shaker

For sure when the Dogwoods are blooming the white bass spawn is well under way. Another thing is Easter is kind of early this year April 4th "Early Easter Early spring" for what that's worth! One thing that I would bet on is that the white bass are in the river right now. I was catching some by Thanksgiving in the Sac River down from 82 Highway. I haven't been back since it has gotten cold and the lower river did freeze up this year. They will probably be in some deeper areas where they don't have to fight any or much current and there has to be plenty of shad around too. But just when they would make a major move up is any ones guess. If I were to take a wild guess I would say that about the time of the Spring Equinox there will be a major movement up stream. RB

I wish that I knew the answer but I don't think that there is a definite turn on point. Get several days in a row where the water warms up some or a nice warm rain and some fish will start to run. There seems to always be a couple of early false runs then the weather turns cold again and they disappear. The only thing that I can say for sure is that when the river water temperatures hit 58* there will be some spawning going on. Maybe somebody will have a better answer and we'll all learn more about the white bass run. RB

Sounds like a good move to me the trailer trash and bad road would have been enough to scare me off. RB

Exactly as wrench says, slow and easy I like to trim my big motor up in the event that it does whack a stump and it will even when you think that you know where you are safe. If the big motor is trimmed up it will usually ride on up and over the stump hopefully without any damage. Another thing to watch is the water level a foot of change either way and it's a whole new experience. When you look at the lake now and it's just a bit high like .4 of a foot come back sometime if it's down a foot you will be amazed at the number of new stumps and a lot of these are in 30 feet of water. It rarely happens but if the lake is two feet low that is a great time to go look around and it is just simply amazing how many of these stumps have prop cuts on them some have been hit really hard lots of pretty colors too. I don't mean to scare you there is only one way to learn just be careful and if not sure when you leave the channel and don't know where you are turn the big motor off and get on the trolling motor. I do it all the time and even had people go by me at a high rate of speed laughing until they hit a big one, then it's a different look. And I've had people blast by me doing 60+ right through a stump field and never touch anything, luck I guess they keep at it long enough the luck will run out. There are several boat repairs shops around Truman Lake and the appear to do a lot of business. Good luck and just be careful it'll take a while to learn but be patient it'll be worth the effort. RB

There is some good stuff on the Ned Rig on the Table Rock forums one is Another Ned trick and there is one something about the Ned and jerk baits. Good Luck RB

Hey guys this is a hot bed of activity compared to my home lake Truman. RB

I remember when I was a young-un growing up in Clinton in the '50's and Kay Singer lake was the hot topic. You was either for it or against it there was no middle ground that I remember of course I was for it if that really mattered. Somewhere about that time the named was changed to Truman and that stirred up more arguments same thing some people liked Harry Truman and some thought that he was a thief. imagine that. RB

I use the Hot Spots maps and also have some older lake structure maps. If your book of lake maps show these spots good enough I would think! RB

I suppose that you were first fishing for crappie? The mid part of the Grand arm has been producing pretty well both on jigs and minnows. I've been fishing the bigger main lake flats with lots of timber and fishing the back, shallow part of the flats getting up into water that is 4 to 5 feet deep going tree to tree you seldom catch more than a couple of crappie of a tree mostly one here and there but keep moving and you can end up with a nice limit. I usually fish out to 15 to 20 ft and even then the crappie have not been over 8 ft deep. Get a good lake map and look up G10, G4 on the Grand arm, the cemetery of the Little Tebo, and O3, the Airport, and KK Island on the Osage arm all good spots for Hybrids and White Bass from now until late Fall. Good Luck! RB

Let us know how they taste Good, Bad, or Worse? Grilled with enough salt, Cajun spice, and alcohol and HUNGRY anything taste good just saying! RB

And I just noticed that I'm a "freshwater drum"? Don't know if that's good or bad? RB

I have a buddy that says they are excellent smoked. RB

How did they eat?

Zebra mussels? RB

My family vacationed at Viney back in the late 60's high school days for me and I sure remember a lot of "interesting" things going on at that boat ramp. RB

Years ago on Table Rock I caught a 14 inch bass that was blind in both eyes, caught him on a buzzbait of all things. He looked very fit and healthy when I released him and hope that he had a long and prosperous life. Richard

I am curious as to why the Water Patrol Officer advised you to get off HIS lake? RB

What he says!!

If there is water in Truman lake there is gar. And there is a ton of gar in the lower Sac river year around. If you want some really big ones head to the Sac in late November and December and fish the lower sections starting where the Sac and Osage meet and head up the Sac a couple of miles, miles and miles of gar. RB

I have caught a couple up close to Truman dam and I did read somewhere that MDC does stock 3000 stripers in LOZ every other year. This was a couple of years ago that I read of this stocking so I don't know if they still do it or not. The few that I have caught were about like what wrench is holding. RB

I don't think that MDC stocks stripers in Truman anymore, Dang-it! when the lake was new I think that they tried stripers but they didn't do well in Truman and now it's Hybrids which ain't bad a close second in my book. I just wish that they would put more hybrids in the lake seems like the numbers are down somewhat, maybe just me? RB

A fishing buddy crossed Truman at Long Shoal and the Mile long bridge yesterday and said that the main lake was open as far as he could see. There was some ice in some of the coves and did not know how many ramps were open. I would suspect that a ramp that was exposed to some sun and wind would be open but if in a protected cove it might be frozen in yet. Better hurry the weather guesser is saying that tomorrows high will be 13*. RB

Or a Squirrel come back to life in the game bag of a hunting coat. It didn't happen to me but did to a hunting buddy of mine sure was funny to watch! He didn't find it so amusing though! RB

The Vibric doen't twist your line like a regular rooster tail does either. Another favorite is a 1/8 oz Road Runner in white, grey, chartreuse or any combination of all three. RB

Bet you that if the Possum Cop caught you with those two you would get a ticket for the short one. RB