares as I have learned so much from all of you. I was totally ignorant before reading this forum and then meeting some of you. I still remember running into Leonard one night and when I realized who he was telling him that I had a million questions for him. I went from literally 2 fish a night to that night catching about 30 (pine squirrel). I never owned a fly rod until a year and a half ago and now I have my dad hooked and we spend awesome times together there. Being 50+ that means more to me than the biggest fish in the water....although I do want to catch it! gary

Got to the water at 8:30pm and they had changed from 3 units to 2 at 8pm. Started up by the cable and waded out about knee deep and was using a #6 olive pine squirrel with a tungsten cone head and caught this sweet brown on the 3rd cast. It was quite a fight in the current and I had a hard time getting him out of it. I don't have to tell you the size if you own a dip net. The water went to 0 units at 9pm and I switched over to the red leach pattern that Michael uses and caught probably 10. I caught a nice bow the same size as the brown but no pic as they were bitting good and I was waist deep. They quit bitting after the water fell out so I took a break and went down to the rebar about 2am. Only did fair down there on down to the big hole. I haven't been down to the big hole in a long time but it seems the deeper water has moved downstream quite a bit? Thanks again Michael for showing me what to use, I had fun tying them and better yet catching with them. Picture quality not the best but I was in a hurry to get him back in the water after a long fight. gary

I was down at KOA and thought somebody tried to spotlight me for a second from the old campground. It was blueish and bright just for an instant. It didn't help the fishing AT ALL. Maybe they beamed up all the fish.

The fishing was great while the water was falling. Got to the water Friday night at 10:40 they were running 1 unit and the water was dropping. Water was turned off at 11 (I think) Fished above #1 near cable and caught about 20 in 2hrs on olive streamers and the blood red leach Michael has talked about. Largest fish was about 18". Saturday night they ran 2 units until midnight. Caught just a handful until they shut the water off and then you couldn't cast fast enough to hook them up. Fished the flats and above #1. Every cast was at least a hit if not a hook up for about 20 mins right when the water was dropping. Again olive streamers along with some white, black woolies, and small tan jig did it for me. When the water totally dropped out it was if the feeding switch was turned off. Left both nights around 2am. Met two guys from KC who were first timers and gave them a couple of flies to return the favor some of you have done for me. They said they were now addicted to the night scene having just done it one time. Told them about this site and how I've learned so much from all of you on here and hope they get on too. If you go by bigdogbbq, glad to have met you. gary

I thought it was just me but the full strike didn't happen very often at night last weekend for me either. It was if they were taking it and swimming upstream. When my line went slack I set the hook and there was always one there. Sometimes I had to leave my red light on in the fog to see it. Is that a summer thing or just a cycle?