Fishing Report

[Phil Lilley]

The winter trout season has officially started here on Lake Taneycomo. Table Rock Lake turned over the first part of December so that water released from there to Taney was and is rich in oxygen once again. Actually, this fall season wasn’t all that bad as far as low oxygen levels so it didn’t figure into our fishing as much as past years. Why? Not sure.

Generation has been spotty as best. Most mornings we’re seeing anywhere from one to three units running till about noon-1 p.m., then no generation through the afternoon till dusk when they turn at least one unit on and run it through the night. Weekends are the exception though. They’ve been leaving it off all day and all night on Saturday and Sunday nights but if temperatures drop into the teens, look for that pattern to change. Colder temps means higher power demand and we are more apt to see generation even on weekends. Table Rock Lake’s level is low, over 5 feet low right now. But that hasn’t stopped the Corp from running water when they need to.

We see midge hatches almost every day in the winter here on the lake and that means our rainbows are ready and waiting to munch on the little flies as they swim up from the bottom and hatch on the surface. So we’ve been keying in on using zebra midges lately and it’s paid off. You can fish these flies anywhere on the lake—fish them under an indicator, depth varies. Zebras size #14 to #16 in red, black, olive and primrose/pearl. Need to use 6x or 2 lb tippet when using flies this small. If rainbows are close to the surface and you can see them dimpling the surface, feeding on midges, set the depth from 6 to 24 inches. If they’re not, set it 24 to 48 inches deep. You can also tie them in tandem- two flies about 18 inches apart.

Fish jigs the same way but we generally fish them 48 to 60 inches deep. We’re using micros in olive, brown, black or tan. Also using 1/125th oz in sculpin, brown/orange head and brown/orange head.

If the water is running, we’re throwing 1/8th oz sculpin, black, white, olive, ginger/sculpin or gray jigs and working them off the bottom slowly.

Below Fall Creek, we’re drifting night crawlers on the bottom and doing very well on larger rainbows. If the water isn’t running, inject some air in the worm and float it off the bottom. Gulp Power eggs is ok using white/pink or white/yellow combinations.

Down in the Cooper Creek area they’ve been throwing silver or gold Cleos or yellow Rooster Tails and catching some very nice sized rainbows, best when the sun is out.

Wading below the dam – down in the Rocking Chair area, rainbows feed on midges almost all day. This is a great place to wade and target feeding rainbows as they cruise the shallow water. Where the water is moving like at Rebar and up by the outlets, use a San Juan Worm, #14 in pink, red, worm brown and tan as well as scuds size #14 to #18 in varied shades of gray, olive, tan or brown.

[Thom]

Great report Phil. One question though withe the Zebra midges: (Zebras size #14 to #16 in red, black, olive and primrose/pearl.) Are you talking thread midges with red,black,olive bodies? If so what color ribbing do you use on the red and olive. I usually use silver wire on the black but what color on the red and olive. I also do well with a copper tung head rusty thred body with copper wire ribbing.

I am trying to clear time in Jauary or February for a trip down.

[Phil Lilley]

Thread midges don't usually have bead heads. I use copper wire on the red and black but also use red wire on the black body. Some of the black have silver wire- got to have a variety to throw at them.

I also do well on the rusty zebras.

Got out the drifted the bluff bank in front of the resort from 4:30 till 5 minutes ago. They liked a sculpin/peach 1/8th oz jig pretty well but didn't jump all over it. Caught 6 rainbows and one 3 lb smalley. It's amazing how many small mouth I catch on that bank.

[back2roots]

Sounds like a good plan to follow for Saturday's get-together to me! Hope to see you there!

Bill