Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report 2/18/11

What a difference a week makes. Seven days ago, we were setting record low temperatures below zero. Yesterday we set a record high of 73 degrees, and the forecast is looking like spring is here. But it’s not. Don’t be fooled. It’s mid-February.

But for now, boating on the lake is better than tolerable; it’s quite nice. This morning we actually had fog on the lake from the cold water and warm, humid air, just as in summer months. Generation has ceased except for a weird two-unit all-day run yesterday, which made no sense to me. I’ve told lots of people that the Corps probably wouldn’t run any water until this warm spell passes and we’re back to winter weather, but yesterday the Corps made me a liar . . . again.

I’ve done quite a bit of fishing this week, so some of my report is firsthand. The funniest and most successful trip was Wednesday when I got to fish with Guide Vince Elfrink. We took the boat out and went up past Short Creek to the Riverpoint boat ramp (south side of the lake), kept the boat a little south of center and fished to the deep side using an olive micro jig, two-pound line and a float, setting the depth at five feet. Between the boat traffic and a breeze every once in a while, the surface was broken enough to keep the jig moving. The rainbows liked it! We caught rainbows, one after the other, for two hours. Surprisingly, some of these rainbows were larger than the rainbows I caught earlier in the week in the trophy area, but there were a lot of dinks, too.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery has stocked its fish once this week down in the Landing area, while they have stocked rainbows from the federal hatchery in Neosho several more times this week. These rainbows typically are smaller although, learning the almost all our rainbows stocked in the last three months have come from Neosho, I know they’ve stocked some decent rainbows too.

Our water temperature is very cold for this time of year. I think our normal water temperature for February should be in the mid- to upper 40’s. Clint Hale, hatchery manager, told me they’re getting 42-degree water from their intake. I’m getting 39 degrees when I’m out in the boat below the dam while the water is running. We usually don’t see 39 until May. Colder than normal temperatures will slow the rate of rainbows’ growth. That may be the reason Shepherd is holding its rainbows and letting the Neosho ones take up the slack. Rainbows stocked in Taneycomo are supposed to average more than 11 inches in length.

Earlier in the week, I fished between Lookout and Fall Creek and threw 1/16^th-ounce jigs using two-pound line. With no generation and very little wind, the trout bit fairly well. We caught a couple of rainbows pushing 19 inches, but most of the other trout were closer to 14 inches. We threw sculpin-, sculpin/peach- and sculpin/ginger-colored jigs.

With the water running yesterday, we drifted pink 1/125^th-ounce marabou jigs under a float four feet deep from Lookout to Fall Creek and picked up rainbows here and there. We stayed from the middle to the shallow side of the lake. I bet if we had tied on a red San Juan worm and a #12 gray “peppy” scud on two-pound line with a small split shot, we would have slayed the rainbows drifting in the same area.

Below Fall Creek, fishing with a jig-and-float or throwing a jig straight should be one of the best techniques in catching fish this weekend. Use two-pound line if you dare but four-pound is okay. If you’re using two-pound line, throw a 1/16^th-ounce jig, but if you’re using four-pound line, throw a 3/32^nd-ounce jig. Keep several colors handy to try—sculpin, olive, brown, ginger and the combo colors with sculpin, ginger, peach and orange.

Night crawlers are catching larger rainbows than Power Bait but either bait is good. Inject the worm with some air to get it off the bottom and only use half at a time. You could slide a Gulp floating egg up above the night crawler to float it off the bottom, too. Gulp colors that have been good are white/orange and white/pink. Yellow nuggets have been hot, too.

One more pointer—when handling rainbows in the boat or on the dock, if you’re going to release the fish, handle the trout with a WET rag, not a dry one. All a dry rag does is wipe all the protective slim from a trout’s body, leaving it susceptible to bacteria and disease. If the hook is down deep in the trout’s throat, cut the line; don’t pull it out.

Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report 2/18/11

What a difference a week makes. Seven days ago, we were setting record low temperatures below zero. Yesterday we set a record high of 73 degrees, and the forecast is looking like spring is here. But it’s not. Don’t be fooled. It’s mid-February.

But for now, boating on the lake is better than tolerable; it’s quite nice. This morning we actually had fog on the lake from the cold water and warm, humid air, just as in summer months. Generation has ceased except for a weird two-unit all-day run yesterday, which made no sense to me. I’ve told lots of people that the Corps probably wouldn’t run any water until this warm spell passes and we’re back to winter weather, but yesterday the Corps made me a liar . . . again.

I’ve done quite a bit of fishing this week, so some of my report is firsthand. The funniest and most successful trip was Wednesday when I got to fish with Guide Vince Elfrink. We took the boat out and went up past Short Creek to the Riverpoint boat ramp (south side of the lake), kept the boat a little south of center and fished to the deep side using an olive micro jig, two-pound line and a float, setting the depth at five feet. Between the boat traffic and a breeze every once in a while, the surface was broken enough to keep the jig moving. The rainbows liked it! We caught rainbows, one after the other, for two hours. Surprisingly, some of these rainbows were larger than the rainbows I caught earlier in the week in the trophy area, but there were a lot of dinks, too.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery has stocked its fish once this week down in the Landing area, while they have stocked rainbows from the federal hatchery in Neosho several more times this week. These rainbows typically are smaller although, learning the almost all our rainbows stocked in the last three months have come from Neosho, I know they’ve stocked some decent rainbows too.

Our water temperature is very cold for this time of year. I think our normal water temperature for February should be in the mid- to upper 40’s. Clint Hale, hatchery manager, told me they’re getting 42-degree water from their intake. I’m getting 39 degrees when I’m out in the boat below the dam while the water is running. We usually don’t see 39 until May. Colder than normal temperatures will slow the rate of rainbows’ growth. That may be the reason Shepherd is holding its rainbows and letting the Neosho ones take up the slack. Rainbows stocked in Taneycomo are supposed to average more than 11 inches in length.

Earlier in the week, I fished between Lookout and Fall Creek and threw 1/16^th-ounce jigs using two-pound line. With no generation and very little wind, the trout bit fairly well. We caught a couple of rainbows pushing 19 inches, but most of the other trout were closer to 14 inches. We threw sculpin-, sculpin/peach- and sculpin/ginger-colored jigs.

With the water running yesterday, we drifted pink 1/125^th-ounce marabou jigs under a float four feet deep from Lookout to Fall Creek and picked up rainbows here and there. We stayed from the middle to the shallow side of the lake. I bet if we had tied on a red San Juan worm and a #12 gray “peppy” scud on two-pound line with a small split shot, we would have slayed the rainbows drifting in the same area.

Below Fall Creek, fishing with a jig-and-float or throwing a jig straight should be one of the best techniques in catching fish this weekend. Use two-pound line if you dare but four-pound is okay. If you’re using two-pound line, throw a 1/16^th-ounce jig, but if you’re using four-pound line, throw a 3/32^nd-ounce jig. Keep several colors handy to try—sculpin, olive, brown, ginger and the combo colors with sculpin, ginger, peach and orange.

Night crawlers are catching larger rainbows than Power Bait but either bait is good. Inject the worm with some air to get it off the bottom and only use half at a time. You could slide a Gulp floating egg up above the night crawler to float it off the bottom, too. Gulp colors that have been good are white/orange and white/pink. Yellow nuggets have been hot, too.

One more pointer—when handling rainbows in the boat or on the dock, if you’re going to release the fish, handle the trout with a WET rag, not a dry one. All a dry rag does is wipe all the protective slim from a trout’s body, leaving it susceptible to bacteria and disease. If the hook is down deep in the trout’s throat, cut the line; don’t pull it out.

