Big Rainbow Trout While Drop Shot Fishing

[Predator1]

WOW, We could not believe it! While we were drop shot fishing in 100' of water at a depth of 25', I caught 2 shorts on night crawler and my pardner caught a 26" Rainbow on a football jig with crawfish trailer. I heard they were in the lake, just never believed in a million years we would have caught one. I must say after only catching 3 bass and 5 bluegill, that was the highlight of the day.

Has anyone else caught Rainbows in the Rock before and what is the best way to catch them....besides getting lucky.

Charles E. Jackson

[rps]

I assume you were fishing well down lake, but up at this end, Holiday Island, bows and browns are common, especially up river of Beaver. My good friend Larry once caught a 6 pound brown while jerk bait fishing.

Having said that, a 26 inch rainbow is impressive anywhere! Congrats and please post a picture.

[Don House]

I was fishing the 86 Hwy Bridge in the Long Creek Area or Dam Area and had a 19.5 Bow on a drop shot worm? Seen it a few other times, I think they are coming up from Roaring River area... Happens Enjoy

Capt. Don

[Bill Babler]

Congrats on a 26 inch bow anywhere. You are in the 8 to 10 pound bracket.

Unusual, No, not really. Lots of bows are caught in the Rock. Most come earlier in the season, from the White River section. Contrary to popular belief not from Roaring River, but from the White Below Beaver.

The deep docks in Shell Knob, will produce big bows, at any time however. One day about 10 years ago, I caught 5 rainbows off Hardmans Hollow dock just past Shell Knob. The 5 weighed about 17 pounds. CAught them on a jighead with a crawler attached, fishing for walleye in the heat of the summer. Once in a lifetime for me.

Caught a bow just across from Owl Creek this year in a cut on a stickbait that weighted a little over 6 pounds, so they are in here.

One of the local ledgens says he can catch them anytime in the dam area, if he sets his mind to it. I believe him.

Great fish and am glad you got to catch it.

[Predator1]

86 hwy bridge in long creek is exactly where we caught our fish............we tried fishing area 23 first in the fog and caught one smallmouth on a redfin.........proceeded to the bridge to drop shot and released all fish.

Hopefully we can get-r-done next time.

Thanks to all you fellow fisherman....we learned the drop shot technique from all of you.

Hope we can be of assistance to you sometimes too.

Good luck everyone.

Oh yea, we also had a ticket on our truck at Indian Point Boat Launch.....First time we ever launched at Table Rock and did not see the complimentary box for the 4 dollar launch fee......Worked out good we got the ticket....several other people who had already launched while we were leaving found out from us so they were able to pay before the cruised the lake.

I bet they give out alot of tickets every year..Anyway...got our yearly permit now.

Charles E. Jackson

[Hunter91]

We have caught a few while trolling for walleye in the Baxter area. Someone at the Baxter dock told us that they came from Dogwood Canyon, I believe. The ones we caught were all 3lb plus fish and usually suspended over very deep water in the summer. Also, my partner caught a really nice rainbow in the Joe Bald area on a rogue a couple years ago.

[Jim-to-fish]

I caught a nice rainbow trolling a orange wiggle wart in Schooner Creek in middle of May this year. Like you said that was the topic of the day. Lots of laughs, but boy did it taste good.

Jim

[chub minnow]

I caught a 16" rainbow while minnow fishing for crappie off of a deep dock in Shell Knob, and my buddy claims to have seen a big rainbow while scuba diving below the thermocline in that same area.

[Wesley]

Where is Holiday Island?

[rps]

Where is Holiday Island?

Holiday Island is about 6 river miles upstream from the Highway 86 bridge that crosses the lake at Eagle Rock, Mo. Holiday Island is roughly 60 river miles from the TR dam. Another way to say it is that it is the first marina down stream from the Beaver Lake dam and the last boat ramp before the river/lake crosses North into Mo. Right now, the river channel in front of the marina is 42 or 43 feet deep. At the dam it is over 200 feet above the level of Tanneycomo below it. Roughly 6 miles upstream from here you find the Highway 62 bridge. Above there the trout are definitely the predominate fish.