Lake Taneycomo fishing report, February 10

[Phil Lilley]

Two weeks ago, people were saying we were crazy, out fishing in single digit weather.  But trout fishing was excellent!  And the main reason it was so good was they were running water -- heavy flows.  Of course it didn't hurt that shad were coming through the turbines!  All that to say is... bring on the cold weather!!

With this warm weather, we aren't seeing much generation.  And what generation we're seeing is sporadic and unpredictable.  It's not that fishing is bad when it's not running, it's just that it's so much better when it does run!

We haven't seen shad in a while but up close to the dam the trout are still looking for the shad.  So they're hitting white jigs, small jerk baits, white streamers -- anything whitish.  They're also hitting sculpin and black pretty good too.  Early and late in the day, it's jerk baits -- if the water is running.

Crappie are schooled up at the Landing.  Around the Fish House.  I heard at night people are going out on the walk ways and fishing under the lights and limiting out.  And there are some bass hanging out too!

Scuds have been hot, drifting them on the bottom or under a float.  Above Fall Creek is the best but they're catching some nice rainbows and a few browns below the line too.  Number 16 gray or tan are the best.

I heard something about another hard cold spell coming in a couple of weeks.  Bring it on!!!  We seldom see shad coming through the turbines on Taneycomo.  But Table Rock's water temperatures are cold enough, shad are dying all over the place.