Fishing Report

[Phil Lilley]

With unseasonably spring days upon us, Lake Taneycomo has seen generation most mornings until about 9 a.m. Occasionally, some water has been run in the late evening into the night. It really is the best generation schedule we can have, as far as I’m concerned. It’s good for the water to run some during the day to keep the lake healthy and somewhat fresh. It also satisfies both anglers who like to fish with the water on and those who like to wade below the dam.

For sometime I’ve been writing and talking about boating up lake, and then stepping out of the boat to wade the flats below Lookout. I saw some anglers enjoying that last weekend, but I wanted to touch on something I saw them doing. These guys had waded out to the top of their waders. I know the mindset . . . you want to get out where the fish are — where the big ones are. “They’re behind you!” First, it’s tough to fish when you can’t drop your arms below your armpits. Second, you are standing where you should be casting.

When I fish the flats out of a boat, I set the boat in two feet or less of water and cast to the shallow side of the lake. There are dozens of trout feeding in less than two feet of water, where hardly anyone bothers them.

Slowly and methodically fish and move over the flats, watching where rainbows are midging and nymphing. Cast to them from far off and use long leaders. Drop your cast softly because these trout will spook easily. This technique is not easy, but it’s challenging and very rewarding when you hook a nice rainbow this way.

Put a scud on the bottom and drag it, or throw a small midge and let it drift around with on indicator. You’ll see the line take off.

I boated up to the old KOA Wednesday morning just as the water was dropping out from generating. I stopped at the top by the shelter because there were some men fly fishing the narrow shoot there, and I didn’t want to boat through them. I started throwing 1/16th- ounce jigs with no luck at all. The water was still moving pretty well. I switched to my fly rod and tied on a zebra. The nearby trout were midging steadily. One rule of thumb — rainbows almost always midge, or I should say, midge flies always hatch when the water is dropping out.

I had my float set at four feet. I usually don’t fish a midge that deep, but I didn’t want to change it. The trout liked it all the same. I’m speaking in St. Louis tonight, an annual engagement I do for St. Louis County Parks Department. I always go out to take pictures just before I leave, so this time I wanted to take pictures of different flies and jigs in the mouths of rainbows I caught. First was a black zebra #14, next was a pearl zebra, then a rust zebra, followed by a dirty green zebra, an olive micro jig, a tan micro jig, a brown marabou jig with an orange head and, lastly, a plain sculpin jig.

I started really catching trout after the water stopped altogether and the wind picked up a bit. I found a spot down past where the bank goes from rock to clay on the south side where there were some nice rainbows. Got my pics done and headed in.

This past weekend was the last winter trout tournament. We really lucked out on the weather this year. All of our tournament days were pretty decent days. We had tough conditions again, though, on Saturday. It was a pretty still day but somewhat overcast. For most anglers, the morning was slow and the afternoon was good. The team who won listened and learned from some of the winners of the previous three contests. They spooled their reels with two-pound line, bought some jigs and worked a few different areas. They and others caught nice rainbows from Fall Creek down past Short Creek to the old Sun Valley Resort and down from Monkey Island to the bridges.

Our rainbows are eating up micro jigs under a float. Use two-pound line, or at least tie on a section of tippet to the jig and fish it four- to six-feet deep. The last few afternoons, the wind has been perfect for jig-and-float fishing. The main colors to use are olive and tan. The 1/125-ounce marabou jigs are also doing well in the sculpin, sculpin/orange head, ginger, olive, brown/orange and plain brown.

Minnows have slacked a bit, but if the water is running the trout are hitting them. Night crawlers will catch bigger rainbow compared to the Power Bait Gulp eggs, but you will do well using a white/pink or white/orange combination on a either size #8 or #6 hook. Four-pound line is okay, but two-pound is better.

[Thom]

Phil Quote "I know the mindset . . . you want to get out where the fish are — where the big ones are. “They’re behind you!” First, it’s tough to fish when you can’t drop your arms below your armpits. Second, you are standing where you should be casting.

When I fish the flats out of a boat, I set the boat in two feet or less of water and cast to the shallow side of the lake. There are dozens of trout feeding in less than two feet of water, where hardly anyone bothers them."

Phil, I have noticed that same thing at point royale. Most are standing where I catch the most fish and just pushing them farther out or downstream.

My best day at Bennet Springs was late fall near the gage tower below the spring. Usually there is 4 or 5 waiting for the whistle and wading in up to thir waist.

This day it was only me and some lady standing there. I suggested to her that we just walk in to the stream ankle deep and try that before going in farther. She looked at me with a questioned face but agreed to try it.

We slowly entered the water and caught fish after fish in the 2 foot of water and slow current. Wading in farther just chases them to the other side where the other slow drift and seam passed the shore but it is off limits to fisheng there and too far to throw from the other side.

Thanks for the report and info.