Lower Taney Article

[Trav]

Phil requested that I do an article of the Lower Taney and so it happens I have one in my archives that I wrote for an aspiring publication called BuzzBait that never really got off the ground.

It was written in 1999 so some of the data on the trout population is outdated. I also am not sure where I got my info but I am sure I read it off the internet somewhere. All the same it should make a good read and if there is any requests for me to focus on any one species on any future articles I will be glad to oblige.

Lower Taneycomo

"Great Trout Fishing but has a mixed bag that everyone would like"

Taneycomo has rapidly turned into one of the Ozarks finest fisheries. It is stocked by both the

state hatchery, "The Shepherd of The Hills Hatchery" in Branson, and the federal hatchery in

Neosho Missouri, but there may no longer be anymore trout coming from

Neosho.

Some locals say it would be for the best since a lot of the Federal fish are stocked too

small. The Feds stocked 45,000 six inch rainbows in November. Most of which has migrated to

the main part of the lake. Makes it hard to catch the bigger ones due to all the little ones

ravishing your bait, but they make great food for the big browns. The state hatchery only

releases 10 inch rainbows. Shepherd of the Hills also released 150 rainbows between 18 and 28

inches in November.

Shepherd of the Hills has been experimenting with cross breeding two different types of

trout, The Missouri Arlee strain and the Crane Creek McCloud strain. Last year 30,000 of the

cross strained fish were released in Missouri's rivers and streams, including Taneycomo. There

for it is no mistake that Taneycomo has excellent trout fishing.

The lake is divided by the MDC to even enhance the waters more. It is law that only artificial bait be used from Fall Creek to the

headwaters of Table Rock Lake. Keeping the"trophy area" intact is turning out to be a great

success for the lakes trout population. I personally think there should be a 12 inch size limit on

the rainbows similar to the 20 inch size limit on the brown trout but that would be hard to

justify due to the fragile nature of the trout. A lot of them swallow hooks and some just never

recover from the stress of being caught. Having such a law would help the size of the trout but

there might be a lot of dead trout floating around from fish released injured and stressed. Kind of

a double edge sword.

What most people don't realize is that Taneycomo has excellent populations of bass, crappie,

cats , and bluegills. I for one would have never guessed that if I hadn't been raised on the lake.

Most of the people who live on the lake have realized this and have started putting cedars under

their docks to attract crappie and bass. For years I have been catching beautiful Bass out of Bull Creek and coves from Roark Creek all the way to Powersite Dam. I have always fancied myself a good cat fisherman and

have caught bullheads and flatheads. Haven't seen any channel cats but i think they could

flourish in Taneycomo if they were to be stocked. Possibly could raise state record size channel

cats if given the chance. Channel cats thrive in cold water, just look at the monsters in the Red

River between Minnesota and the Dakotas. Also, crappie, for years have been a mainstay on

Ozark dinner tables and this lake has a modest population of them and as a kid I remember

catching bluegills off the family dock by the dozens. I have also caught the stray walleye and Pickeral as well.

Granted, these other species have to compete for food with the thousands of

trout in the water but they manage by feeding in warmer areas of the lake. Plus the

bass do feed on the little" Fed stocked" fish as do the catfish. So the big Brown trout don't reap

all the rewards off the over stocking of small trout.

Next time your hunting that trophy trout and they don't seem to be bighting, keep in mind

that Taneycomo has an excellent mixed bag of fun for most any taste. Safe boating and may

success follow your every cast.

As I mentioned before, This article I wrote in 1999. Since then I havnt seen any bullheads, walleye, or pickeral. The diversity of the lower lake is definately narrowing. Some say age, others say nutrients but I am sure the increase of the Brownie population has a factor. Wich has an excellent population in the depths that the lower has to offer.

It still remains a viable bass fishery and I have seen the numbers of larger bass increase as well as the curious introduction of whites. Whose population is on a serious boom. This probably wont surprise most, But the population of suckers and Carp have definatley benifited with the aging lake. In the summertime you can see them stacked by the thousands on the flats up Bull Creek. On the downside of it being an aging lake, the increase of foriegn species mainly on the vegetation side is soon to be on a critical scale. Back in 99 there was very little hydrilla and now the entire Rockaway area is choked with it. I find it very tempting as a bass fisherman but in retrospect I have had very little success while fishing it. It really should be payed more attention or navigating the shallows of the lake could represent trouble and it could hinder the warm water species success in the future. If that happens then Taneycomo will truely be nothing but a fish bowl fishery.

[Thom]

Trav:

some questions concerning the lower lake:

1. Is the lower lake the area from powersite dam to the landing if not where? Specifically where is the lower lake?

2. How long does it take to get to the lower lake from the launch in Branson?

3. Where would be the best place to launch a boat to fish the lower lake?

4. Can you list methods, lures, and areas recommended?

5. What are some good places to shop for fishing supplies and advice on the lower lake?

6. Other than your place are there some recommendations for eating or lodging near the lower lake area.I

7. Is the area below powersite considered lower lake or Bull shoals or what?

These may be stupid questions but someone once told me that there is no such thing as a stupid question. That person probally never attended a press conference but whatever.

