Fishing Report

[Phil Lilley]

Generation on Taneycomo hasn't changed much over the last couple of weeks until yesterday when we saw a break. Because of high lake levels at Beaver and Table Rock, the Corp has been running four units at Table Rock Dam for pretty much 24/7 for the past couple of weeks, plus the fact that we keep getting these rain events in the water shed. These haven't been wide spread rains but small cells but lots of rain. This week we've seen a 2-inch and a 4-inch rain in our immediate area but it didn't affect Table Rock's lake level much. But they have to keep running water so eventually drop the lake to manageable levels. Table Rock is almost down to 926, 11 feet above power pool.

Trout fishing has been fairly consistent the last week or so. Not real good but not real bad. Because of the fast water, you just about have to get out in a boat and drift to do well. Bank fishing in the downtown area is pretty good, as well off the dock at Rockaway.

Here at the marina, we've been sending people downstream for the better part of a month to catch trout. Drifting from Cooper Creek down, staying in the middle of the lake and using Gulp Power Bait in white, yellow or pink. Our guides are still fishing down close to the bridges in downtown Branson for the most part. Bill Babler reports doing good on nice rainbows this morning drifting below Scotty's Trout Dock down to the Branson Landing. Also doing good are spoons- Spin-a-Lure in gold or silver casted and retrieved or let go to the bottom and jigged off the bottom. Cleos- same thing.

We'd asked some friends over to eat last night. I got the bright idea to go out and catch dinner for us. This idea has bombed for me so many times you'd think I'd learn but I'm a so learner. It was an excuse to get out and fish, is what it was, but we were going to be in trouble if we didn't come back with the bacon.

Vince and I boated up to Fall Creek at 6:45 pm. We started casting white 1/8th oz jigs (Vince) and a F-11 black/silver rapala (me), first in the mouth of Fall Creek. Vince hooked a fish immediately next to a downed tree- a small brown trout. At the same time, I had a huge brown swipe at my lure right at the boat. Might have gone 6-7 pounds. We worked on down and I had no more action on my stick bait so I switched to a white jig. Vince had caught 4 more browns and missed several more bites so the white jig was the ticket.

We'd try to hit every slow pocket of water against the bank and almost each time we'd get a strike. We missed 6 takes to one hookup. They do that sometimes- bite short. We trimmed the feathers back on our jigs and began to hook a few more fish. More browns. Vince landed 3 trophy browns over 19 inches (pics). But thankfully we started hooking and landing some rainbows!! We ended our drift just past Short Creek with 2 limits of rainbows measuring from 13 to 16 inches, just right for my hot grill waiting back at home. Not bad for an hour and 30 minutes, one drift.

One thing I will mention about our retrieve... we would cast our jig as close to the bank- in eddies or slack water- and let the jig drop a foot and then jig it up. Let it settle back down and jig it again. Most bites were on the first two jigs. We'd work it out another 15-20 feet and then drop the rod tip and reel real fast. As soon as we could see our jigs, we'd stop to see if we had a fish following the jig. I'd say half the time we did and the fish would take the jig as it started to drop. One of my fish was a white bass- about 1.5 pounds. Pretty cool. But this technique works- try it.

White jigs are also working up below the dam, working them the same way- off the bank in slack water. We're seeing some awefully nice rainbows being caught. All our rainbows are fat and thick and fight harder that I've seen them fight in years. It's because of the hgih water running all the time- they're just stronger.

I did get down and fish the lower lake a couple of times last week. Boy, if you love catching blue gill on a fly rod, you need to try the lower lake. Down below Rockaway Beach, get off the main lake and fish the back waters where the water is warmer and not moving. I casted red humpies and stimulators at pods of blue gill along the tree line and caught them at will. Nice palm sized too.

Bass fishing on the lower end is fair. We threw small topwater lures in 1-2 feet of water on flats and caught a few largemouth bass. Also caught them in deeper water using sinkos.

I am leaving for Alaska tomorrow morning. Be back on July 29th. I will try to post reports while I'm there but they may be spaced more than a week apart. It all depends on when I can get to town to the public library in Naknek where there's WIFI available. And yes, I'll have some pics from Alaska too.

[swellcat]

. . . a small brown trout. At the same time, I had a huge brown swipe at my lure right at the boat. Might have gone 6-7 pounds. We worked on down and I had no more action on my stick bait so I switched to a white jig. Vince had caught 4 more browns and missed several more bites so the white jig was the ticket.

. . . more fish. More browns. Vince landed 3 trophy browns over 19 inches

Wasn't someone just saying how uncatchable brown trout are there? For a while, it looked like that's all you were going to catch — you seemed dangerously close to having to troll a drive-thru for filet-0-fish.

White is something, isn't it? I almost wonder if we need any other colours. (Kind of regret the piles of purple chennille in my material bags.)

[MOBass]

I am going to come down this weekend if the weather is fit and need some of those white jigs. Is the shop right at the dock?

[WebFreeman]

Phil should be on a plane bound for Alaska. The shop is at the resort, which is literally a stones throw from the lake. So if you're coming by boat, come up, if by car, go to the office. It's all marked, though. He has a really well stocked shop.

[Phil Lilley]

We have lots of white jigs... the shop is just up the hill from our dock.

[Thom]

MoBass:

Contrary to what most people believe about tackle shops on the lake I have found that the prices are reasonable and the quality is excellent. The tackle in the shop is to catch fish not fishermen. Most of the local shops near the dam are good also. but I was docked at Phil's and always found good tackle and tying material there. Why waste gas to shop.

As is mostly the case when I arrived last week I found that after a few days I needed to stock up on some tying materials. Maribou blood quills and plumbs in various colors...sculpen, white, green etc. I found that Lilleys shop had everything I needed and was less than the box store. Quality great. That includes plugs etc. Good selection of hooks in small quanities as well as boxed of larger quanities in the most common sizes. If you just need a small quanity for the trip it is packaged that way also.