Trav

Key to finding bass on Taneycomo. Look for shelves that that step ladder. Fish each level horizontally until you find thier depth. Then stick to that depth for the rest of the day no matter where on the lake you go. Its not fool proof but it is steadfast. Not to mention tried and tested by yours truly....smile.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my poll. I knew it was contraversial and some honost desires and concerns were brought up. Im planning another poll for next weekend. I hope it gets similar results.

Had a buddy tell me just the other day that he was catching plenty of white bass out of bull shoals. Think he said up in beaver creek.

Could just fish more often...haha, I fish 4 to 6 days a week. Of course I keep mine stored in the lake. I never really thought I had to worry too much about it. Am I missing something with that practice?

March is the best time. Right when the dogwoods start to bloom is my best indicator. I fish "the rock" several times of year but I actually set up my camper on the lake for 3 to 5 days every march to hit the water hard. I usually do that near Viola on the Kings River arm. I pick that location for several reasons. The biggest reason being its over on the opposite side of the pond than I usually fish the rest of the year. Usually I am fishing the James River arm when I fish Tablerock. Second, the Kings River arm is excellent that time of year. Third, from there I am 20 minutes away from several different options of water in every direction. Finally, its all on a more quieter side of the lake. As far as lures, I lean heavy on Chompers, Terminators, Rapalas, Wiggle Warts, Bombers, Bandits, Spooks, and the occasional salamander. But there are alot of things that work. Just dont leave your "confidence lures" at home. Most people I talk with tend to have a few little favorites they prefer to use and most the time they will work.

Thank you Mr. Lilley. I recieved them in the mail this afternoon.

Decided to jig some spoons in hopes for some big brownies but only caught a couple modest 2 pounders. With the pick up of a decent 3 pound Bow and 2 of her smaller proteges I finished a 4 hour day with 5 fish. a little below average, but when specifically targeting brownies I have also had days where I had to give up and go after something else just to say I caught something. Haha...I refuse to ever skunk out.

I liked the frog color the best but they dont make it anymore. I do well at Pomme with cranks, catch alot of walleye and muskie there too off cranks.

one size fits all...lol

Ok, Try this hat on for size,... How many fly fisherman actually fish below mile 4? or 3? or even 2? Have any of you caught a White our Largemouth Bass above Cooper Creek? I bet if you had it was a very rare occasion. There is a very good explanation for that. Its not that there isnt very many in the lake, there are 10s of thousands. There are many reasons why, competition, lack of cover from the current, less forage, but all the same. With that fact known, what makes ya think that the way the lake fishes would be changed at all if you consider the majority of Bass, Channel Cats, Walleye, especially yellow perch and Muskie would most likely refrain and settle in the lower 15 miles of the lake. I think you under-estimate the agressiveness of trout. Most fish give them thier space. Especially Browns. I caught a 8.7 pound Brownie last winter that had the tail of what looked like a 14inch Bow sticking out of its throat. Couldnt even figure out why it would want my bait it was so full. To show a point, 20 years ago I used to catch bullheads off my dock as easily as you can catch bluegills. I havent seen one in over 7 years now. What has changed? HMMMM...Oh yeah, the Brown trout population has increased 400 percent since the late 70s-early 80s. Dont forget that I am probably one the most prolific Trophy Brown Hunters on the lake. Im not knocking the fact Taneycomo is a premier trout lake. I see the ideas of what else it could be without tunnel vision. Anyway, We are all talking hypothetical here. The State will never do anything for the fishing in Taneycomo unless it has to do with trout. Because that is the tourism money maker. But there are those dumbasses that transfer fish thinking they can stupidly have them. It happens. Perfect example....Fifteen years ago I would have never caught a white bass here. How do you think they got in a waterway locked in by two Dams? Some moron put them in and here we are now adays chasing them down for sport. Have they hurt the legendary trout waters? Nope. Have they hurt anything? Nope. Im just saying that if the hypothetical was to ever happen, Taneycomo could support many other species without changing how the top three miles of water fishes.

