Saturday Report

[Bill Babler]

Started at 7AM on Saturday and boated to the Dam. First drift from the cable to outlet 3 was nothing. Could see a few shad floating in the foam, and knew they had to be there. Just an absolute Fierce North wind, that was chilling us to the bone. Made 6 drifts and finly ended up catch and releasing 8 very nice bows full of shad, all taken on a 1/8th oz white jig. They were spitting shad on the deck.

Guests wanted to keep a limit of Stockers, so we boated down to Lilleys' and that is where the boats started. The lake was Full from the Resort to below Branson, just about as much traffic as I believe the Lake can handle.

For all I fuss at MDC, they have this time released some extremely nice fish. I saw quality being taken from Phil's place to past Roark Creek. Not tons of fish, but when you catch one, it was a KEEPER.

We worked with all the traffic pretty hard to catch their 4 each, and they were all 15 plus inches, three of those were 18 inch stockers. We caught ours drifting gulp eggs, as the jig was not working for me on Saturday.

Meat on the Stockers, was very white and extremely soft. I had to be very careful when cleaning them to keep them together. Just imagine how nice those fish would have gotten if left alone for a month or two. With that kind of a head start they would have been fantastic on a fly rod in the restricted zone.

It is not all about fly fishing however, and everyone deserves to catch that kind of quality fish. I bet a few will make it to "Nurvana, above Fall Creek"

Took a pic or two of the Shad Fish, and should have taken a pic of the Stockers, but didn't.

[RSBreth]

Great report Bill.

After seeing that nice looking 'Bow, I was I could have been down there, wind or not.

[XP 590]

WOW! That is one fat belly B@$$trd of a bow! I've heard that fish in a tank will eat until they burst....I think that rainbow is getting close.