Fishing Buddy Report, Feb. 16-18

[Phil Lilley]

Stevan Mayes

Lake Tanycomo Fishing Buddy Report - Sunday (2/16), Monday (2/17) & Tuesday (2/18).

Originally planned to head to Taney on Monday, but left Sunday to beat the ice storm that was forecast for St. Louis. Arrived at Lilley’s mid-day and decided to fish from the dock. Spend a couple of hours fishing and each got our limit of nice skillet size trout, most in the 12” range. Caught most using orange Power Bait on a treble hook, rigged with a small slip sinker held in place with a small split shot. That was enough to keep in on the bottom even though they were running one unit. Also caught a few using a combo of white and orange power egg.

Monday morning we got up early and started fishing from the dock around 8:00 AM, but had no luck, so we headed for the dam to do some wade fishing. As luck would have it we must have hit it during stocking as I have never caught as many fish as I did on this trip in the fifteen plus years I have been making trips to Tany, although I'm not a pro by any means.

We got there after generation had been cut off, around 10:00 AM. Fished from the cable to the first outlet. I was using a 1/8th ounce solid gold colored Kastmaster, and my friend was using a Super Duper, gold with a red tip. Both of using six foot medium light action rods and two pound Maxima green line. The wind was really kicking up and causing a considerable ripple on the surface, at times almost blowing us off balance. The fishing was fantastic.

We fished for about two hours, catching and releasing over sixty trout. Most were in the slot, and averaging twelve to fourteen inches, although we caught a considerable number of fifteen and sixteen inchers. Got one that went right at twenty inches, and that was our biggest of the day. We released everything, which is made much easier by pinching the barbs.

Went back up to the dam around 2:00 PM and started in where we had left off. Still no generation, plenty of wind and catching and releasing one after the other using the same lures. Fished for an hour or so and caught and released at least thirty apiece.

Drove down to the ramp and saw a ton of anglers catching and releasing one after the other using fly rods and ultra-lights.

Got up Tuesday and headed right up to the dam again, knowing there was no way we could equal the day before. We didn’t, we surpassed it. When we got to the dam there was generation, so we waded in as far as we could, again just below the cable. Fished from the cable to the outlet and caught trout on almost every cast. While generation was on, we threw the same lures at about a forty-five degree angle toward the dam and retrieved pretty quick until a strike.

Shortly afterward, generation was stopped and it seemed that resulted in even more action. We starting throwing as far as we could straight across and doing a slow retrieve, again resulting in strikes almost every cast. Broke for lunch as we hit eighty fish on our counter.

Went back to the same area in the afternoon and fished a couple more hours with no generation, same lures same pattern and caught sixty more before quitting for the day.

Many of the fish we caught Tuesday were bigger size, with many in the sixteen to eighteen inch range. The largest nineteen and a half. All catch and release. For a person who does not fish Tany regularly, this was really a thrill.

Packed up and headed home Wed., with sore shoulders, back, feet, etc. But, well worth it.

Thanks again to Phill and all Lilley’s Landing Staff for the special lodging rate and their friendliness and first class service. Can't wait to return this August for our regular week at the lake.

[ScottK]

Wow. I would call that a highly successful trip! Good job.

[hillbillyflyshack]

Old lures still doing the trick. Congratulations on a dream outing.

[Quillback]

Good stuff!

[voodoo33]

What a trip hope to have one as good Saturday

[Sac River Jim]

Phil has been gracious enough to set my family up with a really nice vacation pkg. starting monday the 24th to thursday morning the 27th. if my trip is half as successful as Stevan's trip was I will very pleased. Congratulations on a very successful trout fishing trip at Lilley;s Landing Resort.