Winter Trout Fishing in Branson, MO

Winter Trout Fishing - One of Branson's Best Kept Secrets

Lake Taneycomo Tournaments Keep Cabin Fever at Bay

Branson, Mo. -- Lake Taneycomo, that runs through the heart of Branson, is one of the best trout fisheries in the Midwest. Winter is often the best season for trout fishing on Taneycomo. During late fall Table Rock Lake, which feeds Taneycomo, turns over, inverting the waters. This, in turn, causes the water flowing into Taneycomo to hold more oxygen for trout.

January 29 and February 26 fishermen will take off at 8 a.m. from Lilleys' Landing to try their luck and skill for cash prizes and trophies in two public tournaments. The entry fee is $50 per each two-man team. Both tournaments are catch-and-release and anglers can only use artificial baits. All entrants and spectators are invited to a free meal immediately following the weigh-in at 4 p.m.

In the 30-plus years of annual winter tournaments on Lake Taneycomo, anglers have learned to prepare for a wide range of weather. Some years, the high temperature has reached 70; others have dipped to below freezing with snow and sleet. But the weather is all part of the outdoor adventure, contestants say, as they just add layers and pack hand and feet warmers. "The weather doesn't matter," said Bob Dwiggins of St. Louis, who plans to spend about five weekends fishing at Lilleys' Landing this winter. "It's always fun here."

Marabou jigs have long proved to be a mainstay on the lake, because they are cheap at $1 each, and can last through a dozen or more fish. Lilleys' Landing tackle shop carries jigs in several different size of weights to vary with Taneycomo's generation schedule. Scuds and midges are also great to try in the upper lake, sometimes with a tandem rig tied with an egg fly or a San Juan worm 18 inches below the scud. Phil Lilley of Lilleys' Landing, said,"We see midge hatches almost every day in the winter here on the lake, and that means our rainbows are ready and waiting to munch on little flies swimming up from the bottom and hatching on the surface."

For current fishing tips, anglers can go to Lilleys' sister website, www.Ozarkanglers.com to find articles, ask questions in a forum and read reports.

Media Contact
Megan Cummings
417-334-6380
Megan@lilleyslanding.com

Winter Trout Fishing in Branson, MO

Winter Trout Fishing - One of Branson's Best Kept Secrets

Lake Taneycomo Tournaments Keep Cabin Fever at Bay

Branson, Mo. -- Lake Taneycomo, that runs through the heart of Branson, is one of the best trout fisheries in the Midwest. Winter is often the best season for trout fishing on Taneycomo. During late fall Table Rock Lake, which feeds Taneycomo, turns over, inverting the waters. This, in turn, causes the water flowing into Taneycomo to hold more oxygen for trout.

January 29 and February 26 fishermen will take off at 8 a.m. from Lilleys' Landing to try their luck and skill for cash prizes and trophies in two public tournaments. The entry fee is $50 per each two-man team. Both tournaments are catch-and-release and anglers can only use artificial baits. All entrants and spectators are invited to a free meal immediately following the weigh-in at 4 p.m.

In the 30-plus years of annual winter tournaments on Lake Taneycomo, anglers have learned to prepare for a wide range of weather. Some years, the high temperature has reached 70; others have dipped to below freezing with snow and sleet. But the weather is all part of the outdoor adventure, contestants say, as they just add layers and pack hand and feet warmers. "The weather doesn't matter," said Bob Dwiggins of St. Louis, who plans to spend about five weekends fishing at Lilleys' Landing this winter. "It's always fun here."

Marabou jigs have long proved to be a mainstay on the lake, because they are cheap at $1 each, and can last through a dozen or more fish. Lilleys' Landing tackle shop carries jigs in several different size of weights to vary with Taneycomo's generation schedule. Scuds and midges are also great to try in the upper lake, sometimes with a tandem rig tied with an egg fly or a San Juan worm 18 inches below the scud. Phil Lilley of Lilleys' Landing, said,"We see midge hatches almost every day in the winter here on the lake, and that means our rainbows are ready and waiting to munch on little flies swimming up from the bottom and hatching on the surface."

