Taney, Last Thursday and Today

[Bill Babler]

As I mentioned on the 19/20 report I didn't want to talk about last Thursday.  I'm going to now and throw in today.  Both days extremely fickle and hard to explain.  On Thursday zero generation it was extremely tough for most all the guides and I know as the phone was ringing on both ends.  We have an excellent guide community and do everything to help anyone with clients, be successful.  No one could figure it out in our group.  Fish numbers on guide trips ranged from 7 to 14 and that is totally out of character for Taney, especially fishing the pink worm or  live bait. 

On Friday we caught 42 on the  Same Flat  Water fishing a verity of baits, just about anything from a micro to a pink worm to a inflated crawler out  of the zone.  Can't explain it.

Thursday was flat water with zero drift but today was a perfect 2 units at under 706.  Usually prime time to put the  hammer down.  They totally were not having it.  Since they started the water last Saturday it has been an absolute feast on artificial in the restricted to crawlers in the catch and keep areas.  We ended the day today with 2 fish in the restricted zone on the Mega worm and 14 out of the zone on crawlerrs.  Talked to a couple of other guides fishing from Monkey down and they said it was horrible, one catching only 8 with 3 clients and the other a dozen with 2 guests.  Really no need to move around, just fish as it was that stingy all over the arena.

I did notice one thing.  My clients kept 4 fish for dinner.  As I cleaned them the fish behind Lilleys' dock were really lethargic in as much as when I threw any parts in the lake even intestines with scuds or egg skeins they just let them pass.  They would come up on some of that but then just turn away without eating it.  Very seldom do you see those reactions from fish behind the dock, especially on the eggs.

Kind of goes back to a topic currently running on the Table Rock Forum on electronics, even with all the technology, they still have to bite and some days are just harder..

I'm sure they will be starved tomorrow,.  Good Luck

[MNtransplant]

Hey @Bill Babler ive been coming down every Tuesday evening for the past 7 weeks so not as much as you guys guiding multiple days a week but I plan on putting together an overall report with my comments and findings...im looking forward to it, ive never had a chance to fish weekly until recent events....Id say I had 1 absolutely amazing day, 2-3 really good, 2-3 ok, and one awful....sometimes its just tough no matter what you try.

[Travis Swift]

I know one thing there is more boat traffic and pressure than I've seen in my 35+ years of fishing that lake.  The other thing is the poor things have no clue with the water, gates opened for months, then zero water then zero water to 4 units etc.  They probably have no idea what to think these days  

[Bill Babler]

Extremely erratic generation patterns as well as fluctuating water temps are a huge culprit.  The trout really like stability.   They do however at times feed very heavy as the water initially open as it flushes scuds, sowbugs and other goodies past greedy mouths.

Best however is just a constant flow or a predictable repeated generation pattern.  Currently on any flow increase coming thru the power house there is about a 30 to 45 minute clean out period as moss and other debris coming thru right now is pretty bad.  So a constant pattern is by far the best.

Warmest water I have recorded has been 58 degree one day last week on flat water at Cooper Creek Launch around noon.  Coolest has been 50 degree on running water at Clay Banks.

Good Luck

[Seth]

I've always had a tough time getting bit after they go from 0-2 units up to 4 units above Cooper Creek. The only way I've been able to get bit during those times is to run down lake and fish around Monkey Island or the Landing. After 1-2 hours, I can usually go back up and start catching them again.

[dpitt]

Fished trophy section this evening with 200 mhw generation from cable to ramp.   Fly fished with a deep rig, 4 bb, big indicator, about 10-12 foot leader, scuds and san juans, did pretty well, most of the fish where big and fat, however they appeared sluggish and a couple took a bit to revive without a long fight.  Could this be the DO level?   Not sure what is considered good or bad? 

Here's the current DO level at the school of the ozarks sensor.  You can get the current level by texting "g taney"  no quotes to 913-270-0360