Stockton Lake Guide Service

I don't have much as far as details, but they called me wanting me to enter into a BBQ contest at the Rockin Blues Festival or something like that in Golden City. I don't have the dates, but if anyone is interested, contact Mark Bruffett 417-830-6870. I was told it was 125 to enter and 5k for first place. VERIFY that cause I could be wrong and don't want' to mislead anyone. If anyone finds out any info or someone else to contact let me know so I can make sure I get it right!! Good luck

There is a big brush pile in the middle of the cove that the boat ramp is in. As you are on the water and facing the ramp it will be about the middle and a little to the right of the ramp, guessing around 20-30 yards. Was fishing it last week and it had fish on it. If you have trouble finding it give me a call and if I am around that area I will meet you and show you a few brush piles. Hope this helps a little. Good Luck!!

Well the walleye have really picked up over the past few days. They are hitting jigs tipped with night crawlers in 25-30 foot of water on points. We caught some good fish on the points around the dam area. Try fishing the East end of the dam also in about 25 foot of water. Crappie are also in this area so you might be able to catch some of them while fishing for the walleye. If you don't like to minnow fish, try a small grub or road runner, one of the guys did good on them, and also got a walleye while crappie fishing. Bass still hitting topwater up on the points in the evening and early morning and hitting baby brush hogs (plum apple) during the day. Try fishing up around birch branch. We had 2 fish over 5 lbs yesterday while fishing the afternoon. If you try the topwater bite, make sure to throw something a little slower like a chug bug or pop r etc. Work it at different speeds and don't be afraid to let it sit for a little bit. I threw a buzzbait all evening the other day and didn't have one fish blowup on it. Meanwhile, the guy throwing the chug bug caught all the fish. Crappie are biting good in sons creek and on the east end of the dam in about 25 foot of water. The females didn't have any eggs in them during this catch, so we can only hope that they spawned and things will go good with all the cover for the newbies. White Bass were feeding on shad along the flat by ruark west. They didn't stay up very long and they were pretty small, but lots of fun to catch. Try throwing road runners where you see shad and you should be able to pick a few up. I have heard reports of people catching catfish, but can't help you alot with where. Lots of shad schooling, so your best bet is to catch them and go get the catfish. The catfish should be spawing or close to it. If you around the rip rap, try it out. You just might get one that is to big to handle. Hope everyone has fun fishing and hope this will at least give you an idea of what to try. See you on the lake,

good call on aldrich area. I forgot to tell him about that. Sounds like you are catching some fish up there. Nice work!! This morning was good fishing, but with the blue bird skies this afternoon it slowed down a little, or a lot where I was.

Fished Thursday evening up sons creek. At least at the spots I fished, the fishing seemed to be slower than the previous days. Didn't catch any fish in water over 15 foot deep. Fished from 40' up to 3'. Hopefully it was just a tough day or they just didn't like what I was throwing yesterday. Ended up with enough for dinner, but had to fry extra tators. I'm sure that someone was catching them, the ones I were on just were not that hungry. Your best bet is to keep moving until you locate them. I was just to tired (or lazy) to do that last night. Good luck to everyone this weekend and have a safe memorial day!!

Crappie fishing has been really good over the past week. Most of the females have been in 20-25 foot deep water suspended anyplace from 6-18 foot down. Last night we caught both males and females in water less than 10'. The hardest part was finding places to get in close to the bank. Try finding some deeper banks where the trees are not as far out in the lake. color didn't seem to matter, and finally niether did the minnow. The spots we fished last night had zero fish in the deeper water, except for a couple of white bass. We were fishing sons creek and the water temp held 63-64 even after the sun set. I did see another boat crappie fishing and saw them pull in a couple of fish in the deeper water. I'm sure there are still fish deep, but some of them seemed to be moving shallow finally. Try both and keep moving if you don't get bit quick. Bass have been shallow in the sons creek area biting on spinnerbaits, jigs, and baby brush hogs. In the evenings lots of fish are moving on the points to feed and are hitting top water, mainly zara puppys and chug bugs. We caught several keepers over the past week, but even more smaller fish up to 12". Most of the keepers were 16-18". Sorry no report on the walleye other than catching a few while throwing spinnerbaits shallow, but lots of people say they are catching some catfish while crappie fishing. Good Luck!!

