Fishing Reports - Missouri 05-08-08

CRAPPIE: Good to Excellent: The crappie have started to come into the bank. I have had fisherman, Tues. and Wed. telling me they are catching nice limits of fish on the bank in a short period of time. I have had reports of fish being caught up in the river area where the water is very dirty to the main lake. Dark colored jigs because the water color is dirty or minnows will work. Bank fishing is excellent.

BASS: Fair to Good: Depending on the day bass fishing can be really good or not so good. Some of the bass are starting to move up and spawn so most of the fish are shallow. Jigs, brush hogs or spinner baits fished along laydowns back in the coves is your best bet.

CATFISH: Fair: Some nice flatheads are being caught below the dam on swim baits. They are only running 250 cfs so it is fishable. In the lake try fishing in around 10 feet of water back in the coves. Shad sides, liver, or worms are your best bet since the water is still fairly cold.

White Bass: The whites are up in the river areas of the lake from the creek in Perkins park in Plattsburg down to the Spring town bridge just south of Plattsburg. They are also catching some crappie and catfish in these areas. Road runner heads with a small Chartreuse twister tail. The best fishing is above the free ramp.

WALLEYE: The walleye spawn is over and the fish have moved away from the dam. Some fish are being caught by the crappie fisherman around

As you all know, water conditions at Stockton lake are high (the highest was 16 feet above normal pool) which is the result of large amounts of rain. The rising water, however, is not really to blame for the hit and miss fishing this year, but it is the unstable weather conditions and the drop in water temperature that affect the fish. The reason I continue to repeat myself (reference the conditions) is in order to catch any fish at all, you as a fisherman or fisherman person, need to adjust your tactics. Slow and small still seems to be the rule of thumb for bass, crappie and walleye.

Largemouth bass: I was able to have a day off with nice weather, therefore I went bass fishing. In about 1 hour, I caught 4 good bass on a small ¼ oz white jig in the area near Miller Cove. Small plastic worms, Carolina rigged or Texas rigged, are another option. The fish were suspended over about 25 feet of water chasing shad.

Another technique that you need to utilize during this present condition is to vertical fish main lake bluffs with a spinner bait and a Colorado blade. Position your boat close to the bluff, throw down the bluff, let the bait helicopter down and by all means, watch your line. Colorado blade spinner baits sink more slowly and uniformly than willow leaf blades. Also, particularly in the upper or mid section of the lake, the water is stained at best, therefore the extra vibration helps the fish zero in on the bait. When the bait hits the bottom, reel about 3 turns, let it sink again. I find that in stained water conditions, a bigger trailer on the spinner bait will help. Dark colors seem to work well in these water conditions.

Crappie fishing has picked up from what it was 30 years ago. Well, not really, but it seems that long. Anyway, we have been catching crappie right on the edges of the brush line, which can be from 10-15 feet. Males are starting to turn up, which means the females will be laying a little bit deeper. Small Road Runners, small Beetle spins, small curly tailed (by small I mean crappie sized) jigs, fished along these edges, either with or without a minnow, have produced fish for my clients. We are a month behind and you need to consider that in your quest for where the fish will be and what they will be feeding on. Instead of fishing in early May, fish like you do in early April and in the same locations. That’s the same for walleye, bass, crappie. Check water temperature carefully. These fish will congregate in coves due to the fact that largely, the water temperature will be slightly warmer. Crappie spawn in approximately 63-65 degrees (sustained temperature, not this up and down stuff). If you are fishing in water temperatures up in the 50s, fish deeper. If you can find 60+ degree water, the fish will be more shallow. Look for 4 days of stable weather and the fishing should take off. As of right now, as in the days of Noah were, we are facing a great deluge. In Lamar MO, it is possible they’ll get at least 7 inches. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Remember the boat ramp issue. Most boat ramps on Stockton (even though they claim they are open) are unusable. Getting a heavy boat back on the trailer in shallow water is a whole lot harder than getting it off. Make sure your motor is trimmed up a little higher than normal or you’ll gouge out a hole in the parking lot. I have been using Ruark Bluff and RB. On weekends, these parking areas can get congested.

Walleye: Some walleye are being caught in the same areas that the crappie are being caught. Remember that this time of the year (early April, remember you’re a month behind), the walleye move into these areas to feed on shad. By using the same technique as crappie, you should find a few walleye. Added to the list of jigs, try minnow type jerk baits (Rapalas or Rebels), or lures like a small Wally Diver and Wiggle Wart. The crank baits will work a little better later in the day.

I would concentrate my efforts at least north of the twin bridges, because if this rain produces what they say it will, the Son and Sac arms will be very muddy. With the fishing slow because of environmental conditions, coupled with muddy water, the odds are not in your favor. At least if you fish in clear water and don’t catch fish, you can be assured that the fish at least saw your bait.

All jesting aside, I believe that when the weather stabilizes, along with the water temperatures, fishing will be incredible. There is tons of bait in the lake, a great deal of cover (which is more important than people realize), and new environments appear that help the fish. Watch for logs and snakes.

Area Fishing has been exceptional the past few days. Allot of fish are starting to make a move into the creeks and caught on white and chartreuse with gold blades spinner baits and crank baits in shad patterns on secondary points on the outside of the flooded timber. Jewel Football jigs in peanut butter and jelly and brown and purple in 20-25 feet deep is working best for bass around main lake and secondary points in the creeks on the outside edge of the flooded timber. Some fish are also starting to hit plastic baits, Carolina rigged centipedes and brush hogs on outside edge of flooded timber on gravel points.