Your welcome

Welcome there

Never heard of a hybrid- bluegill. Wouldn't have a pic of it by chance? I would agree that competition for scuds would be a serious factor, espescially if large amounts of threadfin enter the system. So if you look at what Taneycomo can support without introducing a forage population, where healthy populations wouldn't take over as a dominant species and what would bring support of the local anglers, what would that be? I think that adding some Channel Cats, boosting the current Smallmouth and Walleye populations, and using yellow perch as an intermediate forage option as well as for fry-pan game fishing opportunities would be the best scenario. None of the four species would impact the staus quo. There is already a tiny population of smallies and walleye already. Channel Cats would thrive in Taneycomos deeper lower end and would help the walleye keep the yellow perch populations in check.

And the debate begins, notice that it is only the trout fisherman against the idea of adding new species when the mass majority of the trout in the lake are stocked by the hundreds of thousands a year and a new species wouldn't effect the future of trout fishing at all. And then there are suggestions for cutthroats and brookies. A definate stock management situation. In reality, wouldnt the only risk to any population already in the lake be Stripers for thier insatiable appetites and possibly northern pike for thier prolific breeding habits? Both could be resolved with a healthy dose of threadfins. And as far as Pomme and the Muskie vs crappie scenario, I fish Muskies at Pomme several times a year. My father lives in Urbana and he states that most of the problem with the crappie populations there has everything to do with rotting habitat not so much to do with the Muskie.

Just a little something to debate about fellas. My first attempt at making a poll...hope this works...Haha

Are you guys aware that your time registers 40 minutes fast?

As a kid my Gramps bought us kids a 12 foot seaking with an old sears 6-horse aand let us loose. My brothers and I spent every minute of daylight as far up bull creek we could get. Not just fishing but swimming and building rock dams in the creek. We thought we owned the place. Back in those days you could let your kids do that kind of stuff. I never let my kids lose like that till they were 13 or 14. Aahh... the good old days.

Its personal choice. If your expediant a barb wont harm the fish(that much). I for one dont like to lose a hooked fish. I tend to blame myself for possible horsing too much or not enough. Plays in my head. With a barb it decreases that chance. Plus I fish some pretty knarly cover. Fish like to spin ya into places where a barb will add a little insurance. On the flip side though, get snagged into an old tuff stump and the barb could cost ya your lure. I have a telescopic lure retriever that saves me 9 times out of 10, but that dont help when its in a tree and that sucker comes flying back at ya going 100MPH. With a barb you have to dig out the wire cutters to pull it out of your chin. haha So like everything...use at your own risk

Sure got nice today when the sun came out. To bad it only lasted for a few hours. I took advantage of it though. Spent most the time up in bull creek. Caught 7 sport Bass and one that went 2.8 pounds. Had to do some "Shore Duty" and found an old ammo box under a log on the island. Turned out to be one of those GeoCaching things. I put it back where I found it. If your a Geo hunter I hope didnt spoil it for ya. Left my "duty" about 3 feet away. Haha

From Downtown Taneycomo bridge up to the Dam I would consider the pressure to be extremely high. But, only 20 percent of the fishermen catch 70 percent of the fish. Now from Roark down, the pressure is just about the same as other lakes in the area. Although only 10 percent of the fishermen catch about 90 percent of the fish. Truer to what Al Linder believes. The lower part of the lake confuses alot of the fisherman. Many fish it from time to time with some or little success and give up to never return or stay closer to the Dam. I would say the average guy who is consistantly successful in the Lower lake usually grew up fishing it, or lives on it. Or both, like myself. I would guess it would take a tourist a lifetime of vacations to be able say they can catch fish on every given day. The key is to use the diversity of both water and species to keep yourself from skunking out. Never tunnel vision yourself into just Bass, or just trout. As a big brownie hunter I know that if I dont have any success I can switch to my favorite, bass, and vice versa. If that fails I can always catch half a dozen stocker bows without a stress in the world.

Your really preaching to the chior, I buy 30 plus Warts a year. I was just commenting on the fact that from what I have read in lake reports, you would think there is nothing else that works. I acknowledge the fact that people use what works. Mr Frits has a point as well, I have about 8 of the old style hellbenders that I have repainted at least a half a dozen times because they work so well.

James River Expressway is next to lake spankfield. Might be what you saw. You will wish you had barbs if they twist you around a log or between a couple rocks.

couldnt be refering to the Finley huh? Dark and uninviting...hmmmmmm...naw

My nieghbor keeps a duck blind on the lake.

I caught a pickeral out of taneycomo in 79. Only one Ive seen here since. though you would think there is still some if there used to be one huh?.