Don House

Try Cope Marine in West Branson first then Marine Specialist in Kimberling City... Both should be able to help... Good Luck

I'm with lilley, Green Pumpkin all the way!!! Good Fishing

So Bill, did you trade-in your Bass Boat for a Party Barge, you looked very busy on Saturday. Fishing is good on Taneycomo huh, clients love it!!! Get tired of taking fish off myself, Good Job on the the rock with SKMO sounds like you guys had a great time!!! My Turn on Monday, see if I can't go find some of those Smallies and Spots!! Stay Busy and Good Fishing

Crappie, fishing is a day to day thing up the James.. Fair at best even slower sense the cold weather came in.. But it will turn back on really soon.. Swim two jigs 1/8 ounce in the wind and 1/16 on calm days.. Yellow and White, Blue and White seem to still work best.. Start looking in the deep trees in around 20 - 30 feet in the main creek channels. Slow seems to be the key, but once you find them you will load up!! Hang in there Good Fishing

petertherock, yes, been very busy... I was booked all last week and this week also.. I will try to keep up with you guy's.. Fishing on the Rock has really slowed (Crappie up the James is about dead most days. Cold really shut them down. ).. Spoonbilling is still great, Bass is turning on, 22 pounds on Saturday in the Best of the Best!! Just have to go find them!!! Talk with everyone later.. Good Fishing

1HAWGHUNTER, Did not want to know where but with what.. Jigs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, ect, but I do understand if you are quite.. That's all, just trying to keep track and understand our little green friends.. Yes, I'm a full time local guide down here.. Good luck on your tournament!!!

Yes, Southtown Bar and Grill in Hollister MO.. 65 Hwy south to Hollister, 2nd light by (Lowes) turn left go past sonic to the stop sign, turn right go past KFC on right to small strip mall on right you'll see the sign.. Southtown Bar and Grill.. Great Steaks and good drinks open late...

Lilley, I heard they ran some water this week? Is this true? Did it clear up the lower end of the lake past your place and cooper creek? I have my first trip down there on Saturday and wanted to see if this was true or is eveything below the marina and your place still dirty... Also can you get up past Fall Creek or is it still low? Let know if you can Good Fishing

1Hawghunter, Hey guy what did you catch thoses fish on? Fished up there yesterday also but had no luck... Good Fishing

Indyfisher, well you can give it a try... But with the wind issues right now, being spring time and we get alot of wind in the spring it will be hard at best to first find the fish deep and then stay on them in the wind .. If there is alot of wind, I would go to the fast moving baits fished slow, wigglewarts, swimming minnows, swimming grubs, spinnerbaits, ect... If there is no wind then go with stickbaits, small jigs, shakey jigs or a splitshot rig... Keep watching the site I and a few others will have more information about what is going on before you get here.. Good luck and Good Fishing

Guy's if you want I can talk with rick, we have alot of the Bobby Garland Swim minnows in stock from the sports shows, We just did not list them on the website yet.. They just sent us a very large selection of test baits for our review/testing and baits for sale.. Let me know what you are looking for.. I can get that going for you.. Well off to work, talk to everyone when I get off the water.. Good Fishing

Roy, look at my fishing report on here, that might help alittle, but from what I here the Shell Knob is the area with wiggle warts, green crawdad!!! I have a trip out of long creek and main lake tomorrow I will put how it went... Good Luck

WildSide88, Just with a jig head hook exposed, you get hung every now and then but not really much, I run the hook to where it comes out the back at the top that helps alot.. Good Fishing

bass master, checkout my fishing report on this site, that should point you in the right direction.. Good Fishing

WebFreeman, Yes it is different, they have a very wide wobble (A side to side wobble) to them and they are small in size (like the crawdads in the lake right now) and that really attracts these fish and allows them to zero in on it even in dirty water. When you slow crank this guy back to the boat you will feel a throbbing feeling from your rod tip, that is the wart moving side to side in the water. And really best thing is because the crawdad is one of there favortie foods this time of year it makes a easy choice for you to use. So just crank slow and hang on!!! Hope that makes sense to you.. Good Fishing Lilley, hopefully this year I will get over there a little more, Rick is working on a New G3 jet boat for us just for Taneycomo. These big wallie boats are, well let's just say it is a white knuckle ride up the river!! Stay Warm and good fishing

I need to get that the trout pic's, just can't seem to get any big ones!!