For current fishing tips, anglers can go to Lilleys' sister website, www.Ozarkanglers.com to find articles, ask questions in a forum and read reports.

Media Contact
Megan Cummings
417-334-6380
Megan@lilleyslanding.com

Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report 10/22/2010 - Branson, MO

The theme of this record is like a broken record . . . wait it is a broken record. Our beautiful fall weather hasn't changed in weeks with a high blue sky, 75-85 degrees, no rain and only a little wind. Generation patterns . . . again, hardly any change. Most days, water is running any where from a half unit to two units, 25-85 megawatts, and varying during the day. Some days the generation starts at 3 p.m. and runs through the night. On others it starts at midnight and runs through the next day. The only consistent pattern is that there's no pattern at all. Little water runs on weekends, but not always, except that there is usually no generation most of the day on Sundays.

Fishing -- if anything it has slowed a bit. That's what we're hearing from guests and guides alike. But the minute or hour you think there's no trout in the lake, they turn on, and you can catch a bunch of nice rainbows. It's still fishing. Not biting? In the fall, low oxygen in the water usually gets blamed, but the rainbows I have caught fought hard and swam off quickly, indicating they have plenty of oxygen. The other reason suggested for the slowdown was fewer rainbows in the lake, but the Missouri Department of Conservation is still stocking. Fishing pressure has actually decreased the last week, too, and will continue to decrease in the coming weeks.

Night crawlers are still king, by far. We're carrying live minnows due to so many requests, but I don't think they're working any better than worms or Power Bait. The Gulp variety is still catching some rainbows but mostly smaller ones. And we do have some real small rainbows swimming around right now. I caught one last evening that didn't stretch to four inches. I was drifitng a san juan worm and a scud using a small split shot and felt something kind of like bumping gravel, but not quite. But not big enough to be a real fish? It was. It didn't stop bumping in a weird way, so I reeled it in and fought a fish on the hook. They are small!

I have a new recipe for a drift rig I want to share. I've been using it lately and I think it's a great rig. Tie the normal rig with a hook or fly on one end and a loop closer to the other end, but leave off the bell weight. Instead, make a loop, loop it through and make a small, simple knot in the line real close to the end of the line. That's it. Then pinch a split shot on the line and slide it down to the knot. What makes this better is, first, if your weight snags on the bottom, the shot will just pull loose. Tie another knot and pinch on another shot. This also allows you to change size of split shots easily. I really like this since our generation has been changing so much during the day lately. If it slows I can put on a smaller shot. If it speeds up, I can pinch on a little bigger shot. No, I don't have these in our tackle shop yet, but I'm working on getting them tied up.

I used one of these rigs yesterday, drifting a light brown san juan worm, medium chenille, 6x tippet, #10 hook and a #14 dead peppy scud on the bottom and caught some real nice rainbows. I boated to the dam about 11 a.m., after water started running at 9 a.m. There was just enough water to get all the way to the cable, although I was holding my breath running through the rebar area. I threw a 1/8-ounce sculpin jig from the cable down past rebar and caught five rainbows in the 15-to 18-inch range. They hit hard and fought hard. They were hungry. No browns. I didn't do as well through the big hole area but caught a few smaller rainbows down closer to the boat ramp. I worked the KOA stretch with no results. Started drifting my worm and scud at Lookout and quickly boated an 18-inch rainbow. It jumped three times and made five hard runs. I was amazed that this fish was this full of fight this time of year, pleasantly surprised. Caught six more rainbows before heading back to the resort, all in the slot. I could see our small rainbows as I drifted down, but I guess the big ones were getting to the flies first. Same result in the evening, but I found the dinks, too.

