More Info For Drifting Lower Lake ...

[LASGTA88]

whats the best ways to use jigs while drifting??? i have seen several ways to tie up but havent used jigs much when it comes to drifting.. just when we tie on somewhere.. any info and help is appreciated!! but i understand if you dont wanna give me too much info lol

looking through the articles i have read a lot and phil has great info im just curious if this is a good way or what i should do different when rigging my line.. thanks for all the help

just wanna learn as much as i can from real fishermen lol

LA

[Trav]

When I do any drifting I just vertical jig, making sure I am as close to the bottom as possible without actually hitting it. Stay in the current so you can get below twenty feet and still be able to drift at a good speed.

I prefer to use spoons like the Johnson Sprite, rattle traps, lil georges, and I have been experimenting with a large Sworming Hornet tipped with a varity of plastic jig tails. Am having some good results so far but the way I like big ones I am content enough to work it without any expectations of catching alot of fish. Might not be your cup of tea.

Keep in mind that the larger your bait, the less fish you catch but your quality is pretty much guaranteed. If your looking for more numbers just use smaller baits like a road runner, marabou, little cleos, or little tiny rattle traps. Most any thing you can present in a vertical fashion at a depth.

I really wouldnt use anything like what you graphed out. For one, the weight hitting the bottom or swinging below your lure will scare off your bite and second, you will lose alot of rigs from snagging the bottom. The lakebed in Lower Taney is nothing but acres and acres of sticks on top of sticks. In some places 3 feet thick. Nothing messes up a good drift faster than trying to pull up a snag. Plus the bottom is already decorated like a Xmas tree from all the tourists that cant figure that out.

Haha

[Krash7172]

LASGTA88,

That rig won't work with a jig.

Not sure if you've read this.

http://www.lilleyslanding.com/artificalbait.html

I have a good image showing a couple of rigs. I'll see if I can find it...

When drifting, you can use heavier line with a section of lighter 2 or 4lb line tied to the tip.

[King Fish]

Well I don't know about below the hwy 65 bridge.. and I sure wouldn't want to be the one to EVER! disagree with Trav... but.... using a drift rig like the diagram showed and tying on a small flat fish has worked for me real well.. as a matter of fact.. between fall creek and Lilley's landing I've been real sucessful using that rig.. like my daddy always said...

I'd rather be lucky than good... I guess I'm just lucky then...

PK

[Trav]

I thought the question was about lower taney.

My bad.

In this part of the aquarium you will catch alot of logs,sticks and leaves dragging bottom. Not that you cant catch fish off that rig but you definately wont like it if your drift fishing.

Also, if there are any brownies resting in those logs and sticks, the weight will discourage them from moving up to your bait.

[LASGTA88]

yeah trav trust me in the last 10+ years of fishin taney with a basic weight 18 inchs from the power bait i have tied enough line to be a master of tyin no catchin lol hence why i keep botherin the likes of you and Phil and others on here to find out how to catch more and spend more time "fishing" not tying lol

im looking for the best fishing non trophy area so where ever.. we stay at trout hollow and usually float to about downtown but like i said all my group uses corn or power bait and SMALL hooks.. i want bigger fish and am willin to not catch "as many".. i wanna win the tourney but more about good fishing.. im in it for the sport and the spoils are bonus lol

thanks all

LA

[Trav]

Well, here is the best way to catch alot of nice big brownies without going below Branson.

First you get a minnow bucket, then, in the middle of the night, sneak into the hatchery at the dam and scoop up a few dozen 3 to 5 inch rainbow fingerlings. If the cops show up just tell them they are for me. Wink.

Once you have the best bait in the lake, just hook them up on 4/0 hooks with a 1/2oz bullet sinker. Tie a little ballon about 4 feet above your bait and drift. I guarantee you will catch some big fish.

Or you can stay out of jail by sticking to what you have been doing. Just stay away from using the bait(corn, powerbait,eggs,ect) for that usually only attracts little fish. Not that nice ones cant be caught but your ratio of small vs big is limited.

All I can really suggest is to upsize your lures and fish as deep as you can. Above roark creek most the bigger ones are caught between october and march so you have that going for you. I find the water up there to be conjested with anglers and without structural diversity. So I dont fish it. Only time I ever get up there is if I get talked into it by some friend or relative that hasnt seen it before.

Now, below roark creek, there are probably just a handful of guys that know it as well as I do. And I have to be honost, I would be sending you on a fools errand to come down here without a graph. If you cant find structure in deep water or at least know where the contours of the channel is, Lower Taney can give you a frustrating day.

Heck, even if you had a "good" topo map of the lake I might tell ya to give it a try, but there is no such thing. Although I did try to get some sonar guys to come down and make a good map but I thought 60 grand was pretty steep to get a map of what I pretty much have an idea of anyway. Haha. Even if I had it copywritten and sold copys for 10 bucks a pop, it would take decades to get back my investment.

Anyway, my advice on that upper area is generic. Pretty much the same as any other non-flyfishing guy will tell you. I can share the knowledge I learned while fishing it alot with my late Gramps. Simple is better. His favorite method was drowning red wigglers or minnows on a little jig head, roadrunner or marabou. Just like you would jig for crappie. He used to catch 20 to 50 a day. But even he admitted that catching one over 3 pounds was very rare. Wasnt until I got back from overseas in the mid 90s that I started to fish for trophy browns and discovered thier holding patterns and ambush sectors. The tactics I use down here are next to impossible to duplicate above Roark Creek. They just dont relate to cover the same as you get further upstream.

So with that said, I hope I have been helpful.

[LASGTA88]

you have been very helpful and i appreciate it VERY MUCH.. hopefully someday i can help you somehow lol not sure how but i would in a heart beat.. we are gonna try marabous and roadrunners and of course my rooster tails.. and if all else fails fall back on baits.. but im always the one doin something different from everyone else in the boat unless they prove whats working and i get bored lol.. i got 3 days of fishing to give it all a whirl..

now i have one more ? lol im being greedy i know.. but..

where would people recommend to drive to on friday afternoon when we dont have a boat??? if they arent runnin water i was thinking of at least checkin out the trophy area but where is a good place to just shore fish... around scottys??? i always see people there..

thanks again

LA

[fly2fish]

I would try off Phils dock and if no luck go to Fall Creek dock, it is hard to find but it is upstream from Lillys. You have to turn in by Sunterra which is on the way to the dam,it is just down from the trophy area. We caught limits last weekend using power bait, there were a couple of other guys that were catching more than there limit. White/pink, white/char, white/orange, seemed to work best.

[Trav]

Also, Its a bit of a drive but if you wanted to get a look at some of Lower Taney, Rockaway Beach has a nice fishing pier. Best if you bait fish off it though but your favorite rooster tails do well there too.

Its on the non-channel side of the lake so dont expect alot of current.

Rockaway also has a couple good places to have beer and pizza if you get hungry.