Lilleys' Lake Taneycomo Trip Report, August 15

[Phil Lilley]

Spill gates were shut down this morning and generation cut from 3 units to 2. The lake here at Lilleys' Landing is much lower and incredibly slower. Off color which is surprising since it was gin clear before the spill gates were opened.

Rick Lisek just came off a double guide trip. He said they really bit early, drifting from Fall Creek down using Gulp eggs. Stayed in the middle of the lake. Then this afternoon, he drifted the same area using a #14 light colored scud, an egg fly and/or a cerise San Juan worm. He said they were on the flats- from the mouth of Fall Creek to the end of the FC dock, in front of the yellow sign on the Hollister side of the lake and from the Riverpointe Estates dock down to Trout Hollow, staying on the shallow side of the lake. Anywhere there was flat gravel, those rainbows wanted those flies. Said they had 80 trout this afternoon.

He used both power bait and flies on a drift rig, no float.

I'm going out and trying a few things and will report back.

[ozarkgunner]

Can you still boat up to the dam?

[Phil Lilley]

Yes. No problem boating - just stay in the middle of the lake going up.

Fishing this evening was ok. Didn't catch a bunch but they were nice ones.

Nice brown caught at the cable today- 21 inch brown - white jig. Released. A big rainbow hooked and lost down around the bridges- 4 pounds or so. Lost at the boat. On a jig of some color...

Just a beautiful day to be out, for sure.

And the Cards won...

Look at the brown belly on this brown... and the contrasting white under the gills. Very unique and pretty. Didn't enhance the colors either- sun brought the colors out.

Terrible way to photograph rainbows but wanted to get them back in the water as quick as possible. These were 4 of 8 rainbows caught this evening... they'd go 6 pounds together. All caught below Fall Creek on the bluff on white jigs.

[ozarkgunner]

Thanks. I smashed them on a pins minnow yesterday from the island down to fall creek. Lots of nice fish. A couple browns were pushing 20 inches. One of my better days on tanney.