Quick Fishing Report, May 22

[Phil Lilley]

This has been a strange month, fishing wise.  Nonstop 21,000 cfs isn't unusual... it's the way the trout have acted that's strange, at least compared to past events like this.

For the first 2 weeks (at least), about the only place to get a bite was between the cable at the dam down to the MDC boat ramp - on scuds.  And they were picky about how the fly was presented too.  The regular rig didn't work as well.  But using a slip bobber and a 20-25 foot leader did work.  Most regular people won't/can't do that.  It takes a fairly long spin rod or fly rod and the know-how to rig the slip bobber. 

We/I fished from Lookout down, from Fall Creek down trying to find a bite - it was tough.  But then all of a sudden, they started biting below Lookout on scuds.  It was really good.  Then we started catching fish below Fall Creek.  Other flies started working - big fluffy san juan worms and egg flies.  Shad flies below the dam - and white jigs - started working because more threadfin shad were coming over the dam.

The guides said this morning the bite all the way down to our place is good, mostly scuds.  Fish being cleaned are packed with the bugs.

So my question, and I know I'll never know the answer, is did these trout head to the dam at first spillgate run,  then gradually move back down or did they never move, just didn't bite for a couple of weeks.??  I'm grateful they're biting again - mainly for the common angler who just wants to catch a few trout to eat.  We went a long time where very few trout were cleaned here at the dock.  The guides were catching fish but very few below 12 inches in the trophy area.

We're in for an awesome summer fishing season!  When this water slows down, fishing will be much easier and there are a TON of nice trout in the lake.  And they're all over the place.  We're had several 22-26 inch trout caught in the Monkey Island area this weekend.  The big ones have spread out!

[Ryan Miloshewski]

I bet there is some hydrology factors effecting the fish--appetite, where they hold, etc. Or they are just following the food. Two years ago the browns followed the shad all the way to the landing from the dam. I know Blake could probably tell you day by day where they were concentrated from late March into April. I bet when the gates are first opened all the scuds near the dam get jarred loose pretty hard from the bottom. 

It would be cool if we could put some GPS tags on fish and see what they're doing. Surprised that isn't already a thing, honestly. MDC has enough money to do it. 

[fshndoug]

By this summer gas will be around $4.50 to $6.00 a gallon. It won't matter how good the fishing will be I am not leaving town and paying those prices.

[snagged in outlet 3]

8 minutes ago, fshndoug said:

By this summer gas will be around $4.50 to $6.00 a gallon. It won't matter how good the fishing will be I am not leaving town and paying those prices.

$4.59 in the STL metro.  $4.04 - $4.09 down here today.  

[fshndoug]

just wait and see folks it is coming and we won't be able to afford a thing. The tourism industry will suffer tremendously this summer

[netboy]

26 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

$4.59 in the STL metro.  $4.04 - $4.09 down here today.  

Still going up here in Flippin.... 20 cent increase over the weekend ...$4.19 today. Not to mention the cost of everything else.

Thankfully we don't have to drive very far.  

[fshndoug]

I like the pics you post of the trout you catch netboy I would love to get into some of those on top

 

[Phil Lilley]

Don’t hijack this report please. Don’t make it about gas prices. 

By Wednesday, Table Rock will be down close to 920 and we should see a big reduction in flow. Gates should be shut off. But there are 2 days of rain predicted. We’ll see. 

I agree with the observation that our browns moved with the shad but I’m not sure about the scud theory. Scuds we’re dislodged not just at the dam when the gates opened… but throughout the upper 5 miles. But… something happened that I’ve never seen in 40 years, that’s for sure. 

Almost 70 trophies registered May 1-15. That’s double last month’s number.

[Phil Lilley]

Phil Stone said he saw fish busting the surface yesterday behind Eagle Island. 

I helped a couple of guys with a big brown yesterday morning (One Cast). Big triploid male. He tried to measure it but I think he got it wrong. He said 30 inches but it was more like 32-33. I figured 20 inch girth. 

Handling these huge fish is so hard for the novice… and 99.9% of us are novice at catching fish like this. Before I could get over to help, he has already held the fish up for a picture holding it using its gills. The fish bled a little but seemed to stop before releasing. Not sure it will survive. Made me sick but that’s reality. I don’t blame him. He actually was trying to hurry to get it back in the water. I had to give them my net because theirs was too small. Surprised they even netted it. I edited out the bad part from the video because I know it would have drawn allot of criticism plus no one wants to see that. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, Phil Lilley said:

Phil Stone said he saw fish busting the surface yesterday behind Eagle Island. 

I helped a couple of guys with a big brown yesterday morning (One Cast). Big triploid male. He tried to measure it but I think he got it wrong. He said 30 inches but it was more like 32-33. I figured 20 inch girth. 

Handling these huge fish is so hard for the novice… and 99.9% of us are novice at catching fish like this. Before I could get over to help, he has already held the fish up for a picture holding it using its gills. The fish bled a little but seemed to stop before releasing. Not sure it will survive. Made me sick but that’s reality. I don’t blame him. He actually was trying to hurry to get it back in the water. I had to give them my net because theirs was too small. Surprised they even netted it. I edited out the bad part from the video because I know it would have drawn allot of criticism plus no one wants to see that. 

I watched it and figured something was going on.   It didn’t look good in the net upside down.   But if he caught it on light line it probably took a while to actually net it.   He tried that’s all we can hope for right?    I’m trying to get over there today sometime.