Can't I blame you either. I just fished table rock and had plenty of keepers and it was fun all day. Stockton is hit and miss, don't know why but it just seems different. I have a trip tomorrow morning, I can only hope its a hit day so I don't look to bad!! I'll try to post an update tomorrow night in case it changes, I'm sure this front coming thru didn't help any. Good luck at the Rock!!

The bass fishing is good right now, but not a lot of big fish. There is a good topwater bites on points in the evenings. I didn't go today, but went last night after the heavy rain and the fish were still there. Hopefully some fish with some size will move up. The water temp is to the point that the fish are stating to spawn in some areas of the lake. Tuesday night we had 3 spinnerbait fish, 2 jig fish, and 3 top water fish. The biggest was just 16" long. Not great by far, but we have all had worse days. Your best bet is to find some isolated flooded willows and flip them or concentrate on points. Good luck to all if you go out and give it a try. I did hear a report that crappie were running good up around cc. I will try them sunday after church.

sorry, had a tournament on table rock and just got back. I will be out in the morning and can give you an update. It should be hovering around 63, but I've had 1.78 inches of rain on the south side of the lake. It'll be coming up again!!

It's been a long time but the crappie are finally starting to bite better. Went out yesterday and today and catching fish in 8-12 foot of water on jigs tipped with minnows in the Ruark Area. The crappie seem to like the minnow thing right now and had very little action on just jigs. I don't like minnow fishing to much, but if they really want it then thats what they get to eat. Bass have also been biting good on jigs in the backs of creeks. The bass are chasing shad, but didn't seem to like my spinnerbait. I also talked to some guys that said they have been catching lots of catfish on worms, shad and chicken livers in the trees. I didn't even ask how they got them out of the trees and into their boats, but they seemed honest enough. Haven't been out for walleye in a couple of weeks so can't help you there. Give the minnow a try for the crappie. It worked excellent the past couple of days.

I heard a rumor today that someone caught crappie, and some real good ones at that. I am fishing tomorrow so should know something tomorrow night sometime, and should be on the lake thursday weather permitting. Feel free to give me a call and I will tell you how we did.

Just to let everyone know that has not yet heard, the missouri water patrol and Dade county rescue personel have recovered 16 year old Collin Hardenberger’s body this morning around the O highway bridge. Thanks to everyone that volunteered and worked at helping find him for his family. I don't think anyone can imagine what his mother and father have been going thru over the past 2 weeks. Please try to keep his family in your prayers.

Right now I am catching a few (and very few) bass in the creeks and channel swings up turnback and sac rivers. I would think they would be spawning by the 27th. Give me a call the week before the tournament and I will tell you whatever I know at the time. It's been pretty tough the last few weeks.

Just a note to everyone to please keep a good watch out for the 16 year old that drowned at fiddlers ford 10 days ago. There are lots of brush piles and log jams from that point north to the main lake. Please keep his family in your prayers and do your best to help locate him.

When is your tournament and where are you going out of?

I was up turnback today and the water tip hit 54.6. Fishing is still pretty slow but some are getting into a few whites still.

Yes, give me a call on my cell phone and I will help you out. I have hunted and seen lots of turkey. Took a youth the last couple of years and he killed birds then we caught limits of crappie in the afternoon.

If the corp of engineers, game and fish, or water patrol has posted the area then it is off limits. The marina owner only signs a lease for the docks, not the water. If you come in contact with the docks, then you can get in trouble, otherwise you should be fine. I agree that it's not worth fighting about. It's a big lake with lots of fish and brush piles, but if that is the only area the fish are biting then fish it and let the guy keep yelling. If he is throwing stuff at you then you can have him arrested for assault. My only question would be why do some people got to be so stupid?

everything I found was between 41-46. Up around ruark it gets to 48. Tomorrow should help a little more, but after that it didn't look quite as good.

Try fishing brush in between 25-30' around the ruark area. Haven't had much luck in the past couple of weeks on the bluffs. Most of the fish have been coming off brush piles on points or along the channel drops. It's slowed down some but you can still pick up some good fish. If this doesn't work try locating schools of shad in the channel and fish under them. It looks like it is finally going to warm up next week so maybe they will start to wake up a little.