Fishing report for 3/21/2006 By Captain Don House of Chauffeured Guide Service WHITE BASS James River Area: White bass are really starting to bite right now. All fish are being caught on crankbaits and swimming minnows. Most of the fish I seen were in the main channels and on the flats in water from 5 to 20 feet. Crankbaits used are the Rapala Shad Raps the best seems to be the suspending models (SSR5 in Shad colors and Silver). Also slow roll a swimming minnow in colors of silver shad and smoke with silver flakes and let this bounce off the bottom for the best results. CRAPPIE Long Creek Area: Crappies are moving in and out of the shallows on a daily basis. Most of my fish are coming from the 12 foot to 20 foot range. Try swimming twin jigs tipped with Berkley power nibblets (White, Chartreuse or Orange) or vertical jigging the big trees in the channels and along the channel swings and just past the Marina. The best color still seems to be yellow and white or all white with sliver tips with small 1/16 or 1/32 once jigs. State Line to Cricket creek marina and into Cricket Creek and Yokum Creek are where most of the fish have been caught. James River Area: Crappies are holding on the flats up past Flat Creek and also in the bluff from Bridgeport to the upper ends of the James River right on the banks of the bluffs and around the 10 to 16 feet range in the flats. Swimming jigs has produced the best in this area with small 1/16 once jigs or 1/8 ounce or heavier in the wind, but we found a double jig setup with Berkley power nibblets (White, Orange or Chartreuse) is working the best. Colors change everyday but yellow and white, blue and white, chrome and white still seemed to be the best. Good limits are coming out of this area but are still on a day to day basis. White River Area: Reports show that a very good crappie bite is going on down there past viola on the muddy flats and in the trees on the bluffs. Some are shallow and some are deep, just start on the flats and start searching. But once you find them it seems everyone has there limit with no problems. Colors I was told are White, White and Sliver, White and Yellow. SPOONBILL James River: Spoonbill season is here and came in with a bang!! MCD told me that it was the largest harvest in history on opening day. We had fish everyday this week in the 30 to 80 pound range! Most of these fish came from the James River Arm from the Cape Fair to Virgin Bluff and from Bridgeport area to Flat Creek. My best luck came from Point 15 at Flat Creek on the flats points were the river channel meets and on the bluffs just before and after Flat Creek. Just look for all of the boats and you know you are in the right area. Trolling seems to work best with 3 hooks and a 4 – 8 ounce weight. Just remember when you get one of these guys on do not give them any slack in the line; they will roll off every time. BASS Long Creek Area: Bass have been holding on the bluffs and channel swings through out the winter. While the water is still in the Mid 40"s there is a stick bait bite going on with some color's like blue back and chrome side with a orange belly worked the best with cloud's and black back chrome sides and a orange belly for clear day's. The fish I caught wanted a fast steady jerk the day I was up there last week, but most reports are a slow 30 second pause try both until you find what the fish want. Fish the stick baits in the deeper trees and bluff ends or channel swings midway back in the creeks or a try small brown / purple flash or green pumpkin and brown jig with a craw in the same areas or around brush piles. With all of the new rain these last few weeks hopefully fishing will pickup in this area. Also there are a lot of fish being caught on secondary points with crankbaits in shad and crawdad colors. Wiggle warts are really coming to life right now also in the same areas with the brown and green colors. Kimberling City to DAM area: Fishing in this area is slow and tuff at best. The best bite I have found is on windy days with a swimming grub on the bluff ends and midway back in the creek channel bends. Use a 3/8 ounce jig with a 3” smoke or sliver flash grub with a very slow retrieve. Reports show the crankbait fish are coming to life also in this area so give it a try, slow presentation seems to work the best. Also it’s a good time to start using the spilt shot rigs and drag them along the bottom, most fish I have been marking are on the bottom or right off of it. Use a Zoom trick worm in watermelon with red flakes, watermelon with cotton candy flakes or watermelon pepper. Slow dragging of these types of baits will produce in time. Also try using spoons ½ ounce and ¾ ounce when you find schools of shad with slow easy jerks just below the shad or drop shot the same areas with small 4” ROBO worms in bluegill green or oxblood brown color. James River area: The James is a little bit warmer (mid 50’s) than the rest of the river areas but is much shallower this water will warm up much faster. Look for windy flat banks with mixed small rock banks; also don’t forget the plain do nothing looking flat banks fish seems to be moving up on these to feeding on shad. In the Channel swings and Bluffs swings I would go back to the Storm WiggleWarts in Green and Brown or all good crawdad colors fish these slow and parallel to the banks and hard wood trees. Also try stickbaits in the color patterns of Silver and Black and Blue and Silver with a orange belly with easy jerks and long 30 second pauses. Also try small jigs in brown / purple flash or green pumpkin and brown with a craw around pole timber and brush piles with a very slow. This area the water is starting to rise but still be careful. The Cape Fair walk way was under water by about a foot or two until it was moved out of the water just a few days ago. There are still a lot of big trees just under the water in the creek arms and channels swings of the river, go slow and watch for trees just barely exposed. ** Baxter, Camel Point, Shell Knob Area: Reports are that is area is really turning on for black and spotted bass. The hot bait right now is the Storm Wiggle Warts in crawdad colors fished in the channel pockets and creek arms in the range of 12 – 20 feet. One report from some tournament anglers talked about a 50 fish day on Saturday in the Center City Marine (Children’s Miracle Network Tournament.) It took 16 pounds to make 17th place!! Sound like the lake is turning on! Good Fishing Everyone

