BASS PATTERNS- The biggest change since the water went up is where they are located. They moved mostly deeper.

These are the 3 top patterns right now.

Carolina rigging a lizard. This is working mostly for Largemouth and Spotted bass. They are mostly using the green colors with a 2 to 4 foot drop. They are using these in 25 to 35 feet of water mostly on the steeper chunk rock banks and channel swings.

Crawfish or green colored tube tubes dragged on the gravel flats is producing some good Smallmouth Bass. These fish are mostly in 20 to 35 feet of water on the gravel rounded points and flats.

Live minnows with a small split shot in 20 to 35 feet of water is producing all species of bass.

These patterns are also starting to produce results.

Other plastic baits such as meatheads, French fry worms, and 4 inch worms. The basic green or brown colors will work. These are Carolina rigged with a 2 to 4 foot drop jut like the lizards pattern above.

Top water flukes- shad colored around the brush in shallow water.

Wacky rigged bubble gum plastic worms with no weight in shallow water

Spinner baits- These were working very well when the water was rising and the color was brown. They have slowed down a little bit.

WALLEYE- They are ONLY biting at night right now. I have seen some nice stringers and one 11 pounder. I haven’t seen many caught in the day or talked to anybody that is catching them in the day. They are only catching them in the middle of the night trolling perch colored crank baits in 20 to 30 feet of water off of the gravel main lake points. Everything that has been tried in the day has not worked.

WHITE BASS- There has been a few caught here and there. There have also been the sporadic sightings of the classic white bass surfacing back in the creeks over the last few weeks. However, there has not been the classic white bass run of the past. I would expect to be able to see people catch them at night under the lights any time now.

CRAPPIE- Same deal on the crappie. There are very few being reported or being caught. I have never seen the crappie fishing any good in the 32 years I have been here when the lake is moving up or down. I don’t know where they go or what they do. They still have to eat but I haven’t seen many being caught. Of course, not many people show off their crappie and the guides are catching bass too easy to be crappie fishing. So- we will see what happens when the lake stabilizes.

According to AmerenUE the current lake level is 659.5 with medium generation scheduled for the next three days, which should give the lake a level of 659.5 by Friday, May 21st. The water temperature taken at Bagnell Dam is 74 degrees. Some coves and the Osage River are off color with visibility ranging 1 to 3 feet. The Grand Glaize,Big and Little Niangua and Gravois are clear with visibility ranging from 5 to 8 feet. The lake has been on a slow rise all week and has come up about a foot since last weeks report. There are a few logs and trash floating in the creeks and main lake with some just under the surface, so be careful.

LARGEMOUTH BASS -GOOD Since the lakes slow rise, the bass that are not on the beds are spread out and somewhat difficult to locate and catch. The active bass seem to have moved on the small chunk rock banks in 8 to 12 feet of water. The bass are hitting a variety of baits, but lately the best bite seems to be a split shot American fry (green pumpkin, watermelon red, and watermelon candy) and a Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hog in the same colors. Casting Flukes and trick worms (white, shad and watermelon red) on the steep banks with chunk rock and around boat docks are taking some nice keepers. The jig n trailer (brown, brown/purple and brown/green pumpkin) is producing as well, on the chunk rock banks, but has slowed down lately. Pitching a jig N trailer behind the steeper docks is also taking keepers, but it takes a lot of docks and pitching to get a limit. There have been some reports that when working a bait through brush piles in 8 to 12 feet of water the bass are striking just as the bait leaves the brush.

CRAPPIE - SLOW The crappie have really slowed down. They are either spawning or have spawned because the crappie being caught are under the size limit or just keepers and have moved off the banks into 8 to 10 feet of water near brush. Minnows have been the best bite and Road Runners and tubes (white, white/purple and blue/white) seem to being working too. Don't forget to tip your baits with Crappie Nibbles, they do help.

CATFISH - GOOD The blues, flatheads and channels have been fairly active early and evening. The catfish are in 8 to 12 feet of water in the coves on a mix of pea gravel and chunk rock. The jugs are still taking the bigger cats baited with cut shad, perch, shrimp and crawdads. Tight linning with stink bait, night crawlers, and hot dogs are producing some nice channels in the 2 to 4 pound range.

BLUEGILL - EXCELLENT The bluegill are around sea walls and boat docks from the bank out to 6 or 8 feet of water. The best time to catch a bunch is early morning and late afternoon. Red wigglers, wax worms (grubs) and night crawlers are the best bite.

