Staying At Lilley's, Would Like Some Tips

[sself1]

Hi,

About ten years ago my parents took me trout fishing at Taneycomo, and I've been dying to come back ever since. Well, I finally broke down and booked a room at Lilley's for my girlfriend and I on the third weekend of March to do some trout fishing. I was just hoping to get some basic information about what to expect...

I'm a very serious angler, but I'm a bass fisherman, so I could use some help when it comes to trout. We will be using spinning gear, not fly fishing. My plan is to fish some powerbait, floated off the bottom. Maybe try some air injected night crawlers.. I also might try to use some small jerkbaits, roostertails, or spoons to go for some bigger trout. Does this seem good? Any other suggestions?

Also, how well do you think we could do just fishing off or around Lilley's dock? I have a bassboat, but I don't really want to spend the gas money to tow it all the way down. I'm thinking it would be cheaper to just rent one of the john boats. Do you think the john boat rental is necessary for a good fishing experience?

Any tips are appreciated!

Thanks

[rps]

Many, including Lilley, use small jigs (brown, green, black, and white) fished barely off bottom on the drift. If you mash the barbs down well, you can fish these in the restricted zones. You might search the forum on jigs in Taneycomo.

[duckydoty]

Hi,

About ten years ago my parents took me trout fishing at Taneycomo, and I've been dying to come back ever since. Well, I finally broke down and booked a room at Lilley's for my girlfriend and I on the third weekend of March to do some trout fishing. I was just hoping to get some basic information about what to expect...

I'm a very serious angler, but I'm a bass fisherman, so I could use some help when it comes to trout. We will be using spinning gear, not fly fishing. My plan is to fish some powerbait, floated off the bottom. Maybe try some air injected night crawlers.. I also might try to use some small jerkbaits, roostertails, or spoons to go for some bigger trout. Does this seem good? Any other suggestions?

Also, how well do you think we could do just fishing off or around Lilley's dock? I have a bassboat, but I don't really want to spend the gas money to tow it all the way down. I'm thinking it would be cheaper to just rent one of the john boats. Do you think the john boat rental is necessary for a good fishing experience?

Any tips are appreciated!

Thanks

Lilley's john boats are perfect for fishing Lake Taneycomo and I would fully recommend one for the full fishing experience. Just continue to watch Phil's fishing reports each week and you will have a good idea what to expect. Make sure you have the right line spooled up on your spinning gear. Lilley's tackle shop sells everything you need to catch trout and they will be able to tell you the hot colors, techniques, and locations while you are there. Hope you enjoy your trip. Great place to stay.

[denjac]

Many, including Lilley, use small jigs (brown, green, black, and white) fished barely off bottom on the drift. If you mash the barbs down well, you can fish these in the restricted zones. You might search the forum on jigs in Taneycomo.

I understand the concept of smashing the bards down, but its not a requirement for fishing the restricted area. Just no live bait or plastics. Or did they change the rules to barbless?

[Phil Lilley]

You're right on the barbs - no restrictions. But if you're catching and releasing, it's easier to release fish if you do mash the barbs.

What you use and how you fish depends on what kind of fishing experience you're looking for. If you want to kick back and relax on the dock and throw some bait, you'll catch some trout and have a good time. If you want to work alittle and see some of the lake, get a boat and putz around... you'll catch more fish probably.

But if you want to be more aggressive and fish like you do for bass, throw some stick baits and cast some jigs... you probably will catch more and larger trout but it will be more work.

Like Duane said, watch the reports and lake conditions closer to the time you're coming. Conditions will dictate alot of what you'll do here.

[sself1]

Thanks for all of the answers!

I'll be there for three days so i'll probably try a few techniques. I'm hoping to relax on the dock with some baitfishing, and try to catch a few fish for the pan. I'm sure one of the days i'll take out a john boat and go after some bigger fish. I'm pretty good with a jerkbait, and from what I read, fishing a jig for trout isn't much different from bass fishing. Is there usually someone at the marina who can answer questions about current fishing conditions or help me with some places to try out when i rent a boat?

[OzarkFishman]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but hopefully the answers will help you as well. Like you, sself1, I am a bass fisherman that is trying to get into the fly/trout thing.

Like RPS stated, it seems that natural colors for jigs are the best. As for technique, how are they fished?

1) Do you just cast out, let some line out and then drift with it keeping a little contact with the bottom?

2) How about casting the jig out and jigging it back like a bass jig? I would assume that you would want to use smaller jerks so that the very light jig just comes off the bottom 6 - 12 inches.

3) How about the float-n-fly method? How deep should the jig be set? I know it will vary, but what depth is a good depth to start with? Would it be a good idea to float two jigs under the indicator/bobber?

Thanks for any information,

OzarkFishman

[Toby from MO]

Most everyone here has far greater experience on Taneycomo than I but I'll toss in my 2 cents as just a few years ago I was here asking the same questions.

As most have said...weather and water conditions will dictate everything. Even from my limited experiences on Taneycomo I would say they can/will change rapidly...so watch the reports closer to the date of your trip. The help Lilley's can provide upon your arrival is very valuable as most tip's come directly from Phil's recent experiences.

Like you, I'm far more acclimated and have greater access to bass fishing. For me, jig fishing for trout on Taney more ressembles jig fishing for crappie on a river. Lighter line, lighter jigs and the weight of both is largely dictated by the current. Somtimes you have no feel/contact with the bottom and depending on the conditions you may want to be on bottom. My most recent experience at Taneycomo was the first trip I dedicated to jigs. I had fished them before but with less confidence I didn't give them a chance before I would switch to something else. All I can say is wow...my new favorite method. As Phil has said many times...we didn't catch quite as many but no doubt the average size was much larger. Sculpin, olive, sculpin/olive, sculpin/peach, sculpin/ginger were the ticket for us. The biggest lesson I learned was don't be affraid to change. What seamed to work in the morning was not necessarily the color hooking them in the afternoon.

During other past experiences we ocasionally threw large (sometimes VERY large) baits, i.e. Rapala's, Rogues, flukes, etc... We caught fish but it was largely dependent on water flow. When the water was off we wouldn't even get a sniff...I think they can see it better and not required to act as fast.

Drifting or fishing from the dock...Powerbait seams to always catch a fish but "typically" not the larger fish...except for the State Record. LOL! Worms are usually just as reliable and tend to catch a slighlty larger fish. Minnows are hot/cold for us but when hot they have produced the best fish.

Hope this helps. Good Luck...Lilley's is awesome.

Toby

[Seth]

Lilley has a really nice shop with anything you could possibly need for trout fishing. He'll get you setup to catch plenty of trout. If the water is off you should be able to just sit on the dock and catch all the fish you want. The only issue with using bait is the fish usually swallow the hook. If you plan to catch and release fish, I'd advise you to get a boat and head up river with some jerkbaits and some 1/8oz jigs, especially if the water is running.

[kelly]

Also, how well do you think we could do just fishing off or around Lilley's dock?

Sculpin jigs with orange heads are very good before the morning sun hits the water. I like to fish the upper end of the dock and cast back toward the bank but be sure not to fish inside the stalls or behind the dock.