Night fishing below the dam has been a mixed bag. With water running so much at night, it's been tough for most who aren't used to fishing at night. There's some room at outlets #1 and #2, but tangles and trees cause most anglers to head back to a warm bed and dreams of doing better at daylight. But if you do catch the water down, there's a variety of flies to try and ways to work them. I would think the big browns would go after a larger fly but you know, we've been catching big browns at night on smaller wooly buggers for years. On moonlit nights like last night, don't be scared to try a white streamer. Check out my last report for a list of night time flies we have in the shop. Or, as I tell people when they ask about the flies in their own collection -- give them a try! They'll probably work.

To try night fishing, first, carry a light but keep it off the water you're fishing . . . and off the water others are fishing. Light will spook fish and they will leave the area--quickly. Second, don't be in a big hurry to wade out in the water. A lot of these trout cruise the banks for sculpin. Third, don't crowd the angler who's already in the water. Remember, there's current. If you wade in just below someone who's fishing, you're probably standing where he was casting. Keep a long space between each other or don't wade out very far.

If the water isn't running, in the area above Fall Creek, micro jigs in olive, tan or black are working. Fish them four-to six-feet deep under an indicator. These are also working below Fall Creek. We've been getting a good midge hatch in the evenings, and rainbows have been taking them off the surface. Tie on a zebra midge in red or black, #14 or #16's and place an indicator 12 inches from the fly. Target these midging trout as they rise. You can throw this rig with a fly rod or spin cast rod and reel.

Scuds imitate freshwater shrimp, which are the staple food for our trout. Shrimp live mainly in the upper end of the lake where it's shallow, but they are found throughout the lake living in gravel and dead, lying timbers. Beaded scuds can be used under an indicator, just like a micro or marabou jig, and worked close to dead trees and steeper banks and docks.

Scuds are a great fly to use above Fall Creek just off the flats in the channel. If the water is off, you can use a tandem rig (two flies about 18 inches apart) under an indicator. Set the depth according to the water you're fishing, and make sure your flies are on the bottom. Use a weighted scud or use split shots to get them down. Move the indicator every 10 to 15 seconds to make the flies hop off the bottom. Scuds swim and do come off the bottom when swimming. You're flies should mimic these bugs as closely as possible to attract a bite. If the indicator moves in the slightest, set the hook!

Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report 7/16/2010 - Branson, MO

It's been an amazing year so far here on Lake Taneycomo. In the past three years our lake/river has seen a great deal of water -- water from the upper White River basin, Beaver and Table Rock lakes, as well as major river systems feeding each lake. This constant flow over this period has created fertile conditions for trout food, namely freshwater shrimp. These small crustaceons, that live in the gravel at the bottom of our lake, are very high in protein. You'll find dried freshwater shrimp, called "scuds," sold in pet stores to feed various small pets like turtles. When a fishery has an abundant population of scuds, its fish will exhibit very healthy growth rates. That's what we're seeing for our trout right now.

In the past, we would see big, fat rainbows after a lengthy shad run from Table Rock Lake. Threadfin shad would flow from the dam, dead or stunned from their trip through the turbines, and our trout would feast on them until their bellies would bulge. They would grow so fast that we'd see two-pound rainbows in no time, but that wouldn't last. In less than six months, most of these rainbows would move out of the trophy area and be caught out of the lake, ending a seemingly steller trophy run. The resident food base would not handle the growth spurt and the larger rainbows in the system. Why? In time, we'd experience long periods of no generation on our lake when water would not run, would not move, thus depleting the population of freshwater shrimp down to levels that could not sustain the size and number of rainbows.

Because of the three years of flowing water on Taneycomo, we are seeing big numbers of big rainbows throughout the lake, not just in the trophy area. Our scud population doesn't stop at Fall Creek, the lower boundary of the trophy area; it extends down further that anyone suspects. Back in the "hay day" of big trout on Taneycomo, the 1960's and early 1970's, huge schools of scuds were found in the Branson downtown area. A friend who then worked on the Sammy Lane Pirate Cruise remembers how the crew would stomp on their dock to knock the scuds off the floatation, causing a trout feeding frenzy. They would drop their lines in the water and pull out three- and four- pound rainbows one after the other. We might not have that kind of scud population, today but it's still amazingly good when we see two- and three- pound rainbows caught fairly consistently well below the trophy area.

