Fishing For Lunkers ?

[King Fish]

I have a 4 day trip planned to Taneycomo Wednesday-Saturday staying @ Lilleys and fishing from a boat..My favorite fishing is Taneycomo in the Fall/Winter.. We throw jigs.. cleo's / spinners and drag food, powerbait/nightcrawlers.. have you heard drifting called that?.. LOL! .. but I like to fish for bigger fish too during the day.. Throwing countdowns with my med bass rod and 8lb test.. sometimes do well.. but has been a few years since I've got into a lunker brown trout that way.. or caught many browns for that matter... anyone else have a different method ?.. We always cover the water from school of Ozarks to the dam... Thx for any tips... Can't wait for our trip..

PK

[Gatorjet]

From my last trip there 2 weeks ago, and from most of the posts on here, I don't think there was much of a brown run this fall. Probably due to the high water most of the time. We did do well drifting #10 gray scuds on drift rigs from Lookout to Short Creek. Also quite well on white 1/8 oz PJ's jigs. A lot of Rainbows, a few really nice ones 15-18 inch size, but no browns. Targeting big fish like that on Taney is something like Muskie fishing. You might go for days without even a hit, but when it does come it could be a once in a lifetime fish! Good luck!

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Is a lunker still considered to be a fish over 20 inches ?

Brian

[laker67]

Is a lunker still considered to be a fish over 20 inches ?

Brian

The original term "lunker" referred to a trout that weighed 3 pounds or more. Now the trout parks have adopted a "release a lunker" program that says any trout 18 inches or longer. I don't agree because you will be hard pressed to find a rainbow of 18 inches that will weigh 3 pounds. 2 to 2.2 is more that average. It's more of a spin off from weaver's 2 pound lunker patch. A 20 inch rainbow would be more in the ball park.