Guy's here are some from Fin and Feather... This is my favorite color smoke and silver flake and seems to work the best down here for me.. Good Fishing

Guy's we use them for Bass and Crappie on the rock. They work great in the spring.. I love to use Smoke, motor oil, and silver flake. Swim these just like you would a crappie jig, slow and bounce them off the bottom. The Bass just can't take it, even better on a windy day. Fin and Feather for local ones and on the internet you can get a large selection of colors from Bobby Garland Bait company.. Good Fishing

First let me say this one thing. Bill Please do not think I'm bragging or boasting I'm not here to do that by any means nor do I agree we are better than you by anyway, You run a first class business and you get out there and work just as hard as anyone else on this lake, everyone I've talked with said they loved fishing with you, that right there speaks alot about you!! And you can say you caught 3 fish over 9 pounds on this lake. Next, We DO NOT Say we can deliver this on every guide trip, that will come back to bite you! You are right!! Sometimes I guess we just get lucky!! My point of this whole post was that there are bigger fish in this lake than everyone thinks there are! That's all and If I was taken wrong then I do apologize to everyone. Gary Martin a guide that contract's for us was the big dog who caught the really big fish in april of last year.. Rick had a two last year, I know I was with him.. The other fish, the Smallie and the meanmouth I caught in a SuperBass Tournaments one in the spring of 2005 and one in the fall of 2005, both just missed the lake records. So I know they are out there big time.. It does not matter who caught them but they all have been caught on Table Rock that is my point. SKMO check out the web site for all of the pic's.. The one on the front page was the black that Rick caught on Taneycomo last Summer, in my profile is the 8.12 I caught here by State Park.. Take a look at some of these and I will try to get a copy of the toad that gary caught and post it also.. Good Fishing

Tom, I would go with the lund, nothing wrong with your boat, but you can fish more places with better distance with the lund!!! Have a great time and Good Fishing

Petertherock, thanks good point!!! Blacks are really comming back so please be kind and allow our childern to catch these fish some day.. Good Fishing

Ranger2Bass, Spinnerbaits are working up the rivers I had a limit last week with a client in the heavy wind. Dirty colored water use a Chart and White with colored blades in the same color patterns worked well for us. But really there are big fish in this lake, we had clients that caught fish in the 7 to 10 pound range just last year!!! Half of them came in the spring, this one was over 9 pounds and was caught in brushy creek in April of last year she came on a split shot rig with a watermelon red trick worm.. The rest were in the late summer early fall all on spoons and drop shot rigs.. So they are there.. Also Rick and I had one that came from Taneycomo Lake that bordered on the 10 pound range, so ever lake has them you just have to spend the time to find them... My personnel best was a 8.12 black from Beardsley Creek across from State Park and a 6.0 meanmouth from in front of Big Cedar and a 6.06 smallie from the mouth of Aunts creek.. So I know they are there!!! Good Fishing

All of my fish that I have caught in the last few weeks have come on jig's, spinnerbaits, wiggle warts and stick baits.. Checkout my fishing report posted on this site for more detail information.. Good Fishing

We played around with one last year in the fall, but it was not a really good one.. We could see the fish but the one we had would not stay still long enought.. I gues with the new ones out there it could work ok if you have time to play around with it.. Crappie fishing would be fun with it.. Good Fishing