Fishing Report

Generation has been, well, difficult to gauge. Southwest Power Administration's generation schedule is set midafternoon the day prior, but it was off yesterday after holding closely to projection for a couple of weeks. We've had front after front cross our area with downpours that last 5-10 minutes, but these rains are localized to the degree that we might get a big downpour here at the resort, but up the road two miles on the Branson strip they might stay dry. . . and visa versa. Table Rock has not seen a bump in it's level, but Bull Shoals has jumped almost two feet. Yesterday the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ran, for the first time in quite a while, some serious water through Table Rock Dam, opening four turbines but not quite full. Our lake level topped 710 feet, nine feet higher that our power pool which is 701.3 feet.

Fluxuating water levels: Typically when generation is started at the dam and water starts to move, our trout start feeding. Bugs and worms get washed into the lake when the water floods the bank edges, weeds and grassy areas. Scuds might start moving up out of their hiding places in the rocks. Midge larvae don't usually move unless we see a drop of movement, say when the Corps is shutting down the turbines. But when the trout see generation flows they haven't seen in a while, I believe they don't feed as well as they do when they see consistent flows. When the Corps fluctuates the levels during the day, for instance, the flow and level of the lake will vary by six inches to a foot several times an hour -- up and down -- and our trout don't seem to like that or at least they don't think about eating during those periods. Not sure why they do that, but we wish they'd stop!

Guessing what the Corps will do the rest of the week would be tough. I would just go fishing and take whatever comes. You should start early in the day, not necessarily because you'll catch more fish early but to give yourself the best chance to find when the trout will feed the most. I'd say later in the afternoon and evening is going to be the slowest, assuming that the Corps might be running a lot of water at that time. We're finding the best times to catch trout are from 8 a.m. until noon, but that depends on cloud cover. We've had cloudy days for the most part this month, which is great for fishing, but if the clouds clear in the afternoon and it is supposed to hit the 90's, the rest of the week, mid- to late afternoons will be unconfortable at best. High sun and no wind together yield the poorest fishing time.

But early, catching has been pretty good. Our guides have been doing the best, bait-wise, on night crawlers. It's surprising how many anglers step into our office and ask what the best bait is and expect a colored answer -- "pink Power Bait" is what they want to hear. When we answer "night crawlers," it's as if we said that the fish were all dead, or at least not biting. Live, "real" bait generally catches more fish than artificial bait. Now Eddie Ketchum, my Berkley fishing buddy, may not agree, but we see stocker rainbows being caught on Power Bait more than the larger, wiser rainbows. We float our worms, injecting them with air using a blow bottle. This floats the worm off the bottom so that the trout will see them quickly and eat them quickly.

The best area has been from Short to Fall Creeks, but this area has been the hardest hit the last few weeks. Fish numbers have been dropping from the pressure, so some of our guides and clients have been heading down to Monkey Island, just above downtown Branson, and finding good numbers of rainbows. Same thing, floating night crawlers off the bottom. Use a pre-made drift rig or just a small #6 hook and a split shot up the line about 18 inches. Use only the head half of the worm but save the tails. Hook the worm once, leaving each half of the worm hanging off the hook freely. You don't have to hide the hook!!! Inject the worm on the head half and let 'er fly. One more helpful hint - set the rod down and secure it. Wait for the bite, lift the rod and let the trout take the worm, then set the hook.

If they swallow the bait, and you want to release the fish, don't touch the fish, just cut the line close to the fish's mouth and drop it back into the water. Digging the hook out will likely kill the trout.

Yes, Gulp Power Bait eggs will catch rainbows, too. Use one white egg with another colored egg. The odd color varies, so buy all the other colors and keep switching until you find the right combination. Only use two eggs, though. I've seen people using a whole chain of eggs on larger hooks. I don't think rainbows are into eating candy necklaces.

