Thanks To Everyone For Posting About Their Trips!

[Wahoo61]

I just wanted to thank everyone for posting about how they do below the dam. It is a big help to know what is going on. It seems like we have alot more people posting more detailed information this year compared to years past. My name is Lee Hardee and when I am at the dam usually I will be pulling a white and blue Nitro Bay Boat Center console with a 75 Merc on the back. Drive a Black Ford Escape (when it is not in the shop getting the transmission rebuilt like this weekend). Not too many of those boats around here. Anyway, it really helps when you guys post because it might save someone from making a several hour trip (Me, from KC so it is about 1.5 hours pulling a boat generally). I generally start thinking about going down in March, planning to jig fish the drift. When the water hits about 55 on the Corp site for water surface temperature, I generally start looking for them to maybe start hitting on top. (I have found that the Corp temperature for water surface is about 4 degrees lower than what it is in the tailrace based on me being there below the dam in the boat with temp on my sonar). Anyway, around now we always try to catch shad and fish them either just on a hook with no weight or with a weighted bobber for distance. Tried big weighted slip bobbers this year and they worked well today. When they really get in there, you can absolutely wear them out on live shad. We have had many days where we will catch fish almost every cast until we run out of shad. The only problem with the live shad thing is, well - the bait tank (which you have to have to keep them alive - the sometimes several hours of throwing a cast net to catch the bait - the boat and the fuel - and the many days when you do all that and get below the dam, and they just aren't home. But when it works, it is AWESOME. I hope to run into some of you guys down at the dam. Again, thanks for all the good info. TIght Lines!!!!!!!!

[Wayne SW/MO]

It's one of my favorite areas. I wish sometimes that I lived closer because, like you said, they aren't home all the time., The topwater hybrid bite can be great fun. When you fish from the boat do you start at the cable and drift downstream?

[Linhardt]

I enjoy fishing below Truman as well. Went down 2 weeks back in early afternoon and caught one hybrid about 4 lbs on a white slab buster with a slow retrieve. But that was the only fish I caught saw one other one caught and a white bass or two and a few crappie. I usually bring down a 12' crappie rod, 14' casting rod to cast lead spoons, and a 7' bass rod for casting hawg stick when they are hitting the topwater. Have fished there many years now and usually start around March. This year has been a little difficult for me. I am guessing because of the cool weather that has seemed to come and go this year so far. Have not quite been able to get there on the good bite I guess. Have only fished from the shore on both the old channel and in the tailrace. Have not fished via boat below cable so I do not have any experience or reports on that. The biggest hybrid I have ever caught down there was 13 lbs on a hawg stick. It ended up putting one of the treble hooks through my thumb when I grabbed it. Then after a few seconds after I saw that it was through my thumb it shook and slipped out by hand and ripped the back out my thumb. Just taped it up real quick so it would stop the bleeding and kept throwing the hawg stick for more. Because those top water bites do not last long some times.

[Wahoo61]

Regarding the boat deal, below the dam, I haven't really fished below the dam from the boat, one day this year I was just jacking around and I pulled some crank baits and caught one hybrid - three pounder - just below the cable. I plan on trying the live shad thing there probably after we have run out of shad fishing up by the fence and I have to put back in to catch more shad. I take the boat primarily to catch shad this time of year to then go up and fish on the rocks. Later we will start fishing the main lake, o3, g4, the cemetery, airport, KK island. Tight Lines!