Lilleys' Taneycomo Fishing Report, April 2

[Phil Lilley]

 

Generation has slowed here on Lake Taneycomo, after almost a week of all-out generation-- but no flood gates.  Last night, the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers shut the turbines down about midnight, then cranked it back on at 7 a.m. this morning.  The level built to three units or 708 feet, then this afternoon rose to four units at 710 feet which is four full units again.  This could be a pattern in the days to come or prerequisite to things to come, namely even less generation.  That means we'll see levels dropping to even lower as the lakes above us keep dropping.  But rain is in the forecast, so we will see.

 

First, the hot spots from the last couple of days:

 

A group of trout fishermen found fishing close to the Branson Landing and the Fish House had a fruitful yesterday. They caught between the three of them more than 50 rainbows on jigs of various colors, some of them pretty nice-sized trout. The creeks still have a good number of rainbows in them, too. Our lake water is 43 degrees coming out of Table Rock and that's a little chilly for them. They like it closer to 50 degrees, which is why they're liking the creeks, and there's less current.

 

They're chasing spoons and spinners as well as taking jigs and Trout Magnets under floats four- to five-feet deep.

 

With the rain, worms are washing in to the lake from creeks and runoffs, so night crawlers are hot especially below Fall Creek and Short Creek.

 

Twin to the night crawlers, the San Juan Worm is hot above (and below) Fall Creek in pink, red or white. Our guides are adding a #12 light gray scuds 18 inches below the SJW and catching some quality rainbows and browns in the trophy area. Even with 4 full units, Steve Dickey's clients were landing big rainbows, drifting from Lookout down to Fall Creek.

 

 

Minnows have been extremely hot the last few weeks. Drifting them on the bottom above anywhere below Fall Creek or tying up in or at the mouth of the creeks and tight lining them, hooking them in the lips. Tim Dyer caught this 23-inch brown trout fishing in the mouth of Fall Creek a couple of days ago on a minnow. He and his group fish were there for several days catching quite a few browns but only one longer than 20 inches. He released his trophy.

 

I've been trying white jigs right below the cable at the dam to see whether the trout are seeing any shad come through the turbines from Table Rock, which sometimes happens this time of year. So far my findings are inconclusive. The other day, before they cut the flow back from four units, white jigs were hot, but only at the cable. Drifting away from the dam, I didn't get any interest. Yesterday, when only three units were running, they weren't really interested in the white jigs at all so I don't think they've seen any shad -- yet.

 

Duane Doty just returned from a guide trip.  His clients caught some nice rainbows drifting from the cable down past the Missouri Department of Conservation boat ramp using cheese- colored egg flies on a drift rig, 1/8 ounce bell weight.  They wouldn't touch a SJW or scud.  We had a small storm blow through about 10 a.m. that, Duane said, shut the bite down.  That's fishin'!

 

April 3

 

More rain last night has sent Table Rock's level jumping again, this time not too bad.  But the speed and volume of the water that fell muddied up the lake a bit but it's already cleared out.  But they have bumped up generation back to 4 full units today and that's sent our clients into the creeks again.  We'll see what the next couple of days bring.

 

 

Bill Babler did have a guide trip this morning.  Drifting with egg flies below the dam, he and his client boated some very nice trout.