Fishing has been exceptional the past few days. Allot of fish are starting to make a move into the creeks and caught on white and chartreuse with gold blades spinner baits and crank baits in shad patterns on secondary points on the outside of the flooded timber. Jewel Football jigs in peanut butter and jelly and brown and purple in 20-25 feet deep is working best for bass around main lake and secondary points in the creeks on the outside edge of the flooded timber. Some fish are also starting to hit plastic baits, Carolina rigged centipedes and brush hogs on outside edge of flooded timber on gravel points.

Crappie are in 5-15 feet deep in spawning pockets around standing timber. Crappie jigs in white or chartreuse and white and minnows are working best.

Trout I'm catching some nice rainbows and a few browns on a small Rapala in the morning and also swimming a white 1/16 ounce jig. The trout in the trophy area will also take pink or green micro jigs under a float and a zebra midge has also been very good. Below the trophy are from Fall Creek down, the trout are biting very good on night crawlers or power baits. In the early morning you can catch them swimming a 1/16 ounce jig or little Cleo spoon, in line spinners are also good in the mornings.

Darrell had a gentleman from Alaska, Carl, out Wednesday. They had a very good day, despite the wind. Boated lots of fish and missed lots of fish. Best flies were the red size 16 tungsten bead head midge and the hot pink micro San Juan. They also had the opportunity to fish the filoplume under a sink tip, which Carl really enjoyed.

Stan was out with Bob from Michigan yesterday. They too had a very good day. Boated bunches of fish on the red midge, the Lightening Bug, and stripping a holographic green crackleback with a #4 shot above it.

Both boats commented on the changes to the river. Even with two generators going, some of the boat docks are now sitting on gravel bars! Will be very interesting when we are back to normal levels.

Water Clarity: stained
Inflow: 48000 cfs Outflow: 29058 cfs Level: 9.72 feet high

Fishing Report from Sterett Creek Marina 5/6/08

It looks like the weather may finally be going to straighten its self out, at least maybe we won't see anymore frosts till fall. The lake is still falling and the water color is great, and the crappie are on the banks. The bass fishing is starting to improve and I think we will see allot of bedding fish on the next moon change. So if you are looking for a good fishing trip now would be a good time to hit Truman.

LAKE LEVEL: 715.21
WATER TEMP: 60 deg.

WATER CLARITY: Stained.

BASS: Last nights Hawg fights showed a good improvement in the bass fishing here on Truman. Howard Love and John Pollit weighed in a winning stringer of 14.88 lbs with a big fish of 4.86 lbs. For the third week in a row Jack Hockett and Jeff Swacker came in second place with 6.36 lbs. Third went to Chuck Strohman and Tom Novinska with 2.25. After it was all over everybody agreed that the fish were holding in 3' to 5' of water on the buck brush 1/2 way back in the coves. The baits varied from jig and frog to beavers to brush hogs to worms. In other words if you were throwing a bottom bumper you probably caught fish. The fish are still holding in the nitches in the creeks close to the secondary points.

CRAPPIE: The crappie are on the banks. Fish are being caught in 2' to 4' of water. A jig and bobber seem to be working the best. Look for pea gravel points. The fish seem to be on the points and on the back side of the points in the nitches. We have seen allot of real nice fish come in this week. they are running about 1/2 males 1/2 females and the females are still caring eggs.

WHITES & HYBRIDS: No report.

CATFISH: The catfish are still doing good on jugs. The fish are still holding on the flats next to deep water in about 8' of water. Little smokies and cut shad are working the best in our area. For those of you who ask we should have leeches in the latter part of next week.

* New Missouri regulations require that jug lines be attended at all times unless anchored.

The resort is open, and our restaurant is serving daily specials. Come down for a breakfast pick up some bait and go catch some fish.

Crappie fishing is very good. Most fish are being caught in the Bucksaw area. Fish the creeks and the flat pockets. Best approach is 1/16th oz jig in the blk/char. The water temp is in the low to mid 60's with a lot of fish starting to be caught on the banks.

Bass are being caught in the creeks on the secondary points with some being found staging on the main lake points waiting to move up the creeks for the spawn.. Spinnerbaits and jigs working well. The majority of fish are in 2 to 6ft of water. We are have seen several nice bass being caught.

Catfish are being caught on trout-lines in 10ft of water. Fish with live bait, perch or goldfish. Set your stagings 5 ft deep. Had a 45 lb. come in this week.

Note: On the waters of Wappapello Lake & its tributaries, all Walleye & Sauger must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught. Anglers are encouraged to harvest bass under 11" (daily limit 6) to reduce the numbers of small bass in Wappapello lake.

Blind Pony	Blue Springs	Bull Shoals (East)	Bull Shoals (West)	Clearwater
Concordia City Lake	Council Bluff	S. Grand River	Jacomo	James A. Reed
Lake of the Ozarks	Longbranch	Longview	Maple Leaf Lake	Mark Twain
Missouri River	Montrose	Mozingo Lake	Norfork	Pony Express
Pomme de Terre	Sever	Smithville	Stockton	Table Rock
Taneycomo	Thomas Hill	Truman Lake	Wappapello
			This page was last updated 05/08/08
Click Here for Lake locator map	When your at the lake, stop in and check out the latest fishing information from the bait shops that provide us with our reports. If you mention you saw their ad here, many offer discounts on bait or tackle.		Click Here to Add Your Own Report
Click Here for Lake locator map	Mandatory Boating Education FAQs - 5/24/2004 (pdf) Mandatory Boating Education Bill Signed by Gov. Holden - 6/27/2003 (pdf) Mandatory Boating Education Frequently Asked Questions - 5/24/2004		Click Here to Add Your Own Report