Spinnaker

Your report has excited me. Got to make some plans.

I share your curiosity. I thought about the use of that technique as well but not on Taney but on a creek that backs up to greenway about 100 yards in the back of my yard. On one bend on the creek in my neighborhood, the city used gabions constructed on site to build a wall to stabilize an eroding bank. The technique has worked there quite well. (But, the COE as you know is sensitive about things like that.) The creek here is a mere trickle compared to the flow on Taney especially when the release is near record levels. I wonder how large the rocks have to be to withstand that kind of flow. If the rocks are dislodged that becomes another problem to fix that. Mother nature gets her way eventually no matter what we do.

I agree with you. Even if an individual is completely at fault, the facts of the circumstances including his fault are sad.

Thanks White crappie. I like fishing on TRock for bass also. I guess I will just have to take my boat and fish for bass on TRock and bring my trout gear in case the corps stops running a lot of water on Taney.

I know I may get a "how would I know answer?" but I have not been fly fishing for a long while. So, do you think it will be a good time to wade near the dam and trophy area in the upcoming future given the lake level on table Rock? Or, is it still very much hit and miss time. Last year it appeared the corps ran water quite a bit. Your thoughts.

That is a great report. It will be a while before I get down but I am already looking forward to Spring fishing.

Well said. Thanks Bill.

I have been fishing TRock since 2004. It has been a real challenge for me to learn how to fish the lake. I gained a lot of insight on this forum and am grateful for the informative posts as well. Great holidays to all.

Ahhhhh! Now I am getting the real picture. I think I know where I am going to fish next time!

I wish I had been one of the lucky ones that had the hot hits near the dam. I tried the jig and grub all day. I should have tried the spinner. I did manage to catch an 18 inch smj and another 2 hits but my usual spots were not hot today. It was a beautiful day nonetheless. I am back in KC now. Hope you enjoy the fishing next week.

I did not get out today until about 10 AM and tricked a short smj on a football jig and dark green split tail. The wind was a bummer. Went to Dana's in the afternoon and back out around 5 PM. Saw some shad working in a cove but could not get a hit on anything. Now Wednesday was my best day this week. I caught one keeper smj east of the dam then headded west. I went to a couple of coves near point 8 and caught a couple of Ks and another keeper smj. In the evening I went back to one of the coves where I had seen some shad working earlier. I caught another K and 3 nice white bass on a silver and blue deep Bandit. But overall this trip has been more about relaxing than cathing fish. Maybe Friday will be better. I head home in the afternoon.

Today, Tuesday, the wind was down a bit and I was able to catch only 3 smjs on football jig and watermellon trailer, all about 15 inches near the dam. I am going to head west Wednesday and hope the wind does not increase too much. No top water bite for my spook. I need a new plan.

You and your partner are braver than me. I did not like the wind when I arrived on Sunday so it was feed my face and watch football. Today (Monday) I got out and could not scare up a hit until about noon when the wind started to pick up. I found only two 14 in. smjs on the lee side of a point near the dam. The rest of the afternoon was very tough so I packed it in hoping the evening would calm things down. No luck as the wind is really pounding the boat dock but my boat is doing OK. Hope the wind gets tired and takes a nap for the rest of the week.

Looks like I will need a forth rod ready to use. One with a football jig; a second with a wiggle wart or other crank bait; a third with a spook or other top water; and finally one with a spinner bait. Can't wait to get down there.

Nice fish fellas. I am coming down Sunday through Friday and hope the bite is still working.

I did a google and found the Yamaha site. Basically the info boiled down to making sure the filter was changed per the maintenance schedule and treating the fuel. I will have to remember to have the fuel filter changed when I winterize the motor this year. I wonder if the state marina has noneth fuel. My dealer told me that a particular Conoco station in Smithville does not have eth in the premium grade and the Kum and Go in Smithville as well. Of course, that may be a different story in Hollister.

Thanks for this post. I saw a tanker filling at the Kum and Go in September I think it was in Hollister and asked the driver about the eth levels in the gas. He said as far as he knew all the gas octanes had eth in them but that 89 was probably the least amount. I have been wondering about the gas problem for sometime. I stable all the gas I put in and hope we get some answers from the reliable experts on the forum. I have a 2004 50 hp four stroke Yamaha. I will ask my dealer again and do a google.

It might be the type of rod that I am using but it seems that I have had better luck with a 1/2 oz football jig than 7/16 oz jig fishing in 12 to 24 feet of water. Am I too heavy on the jig? I use a 7 foot medium heavy Abu inexpensive rod with wire as opposed to ceramic guides. It is stiffer than my 7 foot rods that I use for crank and topwater baits and I like using that rod. Any advice on lure weight.

Jeremy: Any particular color spook? I tried topwater last week of September everyday for a bit in the AM but nothing going then. In the past I have had some luck on siver and blue spooks.

I am planning on coming down the last week in October and the accuweather extended forecast shows rain all week. How is your success fishing in the rain and do you change tactics? Cloud cover has to improve fishing. I came down in September and fished a couple days in the rain. I had pretty good luck for me. I fished a jig then and will continue use that of course but I wonder if the crank bait bite will be improving and if the rain might affect that.

Powerdive: Well with so many bass in TRock, I should be catching more bass than I am. My last trip was great for me. I caught 20 bass on my last day which is a high for me.

wallin: Have you fished for eyes at Bull Shoals? I have never ventured to BS but if my walleye fan friends ever come down they might want to fish there. BTW, my son graduated from Purdue!

When I go to the Rock I fish exclusively for bass but I have some friends that are big walleye fans. I have a little walleye fishing experience in a couple of Canadian lakes where I have fished for the past 26 years but it is only for a week at a time. And of course the structure, current, and overall depth is so different from the Rock that it is comparing apples to oranges. But, I have caught a few walleye from time to time on the Rock with noisy crank baits. In the Canadian lake there are some "regular" spots to fish that always seem to have some walleye lurking. Are there some "regular" spots on the Rock for walleye or are they so dispersed that they are always difficult to find after the spawn? I also wonder what the relative fish populations are bass vs. walleye for the Rock. If the walleye are quite difficult to find vs. bass then the Rock could have lots and lots of walleye? Any tips from the Rock experts for my walleye fans?

Hey Greg! I admit I am so focused on the fishing I miss some of the details now and then. I'll be talking to you in a week or so about another trip down.

Interesting question. I have not yet brought my computer down on fishing trips to the lake because I focus on fishing the majority of the day and eat and sleep when I am not fishing. But once in a while I wish I could check e-mails. For me a week without the internet is perfectly OK as I am retired and can live without it. For others, its quite important especially those who are still working and for other reasons as well. I will have to check the Panera in Branson next time to see if they have free net service there. BTW, I float a 16.5 red lund with a fifty Yama on the pond when I come down. Might see you sometime.