Lake Level : 607.10
Last Weeks Lake Level: 606.74
Normal Lake Level : 606
Water Condition: Dingy - Muddy
Surface Water Temp: 75 degrees

The crappie spawn is winding down. Several nice limits have been caught this week. They won’t come to you, you have to keep on the move and find the banks where they’re still spawning. Like last week there are a LOT of small crappie being caught, if you keep on the move and throw a lot of minnows at them you’re going to catch a lot of crappie. Most will be small, but with persistence you will be rewarded with some good size crappie. You can throw straight minnows at them or they can be dangling from the end of a jig, but minnows are key for most fishermen. When you start catching the larger crappie, settle in for a while and work the area patiently. Don’t settle in one place for too long though, slowly move on and look for the bigger fish. The Middle Fork and South Fork have been productive. The upper branches have been good, with crappie hanging out around log jams and lay downs. If you find the right good cove you can catch a limit of good size crappie.

This week, guide Bruce Carpenter reports that Sunday he fished for about three hours and caught a limit of 10-14 inch fish, fishing the North Fork area from Otter Creek on up, using a minnow and jig (black and chartreuse) under a bobber. The bite was often light with subtle movements of the bobber. He caught lots of 9 inch fish and a couple of slabs. 90% females were in the limits as females are in the nest 2-5 feet from the bank and 2-5 feet down. Not as many big ones as he would have liked but a good stringer of fish nonetheless. Also with the crappie spawn on the downhill side for this season, Bruce reports on what crappie fishermen can expect as the crappie enter their post spawn era. The post spawn era is that period of time when crappie move from the nesting areas back into their summer pattern areas. Fishermen should start fishing the transition locations in 10-20 feet of water around structure 7-10 feet down. Bruce prefers cedars, but most structure will hold crappie that are on the move and foraging their way to their summer locations. Minnows and or chartreuse jigs tipped with crappie niblets will be effective. Fishing will probably be spotty, one here and one there during this time, so keep moving. This transition should be 3-4 weeks long for the movement to complete itself. "Be patient but keep moving. Good luck, Bruce"

The bass fishing has been average. The best fishing has been off secondary points back into the coves, in shallow water from 2 – 6 feet deep. A variety of baits have been successful, spinner baits, crankbaits, tube jigs or plastic worms, take your pick. This pattern has held throughout the lake, from the Spaulding area to North, Middle and South Forks.

Catfishing has been excellent, with several large flatheads and blues caught on trotlines. A picture is worth a thousand words, check out the fishing photos from the past week, including a 62 lb. flathead. I probably saved myself at least 6,000 words, so there’s nothing more to say….. However I will add that large perch or goldfish continue to be the best bait. Trotlines set fairly far up the branches have caught good size fish. Rod and reel fishermen have been enjoying themselves as well, catching mostly channels near the bank using nightcrawlers or shad gizzards.

White bass are becoming more and more common in Twain, and a few fishermen have reported excellent catches in the past couple of weeks. When found, they are usually in open areas of the lake, and you can expect fast paced action. Silver spoons or rattle traps have been excellent lures. Don’t be surprised to find a walleye or two hanging out in the same terrain. 

Flathead slow

Largemouth Bass good

Stripers slow

Crappie slow

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool:  Temperature:   60

Crappie time at mozingo fishing is good lots of fish being caught carppie good on jigs and minnows in about 5 ft water in the trees 

bass are biteing good on plastic and spinners 

bluegill good on worms

catfish good worms large minnows 

Remember the best of the Midwest 3-d Tripple Crown the 3rd will be at graham on June13th these shoots are fun and you will improve you shooting skills remember kids ask your parents to take you fishing this week thanks big bird

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 839.0 Temperature: 63

Inflow: 265 cfs Outflow: 100 cfs Level: 1.72 feet high

Pomme Arm Good

Black Bass are starting to spawn on pea gravel Use soft plastic tubes or salt craws 4 to 12 feet

Crappie good Crappile are suspended over brush 16 feet to 12 feet minnows

Catfish good Trotlines and llimblines use cut shad or shiners shallow

Lindley arm Fair to Good

Black bass try soft plastics off the spawning banks

Catfish go up the river use cut shad and liver \

Crappie fish about 10 feet in timber off the bottom

Lower lake Fair to Good

Crappie off the bottom in 18 to 20 feet use minnows

Black bass fish ae starting to spawning use soft plastics

Bluegill fish are shallow fish around docks use worms.