Jig and float fishing catches more trout than just about any other technique. Tie on a small barrell swivel, but before that, slip on a float. Then tie on about six feet of two-pound line, preferablly flourocarbon. We use Vanish. Then tie on a 1/256th-ounce micro jig, either tan or olive. We've been fishing this rig anywhere from Lookout Island in the trophy area down to Monkey Island and catching trout. Throw it out and let it sit a minute, then twitch the float a bit and watch for the slightest movement. Have to be quick at times, but other times, they'll take it under.

Fly fishing below the dam is very good, but you have to know what you're doing. Early is best. It does get tough as the sun rises high in the sky. The water is clear and shallow and the trout up there are pretty smart -- they've seen and have eaten a lot of flies. As I told a young man the other day in the shop, you can use 6x tippet, but if you want to hook up more often, use 7x. The other thing you must have is an arsenal of flies in your box of different colors and sizes of scuds, midges and woolies.

If the water is running, you'll be limited where you can access the lake . . . and there will be a crowd at those accesses. Scuds will be your friend. Weighted #16 to #20's in various shades of gray, olive or tan. San Juan worms in red, brown and purple. Zebra midge #16 to #18's in red, black and olive. Small egg patterns in orange, white and brown. If you catch the water down, strip a #16 red or yellow soft hackle or an olive #14 wooly bugger. If you catch the water down at night, we have some great night patterns created just for our water. Hibernators and PMS, as well as leaches and buggers in large sizes (#6 to #2's) and mostly dark colors.

If you're fly fishing from a boat in the trophy area, if the water is running you'll need to drift your fly on the bottom. Best way is to use a fairly large indicator and allow plenty of line below it to drag the bottom. From Lookout down to Fall Creek, stay in the middle to shallow side of the lake and fish your fly about 10 feet deep, depending on how much water they're running. Add a split shot if you think your fly isn't making contact with the bottom. You can sub your scud or egg fly for a micro jig. Pink with a chrome head or a tan jig has been working pretty well.

If you catch the water off, shorten up your line under the indicator and use a micro jig in olive or tan. If you're using a scud, get it to the bottom and switch it to attract a strike.

Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report 4/01/2010 - Branson, MO

Floodgates were opened last week at Table Rock Dam to move water from Beaver and Table Rock lakes. The last three rains poured a total of 6 to 10 inches in the area.  One unit is down at Table Rock Dam, so floodgates make up for the loss of flow, plus some.  Beaver’s level is not dropping yet, but Table Rock is at a clip of four inches per day.  Table Rock’s level has dropped from 918.5 feet to 917.4 and should be down to 915.0 by next weekend. 

 

Report amended:   The floodgates have been shut off, and the fourth generator is back on line.

 

All this water has intimidated a lot of anglers.  As I’ve been sharing with them, it’s not the water flow itself but the 15-20 mph winds that’s making fishing tough.  As I’ve preached for many months, you’ve GOT to be on the bottom to get bit.  With this flow and the added effect of wind, it’s challenging!  Trout have been biting pretty well if you can present something to them in a good way – and that’s the trick.

 

We’ve been sending most of our guests downstream, basically advising them to find less windy spots to drift minnows or Gulp PowerBait eggs -- one white and one of another color like pink, orange or yellow -- on the bottom using a drift rig.  Up in the creeks, we’re finding a lot of trout looking to get out of the current.  Throwing spinners and spoons is good because these rainbows seem to be in the mood for chasing.  Also put a Gulp egg on a small jig hook and fish it under a float four-to five-feet deep.

 

Guide Bill Babler had a fantastic trip fishing this morning.  Especially from 7-9 a.m. with one-eighth ounce white jigs.  His clients caught some incredibly nice rainbows ranging from 18 to 22 inches in length.  With the gates off and dim prospects for more shad, these trout will be eyeing anything white for weeks to come.