Table Rock Dam

[Don]

I fished with Stikrz today, an obscure OAF member but a great guy and a really good fisherman. Corp ran a ton of water today that made fishing challenging. We opted for Chute 1 later in the afternoon and heard a marching band playing; we didn't know why. After fishing for awile the horn blew. We made smart aleck remarks like , " It looks like the fifth generator is about to go online." Well, shortly afterwards strange things started to happen:

Well, we couldn't figure out what was up. I met and visited alot of people to day. Call it congeniality day. I met OAF member Vince on the parking lot and told him about the floodgates. He explained that there was a 50th birthday celebration of Table Rock Dam going on. By then, the gates had shut off after a 10 minute ceremonial run. Well. back to fishin'.

I finished with only 10 fish to the net by stripping streamers on sink tip line, my biggest being a 19 in. sucker. All were caught on bead-headed olive woolies and natural colored pine squirrels. The trout averaged 15 inches and were colorful and full of fight. I saw Jeremy Hunt and his boat crew knocking them out up and down the river. They were having a blast.

Here is some research from the Branson Daily News about the Dam Celebration:

"Special to the BDN

A celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Table Rock Dam and its hydroelectric power facility will be held June 14, with a ceremony at 2 p.m. on the overlook across from the Dewey Short Visitor Center on Missouri 165.

The Springfield National Guard Band will kick off the event. Dignitaries and people who were involved with the dam’s construction will be on hand.

“It was at 2:45 p.m. on June 14, 1959, when the switch was thrown on the dam’s power facility,” said Rodney Raley of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Following the ceremony, activities will move across the highway to the Dewey Short Visitor Center where a film on the development of Table Rock Dam will be shown in the auditorium. There also will be entertainment on the lakeside patio by the Missouri Boatride Bluegrass Band from Branson West."

Today I was blessed with a great opportunity just to get out and do it again.

Don May

[ulua]

Great pictures! Right place, right time. Sorry the fishing wasn't better tho'. Thanks for the post.

[Phil Lilley]

I'll be darn!! I didn't know. We had another reception this afternoon or I would have gone.

Wish I was up there in a boat... bet the fish went wild! Should have pushed some BIG trout out of the protected area too- for a short time.

[vince]

Don it was nice to meet you. Fished for a little over and hour and landed three, hooked several more but the hooks kept pulling out. I opted for the old stand by # 16 grey scud. It was a great day to spend with my wife (she in the shade with book and lawn chair enjoying the cool air). Vince

[Flysmallie]

Cool pics Don. I really like the one where the water just hasn't made it all the way down.

Sounds like you had a great day.

[Jeremy Hunt]

It was good meeting you Don. yeah, that was my dad a few buddies that were in town. We caught alot of fish and got some footage of the dam. The water got trashy, but once the gates shut off the water became clear in a hurry. So what did I do? I went to shad patterns and broke off three big fish. I got to see one and it looked to me like it was pushing 25 inches, rainbow to. The other two I never saw.

DAM FOOTAGE

[Gallagher]

I had read, (prior to Sat), that there was going to be alot of "hoopla" with the 50th Anniversary of the dam, free tours & all. 1 unit was online at the time I checked, the weather was,...well you all know what the forecast was for, I figured with the sketchy weather, all the celebratory hype, it was going to be sorta busy, & opted to not go fishing, not to mention the ceremonial 10 min dump.

[bigdub]

Awesoem pic!! I wish I would have been there right after the gates shut with some white jigs!! Maybe I could have broken off a couple also LOL!!! I never really hear anything about it though, guess I better pay more attention!!

[tippett7]

Shad patters rock for big rainbows if they are running water heavy.

[wackinbass]

I fished with Stikrz today, an obscure OAF member but a great guy and a really good fisherman. Corp ran a ton of water today that made fishing challenging. We opted for Chute 1 later in the afternoon and heard a marching band playing; we didn't know why. After fishing for awile the horn blew. We made smart aleck remarks like , " It looks like the fifth generator is about to go online." Well, shortly afterwards strange things started to happen:

Well, we couldn't figure out what was up. I met and visited alot of people to day. Call it congeniality day. I met OAF member Vince on the parking lot and told him about the floodgates. He explained that there was a 50th birthday celebration of Table Rock Dam going on. By then, the gates had shut off after a 10 minute ceremonial run. Well. back to fishin'.

I finished with only 10 fish to the net by stripping streamers on sink tip line, my biggest being a 19 in. sucker. All were caught on bead-headed olive woolies and natural colored pine squirrels. The trout averaged 15 inches and were colorful and full of fight. I saw Jeremy Hunt and his boat crew knocking them out up and down the river. They were having a blast.

Here is some research from the Branson Daily News about the Dam Celebration:

"Special to the BDN

A celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Table Rock Dam and its hydroelectric power facility will be held June 14, with a ceremony at 2 p.m. on the overlook across from the Dewey Short Visitor Center on Missouri 165.

The Springfield National Guard Band will kick off the event. Dignitaries and people who were involved with the dam’s construction will be on hand.

“It was at 2:45 p.m. on June 14, 1959, when the switch was thrown on the dam’s power facility,” said Rodney Raley of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Following the ceremony, activities will move across the highway to the Dewey Short Visitor Center where a film on the development of Table Rock Dam will be shown in the auditorium. There also will be entertainment on the lakeside patio by the Missouri Boatride Bluegrass Band from Branson West."

Today I was blessed with a great opportunity just to get out and do it again.

Don May

Don,

Awesome pics of ol' Table Rock Dam. A 19" sucker is nothing to frown upon my friend - nice catch!