Temperature: 65 Clarity:  Level: low

Largemouth Bass slow using Rattle traps in 6 feet of water

Channel Cat  good using night crawlers

Blue cat No Report

Bluegill No Report

Crappie good using minnows and jigs

Water Temp: 71 and Dingy   Level: high

Crappie good using jigs and minnows in the brush piles

Blue Catfish good using night crawlers

Channel Catfish  fair using night crawlers

Largemouth Bass  fair on spinner baits

Bluegill good using night crawlers

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 864.2  Temperature: 60 to 64

Inflow: 3000 cfs Outflow: 8 cfs Level: 1.32 feet high

CRAPPIE: Excellent: The fish are moving in and out from the banks with the weather fronts that are moving through the area. The fish are starting to spawn and are doing different things in different parts of the lake. There are a lot of the smaller males near the bank now and with the warm weather this week the females should move in and start spawning. Minnows and jigs are still the ticket. Fishing around the rocks in the marinas and the bridges are good bets. Find brush along an old creek channel that is about 10 feet deep and you will find some better fish.

BASS: Fair: I think the bass are starting to spawn now especially up in the river arms of the lake. Fishing for nesting fish can be difficult especially in stained water. Most are coming on tubes and jigs while there is still a good spinner bait bite. The numbers of fish caught in the evening tournaments are going down and more small males are being caught.

CATFISH: Good As the crappie spawn gets going the cats will move into the shallows to feed on eggs and fry. Some of the crappie fisherman are already reporting that they are catching some on minnows while crappie fishing. The Platte and Little Platte rivers are also producing some fish. The normal areas would be to fish the mouths of the coves, to half way back, in the Little Platte River arm of the lake. Also head to the crappie spawning areas. Start at the mouth and work your way back till you find the fish. Look for the shad on your graph and the catfish won't be far away. The cats will also move shallow to feed on the crappie spawn as soon as that is in full swing.

White Bass: Good: The river run is over and the whites are moving back toward the main lake. More fish are being caught all of the time in the main lake area and under the bridges. The face of the dam is also starting to produce some whites especially on windy days. The white bass should be on the main lake humps any time now.

WALLEYE: Fair: The walleye spawn is over and the fish are scattering to the main lake points. Several crappie fisherman are reporting that they almost caught a nice walleye while crappie fishing. I had some reports this weekend that people had caught a few fish on some of the main lake points using night crawlers on a jig head. You can also troll or cast a #5 shad rap around main lake points. Stay in 4' to 10' of water most of the time. This should be the pattern for the next month

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Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 867.7 Temperature: 70

Inflow: 900 cfs Outflow: 1442 cfs Level: 2.49 feet high

Crappie in 10 to 15 ft of water along the old shore lines with a jig or minnow

Walleye 20 ft of water by trolling with a night crawler rig

Black Bass in deep water with crankbait inside the coves

Catfish on rod and reel with stink baits, liver or cut shad.

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 915.0 Temperature: 

Release Rate: 6545 cfs. Level: 1.59 feet high

No Report

Temperature:  Level:

Branson Chapter Trout Unlimited next meeting May 25, 2004, 7:00 p.m. at Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Water Conditions: Table Rock Lake is just over a foot and a half over normal pool. Since Friday night, they have turned the generators off about midnight and keeping off for 6 to 8 hours. It was off this morning until 9:00 a.m. and they turned on two. Imagine the other two will come on in an hour or so.

FLY FISHING TROPHY AREA (dam to Fall Creek)-SHALLOW WATER-WADING-
Fishing every day and catching lots of fish. Fish are looking good. Good color and size. Know they are catching some nice fish up in the hatchery area. One of our customers caught several in or near the 20 inch range yesterday fishing the south bank side with the orange scud. We are working our normal lay-ups, slack water, seams and cuts. We are primarily fishing the red tunghead midge. Did get an opportunity Sunday morning before the water started to fish a dark olive soft hackle with great success. The olive woolly bugger using a sink tip system casting toward the bank is still producing. Especially the bank across from the KOA campground.

STAN'S TIP: RESPECT THIS HIGH WATER - We have had two boats capsized in the past two weeks. Fortunately, no fatalities. Don't let your anchor drag. Give yourself lots of slack line if you anchor or tie up to anything. Better yet, don't tie up or anchor 

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 722.00 Clarity:  Level:

Temperature: 66 and Dingy

Crappie slow

Bass No Report

Channel cat No Report

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 706.0 Temperature:  68 and stained

Inflow: 25500 cfs Outflow: 13642 cfs Level: 2.41 feet high