Lilley's Lake Taneycomo fishing report, August 1

[Phil Lilley]

Our fishing report for Lake Taneycomo could be a cookie cutter analogy of last month's report.  Our generation pattern is exactly the same, our water temperature is about the same, and the bite is also the same as in June and July.  The trout are locked into a daily pattern of eating and resting just like humans are.  They know when the water will start and when it will end.  It has not change day-to-day by more than an hour.

Generation starts anywhere from 1 to 2 p.m. each day and builds to a full four units within an hour.  Operators are shutting down at various times but fairly consistently from 9 to 10 p.m. late evening.  The water is off the rest of the night and the next morning.  If we get a reprieve in these hot temperatures during the day, they may lessen the flow a bit, but not much.  Water temperature is holding at about 49 degrees which is pretty awesome for the first of August.  It's usually into the lower 50's by now.  Water quality is good, too, with dissolved oxygen readings around eight parts per million.  I hope this means we'll have an easy fall season with no water quality issues in our tailwater. 

We're still seeing good numbers of trophy browns and rainbows being reported caught and released.  The interesting thing is that they're all not being caught on the same bait.  The list includes night crawlers, minnows, a few on Powerbait, pink PowerWorm, jerk baits, jigs, scuds and other various flies.  The most have been caught on evening/into-the-night guide trips using jerk baits and jigs.  We have a handful of guides who specialize in night fishing, targeting both trophy browns and rainbows.

In the evenings, as the water is dropping, the jerk bait bite is still pretty good, but the jig bite starts to get better.  Go from using an 1/8th-ounce jig to a smaller 1/16th-ounce jig in darker colors like black, brown, olive, sculpin, and the local favorite, purple.  When the water stops moving, go to a 1/32nd-ounce jig and two-pound line.  Let the jig fall to the bottom and then lift and drop it.  The takes have been hard and solid.

Lately, we've been sending a lot of people down towards the Branson Landing to fish.  There seems to be a large number of rainbows in front of and down from the Landing.  They are chasing spoons and spinners and taking jigs under a float.  And, of course, the pink worm under a float is hot down there, too.

Early morning fly or spin fishing using nymph flies, mop flies and small micro jigs under a float is working anywhere from Lilleys' Landing to Lookout Island.  The white mop worm or the black micro jig is catching quite a few trophy trout, especially browns in the trophy area. 

I've been boating in the evenings and throwing a white 3/32nd-ounce jig against the bluff bank across the lake from the resort and catching small browns and a few decent rainbows.  The browns, about 12 inches long and I presume from this year's stocking, are aggressive and hit hard.  They're fun to catch.

I've also been hitting the banks using hoppers and beetles (dry flies, fly fishing) and have had some success.  Any bluff bank in the shade is where I've found  both browns and rainbows interested in something on the surface.

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[Nick Adams]

What have you heard about the upper, wadable section?

[Phil Lilley]

1 hour ago, Nick Adams said:

What have you heard about the upper, wadable section?

If you notice, I hardly ever report on that, mainly because I don’t get up there to fish it and I hardly ever talk to the guys who do. I can guess… small scuds, big sculpins, and stripping crackle backs. Those are the staples. Vary size and color. 

Maybe when I give up morning basketball I’ll have more time to wade and fish up there. 

[Phil Lilley]

had this big girl come in this morning. 35.25 triploid. Caught early am trolling a jerk bait. Released. Swam off good. 

[Nick Adams]

1 hour ago, Phil Lilley said:

If you notice, I hardly ever report on that, mainly because I don’t get up there to fish it and I hardly ever talk to the guys who do. I can guess… small scuds, big sculpins, and stripping crackle backs. Those are the staples. Vary size and color. 

Maybe when I give up morning basketball I’ll have more time to wade and fish up there. 

Thanks. Kind of what I figured, but it never hurts to ask. I re-watched your video from the Narrows last summer. It was helpful.