Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report

[Phil Lilley]

<a href="http://www.swpa.gov/generationschedules.aspx" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1901" title="Lake Taneycomo" src="http://www.ozarkanglers.com/lake-taneycomo/files/2011/12/rainbow5_720.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="182" /></a>

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<a href="http://www.swpa.gov/generationschedules.aspx" target="_blank">Southwest Power Admin's generation site</a> this morning said they were going to run 3 units this morning and one unit for the rest of the day, basically.  As I sit writing this report, it's noon on Friday and there's no generation.  They didn't get it right today.  Most times they do but not all the time.  This isn't good for those who depend on this schedule, having to drive down from the Springfield area or up from Arkansas to fish.  But that's the way it is.

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I start my report with this because I don't know what they're going to do with the water this weekend.  It's supposed to get colder later tomorrow so they may run more water, BUT on weekend they usually geer down and don't run as much--less power demand on weekends.  If I were a betting man, and I'm not in reality, I'd say they will not run much water tomorrow or Sunday, if any.

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Table Rock has officially turned over and that's good news for our trout and for us anglers.  Good news for the Corp too because now they don't have to inject liquid oxygen into the lake water till next fall when the cycle starts all over again.  That's stuff is expensive!  Measurements have gone from .5 at the beginning of this week to over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_saturation" target="_blank">9 ppm</a> which is close to the top of the scale.  Our trout should be feeling pretty frisky about now.

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I do love this time of year here on Taneycomo.  There are an abundance of rainbows in the lake, seeing that fishing has been so good the last few weeks and the fishing pressure is the lowest of the year in December.  Many days, especially weekdays, you'll find you're the only one on some stretches of the lake.

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Insects like the water quality change as well.  Fish aren't the only ones affected by low DO levels in the fall.  Midge hatches this week seems to go on all day and in huge numbers and the trout are responding to them, dimpling the surface of the water for as far as the eye can see.  You'll catch these feeding rainbows using either a small jig under a float and only set the float about a foot to 18-inches deep or you can fish a zebra midge under a float at the same distance.  Watch and target trout that surface.  Try to guess which way they're moving and you'll score more often.  Where in the is the best place to find midging rainbows?  Anywhere and everywhere.  Seriously.  I've seen trout midging all the way down to Powersite.

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Talking to some guys who fished earlier in the week, they struggled Monday catching trout but Tuesday they said the trout turned on and they caught a bunch.  This correlates with the oxygen improving each day this week.  They said drifting Gulp Eggs from Fall Creek down to Lilleys was very good and it really didn't matter what color they used.

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I took a trip by boat yesterday to the dam while they were running a couple of units and tossed a jig, 3/32nd ounce, from the cable down to the first island on the south side and caught 4 white bass, a few rainbows, a smallmouth and a blue gill.  Back to multiple species fishing again.  Three of the whites were nice so I brought them back for Ryan, my nephew and dockhand.  Two of the rainbows were good ones--in the 18 inch range.  I drifted the bank again and threw an olive jig with less success but as I drifted down the side of the island- main channel- I picked up rainbows all the way to the rebar.  The jig would hit the water and I'd have one.  These were stockers- 12 inches long but aggressive and fun.  Drifting on down to the KOA I only picked up a couple.  From Lookout down I didn't catch any.  The water had picked up a little and that must have shut the bite down.  Never know.

[wc1063]

Thank you!

[Gatorjet]

I fished Friday, and Saturday mornings until around 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon. Thursday I fished at lookout, should have moved around to a few more spots. Just glad to be out on the lake. I fished sculpin/olive 1/8 oz jigs for a few small fish, and one lost good one. A lot of surface action, so I tried a micro jig under a float for a while. Again, a couple of small fish, but big enough for some fun. I had fish hitting the float several times. Not having an orange float with hooks attached, I tied on a small jointed Rapala, and caught several more sub 12" fish.

Saturday morning I started down lake from Lilley's, again with the sculpin/olive jigs. On the second cast I caught an 18" Bow, and then several smaller from 10 to 14 inches. I tried for a while at Monkey Island without much success at all. Very windy down there then. I ran up to Fall Creek, and again caught a couple on the jig. Nothing great, just fun to catch.

I did notice bait fishermen doing pretty well. especially Friday. The guys fishing off Lilley's dock also all had fish on their stringers. Pulled the Gator out Saturday afternoon to beat the coming rain. Glad I did!

All in all, not the best fishing, but any time on Taneycomo is good time!!!