The times I vistited what I considered the lower lake I did notice that the vegatation was a huge problem for me both from the bank and in my boat.

thanks for your input.

[Trav]

I consider the Lower lake to begin at Roark Creek but Phil has it classified as from Bull Creek down. I could get from Branson to Bull Creek in about 10 to 15 minutes. That would put you in Lower Taney. And I have a little 18 horse. Not the fastest rig ever built.

Now as far as I know of, There is only 2 "public" ramps on the Lower. Rockaway Beach and Forsyth. I do know of a about a half dozen private ramps as well, but some of those could get you chewed out by some of the old codgers that think they own the communitys they serve.

There are a few resorts on the Lower lake but for the most part it is pretty void as far as lodging outside of the cities of Rockaway Beach and Forsyth. I wont endorse any of them for I have zero first hand knowledge of thier services.

And both communitys have ample places to eat.

I do 98 percent of my shopping(gas, snacks, and the occassional bait and tackle) when on the Lower, at the Conoco station in Rockaway Beach. There is a private Marina/boat dock right behind it and nobody seems to mind if I borrow an empty stall to grab a can of gas. There are other places that offer gas but I prefer to buy mine off the water since I only buy 5 gallons at a time.

As far as seeking advice.....Cant say as I ever have done that, but I have given plenty of advice while I am on the water. Mostly to whoever gets close enough to have a short conversation while fishing. Now, On the water, as well as on this forum I tend to be pretty generic with the advice I toll out. I believe you can call it a fishermans perogitive but all the same, it is valid and I wouldnt stear anyone in a wrong direction.

The methods and tactics vary from species to species, from season to season and especially from angler to angler. I believe in experimentation, so some of the hair-brained methods I have used might make the funny papers if they were known.

When fishing for trout I stay in the deeper river channels and always fish below 15 to 20 feet deep. Of course I do prefer to fish for bass most the time and you will most likely find me up in the creek arms. The usual Bass tactics work such as jerks or cranks, and I always tell people to put thier confidence in the colors blue or white, if not both. In fact I even carry a blue sharpie to add blue to my presentations at times. Dont ask me why, I just have found it to be the all purpose color for the Lower and I like to write expletives to induce a provocation.(just kidding)

The area below Powersite Dam is refered to as upper Bull Shoals. Although it might be fun to jump the Dam in your boat, it is highly frowned upon and not reccomened. Haha

Hope this clears up a little for you. And I do beg to differ, there is such a thing as a stupid question but I was always was told that even a smart man dont know the difference until it is asked. I personally believe that to not ask a question makes that question stupid for it has no answer. Wink

[ryan]

Do you fish for bullheads anymore. I use to fish for them when I was a kid and they were a ton of fun to catch, not bad eating either but I havent fished for any in a long time. Do you ever try using crappie lights on the lower lake for whites and crappies?

[Trav]

The last bullhead I caught on Lower Taney was a little black one caught off my dock while night fishing for trout back when I was a teenager. I have night fished several times in the past couple years and nothing in the way of cats. I do believe that if there is any left in the lake they would primarily be closer to Powersite or maybe up in Bull. I am convinced that there isnt any in the main river channel. I also believe that walleye have met the same fate.

I do catch whites and crappie but I dont exactly seek them out. If I bump into some I will play around with them though. I rarely use my old ultra light rigs. Most my gear is medium wieght. I use 8 to 10 pound test. Im pretty sure that is as heavy as I need for this lake considering I have only caught 2 fish out of the Lower that went over 10 pounds. Both Brownies and Brownies tend to be lathargic fighters once they get over 6 pounds. Cant explain why, just from my experiance they tend to use thier wieght and the current more than thier strength as they get bigger. Plus I am not opposed to using my trolling motor to assist in the landing of larger fish.

Now if your using 4 pound test and get into a 6+ pound brownie, you will have to be very careful for they will shake thier heads hard enough to snap the dental floss. But as far a running from you, it is rare. They will roll the surface and bolt some at the boat, but for the most part the fight is pretty uneventful. Foul hook one, and you will think you have a state record. Then they will fight like gang busters. I lost one that I was sure it was a foul hook because it fought like a ticked off tuna. I never had a chance to see it, but wouldnt be surprised if it was over ten.

Because of the agressive jigging style I like to use, it is not to uncommon for me to snag one in the tail, for they swipe the bait to try to stun it before consuming. Especially if I am fishing in 40 feet of water. There has been several fish that if I didnt feel the swipe and failed to stall my bait I doubt if I would have caught them for they want it easy to catch dinner.